Every gamer deserves a gaming chair. To make sure you get your money’s worth, review these eight buying factors for gaming chairs.
We have all seen countless streamers and YouTubers sitting in their flashy, colorful, and stylish gaming chairs. It comes with multiple features and some of them are quite ergonomic, but you should not just go online and order any chair judging by its aesthetics.
The world of gaming has evolved and there are tons of ordinary products that have their own gaming variant. Some of these products are extremely useful for gamers, and sometimes the seller just uses the term “Gaming” to attract more customers. The market for gaming chairs is huge and DXRacer, Scarletlab, Corsair, and Noblechairs are some leading brands.
However, there are thousands of options available, and choosing one can be a difficult task. To narrow down your choices, we will discuss some factors that should be considered when choosing a gaming chair.
Types of Gaming Chairs
There are two types of chairs for gamers.
1. PC Gaming Chairs
Whenever you hear the term “Gaming Chair”, you will be thinking about one of these chairs. These are designed to be used while sitting behind a desk. They are great for both gaming, and an office chair.
The chair has a 5-star wheeled base and a pedestal seat on top. It offers maneuverability to help you move comfortably from one place to another. The most important parts of a pc gaming chair are its armrests and back support.
2. Console Gaming Chairs
Console gaming chairs have different shapes and designs. They usually do not have a wheeled base and have an L-shaped design. These chairs are also called rocker chairs and can be rocked back and forth.
Console gaming chairs have a laid-back posture compared to the default upward positioning of pc gaming chairs. High-end chairs come with cool features that closely integrate with consoles, such as USB charging ports and surround sound systems.
No matter what the type, Gaming chairs are expensive. This is mainly due to aesthetics, design, and unique features. While gaming chairs receive criticism for not being comfortable, there are many comfortable and ergonomic gaming chairs out there. You just have to search for the right one.
How to Choose the Best Gaming Chair
The following factors will help you decide which gaming chair is best for you.
1. Ergonomics
It’s true that people buy gaming chairs simply because of how cool they look. While aesthetics are a big deal, you should focus more on the design and ergonomics. After all, you will sit for hours working or gaming.
Ergonomic gaming chairs should protect our postures, minimize back pain, support movement, boost productivity, and improve our reaction time. Most gaming chairs will claim to be ergonomic, but you have to look out for certain features.
For starters, the chair should have a high level of adjustability. You should be free to adjust the headrest, armrest, back angle, and height of the seat according to your body’s dimensions.
The chair should have excellent lumbar support. High-end gaming chairs have adjustable lumbar support to match the curvature of your spine. Regular ones should have quality lumbar pillows to support your back.
The curved back seat should be tall enough to offer neck support and should come with locking mechanisms to lock the backrests securely in place.
2. High-Quality Arm Rest
PC gamers need wide armrests to support their lower arms and wrist. If the armrest does not match the length of your arm, you’ll have sore wrists after a few hours.
You should choose a chair with height-adjustable armrests. It should be tall enough to rest your arms at a 90-degree angle while keeping your shoulders loose. Many chairs come with width-adjustable armrests to offer a little more wiggle room. The right-sized armrest can greatly improve your reaction time, especially on your favorite FPS games.
Some chairs even have flip-up armrests. Which makes it easier for the person to get out of the chair. You may not need this, but the adjustable height option is important.
3. Weight and Height Capacity
Most people forget or simply do not consider the weight capacity of the chairs. The highest-weight-capacity gaming chairs are usually called “big and tall” chairs. The chairs are perfect for people over 6 feet. There is also another category called small chairs, and anyone less than 6 feet tall can use those.
The maximum capacity may differ, but most chairs are capable of supporting weights up to 500lbs. Double-check your chair’s weight capacity before buying it.
4. Superior Construction.
You are likely going to spend hours on this chair, and do not want it to break down in just months. The chair needs to have a high quality built to last years.
The chair’s frame should be made of metal or durable steel. Plastic or wooden frames are an immediate red flag.
Inspect the base of the chair. Aluminum and steel bases are the toughest. Some chairs use nylon bases, but these are less durable.
You would also want wide casters. 3-inch casters are great and 2-inch ones are also reliable but don’t go for anything less. Another important part is the cushion. It has to be comfortable and durable.
Cold foam and mold shaping fillings are perfect for gaming chairs. Quality fillings ensure that your cushion won’t become flat after only a few months.
5. Upholstery
Upholstery is the fabric that covers the chair. Gaming chairs are usually upholstered using the following materials-
PU leather
The most common and budget-friendly leather for gaming chairs is PU leather. It is a synthetic material and is the closest match to genuine leather. However, it’s not as breathable or durable as the real one. PU leather may be cheaper, but it is certainly not bad. Even high-end brands such as DXRacer and Scarletlab use PU leather for their premium chairs.
Leather
Genuine leather comes from rawhide and is the most durable material for upholstery. A lot of companies promote their chairs as having genuine leather, but mostly they are imitations like PU leather.
Genuine leather prevents the chair from sweating and keeps it cool for a long period. It is highly durable and can last years without a single crack. Leather chairs are also easy to clean.
Only high-end gaming chairs use leather for upholstery and can cost you between $500 to $1,000 or more.
PVC leather
The base material is mixed with additives and PVC to make a flexible and soft leather-like material. PVC is water, stain, and fire-resistant. You may not need to think about its fire-resistant quality, but the stain and water resistance certainly helps.
You can enjoy your occasional snack and beverages in between without worrying about small spills thanks to its stain and water resistance. PVC leather is the least expensive, but it is also the least breathable.
Fabric
Fabric chairs are soft and less durable than leather. However, they are more breathable. Gamers should opt for leather chairs as these are the most durable.
6. The Aesthetics
Now that we have gone through all those technical details, let’s find out what makes an ordinary chair into a gaming chair.
The color, style, and overall look of the chair are what really sell these chairs. The best-looking gaming chairs are the ones that have a race seat style. They look cool and most of them offer many useful features.
There are plenty of color options in the market, so you do not have to worry about finding one that matches your RGB rig and the neon radiance of your gaming setup. Some chairs also come with mesh paddings to offer more breathability.
7. Dimensions of the Chair
Once you find the perfect gaming chair, take a look at its dimension and how much space it is going to take. If the dimensions are not written in the description, ask the seller.
Sometimes, chairs have narrow seats. Which makes it very uncomfortable for large people. Also, you do not want a big and tall chair in a small room. You have to think about installation too. Some chairs are pre-built, but others need to be installed part-by-part. While installing, it will take extra space, so make sure to have the measurements right.
8. Online Reviews
Help is only one click away. There are tons of gaming communities on Reddit and Facebook that can provide informative suggestions. They also post reviews and share their opinions about gaming products. You can post a picture and the name of the chair you like and ask for opinions on it.
If you are looking to make a purchase on Amazon, check out the customer reviews for the product to see if it’s worth the money. And if you can physically visit a store and inspect the chair yourself, then that would be even better.
Final Thoughts
The popularity of gaming chairs is not going away anytime soon. In fact, more amazing features are being added every day. However, be cautious and consider the factors we mentioned above to get the perfect gaming chair for countless hours of fun, gaming, and streaming.
