The Best Gaming Chairs (2023 Reviews)

For gamers, office workers, writers, and many others, a desk chair is an essential part of your life. People who work or game at a computer spend a significant portion of their day there, so having a chair that’s ergonomic, comfortable, and good for your body is more important than you might realize.

Sitting in an uncomfortable office chair for extended periods can have adverse effects on your health, your mood, and more. The longer you spend in this chair, the more pronounced these side effects can be. This is why buying a good gaming chair is so important!

We don’t just mean the standard racing-style gaming chair, either. While some of these chairs can be comfortable and ergonomic, many gamers just buy them for their cool appearance. We definitely recommend a more comfort-oriented approach when purchasing a gaming chair.

Unfortunately, it can be challenging to pick out a gaming chair that’s comfortable for you just by shopping online. As such, it may be best to go to an office supply store or furniture store and try some on for yourself.

However, we’ve done all the research for you and tested most of the gaming chairs on the market to present a list of the best office chairs right now. We’ve included gaming chairs, office chairs, bean bags, rocking chairs, and recliners.

Here are the best gaming chairs that you can buy right now in 2023.

The Vertagear Triigger 350 is an excellent chair to start off our list. The reason for this is because the Triigger presents an interesting fusion between an office chair and a gaming chair. Namely, the Vertagear Triigger 350 is a mesh-backed gaming chair; mesh backs are almost exclusively used in office chairs.

While you’ll need to have the money handy to buy this chair if you want this benefit, this offers a unique niche that many other gaming chairs cannot. However, it also tends to be a chair type that people either love or hate as a result.

For one, the lumbar support on this chair is excellent. Aditionally, the mesh material means that it has excellent airflow. For anyone who tends to get warm, sweaty, or otherwise uncomfortable while gaming or working, this chair will help alleviate the issue.

Unfortunately, because of its mesh construction, this chair is not meant for everyone. Imagine how a mesh chair is built. Usually, mesh chairs are built with a round frame which mesh is then stretched over. While this makes for a supremely comfortable chair for most people, imagine how that would feel if you were sitting on the frame part of the chair?

As you might imagine, this makes this chair, and many mesh-backed chairs, uncomfortable for larger individuals. If possible, it would be best to try this chair before purchasing it if you think this will cause you problems.

Other than the mesh, the Vertagear Triigger 350 Special Edition and normal edition also come with several other great features. Notably, the chair has some adjustment controls located underneath the armrests – like triggers – hence the chair’s name. Additionally, the chair is incredibly quiet, and it’s made with several noise-suppressing features built-in.

All in all, this is an excellent chair, but only as long as you find it comfortable. As long as you can both afford it and try it first to make sure it’s comfortable, it’s definitely an excellent pick.

The Secretlab Titan 2020 Series is an excellent example of a high-end racing-style gaming chair. Secretlab creates several of the chairs that we feature in this guide, and the Titan is the most expensive of the three.

As you probably could have guessed by the name, Secretlab re-releases their chairs every so often with specific improvements and upgrades over previous generations. The 2020 Series is no different. They’re highly custom, comfortable chairs, with everything with full-recline options to internally-adjustable lumbar support.

The Secretlab Titan isn’t all that much different from the Omega, functionally. However, the Titan is built to house larger individuals. The Titan, according to Secretlab’s specs, is made for people with a height of 5’9” – 6’7”, and a weight of up to 290 lbs.

The Titan is especially notable because it comes in several different textile options. The least expensive option is their PRIME 2.0 PU Leather option. According to Secretlab, their specially-made PU leather is up to four times more durable than regular PU leather.

While it’ll never compare to actual leather, it’s an excellent choice for those who dislike cloth but can’t afford real leather on their chair. Coincidentally, the PU leather option is the cheapest of the three coverings that the Titan offers.

Next is Secretlab’s Softweave fabric. This fabric coating is a yarn-based fabric, proprietarily made by Secretlab, and it’s a mixture of different textiles. The Softweave fabric cover is slightly more expensive than the PU leather option, and as you might expect, it’s more permeable to liquids like water, sweat, and soft drinks.

Your final covering option is Napa leather. Of course, this is a premium option, and it comes with a premium price tag, too, whereas the other two tend to be more mid-range.

That being said, though, real Napa leather on your chair will likely outlast the mechanical features on the chair itself, as well as the cushioning inside of it. If you tend to put your chairs through any abuse, it’s something you should think about splurging on.

The noblechairs Epic is a similar offering to the Secretlab Titan above in that it’s a premium, customizable, and incredibly high-end gaming chair. The noblechairs brand, however, is based in Berlin, and the design of their chairs is slightly different than what Secretlab has to offer.

The first thing you’ll notice about the Epic is that it has the dual windows that many racing-style gaming chairs have. These windows help provide some extra ventilation during intense gameplay and make the main difference between the noblechairs line and the Secretlab line.

The Epic also comes in several more colors and designs than the Titan does. It also comes in an additional material: the Epic is available in PU leather, genuine leather, NAPA leather, and a vinyl/PU leather hybrid. It does not, however, have a cloth option like the Titan and its counterparts. As such, if you’re looking for a cloth-covered chair, the Epic is not for you.

Aside from that, the noblechairs Epic also doesn’t have integrated lumbar support. However, the chair does come with a lumbar pillow included. While internal lumbar support is a bit more customizable since you can set it to just the level you want, a pillow is the next best thing.

The Epic is meant to support up to 256 lbs, which is excellent for its class. Like the Titan, the price of the Epic depends on which materials you choose. The least expensive is the PU leather option, which puts it around mid-tier in terms of affordability, while the most costly is the Napa leather. The Napa leather option puts this chair at more of a premium price point.

The Secretlab Omega 2020 Series is the smaller alternative to the Secretlab Titan. The Omega is designed for people from 5’3” to 5’11”, and less than 240 lbs. The Omega is the appropriate size for most average individuals.

Other than its size, the Omega is virtually identical to the Titan we looked at earlier. Because it’s smaller, it’s also slightly lower in price, too. However, the chair has the same customization options: PU leather, SoftWeave fabric, and Napa leather.

The Omega also comes in several colors and designs across its material options, though keep in mind that the PU leather option has far more than the SoftWeave fabric or Napa leather options.

One feature of particular note is that pillows for Secretlab’s Omega (and Titan) chairs are incredibly comfortable. Instead of going with standard foam or memory foam, they upgraded to a “premium” memory foam that is both supportive and buttery soft. The headrest for this chair comes with a cooling gel layer for those particularly intense games, too.

While the Secretlab Omega comes at a reasonable price, it doesn’t skimp on features that make it seem even more premium. For example, the foam back and seat in this chair are “cold-cured.” This means that instead of using several layers of shaped foam, Secretlab molds the seat and back themselves out of one piece. The final effect is a balance between firmness and softness.

If you’re looking to purchase a chair that you can spend a whole day in, but without the ultra-premium price tag, the Omega is excellent for this. It tends to bridge the gap between everyone, however, instead of being tailored to one. As such, if you’re looking for a soft chair or a firm chair, you may not like the middle stance that the Omega takes.

The only real downside to this chair that stood out to us was the armrests. Surprisingly, they’re not padded like the rest of the chair, so they can result in sore elbows at the end of a long day. However, this means that they’re easy to clean, too.

The noblechairs Icon is the European brother of the Omega we just looked at above. Overall, the Icon seems to have a slightly classier look, and it’s not available in a cloth option, similarly to the Epic. The color choices for this chair are also slightly more reserved than those of its Secretlab competitors.

If you’re looking for a high-quality gaming chair in the mid-tier price range, you can’t go wrong with either Secretlab or noblechairs. In fact, the offerings between the two tend to be pretty similar (however, note that if you live in the US, it can be more difficult to get your hands on one, since you can’t buy directly from noblechairs).

Both the Omega and the Icon have cold foam cushions, several types of leather, and both mid-tier and premium price options. They even look similar, though their silhouettes are slightly different.

Unfortunately, where the Icon seems to fall behind is with its included pillows. If you’ve experienced the any of the Secretlab chairs’ pillows before, the Icon’s pillows will simply feel disappointing in comparison.

All in all, the Icon is, more or less, the same as the Secretlab Omega but with a European spin. The Omega definitely wins when it comes to comfortable pillows, but if you feel partial to the Icon for any particular reason, it’s of course possible to purchase better pillows from elsewhere to compensate for this.

The lack of a cloth covering option for this chair might disappoint some buyers as well – such as, for example, those with cats who might damage a leather chair – but all in all, it’s still an excellent chair, if appealing to a slightly smaller audience.

Corsair might be a big-name company you didn’t expect to see on this lineup. Of course, we all know Corsair for creating excellent mice, keyboards, internal components, and even full prebuilt PCs, but you may not have known that they have a few gaming chairs on the market, too.

The T2 Road Warrior doesn’t look that much different than a standard racing-style gaming chair, but there are a few things that make it stand out from the rest. The most noticeable of these are the rollerblade-style wheels on the chair instead of caster wheels.

Have you ever had a gaming or office chair that got stuck on clothes, blankets, or rugs when you rolled over them? The roller-style wheels on the T2 should be much better at managing these terrain quirks than standard caster wheels.

Unlike many of the other chairs in this lineup, the T2 only comes in PU/PVC leather – no real leather or cloth options here. However, that also means it comes in at a more stable price with fewer fluctuations.

Unfortunately, this chair does have some flaws that might knock it out of the running for some people. Firstly, note that this is a very firm chair – it tends to work best for “big and tall” individuals. The back wings of the chair also tend to inhibit arm movement, so those who prefer to lean back in their chair or those with broad shoulders may take offense to this.

The color offerings on this chair also seem to be a bit lacking. Aside from one colored stripe down the center of the chair and some colored stitching, the chair itself isn’t all that interesting.

However, aside from that, the T2 has a mostly-comparable build quality to the Secretlabs and noblechairs we looked at above, complete with cold foam and even a steel frame inside the chair.

The Secretlab Titan XL is the last 2020 offering from Secretlab. The Titan XL, as the name suggests, is the largest chair they have on offer (and one of the largest chairs we review in this guide, to boot). The Titan XL is designed for individuals from 220-390 lbs and from 5’11”-6’10”. If you can’t fit in the Secretlab Titan, the chances are that you’ll need to special-order a gaming chair to fit your measurements!

The Titan XL is virtually identical to the Titan, but it’s slightly larger and able to support more weight. The Titan XL also isn’t available in Napa Leather.  Additionally, all the mechanisms of the chair have been reinforced to support more stress.

Like the Omega and the Titan, the Titan XL also comes with up to a five-year warranty. By default, you receive a three-year guarantee with the chair, but by sharing a picture of it on social media, Secretlab will bump it up to five years for you.

You also have up to 49 days after buying the chair to return it if you don’t like it, meaning no buyer’s remorse.

The noblechairs Hero is yet another offering from the German company that created the Icon. Overall, the two chairs are quite similar – their most distinguishing difference is in appearance. However, the Hero does have a few noticeable upgrades that make the price jump between the Icon and Hero worth it.

Firstly, you’ll notice that the Hero has “wings” on the side that are very different from the Icon. These “wings” help to cage your head and body in place while you sit in the chair. If you’re the type to lay your head to the side and take a brief nap or rest while you work or play, you’ll appreciate these extra supports, but larger individuals may find them uncomfortable.

That being said, the Hero is, overall, designed to be more well-suited to larger individuals. Both the seat and the back of the chair are wider, and while both the Icon and Hero are rated to support the same amount of weight (about 330 lbs), the Hero offers noticeably more upper-body support, where the Icon takes on more of a stylistic edge.

The noblechairs Hero comes in similar color options to the Icon, which is mainly black with colored stitching. However, the PU leather variety also comes in a branded SK Gaming version for fans.

The most crucial difference between the Hero and the Icon (and the rest of the chairs on this list so far) is lumbar support. The noblechairs Hero is one of the first chairs on this list with integrated lumbar support, which you adjust with a dial on the side of the chair. This function mimics the lumbar support you can sometimes find in automobiles, but rarely in computer chairs. The integrated, adjustable support gives you the ability to fine-tune your support more than a pillow allows.

Keep in mind that the Hero and all of noblechairs’ offerings can be difficult to find in the USA since you cannot order them directly from the manufacturer.

The SL4000 from Vertagear is a very different offering from the Triigger we looked at earlier. Namely, the SL4000 is more of a classically-styled gaming chair, complete with a padded back (not mesh like the Triigger) and airflow windows. Like many gaming chairs, the base model is made with PU leather, though disappointingly, it only comes in this material.

Fortunately, while this chair only comes in one material, this material does come in plenty of eye-catching colors – namely, several bright combinations of red, green, blue, black, and white. It has a significant style and color advantage over the previous Corsair T2 we looked at.

The SL4000 actually comes with a unique upgrade option: this chair has upgradable caster wheels. You can choose between 2.5-inch and 3-inch wheels, with the additional option of standard or auto-locking. While this is a nice feature, replacing the wheels on your chair with better ones is something you could do easily (and cheaply) yourself.

The general consensus about this chair is that it is very, very firm. Fortunately, both the back and the base of the chair are broad. Though the chair itself is rated for a maximum weight of 330 lbs, the recommended weight is only 200, so this model isn’t meant for large individuals. Take a look at the SL5000 for that.

Whereas several of the chairs in this price bracket that we’ve looked at have had cold foam inserts, the SL4000 has high resiliency foam instead. This foam is supposed to be incredibly durable, but it’s much firmer than the more balanced feel of the Secretlab and noblechairs offerings we’ve looked at.

All in all, this is a really decent chair, and it definitely nails things in the visual department. However, from a quality-for-price standpoint, the chair is a bit disappointing.

The Corsair T3 Rush is an exciting offering from Corsair and one we really like. It occupies a price point between mid-range and affordable, and unlike any of the other chairs we’ve seen so far, it only comes in cloth. There are no faux-leather or real leather options for this chair.

If you’re looking for a cloth chair, this can be a great bonus, of course. However, the lack of leather options will make this chair undesirable for some people. The overall build quality of the chair is also slightly less than the mid-range offerings we’ve seen; for example, some components that might be metal on the mid-range chairs are plastic on this chair.

This chair comes in three different colors, all variations on grey. While the three grey color schemes are classy, they don’t provide the same level of color and visual interest that many gamers want.

Some may view this as a minus.

It’s evident by looking at the T3 that the padding used for it is a bit thinner than the other chairs we’ve looked at. As such, both because of this and because of its bucket-style seating, it’s not really appropriate for larger individuals. On that note, the maximum weight of this chair is a bit over 250 lbs.

All in all, if you’re looking for a cloth chair, this is an excellent option, especially if you’re willing to give up some premium features in return for a better price. However, for anyone who’s on the larger side or looking for a leather chair, this is not an option.

The Vertagear SL5000 is the big brother to the SL4000 we looked at earlier. In every way, the SL5000 is the bigger, badder version: It can hold more weight (up to 330 lbs, though only 265 is recommended), it has a larger base and back, and it just looks more menacing than the SL4000. It’s also recommended for individuals up to 6’4” tall.

Besides the size, the most noticeable difference between this chair and its smaller cousin is the color scheme. The colors on the SL5000 are more muted than the SL4000, and there aren’t any color-on-white options for this chair, either. However, the SL5000 does have a few non-standard color options that the SL4000 does not, such as some esports team themes and a camouflage option.

Unfortunately, this chair does seem to have some quality issues. Like the SL4000, this chair is made with high-density foam, not cold foam, so it is much firmer than your standard gaming chair. However, this might be a plush for larger individuals who need a firmer chair that will hold its shape long-term.

Because it’s meant for larger individuals, it might merely wear out faster than other chairs, but the plastic caster wheels on this chair seem to be particularly prone to it.

One particularly bad design flaw of this chair is the height of the hydraulic cylinder where it connects to the base of the frame. For some reason, the bottom of the chair only has an inch or so of clearance with the ground.

As such, it may not be appropriate for carpeted areas or any place with clearance issues. However, from a function and comfort standpoint, this is an excellent chair for larger individuals (as long as you don’t mind being stuck with PU leather).

The GTRACING Pro is one of the most common gaming chairs you’ll see out there today. It’s one of the cheapest gaming chairs out there that has the authentic racing styling to it. While this means you might end up sacrificing a bit in quality, it’s the best way to get the racing chair look if that really matters to you.

Despite being rather inexpensive, the GTRACING Pro is quite comfortable. The design and colors on this chair do look a bit generic, but that’s to be expected of a chair at this price point. Fortunately, the customer service for this chair is incredibly good, so any defects that might come from its inexpensiveness are easy to fix (as long as you’re within the warranty, that is).

Surprisingly, this chair can support a full 330 lbs, which can compete with some of the best on our list. Because the chair isn’t overly broad, it might not be appropriate for larger individuals, but the important thing is that it can support them.

All in all, there’s not all that much that stands out about this chair (except the price, that is), but it makes up for that by being dependable. It lasts a surprisingly long time, it has the look of a real gaming chair, and the PU leather is effortless to clean. Of course, there isn’t a genuine leather option, but what else can you expect from a budget chair?

If you’ve ever owned a DXRacer chair, you’ll notice that the GTRACING chair is modeled similarly.

You may have heard of the Herman Miller Aeron before, or at least one of the chairs in the Herman Miller line. The Aeron is the first chair in our “office chairs” group – chairs that are made for the desk worker instead of gamers exclusively. However, as you might expect, they work equally well for gamers.

The claim to fame for this chair is that it’s designed to contour to your body precisely. Ostensibly, it will be incredibly comfortable while, at the same time, promoting perfect posture. It’s supposed to be the best possible office chair for your back and body health.

However, the health of your back apparently comes at a price. This chair starts at four figures, and if you want specialized upgrades like adjustable armrests and a tilt function, you need to pay even more. This chair almost belongs in a price bracket all its own – super-premium, if you will.

The price of the chair is a bit more understandable when you see that it comes with a standard twelve-year warranty. This chair is built to last, and if for some reason part of it breaks before that warranty is up, Herman Miller will, ostensibly, replace or fix it.

Note, first, that the Aeron comes in three different sizes (A, B, and C, from smallest to largest).

Any prospective buyers may also want to know that the chairs are made in the USA. It’s also possible, despite the posture-correcting features of the chair, to feel the frame through the seat and back.

You would think that, with this chair being so expensive and so customizable, it would have every adjustment under the sun. However, there are two that are glaringly missing: seat depth and back height, unfortunately.

If you’re looking for a mesh chair similar to the Aeron, but you don’t quite have enough to break the bank that much, consider taking a look at the NeueChair. Despite starting at less than half of the price of the Aeron, the NeueChair also carries a 12-year warranty and is built to last.

Surprisingly, the base cost of the NeueChair includes several of the features that you must pay extra for on the Aeron, such as adjustable armrests and a tilting back. The chair comes with onboard adjustable lumbar support, too.

We should note that NeueChair started as its own company, but now, the chair is distributed by and associated with Secretlab. While the two companies were originally separate, they seem to mesh well and match in terms of quality, which works in NeueChair’s favor.

Oddly enough, the most challenging part of this chair is the assembly process. Unlike the gaming chairs we looked at earlier, the NeueChair (and similar chairs, like the Aeron) often come in only two pieces: The seat and the frame. The top portion of the chair slides into the bottom part relatively easily.

However, attaching the castor wheels to this chair seems to be a bit of a chore. While this means that the wheels themselves won’t be going anywhere (which is an excellent thing), it means some individuals might need some assistance with assembly. To be fair, it’s not uncommon for gaming and office chair to be a bit tricky to assemble – as you likely know – but it should be noted if you’re looking to purchase this chair.

All in all, the NeueChair is like the Herman Miller Aeron, but without the price tag that comes with the premium name. It comes with the same twelve-year warranty as the Aeron, the materials are virtually the same, and the NeueChair comes with substantially more features for the price. Unless the name behind the Aeron is especially important to you, the decision between the two seems natural.

The Steelcase Gesture is a unique offering to the world of work chairs. Steelcase says that the Gesture was inspired by the movement of the human body. As you might expect, the chair has a lot of advanced features that reflect this philosophy, and also as you might expect, it’s suitably expensive.

Interestingly, unlike any of the other offerings on our list so far, the Gesture comes in a “stool” variation. Essentially, this is a taller version of the chair that also comes with a footrest. Ostensibly, this chair would be for use in a conference setting, or potentially for a taller, bar-height working surface.

This chair has a long list of customizations that can be made to it, some of them more useful than others. The first of these is the choice between a hard-shelled back and an upholstered back. For all intents and purposes, this seems to be a mostly aesthetic choice, though the shell back will save you a small amount of money.

The chair has two upholstery options: cloth and leather. Do note that the leather option takes this already-pricy chair into ultra-premium territory in terms of cost. You can make several modifications to the materials and finishes that make up the chair’s frame, too.

The chair itself is designed to contour to the human body and promote good posture, but note that it does come with additional lumbar support for those who want or need it, but it does come at an extra cost. This chair also has an optional headrest at an additional cost, and the arms are fully mobile. One particular thing to note about this chair is that it ships fully assembled. As such, if you doubt your ability to construct an office chair, this is an excellent choice.

As you might have guessed, the Embody, another chair from Herman Miller, is similarly luxurious (and expensive) to the Aeron we looked at earlier. In fact, even more so than the Aeron, the Embody is concerned with pressure distribution and natural alignment.

If you look at the back of the chair – we’ll include a picture of it below – you’ll notice that the Embody looks a bit strange, even gimmicky. The company calls it “pixelated support,” and it consists of a series of spine-like supports that are modeled after the human body. By completing what they call a “backfit adjustment,” the chair learns what fits you best and responds accordingly whenever you move.

This all sounds a bit complicated, doesn’t it? Well, the technology involved promises to create an incredibly comfortable chair, but that’s to be expected for the starting price point of this chair. This is the most expensive chair in our lineup by base price alone, and that’s not including the optional upgrades that may be involved.

While the Embody is an excellent chair for anyone who spends a significant amount of time working at their desk, the company itself recommends that those with back issues or other spinal challenges use it. To be fair, if you have back problems that often bring home expensive medical or physical therapy bills, it might actually be worth the exorbitant cost of this chair if it would help offset some of them.

That being said, though, for the average young, healthy gamer or desk worker, this chair is a lot of overkill. Also, keep in mind that the Embody is quite challenging to assemble because of its many individual pieces and functions. As such, although it’s cool-looking and great for people with back problems, we can’t really recommend it for the average user unless your money is really burning a hole in your pocket.

The Steelcase Leap V2 is an impressive offering when it comes to luxury chairs. Like the Gesture we looked at earlier from Steelcase, the Leap V2 is meant to be tremendously customizable and incredibly comfortable. The Leap V2 is Steelcase’s #1-selling chair, so this has to say something for its quality and comfort.

You can see a bit of why the Leap is so popular when you look at the back. It has a similar mechanism to the Herman Miller Embody, but on the Leap, this technology is called a “LiveBack.” It uses “Livelumbar technology” to move with the shape of your back, both to promote optimal posture and keep you comfortable.

Unique to Steelcase and the Leap V2 is the ability to use COM for the seat material (Customer’s Own Material). Ostensibly, you would be able to specify what material you’d like your chair to be made of. This would likely be incredibly expensive and time-consuming, but for those who wish to truly customize their chair, this might be an appreciated feature.

Like some of the other high-end office chairs in this list, the Leap also has several optional accessories. One of them is a headrest. Unfortunately, the headrest is an added cost, as are other textile materials for the chair, but this is more or less par for the course for similar chairs. The Leap V2 comes in the standard chair version, a plus version, a stool version, and a headrest version.

One point of contention to consider for the LeapV2 is that it may not be as comfortable if you’re on the tall side. This is part of the reason why the headrest version of this chair exists, of course, but you may also want to consider a chair made for larger individuals, like the Secretlab Titan.

As far as color options go, this chair is one of the most versatile on our list so far. Both the textile color and the finish on the hard parts of the chair are customizable.

The Smugdesk Big Chair is the ultimate offering for a budget office chair. At less than $100, you really can’t get much cheaper in a mesh office chair. However, this means that this chair also comes with some concessions. For one, this chair isn’t the easiest to assemble. Instead of coming in two main pieces like most of the chairs on this list, the Big Chair comes packed flat in a box. However, this probably contributes to its lower price, too.

There are a few design decisions made with this chair that you’ll want to keep in mind. Firstly, this is called the Smugdesk Big Chair. It’s designed to fit broader individuals who might need a larger seat area. It’s also got a low back, and this might be less comfortable for some people. A shorter back means less  back support.

That being said, the lumbar support on this chair is surprisingly good. If you’re a fan of tall gaming chairs that support your head and neck, this chair isn’t for you. However, if lumbar and lower back support is more what you need, this chair can provide that.

The main thing to keep in mind with this chair is the price. It’s made by a smaller manufacturer, and ostensibly, because of its low cost, its materials may be lower quality. As such, you shouldn’t expect it to last as long as the high-end chairs on this list, depending on how much you use it, of course.

That being said, if you only work or play games at your computer for a few hours every day (or even every few days), this chair may be more than enough to suit your needs.

If you’re not a fan of mesh office chairs, but you like the price and style of the Smugdesk Big Chair above, then you should consider this OFM Essentials Executive Office Chair. As its name says, this is an “executive” style chair, meaning it has more luxurious padding and (usually) a leather finish. Of course, this is a sub-$100 chair, so this is a faux leather finish, not a real one.

That being said, it’s a bit strange seeing an “executive” office chair in such a small size. Usually, executive chairs are known for being heavily padded, very oversized, and incredibly comfortable. While this chair is comfortable and padded, (and it is on the broad side for larger individuals), it has the same issue as the Smugdesk chair above: it lacks upper back and head support.

Despite that, this chair does come in non-padded and padded armrest versions, a customization option we haven’t seen on this list yet. While this chair is only rated at up to 250 lbs – more than that may void your warranty – it’s stable, and is apparently appropriate for even heavier individuals.

There seems to be some debate on the adequacy of the cushioning for this chair. As such, we’d feel comfortable saying that those who enjoy a softer, fluffier chair likely wouldn’t like this one, despite what appears to be ample cushioning. If you want a firmer chair, however, this chair might be adequate.

Overall, if you’re looking for a great budget chair, the OFM Essentials chair is a decent option, but only if you like firm cushioning and don’t need upper back and neck support. The lumbar support on this chair also doesn’t seem to be as good as the Smugdesk chair above, but this can easily be remedied with a lumbar pillow if you particularly like this chair.

The Sofa Sack is one of the first off-the-wall options on our list, and one of two bean bags we’ll feature. The Sofa Sack obviously isn’t a desk chair – you would need to have a lap desk if you wanted any hope of using it as a gaming or working chair. However, it is possible (and comfortable)!

The beautiful part about having a beanbag chair is that you can adjust it however you need it. If the chair ever starts feeling flat, all you need to do is fluff it a bit, and it’ll feel as good as new. You can’t do this with a typical office or desk chair. However, this also means that it might take you a bit longer to find just the right working position in this chair after you sit down.

While we’ve provided a link to the 3-foot version, keep in mind that this beanbag chair comes in sizes ranging from 2 ft to 6 ft, meaning there’s a size appropriate for just about any individual – even kids! The Sofa Sack also comes in plenty of colors, meaning it’ll match any gamer’s décor.

There are some difficulties with using a beanbag chair as a work or play chair, as you might expect. Firstly, the support that this chair offers can be variable, and it may not provide the best head and neck support. This all depends on how you position it, though.

Additionally, it’s challenging to sit with your feet flat on the floor since this chair is so close to the ground. For those with circulation issues in the legs or difficulty standing up after sitting down, this can be a deal-breaker.

All in all, this is an incredibly fun chair, and it’ll give you years of comfort if you keep it clean. Unfortunately, the outer cover cannot be removed and washed without removing all the foam inside, which is the only feature we really miss. Otherwise, unless you don’t mind working at a lap desk all the time (or you play with a controller instead of keyboard and mouse), we recommend that you use this as a back-up chair instead of a primary option.

The Chill Sack seems to be a very similar option to the Sofa Sack above – potentially from the same company or a related sister company. However, the two beanbag chairs have some noticeable differences between them. While they have similar construction and the same fill materials, the Chill Sack is available in two extra cover material options.

If you weren’t already aware, the “base” material for the Sofa Sack and Chill Sack is a microfiber covering. The Chill Sack, unlike the Sofa Sack, is available in a “pebble microfiber” that has a different, marbled texture to it. It’s also available in a longer-fiber option called “ultrafur.”

Both chairs are available in both round and over options, the round option being the “chair” and the oval option being the “lounger.” The oval option is much better for laying down and, well, lounging, while the round option works better as a gaming/office chair.

The Chill Sack also comes in larger sizes than the Sofa Sack! The Chill Sack also comes in 7 ft and 8 ft options, which can easily fit two people at the same time. Just keep in mind that these chairs are enormous – they take up nearly as much space as a real couch or bed!

While the Chill Sack is a bit more expensive, it does have one more important feature over the Sofa Sack: the Chill Sack’s cover is removable and washable! This is incredibly important if you have pets, accident-prone children (or family members), or you’re just accident-prone yourself.

Do keep in mind that while there have been some incidents of customers receiving inadequate stuffing for their chairs, it seems that customer service is quick to reach out and rectify the situation by sending more padding. If this is a concern of yours, you needn’t worry.

The X Rocker Surge is another off-the-wall pick for our list. Like the bean bag chairs we looked at above, this chair is more suited to console gamers than PC gamers, but it can work if you have access to a lap desk for your keyboard and mouse.

Probably more than any other chair on our list, the X Rocker Surge is very easy to assemble! All you need to do is unfold the chair to put it together. The main attraction of the chair is its use-anywhere design as well as its audio capabilities. The chair can be Bluetooth paired, as well as manually connected to other gaming devices. The speakers sit on both sides of the chair around the headrest area, so the sound experience can be wholly immersive.

Despite being an inexpensive floor chair, this model is apparently very comfortable – enough to fall asleep in. Do keep in mind that you’ll need to purchase an HDMI converter to use this chair with PlayStation and Xbox systems, and potentially others. However, do keep in mind that the brand, X Rocker, has several other floor chairs on offer that may have more modern audio capabilities.

The brand specializes in audio-enabled, immersive gaming chairs, and X Rocker has all types available, from pedestal recliners to more standard gaming desk chairs. If this is something you’re interested in, we highly recommend checking them out!

The Gigantex Swivel Gaming Chair is another floor chair that you may want to check out. However, this chair is a bit different than the Surge we just looked at. For one, the Gigantex is on a pedestal that can spin a full 360 degrees, making it a bit more accessible than the Surge. This also puts it a bit further off the floor, which may help some people with posture issues and trouble standing up after sitting down.

Additionally, the Gigantex is more of a universally-styled chair – it lacks the “gaming” style that many floor rockers have. It has more of a universal style that would fit into a standard living room just as easily as a game room. It also doesn’t have any speakers or audio capabilities as the Surge does. However, also unlike the Surge, the Gigantex has an adjustable backrest – a welcome feature.

The Gigantex chair comes in three colors, including charcoal, grey, and brown. It’s very comfortable, too, with plenty of padding. Do keep in mind, though, that this chair is a bit bigger than most other floor chairs because of the base and the back support (the back is quite tall, and might be right for taller individuals).

The only things we really miss with this chair are armrests and cupholders. However, because of the lack of armrests, it’s easier to balance a lap desk on your lap when using this chair. We do maintain that it’s a better choice for console gamers, though.

The price tag on this chair is a bit disappointing too. This chair costs almost as much as the X Rocker Surge above, but without any onboard audio technology included. The comfort of the chair and its swivel ability make up for that a little, but it still feels like this chair is lacking something.

The Homall Gaming Recliner is the last addition to this chair list, and another miscellaneous one. Like the previous few chairs we look at, gaming recliners are generally considered to be best for console gamers, but a recliner like this can work with some desk configurations as well.

Just keep in mind that, since they don’t have wheels, they can be challenging to move (such as when you scoot up to your desk). If you’re going to use this chair with a desk, it works best with a drawer or keyboard tray that can pull out and into your lap.

The nicest part about a gaming recliner is the footrest! As long as you have a large enough desk and no supports in your way, you can just as quickly lie back and relax from your head to your toes when you need a break. That being said, some gaming and office chairs have footrests, too, but the whole point of a recliner is being able to recline.

This recliner is relatively inexpensive as far as recliners go, but keep in mind that quality tends to decline along with price, too. The recliner itself is made of PU leather, which is excellent for ease of cleaning, but it also tends to wear out quickly, as well as stick to skin in hot weather.

While a gaming recliner is excellent for larger individuals who need a wider seat, this doesn’t necessarily mean that this recliner is built to me any more sturdy than its counterparts. Keep this in mind when purchasing this chair, because some of the mechanisms seem to be prone to wearing out quickly.

One of the most disappointing aspects of this recliner is that, despite being rather broad, it isn’t very tall. As such, it’s only really suited to shorter individuals. It also has a distinct lack of ergonomic shaping like most of the gaming chairs we’ve looked at so far have.

What To Look For In A Gaming Chair

A lot of people underestimate the importance of purchasing a gaming chair. The desire to purchase a cool-looking, “authentic” gaming chair is a requirement of a lot of people, but that’s as far as their preferences go.

While there is a lot to be admired about a racing-style gaming chair, the appearance of your chair is at the bottom of the list when it comes to most important features.

Size

First and foremost, your chair should be the right size for you. Believe it or not, gaming chairs come in many different shapes, sizes, and styles. And that’s not even getting into other gaming chair alternatives, such as office chairs, recliners, bean bag chairs, and more!

As far as size goes, gaming chairs are built for all sorts of people. The first metric to consider is weight. Most gaming and office chairs are built to support a maximum of around 300 pounds. You may have to search a bit more carefully if you need more support than that.

Height

The next metric to consider is height. This is especially important for ergonomically-designed chairs because what might hit the right areas of the back and legs on one person might not on another.

Let’s take lumbar support, for example. Many people like it when their chairs have an area of lumbar support, whether from an added pillow or an area built into the chair. Someone who’s quite tall would have a lumbar area located higher than someone who’s relatively short.

Leg Support

The leg support is another good example. When sitting in a computer chair, the goal is to have your feet sit flat on the ground and your legs to be supported by the bottom of the chair. Since leg length in people tends to vary widely (even in people that are the same height!), the size of the base of your chair is also an important thing to consider.

Imagine someone with shorter legs, for example. The length of one person’s thighs might be longer than their calves, or vice versa. If the length of the base of your chair is longer than the length of your thigh, then your feet won’t rest on the floor properly.

On the other hand, if your legs are too long for the chair, you could end up putting unnecessary weight on your feet. This could lead to sore feet, poor sitting posture, or even losing circulation or feeling in your legs.

Adjustability

The next thing to consider is the adjustability of the armrests. The arms of your chair should allow your shoulders to remain relaxed, and you should be able to reach your keyboard, mouse, joystick, or whatever else you’re using to work or play games comfortably.

Along with the width and distance of your armrests, you should consider whether they’re adjustable or not, too. While it’s not necessarily required to have adjustable armrests, it’ll make it so that your chair is usable with more desks and in more configurations.

Finally, consider chairs that can be adjusted for height, up and down. Not only is this important for tall and short individuals, but you may need to adjust the height of your computer chair to make it fit with certain desks.

There are extra things to consider, too, that don’t necessarily have to do with at-desk comfort. Some office chairs, for example, can recline backward if desired. While this isn’t necessary to work comfortably, some users may find it to be a convenient feature.

Types Of Gaming Chairs

When most gamers think of a gaming chair, their minds imagine the classic racing-style gaming chair we mentioned above. While this style of chair works well, you shouldn’t feel limited to it, either. In the same way, people in the market for an office chair might only consider a mesh or leather chair to start, when there are many more excellent choices out there.

Obviously, the most common considerations for a gaming chair are desk chairs. However, what if you weren’t confined to a desk while gaming? Console gamers usually play from the couch or recliner, for example. There’s no reason why desktop gamers can’t play from the couch or recliner, either – they just need slightly different supplies.

Don’t let yourself be confined to those categories, though! What else is incredibly fun and comfortable to play games on? Bean bag chairs, of course! We’ve included several recliners, bean bag chairs, and more in the list above for the sake of variety.

Conclusion

We’ve looked at virtually every gaming chair under the sun – and if not every gaming chair, then certainly every type of gaming chair. We’ve evaluated how affordable, assembly-friendly, and comfortable they are, as well as what kind of gamer or worker they work best for. Now, you’ll see the total, combined results of these evaluations.

As far as budget-friendliness goes, the GTRacing Pro Series is the hands-down winner. This is the only real “gaming chair” we’ve looked at that could be considered affordable, and it’s a good-quality chair to boot. While you might not necessarily be impressed with its generic looks, everything else about it is excellent.

If you need a desk chair that will support optimum posture and back health, we recommend taking a look at either the Steelcase Leap as our Premium Pick winner or our runner up, the NeueChair. Both are excellent options in the premium price bracket, with the NeueChair being a bit cheaper.

The main difference is that the NeueChair is a mesh chair, while the Steelcase Leap is not. Both chairs have headrest options, too, for those with neck problems. The Leap stands out a bit more because of the opportunity to choose your own material for the chair, or COM (customer’s own material).

However, our overall winner, out of all of the chairs on this list, is the Secretlab Omega (and the Secretlab Titan for larger individuals). The Omega comes with an impressive variety of customization options, both in material and in color, while maintaining complete control over movement and positioning.

The price is mid-range and affordable for most buyers. The chair is neither too soft nor too hard, it’s great for posture, and the warranty can last up to five years. It’s an incredibly attractive chair, also, with many colors and design options – even options for supporting your favorite Esports teams. What’s not to like about this chair?

If you’re feeling a little adventurous, we recommend taking a look at the Chill Sack beanbag, too – if we had a “Surprise Pick,” this would be it!

While the Chill Sack isn’t great as a primary PC gaming chair, it works great for console gamers, and who doesn’t love falling face-first into a beanbag chair at the end of a long day?