Best Gaming Chair

Staff’s Choice

Introduction


If you’re something of an enthusiast gamer you’re probably spending a lot of hours behind your PC. If you use that PC to browse the internet or perhaps even do some (school)work, those hours quickly add up, so it’s important that you can spend those hours in comfort without ruining your back. As such, a nice chair is pretty much a necessary addition to any serious desk setup, whether it’s for gaming, productivity, or just general browsing.

The difficulty here is that there are so many options out there, and ever since those racing style gaming chairs hit the market almost every gaming company is trying to get a piece of the pie, making it even harder to see the forest for the trees. In this guide we will show you a multitude of options, ranging from these typical chairs that you see on gaming streams and tournaments to more classic office chairs. We also tried to account for every budget, but of course there is a certain barrier of entry to these things, so it’s always best to save up a bit more money in order to get something that’s quality and will last as opposed to going for the cheapest option out there. Your body will thank you!

What makes a chair good for gaming?


A good gaming chair is the same as a good office chair, so what we’re really looking at here is what you need out of a desk/office chair. We’ve got an article that goes deeper into what makes a chair good for posture on our blog, but we’ll briefly go over this as well.

One of the most important (and often overlooked) things is that an office chair should fit you. A chair can tick all the right boxes and be touted as the most comfortable and ergonomic chair ever, but if you’re too small or too big to properly fit in it it’s not going to work for you. So, one of the most important pieces of advice that we can give you is to make sure that you do your research and that you get a chair that’s built for your size and weight.

Aside from that, a quality desk chair should be adjustable in a multitude of ways so that you can properly configure it to suit your body. You’ll want it to be adjustable in height, with an adjustable backrest, adjustable armrests and good lumbar support, either in the form of a cushion or built into the backrest itself. Aside from that, a quality chair should have at least a five point base (made out of a sturdy material so that there’s no chance of the base breaking) for stability and, if height adjustable, a powerful gas lift so that the chair doesn’t gradually lower itself when you’re in it or even suddenly collapses to the lowest point.

That’s what (generally) makes up a good gaming chair, but then there’s obviously still the foam materials, the upholstery materials, the quality of the stitching, and so on. These things can be more personal (some people love a firmer seat, while others prefer a softer and cloudier experience) though obviously aspects such as the quality of the finishing can greatly differ between chairs.

As you can probably tell there’s a lot that goes into making a great gaming chair, and that sadly means that these things can cost a pretty penny. But, as the saying goes ‘never cheapen out on things that separate you from the ground.’ This goes for your bed and shoes, and it also applies to office chairs. Of course you don’t have to spend top dollars if you’re behind your PC for an hour every couple of days, but if you spend a lot of time behind your desk it’s definitely a worthwhile investment.

Best Gaming Chair product lineup

The List


We’ve sent out our analysts and had them make up a list that contains a little something for everyone; we’ve researched the best gaming style chairs as well as the best classic office chairs so that you can find something that you like regardless of what aesthetic you want to go for.

The winners have been distilled into this list, where we’ll briefly go over all the functions that the chairs offer, as well as some factors that make them unique.

We do aim for products that are pretty widely available; it wouldn’t be productive if we included a great chair that’s only sold in the Netherlands, for example, which is why you might not see chair ‘X’ included on this list, despite it being a great product.

Availability will definitely vary (sending a heavy chair across the globe is a lot more costly and difficult than sending a mouse in a small package, for example) across this list due to the nature of these products, but we did our best to be all-inclusive.

Note that the products in this list are in no particular order.

Logitech x Herman Miller Embody


As a gamer you don’t need a gaming-branded chair. Herman Miller is a company that’s extremely renowned for their fantastic office chairs, but do be warned that all of this comes with a hefty price tag.

The Embody is one of Herman Miller’s flagship offerings, and one of the standout features is the backrest that flexes to accommodate your spine perfectly. It can be fully adjusted to get a fit as if the chair was custom designed for you, so of course we don’t need to mention that this is perfect for your back.

As you would expect, you can also adjust the arm rests and adjust the height and all of that so you can get a perfect fit. It’s not very wide and doesn’t have a headrest but that’s by design; this chair is all about improving your health and posture, and slouching as if you’re in a sofa isn’t good for your posture.

So if you want the absolute best for your back you can look towards Herman Miller, but due to the price of this product it’s only going to be an option for people with a very high budget. If you decide to make the investment you can sleep tight (and without back pain) though; it comes with a 12 year warranty so you can sit worry-free for over a decade. This chair is all about quality; it’s made after years of research and experience, and it uses quality materials and build procedures all throughout, so if you’re looking for the best of the best this is definitely a logical mention.

Logitech G x Herman Miller Embody

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Staff’s Choice
Pro’s Choice

The way it gently nudges you to sit correctly can be annoying and uncomfortable at first if you’re someone like me who has the ‘lounging around’ pose perfected, and you’ll need to be patient when dialing it in because there’s a lot of adjustments that you can make, but once you’re past that initial period this is a fantastic chair. From the Sync fabric that’s just the right amount of breathable and flexible to the backrest that moves around with you and hugs your spine: this chair will make sure that you’re sitting comfortably and correctly at all times.

Read review (02/2021)

Pros

  • Comes with a 12 year warranty
  • Extremely adjustable
  • Breathable materials makes it comfy in winter and summer
  • Flexible backrest allows for maneuverability
  • No sharp or sudden edges anywhere
  • Extremely comfortable and ergonomic once dialed in

Cons

  • Not suited for ‘leg under butt’ types
  • Arm rests can feel a bit flimsy
  • Very expensive

Secretlab Titan


Secretlab is the most popular manufacturer of these racing-style gaming chairs in the pro scene, and that’s for good reason. The products that they design are quite simply just very good. These racing-style gaming chairs are a bit infamous because of the fact that there are so many brands out there who are trying to cash in on the whole racing seat hype by putting out subpar products that fall apart after a year or two, but Secretlab isn’t one of those brands.

The Titan line is their flagship line of products, and it gets updated every couple of years with new features and improvements. The base chair always stays the same though: you get a big, luxurious gaming chair that’s finished with great attention to detail and is adjustable in all the right ways. Due to the nature of these chairs it’s not going to be the absolute best from an ergonomic standpoint (though there is built-in an adjustable lumbar support present) but it’s certainly very comfortable and offers a great sitting experience.

As a bonus, Secretlab chairs are available in a ton of finishes and designs so you’re bound to find one that matches your setup and preferences.

Secretlab Titan EVO 2022

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Staff’s Choice

The firmer cushion and padding definitely won’t suit everyone, but if you’re someone who prefers a firmer support area over a cloudy feeling for your bottom then this Secretlab Titan Evo 2022 is one of the better gaming chairs out there at this point in time.

Read review (02/2022)

Pros

  • Great finishing and attention to detail
  • Fantastic packaging and instructions, making assembly a breeze
  • Adjustable in all the right ways
  • Softweave fabric feels great
  • Backrest reclines for the ‘lounging experience’

Cons

  • Cushioning is firmer than some other similar options, some might dislike this
  • Magnetic neck cushion isn’t as secure as it should be

IKEA MARKUS


If you just want a nice office chair that doesn’t have all of these gaming-style racing chair vibes and the Herman Millers of this world are out of your price range then the IKEA MARKUS is a logical recommendation.

The arm rests aren’t adjustable (though you can take them off entirely) and the back rest is also fixed (so no horizontal powernapping with this one) but it does offer lumbar support and the very breathable mesh material on the backrest will ensure that you don’t overheat even during marathon gaming sessions. Of course you can tilt the seat and adjust it in height, so there’s still a decent amount of customization here.

The padding isn’t the softest, but if your body is the right size for this chair (this is important since it lacks some of the customization options of other chairs) it’s definitely a great buy if you’re looking for a no-nonsense office chair that doesn’t break the bank. It even uses real leather, which is good to see at the price it’s being sold at. It comes with a 10 year warranty too, so this purchase will last. And hey, you can score some of those Swedish meatballs when you go to pick up the chair.

IKEA Markus

The IKEA Markus is a great option for people who are looking for a gaming/office chair on a budget. It’s comfortable, breathable, and durable, making it great value for money.

Pros

  • Breathable materials makes it comfortable in winter and summer
  • Affordable
  • Comes with a 10 year warranty

Cons

  • Not very adjustable

SteelCase Leap v2


As we said in the intro of this article: a good gaming chair is the same as a good office chair, so it makes sense to recommend great office chairs in this article. The Steelcase Leap is one such chair. It’s a bit more affordable than the very top tier of office chairs (where the Herman Miller Embody resides) but it’s still going to punch a rather sizeable hole in your wallet. You do get a lot of bang for your buck, though.

The Leap v2 is adjustable in all the right ways and it will give you a comfortable and supportive seating experience even if you’re sitting in the chair for multiple hours each day. If you’re someone who is working from home as well as gaming a couple of hours every single day then a chair like this is definitely a top option to consider in case you can’t or don’t want to spend the money for a top end office chair.

The Leap v2 isn’t as breathable as some other office chairs and the lumbar support can feel a bit limited if you have a rounded back, but other than that this is a fantastic option for people who need a quality office chair due to the amount of hours they spend in front of their PC.

Steelcase Leap v2

The Steelcase Leap (v2) is one of the most recommended office chairs out there, and that’s for good reason. It’s adjustable in all the right ways, very comfortable, and it will ensure that your back stays healthy thanks to the excellent ergonomics.

Pros

  • Tons of adjustability options
  • Comes with a 12 year warranty
  • Finished to a high standard

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Not the most breathable chair
  • Lumbar support could be better

Razer Iskur


A drawback of racing-style gaming chairs is that the lumbar support can often be a little lackluster. That’s a problem if you’re someone who needs a lot of back support, and the Razer Iskur is a good option to consider if that sounds like you. It is a premium gaming chair with a filling (if you want it to be) lumbar support section, and aside from that it’s adjustable in all the right ways.

The looks might not be for everyone, but if you can look past that (or you like the looks; tastes differ) it’s one of the best gaming chairs out there at this point in time.

Razer Iskur

The Razer Iskur is a great gaming chair for people who want to try out a racing-style chair with a ton of lumbar support.

Pros

  • Nice lumbar support
  • High quality finishing
  • Very adjustable

Cons

  • Looks aren’t for everyone
  • Raised edges on the seat make it impossible to sit cross-legged

Best Gaming Chair – Conclusion


A gaming chair is a purchase that requires some thinking. It’s very important that your chair suits your body and frame, so not every chair listed in this article will be perfect for you. We did do our best to include chairs of varying sizes, and most of the companies that we listed also offer bigger/smaller versions of the chairs that we included here so there should be something here for every budget and desire.

We tried to include a wide range of different styles of chair, ranging from subtle gaming chairs to top of the line designer office chairs so we’re quite confident that this list is at least an ideal starting point for people who are looking to game (or work) in more comfort.

We do hope that you found this article informative. As we hopefully established it’s incredibly important to get a chair that adequately supports your back and body. You only get one body, so it’s definitely a good idea to save up some money for a decent office chair.

Please do let us know if you have any questions or remarks!

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