“From the mightiest pharaoh to the lowliest peasant, who doesn’t enjoy a good sit?”
C. Montgomery Burns
Mr Burns from The Simpsons is, of course, correct… at least on this occasion! Everyone enjoys a good seat, but if you’re a fervent gamer, then a comfy chair is very much a necessity. Sitting down for prolonged periods means you need to not only be comfortable but you also need support for your body; whether it be for your arms or hands, your back, or your neck and head. And that’s not even before you have to choose which kind of gaming chair suits your needs, the amount you are willing to pay, which make and model is best for you, and even the question of size is one to be considered.
The gaming chair industry has become BIG business, with total sales amounting to $1.2 billion in 2022 with estimates of it rising to a staggering $1.8 billion by 2028, so clearly there has been an exponential growth in the proliferation of gaming chairs within the gaming community. This is reflected in the sheer range of gaming chairs available in the marketplace, both online and in physical stores, with a dizzying array of makes and models and designs and types. If you’re a relative novice wishing to invest in your very first gaming chair, where on earth do you start?
Well fear not, as we’ve used our long experience in the gaming industry to compile what we sincerely hope will be 5 useful tips in giving you some directions whilst you scout the gaming chair landscape for your first purchase. These are, of course, entirely subjective opinions on our part, not to be taken as definitive statements. We recommend that you look at other articles such as this and get a feel for the range of opinions in this area.
So without further adieu, grab a drink, fire up your console, and let’s dive in…
1. Which Type Of Gaming Chair?
First of all, you need to know which type of gaming chair you require, for there’s more than one. The four broad categories of gaming chairs tend to fall into the following; PC Gaming Chairs; Console Gaming Chairs; Racing Simulator Seats; Bean Bag Chairs.
For the sake of brevity, we won’t be going into detailed descriptions of each chair type, but only to acknowledge their existence and the fact you will need to discern which type best applies to you. Look them up, do your research, take your time.
2. Always Read Reviews
So you see a gaming chair you like that suits your needs and is within your budget range? But what are other people saying about it? It’s always useful to read other people’s opinions of something you are about to purchase, compare and contrast both the good and bad points that reviewers made about the item in question.
At the end of the day, though, you need to take all opinions with a grain of salt; what may be one person’s poison could be another person’s popcorn. Listen, learn, but ultimately do your own research. Recommendations are good and useful but it’s you that is buying a gaming chair not a reviewer, be sure before you hand over the cash!
3. Check The Warranty
Most gaming chairs come with a manufacturer’s warranty, that is a legally binding commitment from the manufacturer that in the event of the chair malfunctioning through no fault of yours, they will provide you with new parts or a wholesale replacement.
The last thing you need should your chair develop problems soon after purchase is you discovering the manufacturer has no obligation to you in the repair or replacement of a malfunctioning chair… so always check the warranty before you purchase.
4. Ergonomics
“Ergo-what???”, you might ask! It sounds unnecessarily complicated, right? What it basically means is the support for your body contours, are you getting the proper support from the chair whilst sitting for extended periods of time?
Considerations like back and neck support, curvature of the backrest on the chair, adjustability of chair’s positions, choice of material like breathable mesh or PU leather, adjustable headrest and armrests, etc.
This is one consideration where trying out a potential gaming chair in a physical store definitely has its advantages and is certainly recommended, you want to be sure the chair is comfy BEFORE you purchase it!
5. Dimensions, Dimensions, Dimensions!
And no, we didn’t accidentally repeat the title twice, size is a very important consideration in choosing a chair.
Gaming chairs come in all shapes and sizes, so it’s just plain common sense to measure up the area where you plan to put it, weigh up the available space and ensure there’ll be ample room. This may or may not involve some compromise on your part in relation to design vs dimensions, so it’s best to know exactly in advance how much space you have to work with. Best to check now rather than pay later!
We hope these broad tips have proven useful in ascertaining certain things to consider when purchasing a gaming chair and ultimately prove productive to you… good luck, gamer!
