We’ve all seen the pictures of Formula 1 legends racing online F1 games during the lockdown in their gaming chairs and twitch professionals laying back looking super comfortable whilst gaming, but not as many of us have our own gaming chairs. Whether you’ve been thinking about it for a long time or simply find yourself a little curious about them, you might be wondering whether they are really worth the money. We have been wondering that ourselves, so we decided to dig a little deeper. In this article, we will discuss the pros and cons of gaming chairs and decide whether we think they are really worth it.

Types of Gaming Chair

There are a few different types of gaming chairs that we should quickly discuss before getting into the pros and cons of each and get into whether you can find the best budget chair for gaming. Each of these chairs serves a different purpose and suits different games and consoles better.

•  PC Gaming Chairs

These chairs are designed for gamers who like in-depth PC gaming. They are upright backed chairs and may resemble a normal office chair, but can also have a slightly more surrounding feel than a standard chair. They may also include speakers and other customizable parts designed to enhance the gaming experience.

• Racing Chairs

These are designed to imitate race car driving. The position is laid back as if sat in the cockpit of a single-seater but can also be raised to a more upright position if required. Most need add-ons like a steering wheel and pedals to really simulate driving properly and give that honest race-day feel.

• Rocker Chairs

Rocker chairs are more simple and designed for one purpose – comfort. They sit on the floor and cradle your body to help you relax and enjoy hours of console gaming comfortably. Usually, these are not powered and do not come with any extras like speakers or vibration.

Pros

• Improved Performance

Many chair manufacturers claim that using a gaming chair will improve performance, but we think it is more down to the user. There are many professional gamers using chairs, but also some who do not. The racing chairs certainly improve realistic feel, and over time may well make you more competitive. With the PC and Rocker chairs, they certainly improve the experience, which may, in turn, lead to your skills improving.

• Comfort

Certainly, in the case of PC and Rocker chairs, comfort levels are much higher than sitting in a standard office chair or on a sofa. The more you spend, the more comfortable you will feel. If you are someone who enjoys multiple hours of gaming per week, the comfort level alone may be worth the investment.

• Sound

Another benefit you may find in many gaming chairs is improved sound. Different chairs may or may not come with this option, but the ones that do make such a huge difference. With speakers behind your head or even your back, give a surround sound and a real-feel. 

Cons

• Price

If you are looking for a chair with outstanding features like the ones listed above, you will probably find them costing more than any chair you have ever purchased before! Your bank balance may not be pleased with your purchase, as top-level gaming chairs can cost as much as $1500. However, we must admit that you can pick up some pretty decent chairs for around one-third of that price.

• Posture

Without a doubt, sitting for long periods of time isn’t great for the body, and sitting while gaming is no different. While many chairs are designed ergonomically and encourage good posture, some, such as racing chairs, will have you sat in a rather non-natural position for quite long periods of time. 

• Space

While rockers are quite small, they are also not able to fold up to be put away. Lots of bigger chairs, such as racers, are able to be packed away slightly more, but they can still take up quite a lot of room. If you are living in a small home, a gaming chair may not be for you. Look into compact or folding chairs if you do.

So, there are plenty of pros and cons when it comes to buying a gaming chair. If you are a big-time gamer, the pros could certainly outweigh the cons, and if you are budget conscious, there are ways to compromise to achieve affordability. We recommend shopping the market, reading reviews, and finding out exactly which type of chair suits your needs. If you do go ahead and invest, we hope you have many hours of happy, comfortable, exciting gaming ahead of you.