Although gaming chairs are often criticized, the truth is that they are popular because they look cool. People will continue to buy them as long as they look good. I am one of them.
Gaming chairs aren’t necessarily bad options. Some are even better than others. In this article, we will discuss seven things you need to consider before buying a gaming chair.
These will allow you to A) decide if a gaming armchair is right for your needs and B) choose the right gaming armchair from all of the options available.
The main reason you buy a gaming chair is its design
Gaming chairs can be comfortable, but this is not to say they aren’t. Many gaming chairs, from the high-end to mid-range, are comfortable.
If comfort is all that matters when you buy a chair, but you don’t care about the design, you might be better off choosing gaming chairs within your budget.
This is because office chair manufacturers don’t usually have to spend as much time on the design of the chair.
Racing-style gaming chairs are made with different components, which can make it difficult to sit comfortably.
These bucket-style chairs are ideal for holding race car riders in place, but they aren’t designed for long-term sitting.
However, racing chairs can be used for long-term sitting. The Secretlab Titan gaming chair, which has a more relaxed bucket seat, is actually my favorite. I use it for 8 hours a day. It’s simply that a seat with a non-bucket design is more ergonomically sound.
If you are looking for a racing-style chair with a lot of ergonomics and comfort, you can do so.
Your height and weight are two of the most important determinants of which gaming chair you choose
There are no chairs that are suitable for you if you’re 6′-5″ tall and 250 lbs.
Gaming chairs are often criticized because they don’t fit the body of the buyer, making them uncomfortable.
They would have known that the chair wasn’t the right choice if they had taken note of the chair’s weight and height requirements.
Always check the weight and height requirements for the gaming chair that you are looking at.
Some chairs, such as Secretlab’s Omega and DXRacer Formula Series, are made for smaller users.
You can find a chair that you like online, but you don’t meet the recommended height or weight requirements.
There aren’t many gaming chairs that fit everyone. Make sure that you only look at gaming chairs that fit your body.
Third: Many gaming chairs are manufactured by the same manufacturer, but rebranded by different companies
Take a look at Amazon’s product listing for gaming chairs. There are many chairs with similar designs from different companies.
The rumor is that someone copied DXRacer’s design and began mass-producing them here in China. It’s possible that this is what actually happened. It is possible.
There are many chair companies that sell the exact same model of chairs.
This is known as private labeling. This basically means that anyone can send a design and branding to the chair manufacturer and buy the chairs in bulk. Then they can sell the chairs as their own.
You basically have many of the same chairs, the difference being the branding or design.
This is similar to the way NVIDIA, AMD, and Gigabyte make GPUs, and how companies like ASUS, MSI and EVGA repackage GPUs with different clock speeds and coolers.
What does this all mean if you’re looking for a gaming chair, however?
This means that you should look at other options before buying a gaming chair. You may be able to find the exact same chair at a lower price if the only difference between the chair and the company logo.
It is my preference to stick to established brands like DXRacer or Secretlab. This will make it easier to resolve any issues with your chair later on.
If you are on a budget and absolutely need one of these racing-style gaming seats, it may not be possible to choose a chair from an established brand. If that is the case, you should shop around as you might be able to find the exact same chair at a lower price from another company.
Fourth, think about what adjustment features you are most concerned with
There are several features that distinguish racing-style gaming chairs from others. Design and color scheme are two of these features. The next most important feature that distinguishes a gaming chair from another is its adjustment features.
The most important adjustments that can be made from chair to chair are tilt-and-recline adjustment and armrest adjustment.
Nearly all gaming chairs have height adjustment. This allows you to recline backward.
The higher-end chairs can recline further than the mid-range or low-end options. They also have armrests that can be adjusted in multiple directions and tilt at their bases.
These chairs have a recline feature that I love, but I also like the ability to tilt the chair.
To get comfortable while gaming, I can tilt the base back and recline my backrest a bit. This allows me to be more comfortable than just reclining the backrest.
Certain gaming chairs also have adjustable armrests. They can be adjusted side to side, forwards and backward, as well as at an angle. You can also adjust the height of your gaming chair by moving it up or down.
These additional adjustment options are crucial because they will help you position the armrests in the best possible place for your setup.
When you are looking for a gaming chair, consider the features that you need.
Fifth, the lumbar support pillow that most gaming chairs come with is not always a good idea
I have reviewed many gaming chairs and have yet to find the right one. All of the gaming chairs I’ve reviewed offer lumbar support. Some of them are quite good.
However, I have yet to find a racing-style gaming chair with lumbar support. The same can be said about office chairs. You won’t find the ideal lumbar support feature unless you spend a thousand dollars on a Herman Miller chair.
This is because the ideal lumbar support will vary from one person to another.
However, the lumbar support pillows included with gaming chairs do have flaws.
The DXRacer Formula series chair I reviewed had a decent lumbar support pillow, but it was too bulky and too firm for my liking.
On the Secretlab Omega, it was a more comfortable and supportive lumbar pillow. However, since it wasn’t attached to the chair, it could sometimes fall to the bottom of the chair if it was too high up.
Secretlab’s Titan has the best lumbar support I have seen in a chair. It doesn’t include a lumbar pillow but has lumbar support built into the chair.
Titan’s lumbar feature had one problem for me. It hit me slightly more on my back than it should. There is no way to adjust how high it hits you. This problem would be a problem for taller users, but I found it to be minor.
This sums up the experience when buying a gaming chair or any other type of chair. It is difficult to find the perfect chair for you, even high-quality chairs.
However, it is a smart idea to research the various lumbar support pillows and compare them to your preferences.
Sixth: It’s easier to say, “Sit in the chair before buying it” when you have gaming chairs
Many people will tell their customers, “Hey! Don’t buy a chair before you try it out.
Many of these products can only be ordered online.
If you are determined to buy a gaming chair, it is unlikely that you will have the opportunity to test it out before you commit to buying.
If you don’t like that, it’s better to go down to a shop that sells office chair and get one you like.
You may be able to try out some gaming chairs at your local office store.
However, you might not be able to test them out if you have a particular color scheme or brand of the chair in mind.
Acceptance of this fact is a must. It is important to pay a bit more for a chair made by a trusted manufacturer with a solid return policy.
You could also buy from Amazon. They offer a 30-day return policy.
Seventh. Give your chair a few weeks before you decide it’s not for you
A common theme that I’ve noticed with all high-end chairs reviews, not only with gaming chairs but also with office chairs, is that many reviewers comment on how uncomfortable the chair is to sit in.
Seriously, read the Herman Miller Embody, Aeron, Steelcase Leap and Gesture chair review. Many reviewers mention how it made them feel sore the first few weeks, if not longer.
If you are having poor sitting posture due to a low-quality chair, and you decide to upgrade to a better-end chair, the higher-end chair will force your body into a position that it isn’t used to.
Even if you are able to sit in a better position, you may feel sore as your body adjusts to the new position.
Don’t try to sit in a new seat for more than a few days and then throw it out because you feel sore afterward. Your body may not be used to sitting in a good position.