April 4 2019

The 3 Most Comfortable Gaming Chairs

A gaming chair isn’t a major purchase on the order of a car or a house, but it’s still a pricey item that you’ll presumably be using frequently.

You should do lots of careful research to make sure you end up with the best possible chair for you. 💺😊

An ergonomically sound chair should always be comfortable, but not all comfortable chairs are ergonomically sound. Joint and muscle pains from improper posture sneak up on you over a period of years, so it’s important to actively practice good sitting habits before you start to notice a problem. We’ve rounded up a few of the most comfortable chairs out there that are also designed to protect your hips, back, shoulders, hands, and wrists.

(These chairs are definitely expensive and may not be what you’re shopping for; if you’re on a budget, check out our guide to some of the best gaming chairs under $200.)

BestOffice Ergonomic High Back Gaming Chair

Pros & Cons

  • Incredible all-around chair for gaming, typing, or lounging
  • Extremely durable
  • Affordable
  • Mesh feels like plastic, especially on bare skin
  • Awkward and unconventional adjustment controls

It may not look like much, but looks can be deceiving. The BestOffice Ergonomic High Back Gaming Chair is about as close as one chair can get to being able to do everything for everybody.

If you are looking for a $100 gaming chair that is comfortable and durable, look no further than the BestOffice Ergonomic High Back Gaming Chair. BestOffice has long been an industry leader in gaming chairs, and if you’ve ever sat on one of their products, you know why. Their brand-spanking-new chair combines top-shelf craftsmanship and durability with excellent ergonomics and extreme comfort.

Versatility

If you do a lot of typing in addition to gaming, you’ll feel equally great all the time in this chair. It’s firm and supportive where it should be, soft where it shouldn’t be firm, and easy to move around in. It’s pretty hard to strike a perfect balance between comfort and good posture but BestOffice has risen to the task admirably in this case.

Durability

You’d have to be either super negligent or pretty unlucky to break this chair. It doesn’t look like it would be much sturdier than an off-the-shelf office supply store chair, but it really is. Weighing in at a whopping 44.7 pounds, the Neuechair is made of steel, aluminum, heavy-duty rubber, and cut-resistant mesh (and did I mention it was designed by automotive engineers)? Simply put, your day-to-day activities are not going to damage this thing.

Price

The BestOffice Ergonomic High Back Gaming Chair is overall an excellent product, and it’s quite cheap. if $100 sounds like a lot for a chair you might wanna take a look at the best budget gaming chair. There are more expensive chairs out there (brace yourself for the next entry on our list), but you really do get what you pay for.

Materials & Controls

Our other nitpicks with the BestOffice Ergonomic High Back Gaming Chair are all pretty minor; the mesh doesn’t feel great against bare skin, and the adjustment controls are a bit weird (and hard for big hands to manipulate).

Fortunately, you can just put a shirt on to solve the first problem, and the second shouldn’t come up very often, because the awkwardly configured controls adjust settings that most people won’t need to change once the chair is tweaked to their liking. Finally, the chair’s medium-high back may not be high enough for super-tall people, but that’s a fairly small portion of shoppers.

If you’re looking to spend a medium-crazy (but not ultra-crazy) amount of money on your next chair, you should definitely look closely at the BestOffice Ergonomic High Back Gaming Chair.

Premium Pick: KILLABEE Big and Tall Gaming Chair

Pros & Cons

  • High-quality materials and construction
  • Great for prolonged sessions
  • Great ergonomic support
  • High price tag
  • Heavy

So you’ve just dumped the shattered remains of your last gaming chair in the dumpster, and now you’re thinking “I’m so done with cheap chairs—my next one will outlive my grandkids.”

Well, you’re looking at the right brand, then. With the KILLABEE Big and Tall Gaming Chair, you can get the best of the best in durability and comfort with a great warranty, if you’re ready to shell out about $200.

Materials & Construction

The “Big and Tall Gaming Chair” is essentially a block of solid aircraft-grade steel with cushions and wheels. It’s hard to believe that something made of so much metal could be so comfortable to sit on, but the cushions are just as high-quality and allow for many hours of comfortable sitting.

Every piece of the chair is tightly machined and made of premium materials; you could huck it down the stairs and it would probably survive unscathed (but don’t do that, because your walls and floors definitely won’t).

Ergonomics

The KILLABEE Big and Tall Gaming Chair is just as ergonomic as it is comfortable. It’s designed for hard, extended use in a variety of positions. Nearly every moving part can be fine-tuned with great precision, ensuring that you’ll find maximum support for your back, arms, legs, and neck no matter what size or shape you are. Extremely tall people (who also tend to be quite heavy) love this gaming chair, hence the name.

Price

The KILLABEE Big and Tall Gaming Chair’s biggest and most obvious drawback is one you’ve already undoubtedly picked up on its price tag. Currently listed at $229 on Amazon, this chair isn’t as expensive if you have a huge budget, but there are far cheaper alternatives.

Weight

Clocking in at 56.2 pounds, you may not even be able to lift it by yourself if you’re on the petite side. Once it’s where you want it to be, though, it rolls easily on almost any surface. Just make sure to find a second person to help you carry it if you can’t do so safely on your own.

Best Value: BestOffice High-Back Racing Gaming Chair

View At Amazon

Pros & Cons

  • Excellent quality and features for the price
  • Adjustable to fit almost any body type
  • Lackluster armrests
  • The seat may be too firm for some
  • Tricky assembly

The BestOffice High-Back Racing Gaming Chair is a solid general-purpose chair that can certainly be used for gaming (or for working at a desk). It’s not quite as excellent as our other premium chair picks, but it’s much more affordable.

All-around Quality

At just $84, the High-Back Racing Gaming Chair is a bargain compared to the last two picks. It wins our pick for “Best Value” chair because, for what you get, you’d expect to be paying a lot more. It’s pretty comfortable, decently supportive, and reasonably well-built; it’s pretty good (just not stellar) in every respect.

Highly Adjustable

This is, after all, an article about the most comfortable gaming chairs, so we’re weighing comfort more heavily than other factors. Simply put, the BestOffice High-Back Racing Gaming Chair gets a solid A- for comfort. Lots of people that own this chair report sitting on it for 4+ hours with no problems, and it’s more adjustable than most comparable chairs, too. Unless you’re very tall or very short, you can probably make this chair fit you nicely.

Armrests & Seat

While most of the chair is nicely customizable, the armrests leave something to be desired. They don’t rotate, can only be set to a few highly disparate heights, and are made of a somewhat cheap-feeling material that can leave your forearms sweaty if it’s warm.

The seat is also not the greatest around. A majority of users like it well enough, but if you don’t have much of a butt, the seat may be too firm for your liking. Extra-skinny gamers have remarked that a blanket or towel can suffice for padding, but for most people, that extra step doesn’t seem to be necessary.

Assembly

Finally, a number of people claim that the BestOffice High-Back Racing Gaming Chair was disproportionately hard to assemble. Common complaints include “too many” parts, difficulty telling some components apart from one another, and unclear instructions.

Despite its drawbacks, the BestOffice High-Back Racing Gaming Chair is still a great gaming chair, especially in light of the fact that it costs 30-50% of what many comparable chairs go for. (It’s also got a limited lifetime warranty on mechanical parts and is warranted for 1 year against wear and tear, making it an especially safe purchase in this price range.)

 

Buying Guide

Choosing the best gaming chair for you can be tough, especially if you’re buying online and can’t test it out in person first, but at least there are plenty of options out there.

Comfort vs. Ergonomics

It would be nice if comfort and healthy posture always went hand in hand, but unfortunately, they don’t. A comfortable chair is not always good for your body. The good news is that once you’re willing to spend more than $200, it gets a lot easier to find a great chair that can cover both bases.

Steelcase Leap Chair

In many cases, a chair that is luxuriously comfortable today can lead to real health problems tomorrow. The best way to stay healthy and comfy is to do some diligent research on proper posture for various activities, then start shopping for chairs that support the activities you spend the most time on. By getting into the habit of maintaining healthy posture now, ergonomic chairs will start to feel more comfortable to you over time if they don’t already.

Versatility

Oftentimes, the right chair can be the only one you need, but you may find that your gaming chair just doesn’t cut it for typing or reading. You may need to bite the bullet and spring for more than one chair or spend some time actively retraining your posture (and re-adjusting your chair) for different activities. Though it may be inconvenient to rearrange your working/gaming space or swap chairs every day, it may be worth the effort if you can’t find one chair to do it all.

ergonomic chair

Cost vs. Longevity

If you’re spending upwards of (sometimes well upwards) of $200 on a chair, it’s probably pretty important to you that it lasts a long time. More expensive chairs are generally built more sturdily and come with decent warranties but don’t forget that third-party warranties are an option too. Extended or damage protection warranties that the manufacturer may not offer can usually be found inexpensively, effectively guaranteeing that your purchase will be worth it in the long run.

five black chairs

There’s a lot to consider when buying an expensive gaming chair, but it’s well worth it to take your time during the research phase. Compare lots of options, narrow them down to a short list, and sleep on it for a night or two before making your final decision. The effort you put in now is a small price to pay in exchange for many years of comfortable, healthy seating.


Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best chair for gaming?

To some extent, the answer to this question will depend on your personal preferences (some gamers will prefer a good gaming chair with speakers over one that reclines, for example). But there are some fairly universal factors that should be pretty important to everyone.

Above all else, a gaming chair should be comfortable and designed to promote healthy posture. (But beware, just because a chair is comfortable doesn’t necessarily mean it’s ergonomic—always do your research.)

How much does a good gaming chair cost?

The initial purchase price of a gaming chair is only part of its actual cost. How long is it expected (or guaranteed) to last? More importantly—is it going to cost you thousands in medical bills later on by incentivizing unhealthy posture? Spending more on a better chair now could save you a lot of cash in the long run.

Still, we’ll try to give you a (very general and somewhat subjective) answer. Based on our research, gaming chairs seem to get a lot better somewhere around the $100 mark. Spending at least that much on a gaming chair should increase your odds of ending up with one that will last several years and be relatively gentle on your body.

If you’re looking for something more expensive and specialized, check out our DXRacer vs. Maxnomic debate. Both brands offer terrific gaming chairs at higher prices.

Are gaming chairs good for your back?

Yes, they are, provided they’re reasonably well-designed and made from quality materials. Generally speaking, keeping your back straight or slightly reclined is good for most activities, but slouching and leaning forward are usually bad ideas. Most of us tend to do one or the other when we’re not actively paying attention to our posture.

A decent gaming chair supports your hips and back in such a way as to make a healthy sitting posture feel as comfortable as possible. The basic idea is to encourage you to subconsciously adjust your default sitting position over time. Buying a well-designed gaming chair and consistently sitting in it correctly can be one of the best decisions you’ll ever make for your back.

Are gaming chairs good for office work?

If by “office work” you mean a lot of typing or doing repetitive work at a desk, then a mid-range or better gaming chair will likely outperform a regular office chair (unless it’s a high-end ergonomic model).

Many (but not all) office chairs are primarily sold in bulk to large companies who want to pay as little as possible for each chair. There are always exceptions, but generally speaking, a cheap chair will not be kind to your body.

Once you’re willing to spend about $200 or more, a gaming chair and an office chair should be fairly comparable in the sense that both should be comfortable and supportive. A chair’s cost is usually a better indicator of its quality and suitability for office work than whether it’s marketed as a “gaming” or “office” chair.

If you’re interested in the topic, check out the gaming chair vs. office chair debate answer.


Final Words

Comfort is an incredibly important thing when it comes to gaming chairs. Some people thing bonus features and versatility are more essential but they are wrong. I mean, when you are into a 6-hour long gaming session, what do you prefer; having a retractable soda cup holder that plays music or having no back pains? Yeah, that’s what I thought.

If you tend to work prolonged hours from home or have gaming marathons, make sure to pick up the most comfortable gaming chair that fits your budget.


Sources:

  1. Rodney K. Lefler, Choosing the Right Ergonomic Office Chair, Spine-Health, February 7th, 2004

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Author

Tim White