Just as important as our computer hardware is, so too should the chair we sit in. That's why in this guide, we show you the best PC gaming chairs on the market. The chairs we use for gaming should be ergonomic and of the highest quality. But maybe we don't want to play; we need an office chair to work, or more importantly, it will be. We're very demanding when it comes to buying anything, but the same should apply to gaming chairs, because after all, we definitely spend more time sitting in them than sleeping in a bed.
The more hours you spend gaming each day, the better the chair should be. It's a golden rule: the price of the chair we buy is proportional to the value of your computer and installed programs. Remember that sitting on anything can hurt in the long run; our backs are in a bad position, which can lead to lumbar spine problems—that's when we remember when we sit in any chair. Playing in front of a PC or console means sitting most of the time. If this is your case, do you know what that means? You run the risk of developing and/or worsening serious back problems. Therefore, it's very important to have an ergonomic gaming chair.
The width and depth of the chair
The seat should be wide and deep enough for us to sit comfortably. The standard width is usually 40 to 50 cm. It should be deep enough to allow you to sit with your back against the chair, leaving 5 to 10 centimeters between the rear bend of your knees and the seat of the gaming chair. When seated, the user should rest their entire thighs on the seat (stability and comfort) and their feet on the floor at a 90-degree angle to the shin. The knees should be bent and relaxed at 90 degrees relative to the seat.
In this regard, we have to take our measurements into account, as the posture of a 6'1" person is different from that of a 5'1" person. Your legs will become smaller, and your lower back will definitely not support you adequately. Therefore, for this reason, everyone should know the size of the seat and whether it has cushions to accommodate the position of smaller people who need a little extra support.
Armrests
The armrests on a gaming chair should be high enough to support your elbows and forearms without straining your shoulders. The design and height of the armrests will influence your final position for gaming, typing, and using the mouse.
Ideally, your elbows should always be supported, while your forearms should be at the same height as the keyboard (180° relative to the support). Tight fists cause repetitive strain and, over time, injury.
The best option is to purchase a chair with movable or multifunctional armrests. These chairs will have armrests that can be adjusted in all three directions:
Horizontally, which means you can move them inward and outward to adapt their width to your shoulder width. They can also be moved forward and backward to move your position forward or backward, which is important depending on your height and the chair's dimensions.
Vertically: Not all desks are the same, and again referring to our height, we will feel more comfortable with one armrest height or another.
Rotating the armrests: Finally, we can also rotate these armrests outward or inward to further adjust our final position. The armrests are responsible for relaxing the neck and shoulders, and ideally, the forearms should be at a 90° angle to the upper arm and shoulders.
Seat adjustment
The height of the chair should be easily adjustable, and that's the main thing we should always look for in a gaming chair. Its height typically ranges from 40 to 52 cm from the floor.
The correct height for each individual should be one that allows you to keep your feet flat on the floor and your thighs and arms horizontal. The ability to adjust the height, whether with a gas piston or a traditional adjuster, is useful for adjusting the height of your gaming chair.
Stand in front of the screen and adjust your chair until your feet are flat on the floor and your eyes are in the center of the screen.
The height of the desk often greatly affects the height of the chair, and many people are too tall and our desk does not touch the ground.
If necessary, adjust the shape first and then purchase a leg brace to prevent it from getting stuck and affecting leg rotation.
This type of support provides a more comfortable posture and we will experience less fatigue in our feet.
Lumbar support
Lumbar support in a comfortable chair is very important. The lumbar spine (the spine below the back) has an inward curve, and when you sit for long periods without support, you tend to strain your lower spine.
The home remedy for this problem is to place a support pillow in your lower back. However, every good gaming chair has the correct shape (curve) to support your lower back when you sit.
We've also mentioned that many of them have this type of cushion to adjust to our ideal and most comfortable position in the chair.
Of course, our ideal posture may not be the best for our backs, and there's always time to get used to a better posture with the instructions we give you. Invest in chairs with high backrests from the waist to near the shoulders so your spine is better supported while sitting.
There are options that reach head height, and are also contoured to provide greater support at the base of the neck.
Lining material
The material on the chair seat should be thick enough to make you feel comfortable sitting for long periods of time. It shouldn't be too soft either . Backrests can be padded or made of fabric, but they should always be comfortable to the touch.
Upholstery ranges from traditional fabric to nylon mesh and leather , both synthetic and natural. When choosing seat and backrest upholstery, it's always a good idea to consider who will be using it and the type of maintenance each requires. Let's now look at the most commonly used materials, as well as their advantages and disadvantages.
Fabric and textile
It's undoubtedly the most commonly used material for building regular, low-cost chairs . However, gaming chairs increasingly use synthetic leather, which is why they tend to be somewhat more expensive. The great thing about fabric is the enormous variety of colors available and the different types of finishes it can be given. At this point, we must distinguish between natural fabric and artificial fabric finishes . Therefore, they are classified into groups (group 1, 1, A, etc.), as this will vary the chair's durability, finish, or quality, as well as its comfort.
Among the most significant advantages , we can mention that they are inexpensive chairs . Although everything depends on the fabric used, they are also very breathable and durable if made from quality fibers. They can even be resistant to wear , chemicals, and heat. Among the disadvantages , we can mention how difficult they are to clean , because dust adheres to the fibers, and spilled liquids are absorbed by them.
Natural leather
Natural leather upholstery is undoubtedly the most expensive and is not typically used for gaming chairs , but it is often used for office chairs. Among its benefits, we can say that it is very comfortable and easier to clean, but always with the right products .
Natural leather generally offers good breathability and is also very resistant to sharp and hard objects, such as pants buttons or belts. However, it must always be moisturized with special products to prevent cracking. The biggest drawback of these chairs is their high price .
Faux leather
But we also have synthetic leather upholstery , also known as leatherette , imitation leather , or novapiel. This type of material is made from synthetic fibers like polyurethane or nylon , and sometimes traces of natural leather, and is intended to simulate real leather. One of the advantages is that we can choose from a wide variety of colors , and it's also cheaper than real leather. It's also very easy to clean , requiring no special products, and it doesn't stain easily .
But they also have some drawbacks , such as increased wear and tear due to the synthetic construction and cracking. Faux leather is also often quite cold in the winter and hot in the summer because it doesn't breathe like leather does.
Mesh
Finally, we have a very popular material for designer and office chairs : mesh or grid. These chairs are primarily intended for use in offices and workstations, with a design that's far from gaming-friendly. This mesh can be made primarily of nylon , plastic, or polypropylene. These chairs are typically very breathable, as they are made of perforated mesh.
Among their advantages, we can mention that they are quite comfortable chairs , due to the versatility of the design and the adaptability of the material to the body. They are also very easy to clean due to the simplicity of the design and materials. On the downside , we have something we can imagine: depending on the design, they will be somewhat slippery and not entirely comfortable for the lumbar region . The finishes and colors will also be more limited than, for example, those made of fabric or synthetic leather.
Filling material
The exterior finish is just as important as the interior finish of the seat, as the padding that makes up a chair's cushions is essential to ensuring our comfort. Furthermore, their quality will determine the lifespan and the number of hours we can spend sitting in a gaming chair.
These chairs must be able to support our weight for several hours a day and several days a year, so we'll need to look for a thick, high-quality one. The materials used to pad the seats and backrests of the chairs can be the following:
- Foam : This is obviously the most common padding found in gaming chairs , due to its easy construction and moldability. This type of padding is quite durable, has sufficient thickness and quality, and is also a material that immediately returns to its original shape. The problem with foam is that it doesn't completely mold to the body due to its hardness, especially in the back, so it's not particularly recommended for people with back problems .
- Soft Foam Board : This is a type of foam with better molding properties than regular foam. This material is better than foam , as it adapts better to the body and, like latex, is much more durable than regular foam. It is not particularly recommended for heavy users , as it can deform after many days and long hours of use, which is why it is not usually used in gaming chairs.
- Synthetic and latex fillings : This material is even more durable and of higher quality than the previous one. It's also hypoallergenic and stays clean and bacteria-free for a long time. It's mainly found in high-quality sofas and chairs.
Wheels, necessary and noisy?
They're not exactly essential, but they've practically become a fixture in gaming chairs . Instead of lifting or dragging your feet while sitting, you just glide with the chair. But as with everything, we must distinguish between the types of wheels we can find, since there are different materials used to construct them.
First and foremost are the typical hard PVC plastic wheels that come standard on most mid- to low-end chairs . These wheels are highly durable and highly recommended for moving around on carpeted, wooden, or rug surfaces, as they don't warp and adapt better to soft surfaces. The problem with these wheels is that they are quite noisy .
Then we have wheels covered in soft materials like rubber or nylon , which are quieter than the previous ones. They are highly recommended for surfaces like parquet, marble, or tile floors , as they don't scratch the surface and provide better grip.
We continue with what are one of the best options, both in terms of performance and noise. These wheels are constructed with a bearing axle and a round rubber ring on a metal or hard plastic axle. These wheels are 100% silent and offer a ride and friction that will make us levitate.
But there's another type of wheel that's widely used today and can be combined with the other three: wheels with built-in brakes . The big difference with the previous ones is that, if we wish, we can lock all the chair's wheels so it doesn't move, thus achieving maximum stability.
Finally, the quality of the components
This part deserves special attention. As with any product we purchase, chairs can be of good or poor quality. Don't be fooled by appearance. It's very important to consider the strength of the components, the weight, and the thickness of the metal sheets used.
Force the chair's backrest while it's locked to assess its strength. Consider whether the base of the swivel chair (the part where the wheels attach) has reinforcing ribs made of plastic or aluminum, whether it's sized to provide stability, and whether it doesn't give way easily during use.
The mechanisms of larger chairs are more durable, stable, and comfortable if they have cast aluminum bodies . The spring mechanisms made of stamped steel can give way and cause the chair to malfunction.
Pay attention to the quality of the foam in your chairs, not only its comfort, but also its resilience —whether it returns to its original shape after applying load. Test by pressing firmly with your fingertip on the foam to see if it springs back after applying pressure.
It's also important to know the type of rotation on the base: if used on carpet or rugs, the base should be hard (type H), made of pure nylon ; if the floor is cold or ceramic, the base should be type W, whose wheels are coated with silicone and won't scratch the floor.
Source: Professional Review