How to choose your gaming chair?
To choose the right gaming chair, you need to pay particular attention to the settings of the armrests, the orientation of the backrest and the density of the foam.
But also, the dimensions of the chair, the maximum weight, the materials used for the seat, the finishes and the quality of its covering.
Why choose the right chair?
Do you want to get a good deal and buy your chair knowingly?
Do you want to be able to sit and play longer while sitting comfortably?
If you answered “yes” to these questions, then you need to learn how to choose the right gaming chair!
I’ve done a ton of research on the subject, and I’ve always been passionate about gaming and productivity (both of which involve sitting for a very long time).
So I’m going to be able to tell you everything there is to know about it, so stick with me and follow the steps correctly to choose the perfect chair for you!
Guide: 10 Tips To Pay Less For Your Gamer Chair!
What you need to follow this tutorial
A few things to determine in advance:
You need to know your weight
You need to know your height
You need to have an idea of your budget
Actually there are several ways to choose a gaming chair, you can like most people…
Rely only on the brand or the price as an indicator.
The advantage is that it’s quick to think like that, but…
You’ll never know what you’re missing or if you could have got something better by making a more reasoned choice.
That’s why I’m going to teach you the 12 steps to choosing a gaming chair accurately.
The 12 steps to choosing a gaming chair
I recommend you read everything, but if you don’t have time, here is an infographic that summarizes everything.
You can reuse this infographic, I just ask that you please use this code to embed it on your site:
If you haven’t already done so, set a budget now.
For example, a gaming chair with 4D armrests…
Will inevitably cost more (at least 200-300€) than a chair with fixed armrests (around 70€ like the tectake chairs).
So plan in advance what you can/can’t aim for.
If you’re on a budget, I recommend my top 5 cheap gaming chairs.
And read on so you can properly gauge what’s worth it and what’s not!
Step 2: Dimensions and maximum load (morphology)
Usually the brands specify the dimensions of the chair and with that they give an indication of how big it should be.
If this is not done, I do it on each of my tests to help you.
It’s very important, because if you’re thin, you’ll have no problem, but…
If you are fat and you take a chair that is too small, you will not be at the top of your comfort level.
You should also look at the maximum weight indicated (for sturdiness).
Some chairs accept very high maximum loads like the Vertagear PL6000 which is perfect if you are fat.
Or a chair like the tresko or the DXRacer Formula F08 which are more suitable for thin/normal physiques.
You can choose between imitation, fabric or leather.
The fabric is breathable, soft, cannot flake, but stains easily.
The Robas Lund DXRacer, for example, is available in fabric.
Faux is less breathable and can make you sweat in summer, but is easy to clean and maintain, however if it is of poor quality it can flake off.
You have the Empire Gaming 700, for example.
Genuine leather is breathable, easy to clean, looks great, can’t peel and holds up very well over time, but will require more maintenance and is super expensive.
Hello Noblechairs EPIC!
Pay attention to the seams, they must be regular, tight.
But not too tight either, they should also be straight and generally a good indicator is to look at the colours of the seams and the chair.
Why?
If they pay attention to the seams, they will vary the colour of the thread to match the colour of the chair cover.
So if you have a black and red chair, and the thread is only red…
Even where it covers black, you have to wonder.
(Exception: if the chair is all black, with a red thread, then it is done on purpose for the style).
Also pay attention to the finish, is the upholstery pulled tightly all over or does it form unsightly folds?
Step 5: Reclining the backrest
A backrest that reclines to about 130-135° is the best, it will allow you to take short breaks, rest and watch movies comfortably.
There is also the 160° which is a good compromise (La furgle carry series)
However, you can have gaming chairs that go up to 180° and then you can actually sleep on the chair.
(The oversteel Ultimet)
I don’t find this very useful, are you here to play or sleep?
Step 6: Adjusting the armrests
Be careful, sometimes 2D/3D is not the same for all brands, but here are the 4 possible dimensions for the armrest adjustment:
From top to bottom
At an angle
In width
Forwards and backwards
Note that there are also chairs with fixed armrests or no armrests at all.
Up and down means that you can adjust the height of your desk (after adjusting it so that your elbows form a 90° angle).
The angle allows the armrests to point in the same direction as your arms…
Unless you’re an alien, when you’re typing on a keyboard or playing with a joystick your arms are pulled in, so it’s great to be able to pull the armrests in too!
The width allows you to rest your shoulders on it if you are too short or too wide.
From front to back, it’s especially handy to get even closer to the desk.
I have often felt too far away with normal armrests and if they are well adjusted, the fact that they hit the desk prevents me from moving forward more:
Problem solved with adjustable armrests from front to back.
Fixed: The songmics OBG62B
1D : La arozzi verona v2
2D: The songmics RCG12W
3D : The nitro concepts s300
4D : The corsair t1 race V2 and more globally my ranking of the best gamer chairs !
Step 7 : The density of the foam
The density of the foam is important, because a low density foam will end up collapsing (not regaining its shape) after a while.
So you will end up with a chair that is no longer comfortable and useless and the effect will be even more amplified the heavier you are.
I therefore recommend a gaming chair with a high density foam…
That is to say, about 28kg/m3 minimum (sometimes the brands don’t specify the exact density).
What if the exact density is not specified?
Look to see if it says: high density/cold foam/high resilience in the description.
If it’s there: it’s ok!
Step 8: The side cheeks
The side cheeks ensure that you are well supported in your gaming chair (this means that the sides are raised).
Some chairs don’t have side bolsters on either the back or the seat, and ….
I would recommend avoiding them, unless you prefer not to be held down.
It’s up to you.
Step 9: The skeleton of the chair
The skeleton of the chair is what the chair is made of underneath its covering.
Is it metal? Wood? Is it something else?
Metal/steel are solid materials that I recommend, fortunately this is the case on almost all gaming chairs.
With a few exceptions, there are wooden chairs that you can also take with your eyes closed.
I don’t want to hide the fact that it’s difficult to check from a distance, but it’s a detail, so it doesn’t really matter.
Preferably you want castors that don’t stick to the floor, and that are fluid.
Some chairs have roller wheels, so on those it will be easy to tell that the wheels are…
Majestic.
For example, in the photo, these are roller type wheels.
Step 11: Accessories
I prefer, and I highly recommend, gamer chairs with cushions included (or you can buy your own) for the lumbar and neck.
It allows you to respect the natural curve of your body and as they are cushions, you can manually place them in the right place.
When they are already included in the chair, you can’t adjust them as you like.
This is the least important, but if you can, I recommend matching the colour of your chair to your set-up.
For example keyboard/leds/mouse/mats can look great.
Otherwise, black is a safe bet and goes with everything!
Guide : 10 Tips To Pay Less For Your Gamer Chair !
I hope you’ve enjoyed this guide (if you’ve read to the end it’s great news and so enjoy it while it’s fresh in your mind to go and choose your gaming chair!)
For me, these are the most important criteria for choosing a gaming chair.
They have all been summarised here and are absolutely necessary to choose the right chair. So it’s very important that you follow them to the letter so you don’t regret your purchase.
Did you enjoy the article?
Don’t hesitate to share it with your fellow gamers or on the networks!
And if you’re lazy to choose and just want the best: go for the klim.
Thomas is the creator/editor of this website. A very passionate gamer since his early childhood, his mission is to help you choose an important part of your set-up: the gamer chair.
