This blog was updated in November 2022.
If you enjoy gaming (and who doesn’t), you’ll want to create the ideal gaming set-up. To perform at the top of your game, you’ve got to have: a high-spec gaming PC, a lightning-fast monitor, an ultra-light mouse, a zero-latency wireless headset… but what about a chair to sit on?
For many, a gaming chair ranks lowest on the list of things they need for their set-up. It shouldn’t be, considering we’re glued to our chairs for hours at a time. So, we thought it’d be a good idea to walk you through the advantages of a gaming chair and why you should pick one up.
What is a gaming chair?
Don’t let the name fool you, these aren’t chairs just for gamers. Rather, think of gaming chairs as a ‘level-up’ over your standard office chair. They’re comfortable, whether you’re playing Counter Strike or replying to a work email.
As you can imagine, comfort is essential when choosing a gaming chair. It must be ergonomic enough to support your back, neck, and shoulders properly, whilst also being comfortable over long gaming sessions. It’s why most gaming chairs are made of dense yet soft foam cushions.
Compared to a bog-standard chair, a gaming chair will be on the pricier end. This is due in part to the high-quality fabrics and materials they use. Often, gaming chairs come with added features over standard chairs too, such as lumbar support cushions, allowing users to tailor their chair to suit them perfectly. With gaming chairs, there are plenty of adjustability options, including height, recline, 4-D arm rests, and more. All this means you can make your chair work best for you.
Although you will likely pay more for a gaming chair, it’s worth it. The best gaming chairs are designed to last can withstand years’ worth of all-day use. They provide excellent comfort and support for both office work and gaming alike, making them a versatile solution.
Why should I look for in a gaming chair?
Choosing your gaming chair can be surprisingly tricky. It’s not like, say, a graphics card where you can look at benchmarks and FPS figures to rule one model better than another. Obviously, this doesn’t apply to gaming chairs, so it’s all down to personal preference.
The problem is only compounded by the fact that so many gaming chairs look near identical to one another. They all adopt the look of a race car bucket seat, with tall headrests and bulky padding on the sides. At least this makes it easy to tell a gaming chair apart from an office chair. Even though they might look similar, not all gaming chairs are created equal. Some gaming chairs might pass the test at a quick glance, but their fit and finish can leave a lot to be desired.
It’s not as if you’re buying a new gaming chair every year. You want one that’ll last, not just look the part. So, here’s what you should be keeping an eye out for when buying your gaming chair.
Ergonomics
We all know that “just one more turn…” in Civilization can inadvertently turn into a marathon gaming session. Hours can go by in a blink of an eye when gaming, and if you’re not aware of your posture, you’ll be left with a sore back afterwards. That’s why it’s important to get the right gaming chair, one that encourages and supports a healthier posture.
Everyone’s built differently, so most gaming chairs offer adjustable or removable lumbar support cushions to best suit the user. For a healthy, ergonomic posture, it’s vital your chair can be adjusted to your body. You might need to dial in the height and recline of your chair to achieve the perfect fit, supporting your legs and back at the right angle.
If you’re buying your gaming chair online, it’s hard to understand what’s best for you through images and dimensions alone. That’s why some gaming chair manufacturers have sizes guides and calculators on their sites to ensure the best fit. Also, you’ll want a gaming chair to be able to swivel 360° to save yourself from unnecessary twisting.
Appearance
We could talk more about the important of ergonomics, but we all know there’s one real reason you’re looking at a gaming chair in the first place – it’s that ‘gamer aesthetic’.
In a gaming battle-station, situated among the rest of your flashy gaming peripherals, an ordinary office chair stands out for the wrong reasons. It’s boring, plain, and no doubt at odds with all the RGB lighting. Your chair doesn’t have to be just a functional piece of furniture. Material, colourway, and more – with a gaming chair, there’s so much more to choose from.
Material
For the most part, you’ve got two choices of material on a gaming chair: synthetic leather of fabric. You don’t tend to see that many mesh-backed gaming chairs, that’s still reserved for office chairs.
‘PVC’ leather is used on the best gaming chairs, while ‘PU’ leather is common at the low-end of the market. Both are synthetic, but PVC is thicker and more durable as it’s made up of many more layers, so it’s less likely to peel over time. On the other hand, PU is easier to work with and more cost-effective, which is why it’s such a popular material. If you want a gaming chair that’ll last, however, go for PVC leather.
The main advantage of a leather gaming chair over a fabric gaming chair is how easy it’s to clean. Fabric acts as a fur magnet if you’ve got pets, whereas leather can be wiped down quickly with a cloth. Spills and stains won’t come up as easily on fabric either, so a leather gaming chair will look fresher for longer. However, leather might not be the most comfortable material, especially over the hot summer months.
Base and Wheels
Seeing as it must support the weight of the chair itself, plus your body on top, we’ll look at what a gaming chair’s wheelbase is made from. On most gaming chairs, it can be a common point of failure. The best gaming chairs use a sturdy piece of metal for their wheelbase, as opposed to plastic. Over time, it’s likely a plastic wheelbase will develop creaks and cracks, whereas a metal one will withstand years’ worth of wear and tear.
While you’re looking at the wheelbase, see what kind of caster wheels it’s using. You want large wheels that will roll over obstacles easily, not ones that’ll chew up cables and carpet flooring.
Arm Rests
Browse Ebuyer’s range of gaming chairs and you’ll see many models which use ‘4-D’ armrests. As ridiculous of a gimmick as it sounds, there’s some truth to it. They adjust in four directions: up and down, left and right, back and forward, and in and out.
Everyone has their own way of sitting at their desk. Perhaps you like the armrests brought up to match your desk’s height when casually browsing the internet, then dropped out of the way so you can tuck yourself right in when gaming. 4-D armrests let you adjust your gaming chair quickly and easily to your exact liking.
Console vs PC gaming chairs
As many of us have turned to gaming in our free time, it’s important to prevent the back, neck, and shoulder pain than can arise over the course of a long gaming session. At Ebuyer, we’ve got both console and PC gaming chairs, but which should you go for?
Best console gaming chair
Of course, what gaming chair you go for is largely dependant on whether you’re a PC or console gamer. For many, console gaming is done slouched back on the sofa. While comfortable, it’s not exactly correct posture. As natural as it is to slump into a lazy posture on your sofa, it’s not good for your back.
So, if you’re gaming on a console that’s hooked up to a TV, consider a pedestal or rocker-style gaming chair. Unlike a PC gaming chair, these don’t have caster wheels to roll around with. Rather, they sit right on the ground, rocking backwards for a great view of the TV. Sort of like you’re at the cinema. Some rocker chairs even have speakers integrated into the headrest, piping audio straight in your ears.
As they’re not as large as full-sized gaming chairs – which can get bulky – rocker chairs are better suited to the living room. Most are foldable too, so they can be stored away easily when not in use. At Ebuyer, you’ll find brands such as X Rocker making, well, rocker chairs!
What’s the best chair for PC gaming?
In recent years, the popularity of gaming chairs has exploded. Tune into any Twitch streamer and it’s likely they’ll be broadcasting from the comfort of a gaming chair. As there’s now so many different models on the market, pinning down which chair is best the for the job is a tall order. However, the key thing to remember is comfort and ergonomics. Don’t just go for the one that’s the most eye-catching, it’s a trap too many people fall into.
When you’re battling it out on a gaming PC, then you’ll need a gaming chair that’s got the right adjustability options. Keep an eye out for gaming chairs with lumbar support and adjustable armrests, like the Razer Iskur featured over on the Ebuyer YouTube channel. To ensure your gaming chairs lasts long into the future, don’t forget dense foam cushions combined with long-lasting materials either.
Gaming chair vs office chair
So, you’ve got a new home office or PC gaming set-up. Everything’s good to go… except you don’t have a chair for your new space. What type should you go for, a gaming chair or an office chair? Seems like it’s an easy enough choice. However, while they perform the same role, gaming chairs have different priorities to office chairs. Here’s why you might go for an office chair instead.
Office chairs
If you work in an office, then you’ll already be familiar with an office chair. But even for home offices, these chairs are a viable option. Compared to most gaming chairs on the market, with brightly coloured stitching and bucket seat designs, office chairs give off a much more professional vibe.
They come in subtle colour schemes (usually all-black or grey), so they can fit into just about any office or work environment without drawing attention to themselves. Depending on what materials they’re made of and what features they include, office chairs can be found in a range of different prices.
Office chairs can provide a variety of styles to support the user’s needs. However, they all usually possess adjustable height and tilt at the minimum. These are essential features for your physical wellbeing if you’re working at a computer desk daily. It’s important to ensure your chair is at an appropriate height so you don’t strain anything.
For an all-round chair that can be used in different household or office scenarios, then an office chair could be a good option for you.
Gaming chairs at Ebuyer
Whatever type of gaming you do, we’ve got the right chair for you at Ebuyer. There are loads of gaming chairs and office chairs to choose from, all at great prices. Here’s a review of the Razer Iskur, “the ultimate gaming chair.”
