Are gaming chairs worth it?

Gaming chairs often get a lot of stick. But, people still continue to pour impressive amounts of money into them, year after year. So, that got us thinking – are gaming chairs worth it? Or have we all just been conditioned to want them because they look impressive?

We wanted to look into how gaming chairs are made, and if they can actually improve your gaming or even your health. Are you looking for a way to make your gaming experience more enjoyable? If so, then you may want to consider investing in a gaming chair.

Why buy a gaming chair?

Let’s start by looking at what makes the perfect gaming chair. When you’re choosing a new gaming chair, there is a huge list of factors to consider – some more important than others.

Comfort

is, of course, at the top of the list. You’re going to be spending a lot of time sitting in your chair, so it needs to be comfortable. But comfort isn’t just about the padding.

The perfect gaming chair will also offer support for your back and neck. This is especially important if you suffer from back pain. A good gaming chair can help to improve your posture and alleviate any pain you may be feeling.

Does the chair have enough lumbar support? Is it designed for someone of your height and build? Are the armrests adjustable? There are a lot of ergonomic factors that can harm your alignment when you’re sitting down. Gaming chairs are meant to combat these and keep you comfortable for as long as possible, so make sure that’s what they’re doing.

Posture

We’ve already touched on this, but it’s worth repeating – posture is important. If you want to avoid back pain, then you need to make sure you’re sitting up straight.

A good gaming chair will force you into the correct posture and help to improve your alignment. This is vital for anyone who spends

Material

When it comes to gaming chairs, you’re going to be looking at the three most popular material options: leather, fabric, and mesh. They each have their own benefits and drawbacks, so this will all come down to personal preference.

Leather – Leather is best for aesthetics, as well as being easy to clean thanks to its easy to wipe texture. But, it’s often less durable as it’s usually PU instead of genuine leather.

Fabric – Fabric is usually more comfortable and more durable than leather or mesh gaming chairs. Although, you may find it’s a lot more difficult to keep a fabric gaming chair looking clean and fresh, as stains will set more easily, and you can’t usually wipe it down.

Durability

Durability is another important factor to consider. You want a gaming chair that is going to last. Look for a chair that has a strong frame and high-quality materials.

You should also consider the warranty before you make your purchase. A good gaming chair will come with a long warranty that covers any defects in the materials or workmanship.

Style

Of course, style is important too. You want a gaming chair that looks good and fits in with the rest of your setup. There are plenty of different styles to choose from, so you should be able to find something that suits your taste.

Functionality

Finally, you want to make sure that the gaming chair you choose is functional. It should have all the features that you need and want. For example, if you want a massage function, then make sure the gaming chair you’re considering has that.

Price

Now that you know what to look for in a gaming chair, it’s time to talk about price. Gaming chairs can range in price from around $100 to upwards of $1000. So, what’s the difference? And is it worth spending more money on a gaming chair?

The truth is, there is a big difference between a $100 gaming chair and a $1000 gaming chair. The more expensive chairs are usually made with better materials and have more features. They’re also generally more comfortable and durable.

So, if you can afford it, we would say that yes, it is worth spending more money on a gaming chair.

Gaming chair features

Now that you know what to look for, let’s take a closer look at some of the features that gaming chairs offer.

• Ergonomic design for ultimate comfort
• Customizable height and tilt to ensure perfect positioning
• Breathable mesh fabric to keep you cool during long gaming sessions
• Robust construction for lasting durability
• Stylish design that will complement any gaming setup

The evolution of gaming chairs

The first gaming chair was created in 2006 by DXRacer. As a company, they mainly worked on developing seats for luxury racing cars, which is probably why gaming chairs usually look like racing seats (and are labeled ‘racer chairs’). These racing-style chairs came with a higher backrest than regular chairs, giving more support to the back and shoulders throughout long periods of sitting.

When DXRacer started out making their gaming chairs, there wasn’t really any competition they needed to worry about. The idea of gaming chairs was still a foreign concept to most gamers. That was until Twitch launched a year later and people began to stream their games on the platform. It became a huge part of the platform to have a good-looking setup, and so more and more people started to invest in their own gaming chairs.

Types of gaming chairs

We mentioned before that there isn’t just one type of gaming chair anymore. The niche has expanded to include a whole assortment of design and style options – but what style of gaming chair is right for you? Well, let’s take a look.

PC gaming chairs

For PC gamers, it makes sense that a PC gaming chair would be the best bet. These chairs resemble normal office chairs, but with a few notable differences. They come with a bucket-style seat, higher backrests, and a generally more ergonomic design. Compared to office chairs, PC gaming chairs come with many more customization options to help make the chair the best fit possible for your body.

They usually come with adjustable armrests, exceptional lumbar support, and even speakers in the headrest. All designed to give you the best PC gaming experience possible.

Racer chairs

As the name suggests, these chairs are specifically designed for racing games and simulate the kind of car seat you would find in a race car. While you can use this chair for any kind of game, its design has been specially tailored for those fast and furious racers that have you drifting around corners and cursing yourself for oversteering.

They are fairly similar to PC gaming chairs, just with a stronger emphasis on the race car design we know and love.

Rockers

If you’re more of a console gamer than PC, gaming chairs and racers won’t usually be the best fit for you. They’ve been designed to be used at a desk, not in front of a TV screen. Rockers are designed to sit on the floor and cradle your body so you can enjoy hours of console gaming. They often come with space to store your controllers as well as speakers in the headrest to make sure you can fully immerse yourself in whatever game you’re playing through.

Pedestal chairs

Similar to rockers, these chairs are more suited to console gaming. They sit on a pedestal that raises them just above the ground but are in a similar style and design to rockers. Whether you prefer a rocker or a pedestal chair really depends on your gaming setup and how high up your TV screen is placed.

Other chair designs

Apart from the main varieties we listed above, you can also find companies producing a huge range of different gaming chair designs. There are bean bag chairs (which, let’s be honest, are just expensive bean bags), gaming sofas with space for controllers and integrated speakers, and even inflatable gaming chairs (can’t you just hear the squeaky furniture?). Most of these have yet to catch on in a big way, although I’m not exactly surprised about that.

Final word

So, are gaming chairs worth it? If you want the best comfort and support for your spine while sitting in front of a computer or console then yes. They may cost more than premium options such as the Herman Miller range but they’ll do a sufficient job and the right chair is going to be a massive step up on that spare dining room chair you are currently using.