The 10 Best Gaming Chair with Speakers

Buying a gaming chair online can be a little confusing, especially if you’re in the market for extra features like speakers. With options like wired vs. wireless connections and Dolby 7.1 vs Atmos, it’s easy to feel unsure where to start.

All speakers are not created equally. To get top-tier sound, you’re going to have to spring for a much more expensive chair than most of the ones you’ll find on this list—but that doesn’t mean you’re out of luck if you’re not ready to spend a huge pile of money.

You can get perfectly acceptable sound out of your next chair for a fair price, and in many cases, only dedicated audiophiles would be able to hear much of a difference anyway. Our handy comparison guide is here to help you narrow down your options and eventually pick an audio-ready best gaming chair that meets your needs.

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Pros & Cons

• Remarkably good stereo sound
• Thickly padded back and seat
• Good stability and mobility

• Noisy
• Sharp hinges can tear clothing or cause minor cuts

Our overall best pick for gaming chairs with speakers goes to the GTRACING Music Gaming Chair. Combining surprisingly good audio quality with the comfort and stability that GTRACING chairs are known for, the Music Gaming Chair makes for a stellar all-around package.

There’s no shortage of $200 chairs out there that come with sub-par speakers, so it’s nice to see one that actually boasts good sound quality. Hardcore audiophiles may not be impressed, but make sure you’re comparing apples to apples—you’re not likely to find better sound quality without paying significantly more. Bluetooth devices are subject to interference, especially from other Bluetooth devices nearby, so make sure your local 2.4GHz band isn’t too crowded.

Speakers or not, no gaming chair is worth much if it’s not comfortable to sit in. Fortunately, the GTRACING Music Gaming Chair feels about as good on the back and butt as does its close cousin, the GTRACING GT099 (which you can read about in our roundup of the most comfortable gaming chair).

This chair is also built pretty well; it should last several years with proper care. The components fit together tightly and the chair feels firmly supportive and moves freely while you’re sitting in it. People who both game and work from home will appreciate the ability to “take your music with you” as you wheel around the room.

The GTRACING Music Gaming Chair isn’t perfect, though. One of its more noticeable shortcomings is how loud it is. It clanks and cracks a lot—not in such a way that it sounds like it’s about to fall apart, it’s just a heavy chair with a lot of heavy pieces, and they make a racket when you adjust them or lean on them.

Finally, some of the hinges and framing pieces on the underside of the chair are rather sharp and could pose a minor threat to loose clothing (or careless fingers). You may want to cover them with a bit of padding just to be safe.

All in all, if you’re looking for a solid chair with speakers that won’t run you the equivalent of several car payments, you can’t go wrong with this one.

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Pros & Cons

• Great for long periods of console/controller gaming
• Plush and comfortable
• Durable construction

• Doesn’t recline
• Armrests not adjustable
• Not ideal for working/typing

For the ultimate in comfort, relaxation, and relatively good gaming ergonomics, look no further than the Giantex Leisure Curved Massage Chair. If you’re ready to spend upwards of $500 on a gaming chair, you’ll surely get many hours of enjoyment from this one.

Ergonomically speaking, console gaming is a more “relaxed” activity than PC gaming, in the sense that you don’t need to be quite as strict about your posture. The Giantex Leisure Curved Massage Chair is specially crafted for kicking back with a controller and getting a nice rumbly massage after a hard day’s work. You could comfortably sit in this chair all day and maintain good posture with little effort (though you should always take a stretch break at least every hour or two).

It’s also solidly built and can support up to 250 pounds, although it may be a bit narrow for gamers over about 175. The decent 12-month warranty and 30-day return period provide more than enough time to evaluate its durability and dimensions for yourself. The speakers aren’t the best, but they certainly aren’t bad; the massage function accounts for a sizeable portion of this chair’s price tag.

This chair doesn’t recline and the armrests aren’t adjustable, so if you can’t get comfortable in its default (i.e. only) position, it may not be the chair for you. It’s also not designed for typing or for gaming at a desk with a mouse and keyboard. You’re probably going to invite health problems at some point if you regularly use it for that purpose, but if you’re mainly looking for a console-friendly lounge chair, this one’s hard to beat.

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Pros & Cons

• Supports a variety of audio connections
• Ergonomic backrest
• Also makes a good general-purpose lounge chair

• No armrests
• A bit flimsy

If you want speakers in your chair but also want to make every dollar count, the X Rocker Surge might be just what you’re looking for at about $135. It even comes with a free set of RCA cables in case you don’t want to mess with Bluetooth (or just prefer the classic reliability of a wired connection).

These days, a lot of audio accessories seem heavily committed to just one way of doing things, which can be a bummer for a number of reasons. The X Rocker Surge is great in that it offers three different ways to pipe in your audio: through your existing headset, via Bluetooth, or with the included RCA cables. It’s always nice to have options as your needs change.

This chair is pretty good about “forcing” you to maintain good posture. Rocker chairs find a natural equilibrium as you sit in them; it’s pretty hard to hurt yourself with these, provided you take frequent breaks and stretch regularly.

The X Rocker Surge isn’t just for gaming, either. It’s also pretty darn comfy for reading, watching TV, or ensuring that your cat doesn’t have to jump as high in order to nap on you. There’s a downside to the fact that it sits directly on the floor, though: It really can’t be used as a PC chair or a gaming recliner.

The lack of armrests is a bit crummy, but it’s at least not a serious ergonomic problem. With your hands resting naturally in your lap (as they generally would be if you’re playing a game with a controller), your shoulders and elbows will probably be okay.

The chair is also a little on the flimsy side and may not support bigger-than-average users. Still, for small to average gamers on a budget, it deserves consideration.

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Pros & Cons

• Super comfortable
• Height-adjustable, unlike many other massage chairs
• Nice extras (phone slot, 3D surround sound support)

• Lumbar pillow gets in the way
• So-so massage quality
• Not suitable for big folks

If you like the idea of a chair that has speakers and massages you but aren’t quite ready to spend $550 on the Giantex, consider the significantly more affordable BestMassage Curved Shiatsu Massage Chair.

The BestMassage Curved Shiatsu Massage Chair is nice and plush, and easy to fall asleep in. It’s also height-adjustable, which is a fairly uncommon (and welcome) feature in massage chairs. Like most similar chairs, though, it’s great for console gaming or watching TV, but not so great for PC tasks.

There are also a few other nice extra features, like a slot for your phone to live in and support for 3D surround sound (which isn’t as common in gaming chairs as you might think).

Sadly, if you’ve got your heart set on the massage feature, you might want to look elsewhere. It’s kind of weak, even on the highest setting, and some owners complain that the massage zones don’t really hit the “right” areas.

It’s also worth noting that this chair is even less suitable for the big and tall crowd than most chairs are. It tops out at 200 pounds, which is an unusually low weight limit. One has to wonder if that means the chair itself is poorly built (although it doesn’t seem to be) or if the delicate electronics are the problem.

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Pros & Cons

• Affordable
• More comfortable than similarly priced chairs

• Doesn’t recline/armrests can’t be adjusted
• Speakers crackle noticeably at high volume
• Warranty isn’t great

X Rocker is mostly known for their rocker chairs that sit directly on the floor, but they do make traditional rolling chairs here and there. The X Rocker Executive Gaming Chair is an affordable and reasonably well-built choice for gamers that want speakers but don’t want to sit on the floor.

All too often, affordability in gaming chairs translates to “not all that pleasant to sit on.” The X Rocker Executive Gaming Chair is surprisingly comfortable, especially when compared to similarly priced competitors. It’s plush, yet firm enough to be supportive. One size fits most butts and the back is nice and wide.

This chair has limited adjustment options. It doesn’t recline and the armrests can’t be adjusted, so if you don’t find it comfortable out of the box, you likely never will. What’s more, most X Rocker products come with far shorter warranties than the unofficial industry standard of 12 months (just 30 days for returns and 90 days for warranty service on defective parts).

Finally, the X Rocker Executive Gaming Chair comes with speakers that sound pretty good—as long as you keep the volume below about 75 percent. Audio starts to sound a little distorted as it gets louder, and there’s a noticeable level of hissing/crackling once you start to approach max volume. (In a way, this isn’t such a bad thing; you should generally not make a habit of maxing out the volume, as it tends to reduce a speaker’s lifespan.)

While this chair might come with more caveats than some of our other recommendations, it’s still a pretty comfortable one that can be had for just $170—definitely a good deal for an entry-level gaming chair with built-in speakers. Consider a third party extended warranty if you’re worried about X Rocker’s lackluster guarantee.

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Pros & Cons

• Wireless (non-Bluetooth) audio and 3.5mm headphone jack
• Convenient, out-of-the-way control panel
• Adjustable armrests

• Doesn’t recline
• Seat height can’t be adjusted

Here’s another decent recliner with speakers from X Rocker. The Ace Bayou X Rocker has a lot going for it; it really stands out from the crowd when compared to similar chairs in the $150-$200 range – checkout the best gaming chair under $200.

Bluetooth definitely dominates the wireless audio market (because it’s universal and convenient), but at least for some, it’s not always the best option. It’s got a pretty limited range, frequent connectivity issues, and it’s highly vulnerable to interference from other wireless devices.

The Ace Bayou X Rocker uses its own non-Bluetooth wireless transmitter to sidestep most of those problems. Yes, you have to install drivers, but in exchange, you get superior range and sound quality, and a signal that’s much less likely to be disrupted by your other gadgets.

While the need to install fresh audio drivers may be mildly inconvenient, the Ace Bayou X Rocker’s control panel definitely isn’t. It’s nicely situated on the side of the seat in a position that’s easy to reach when you want to find it and hard to accidentally bump when you don’t. The armrests can be adjusted, too, but sadly, the seat height can’t. This chair also doesn’t recline. Still, all things considered, it’s a very solid gaming chair with above-average sound quality for a killer price (about $160).

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Pros & Cons

• Tilts and swivels
• Non-Bluetooth wireless transmitter
• Accepts wired audio

• Odd back angle plus lack of lumbar pillow means it may be uncomfortable for some
• Sits quite low
• Auto-shutoff can be annoying

If the Ace Bayou X Rocker wasn’t quite maneuverable enough for you, try the X Rocker Pro Series Pedestal gaming chair. It’s got more adjustment options and free RCA cables, but may be a little less comfortable, especially if you’re taller than average.

The X Rocker Pro Series Pedestal is a bit pricier than some of its cousins, but it’s sturdily built and has pretty great speakers for the money. It tilts and swivels more freely than some of our other favorite gaming chairs with speakers, and it also has a more generous weight limit (up to 300 pounds).

Like the Ace Bayou X Rocker, it uses a non-Bluetooth wireless audio transmitter for better range and sound quality at the cost of, well, not using the more universal and convenient Bluetooth protocol. Should you prefer a wired connection, you can use the included RCA cables or plug in your own 3.5mm headphones.

This chair will be comfortable for some, but definitely not for everyone. It sits just 11” off the floor and can’t be adjusted vertically. Users over 6’ or so may not like having to stretch their legs out, and sitting with your feet flat on the floor may feel equally strange. The back is angled rather steeply, but doesn’t have a lumbar pillow; that combination will also prove uncomfortable for some users.

The wireless audio transmitter shuts off after a relatively short period of inactivity, necessitating a manual restart to resume gaming. The hiss from the speakers when they’re on but not receiving a signal is also grating to listen to.

The Ace Bayou X Rocker isn’t perfect, but few chairs are. If you’re under 6’ tall and don’t mind sitting low to the ground, you may find that its strengths outweigh its drawbacks.

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Pros & Cons

• Five speakers (most gaming chairs have two or three)
• Wired or wireless audio
• Heavy and solid

• Chair itself is sturdy but armrests and stitching are so-so
• Speakers themselves are of good quality, but there may be other electrical issues

If sound quality is your top priority when it comes to gaming chairs that have speakers, the X Rocker Pro H3 is a strong contender.

The X Rocker Pro H3 may not have some of the bells and whistles that other chairs have, but it makes up for it with some of the best speakers you’re likely to find in this price range. For just north of $200, you get five solid mid-range speakers: two on each side and a subwoofer in the back. They sound noticeably better than most other comparable models, so if the speakers in your chair are what you care most about, this one is worth investigating.

Like several of our other favorites on this list, the X Rocker Pro H3 can play audio via a non-Bluetooth wireless transmitter, a 3.5mm headphone jack, or the included RCA cables. No matter which you prefer, you’ll get deep bass and clear sound; you’d have to spend quite a bit more to get a better audio experience. The chair itself is also solidly built and supports up to 275 pounds…

…for the most part. The armrests are a little flimsy and feel liable to break if they were to take a moderately hard hit. The stitching is also cheap and shallow, which seems to be a common complaint about some of X Rocker’s products. You may want to be extra gentle if you want the upholstery to last a while.

Unfortunately, while the speakers are pretty good overall, there are some potential electrical concerns to think about. Some owners complain of reversed or loose wiring out of the box, or of speakers failing prematurely with no obvious cause. If you’re concerned about that, picking up a third party warranty for an extra $20 or so may be a good idea.

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Pros & Cons

• Very comfortable
• Built-in storage
• Wired-only audio inputs are reliable…

• …but a wireless option would be nice
• Limited adjustment options

Console gamers in particular usually need somewhere to stash games, cables, and accessories. What’s more convenient than the same place you sit to play? The X Rocker Triple Flip Storage Ottoman Sound Chair is a great choice for small homes or for gamers who like to organize efficiently.

There’s a wide variety of gaming chairs with speakers out there, but few also give you a place to put a decent amount of gear. If space is at a premium for you, being able to stow 7+ cubic feet of stuff is a real boon. There’s a downside, though; the fact that the base of the chair is hollow necessarily reduces the weight it can support, so this chair isn’t recommended for users over 200 pounds.

It’s also pretty comfortable, even for extended play sessions, but there’s a caveat: It looks like a recliner, but it isn’t one. The back only has one fixed position (not counting the folded-down position it ships in, but it’s little more than a footrest in that configuration). There’s also no footrest, and the chair doesn’t swivel and can’t be adjusted vertically. What you see in the photo is pretty much what you get.

Out of the box, the chair only accepts wired audio inputs (3.5mm or RCA). Some gamers won’t mind the lack of a wireless option, but if cutting the cord matters to you, you’ll have to drop some extra cash for the optional wireless kit or a generic Bluetooth to 3.5mm adapter.

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Pros & Cons

• Comfy
• Folds for easy storage, not too heavy
• Affordable

• Small price tag means you only get basic features
• Armrests are narrow and awkward (but can be raised)

Here’s another solid choice for gamers looking to spend less on a gaming chair with speakers. For just $170, the X Rocker II SE offers a comfortable, easy-to-clean gaming experience with average sound quality.

Gaming chairs under $200 can be tricky to shop for; some are junk, but others are of reasonably good quality. The X Rocker II SE is surprisingly comfortable and sturdy for a budget chair, but like most rockers that sit directly on the floor, it may be awkward for extra-tall gamers.

If you have long legs, keeping your feet flat on the floor will mean that you find yourself leaning back at a pretty steep angle, which may not be comfortable or allow for a good viewing angle. Similarly, stretching your legs all the way out might shift your center of gravity too far forward. This chair is best for average or travel-sized gamers.

The II SE is a low-maintenance chair, which is nice. Its faux leather is easy to clean and resists most stains, but it’s less resistant to cuts and punctures. It folds for easy storage and it’s not too heavy—some gaming chairs weigh twice as much.

The price tag is small too, but that means you only get some pretty basic features. There’s no wireless audio connectivity; 3.5mm or RCA cables are required. What’s more, like the X Rocker Executive Gaming Chair, the speakers are just so-so. Audio from the speakers sounds flat or overly compressed, and you’ll get some hissing at high volume levels.

Finally, the armrests are just as likely to comfortably support your arms as they are to jab you in the sides. The distance between them is just 19 inches, which is on the narrower end of average. They can be moved out the way, though.

When it comes to budget gaming chairs with speakers, you can do a lot worse.

Buying Guide: Gaming Chairs with Speakers

There are many factors to weigh when you’re shopping for a gaming chair. Some considerations are universal to all chairs, while others only come into play when you’re specifically in the market for a gaming chair with speakers.

On a side note, if you’re looking for information on the overall best gaming chair from among the thousands of them that are out there, we have some thoughts on that too.

Overall Durability

How long do you need your next gaming chair to last, and how much abuse will it be subjected to? Even if you’re super gentle to your furniture, do you have pets or kids that aren’t?

The majority of our top picks for this list would qualify as budget chairs, and for the most part, there’s no getting around one simple fact: all other things being roughly equal, a cheaper chair is going to be built less sturdily. (If you’re open to budget gaming chairs without speakers, we’ve got you covered there, too.)

That doesn’t mean you have to settle for junk, though. Even if you ultimately end up buying a less expensive chair, there are simple ways to extend its life. The obvious first thing to try is to simply be gentle to it, but you also might be surprised how often you can fix a broken chair yourself, even if you’re not especially handy. Many manufacturers and Amazon sellers are happy to send you replacement parts at their wholesale costs if you just ask (even after the warranty has expired), and the worst they can do is say no.

When they say yes, $20 to fix your chair is a lot better than $200 to replace it. Most parts of most gaming chairs come preassembled and are easy to install with simple tools, or sometimes no tools at all—the gas lift in my $220 chair failed recently, but the manufacturer sent me a new one for $17 and it took five minutes to swap it out.

Finally, third-party warranties for just about anything you can buy are a lot more common today than they were even just a few years ago. Amazon sells 3 and 5-year warranties for almost anything you buy on their site, often for as little as 10% of the item’s purchase price. An extra $20-$40 is a pretty good deal for several years of guaranteed chair life, especially when yours has extra components that can fail (like speakers).

Comfort & Ergonomics

An uncomfortable chair isn’t worth much no matter what other features it has, and a comfortable chair that’s poorly designed from an ergonomics perspective isn’t worth much more than that.

Taking ergonomics seriously now will save you a great deal of suffering in the future. If you’ve already developed bad sitting habits, sitting properly may feel even more uncomfortable at first, but good posture will start to feel better in time if you practice it consistently.

To a certain extent, gaming chairs with speakers can’t be ergonomically perfect. The need to build electronics into a chair mandates certain things about its design that ultimately mean it’s not going to be quite as ergonomically sound as a chair without speakers could be—but it’s not all or nothing. You can (and should) shop for a chair that offers reasonably good support for your particular shape and build.

Materials

A big chunk of our favorite gaming chairs with speakers are upholstered in some kind of faux leather, which is decently resistant to damage and does fine in cool climates but can get sweaty in warmer areas. Your environment plays a big role in determining the kinds of materials your ideal chair should be made of.

Fabric chairs are generally cooler than leather, but more susceptible to damage and gradual wear and tear. If you have pets that like to scratch or chew, the fabric is a much more tempting surface (to most animals) than leather is. On the flip side, it’s relatively cheap and easy to reupholster a fabric chair yourself—leather, not so much. A mesh gaming chair can also be considered as it is both better ventilated and durable.

Finally, consider the chair’s frame and moving parts. Metal frames and components are much heavier than plastics, but also more durable—at least, for the most part. Plastics have come a long way in recent years and can be just as strong as metal in some cases. Avoid chairs built with particle board if possible—it’s quite flimsy and is usually a sign of poor overall quality.

Speakers

Speakers are mostly what you’re here to read about, after all. Like the plastics used to build the frames of some gaming chairs, speakers have gotten a lot better and more affordable in the last decade. You’ll still pay top dollar for professional-grade audio, but the gap in quality between mid-range and high-end speakers isn’t as wide as it used to be; you can get great sound for a comparatively great price.

Dynamic Range and Equalization

As gaming becomes an increasingly social activity, sound design in video games (and in the devices that bring that sound to your ears) evolves accordingly. Dynamic range and equalization are words you’ll see on most headphones and speakers marketed to gamers, and it’s helpful to know exactly what they mean.

Dynamic range, in a nutshell, is the difference in volume between the loudest and quietest parts of an audio track. Equalization describes the volume of different sounds at different frequencies relative to one another (also an oversimplification, but this basic explanation will do for now).

Both of these things become increasingly important as gamers stuff more distinct sounds into their ears at once. Odds are that if you don’t regularly play a game, chat with friends, and listen to music all at the same time, you at least know people who do. In order for you to actually be able to hear and understand many different sounds at once, someone has to have done a great deal of engineering to the device you’re listening on.

Why Do Some Speakers Cost So Much More than Others?

One of the most common ways that inexpensive speakers save you money is by flattening sounds that come through them—that is, making loud sounds quieter and making quiet sounds louder, resulting in more even volume at the cost of each track or frequency being less distinct from the others. Fancier speakers need more (and more complex) parts in order to play more distinct (i.e. higher quality) audio—cheaper speakers are cheaper, in part, because they can be built more easily and with fewer components.

Whether or not flatter audio will bother you depends largely on exactly what you’re up to. If you’re kicking back to play a game by yourself (that is, not chatting with friends over a headset or listening to music through the same device), there will be fewer sounds competing for your ears’ attention, so cheaper speakers will probably not totally ruin your experience. (Of course, more expensive/higher quality speakers will generally sound better no matter what you’re doing.)

Conversely, better speakers are usually a more worthwhile investment the more you expect them to do. Some high-end speakers and headphones even offer features like independent volume balancing in the form of a dial that makes your game louder and your friends quieter (or vice versa). None of our favorite chairs on this list can do that, though—chairs with that level of fanciness cost more than most of these do, usually $400 and up.

Best Chairs for Gaming with Speakers: Questions & Answers

Here are some of the most common questions about gaming chairs with speakers, along with our answers to them.

How Much Do Gaming Chairs Cost?

Like anything, a gaming chair can cost almost any amount of money, and “gaming chair” is a loose term to begin with. Broadly (and somewhat subjectively) speaking, gaming chairs fall into one of three price tiers: Budget chairs are under about $150, mid-range chairs cost $150-$300 or so, and premium models will run you more than that—all the way up to $1,200 or more for the best chairs out there.

What is the Best Gaming Chair with Speakers for Xbox One/PS4?

The answer to this question really depends on what you mean by “best” (but if you’re open to suggestions, be sure to check our collections of some of the top gaming chairs for Xbox and PlayStation gamers, respectively). For the layman, there’s rarely a reason to choose one chair over another on the basis of which console you intend to use with its speakers. The Xbox One and the PS4 both have the same audio outputs and will work (or not work) with the same chairs.

That being said, there are differences in how the Xbox One and PS4 encode and transmit audio, but a majority of gamers don’t know or care what they are and won’t notice any difference even with a side-by-side comparison.

What Benefits Do Gaming Chairs Have Over Other Chairs, If Any?

Not to sound wishy-washy, but this too really depends on what else you’re doing in your chair. Some people use one chair exclusively for gaming, others might want a gaming chair mostly for working at a desk, and others want to be able to do both in the same chair.

Broadly speaking, gaming chairs tend to be built in such a way as to be ergonomically supportive for gaming. PC-specific chairs will usually support the back, shoulders, hands, and wrists better than a generic office chair will. Similarly, gaming chairs designed for console gaming allow the user to lean back or lounge more comfortably without placing undue stress on the body. PC gaming, console gaming, and working at a desk all have different “rules” for ergonomics, so it makes sense that some chairs will be better suited to some tasks than others.

For a more in-depth answer to this question, be sure to click over to our article on gaming chairs vs. office chairs.

Can Gaming Chairs Improve Your Gameplay?

Directly and instantaneously, no. Indirectly and over a period of time, yes.

Pro gamers—the ones that win millions of dollars in televised tournaments—usually spend almost as much on their chairs as they do on their rigs. That’s neither a coincidence nor pointless extravagance. Bad posture is directly linked to a long list of health problems, including but not limited to severe joint pain, loss of visual acuity, and even blood clots. A pro gamer that can’t see very well and who lives in constant pain won’t remain a pro for very long.

Even if you’re not on that level, good ergonomics is no less important for you. Think about the last time you tried to play a game while you were sick or had a headache—you undoubtedly weren’t at your best. You’ll be healthier and more focused if you’re limber and feeling good; a decent gaming chair can help you prevent major health problems (and in some cases, might even be able to partially reverse any damage that’s already been done).

Conclusion

Overall, getting a gaming chair with speakers is a good idea if you don’t have any budget restrictions. It’s convenient, it will reduce the cable clutter, and it will make your friends jealous.

However, you can just go ahead, get the best gaming speakers out there and be done with it. However, having a multi-functional chair like this has its perks. For one, it’s extremely fun.

Sources:

1. Gaming Chair FAQ, XRocker