Board 8 > Gaming chairs - looking for suggestions

(+) Yeah! (+)

I should have made this topic a couple days ago.

I bought a new desk chair a year ago to replace the one I'd had for years, and TBH, it's not holding up in all the ways I'd like. The seat's padding is wearing away to nothing, leaving me feeling like my butt's tucked inside a big U. Back support isn't as good as I'd like and my elbows feel like they're always jabbing into the arm rest. It's a nice chair, and all, but it's not a seat I've been happy sitting on for long hours and it certainly won't be moving forward. I'm not happy with this, because I used my last chair for 9 or 10 years even though the cats tore up the outer cover.

But I also don't have a clue who to listen to when it comes to gaming chairs. I'm uncomfortable with the idea of buying one online without trying it first, but there aren't many stores that have gaming chairs and it's the pandemic. Plus, I still have some of the prize money from the gamefaqs contest left, so an option on amazon would be nice. I still don't trust online articles that feel like they focus on the wrong things, and I mostly trust random reviews even less. I need a chair that:

1) Will last
2) Will tolerate me sitting on it for often over 12 hours per day, especially if I'm working from home these days
3) Has decent support, particularly for back and elbows
4) Hopefully won't be a magnet for cat claws
5) Doesn't cost a bazillion bucks. I'm willing to flex on budget if it's worth it, but I need to be convinced to spend multiple hundreds of dollars.

Historically I've used normal desk chairs, and those feel (and definitely look) more natural to me, but I get the impression most office chairs just aren't built for the sort of usage I'm going to put mine through. I'm not especially large; I'm just constantly using mine.

I'd love to know what others here use and recommend.

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You probably want an office chair rather than a gaming chair. Usually office chairs are built for pretty much the same purpose as a gaming chair, but they tend to cost less for the same quality.

What sort of budget do you actually have? A good quality chair is probably going to cost a few hundred minimum. Also, any preference on material, etc?

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Not so much that I have a fixed budget as I get more squeamish the higher the cost gets. I feel like I'd like to keep the cost under $200, but I understand that I might get more bang spending more. Definitely not spending 500+, though.

Material...uhh, not cloth mesh? Aren't most chairs some variant of leather?

VintageGin posted...

Usually office chairs are built for pretty much the same purpose as a gaming chair, but they tend to cost less for the same quality.

In your eyes, then, what is the point of a gaming chair?

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azuarc posted...

Not so much that I have a fixed budget as I get more squeamish the higher the cost gets. I feel like I'd like to keep the cost under $200, but I understand that I might get more bang spending more. Definitely not spending 500+, though.

Material...uhh, not cloth mesh? Aren't most chairs some variant of leather?

There's a lot of chairs that are mesh for the purpose of breathability. There's also a bunch that are polyurethane or leather. Keep in mind that for something like the latter two you need to maintain the material or it will crack/tear.

In your eyes, then, what is the point of a gaming chair?

Aesthetic mostly. Usually they have features that not directly related to comfort/ergonomics.

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Although one thing I will say is gaming chairs tend to have a headrest where office chairs usually do not. So if reclining is important to you then a gaming chair may still make sense.

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Ive had a Vertagear chair for about 3 years now. It definitely gets hot after long sessions with its faux leather and the elbow rests are starting to rip off. Its also hella squeaky. Its one of their first chairs theyve come out with, maybe they gotten better with the build and materials but I wouldnt recommend it.

Edit: SL2000 is the one I got.

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VintageGin posted...

There's a lot of chairs that are mesh for the purpose of breathability. There's also a bunch that are polyurethane or leather. Keep in mind that for something like the latter two you need to maintain the material or it will crack/tear.

I fucking hate those mesh chairs lol.

Give me my fake leather that'll break in a year or two.

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I've been a big fan of the la-z-boy office chairs I've used. I got mine at Costco, but I'm sure they're online too.
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https://www.dxracer.com/us/en-us/product/1/gaming-chairs/-boss-and-classic-series/oh-ce120-nc/

This is my chair and I fucking love it. (though mine is white)

I bought it around 5 years ago and it's still going strong. I feel very comfortable on it, the cushion is very thick and holds up even if I'm there for 12 hours. My ass never gets sore here.

A lot of people shit talk DXRacer, and maybe they are right, but I think that that would apply to their general Formula etc lines that all have that racer look that everyone is familiar with. This Classic line is a different chair. I've tried a couple of those other chairs (My brother has one) and I don't like it nearly as much but it's hard to tell since the ones I've seen were definitely too small for me and it's important you get the right size for those. The Classic is just good for big bois.


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I have a dxracer racing series and it's the best chair I've ever seated on that doesn't cost 1000+

Comfortable for seating all day, good headrest and armrests, still feels just as new after 4+ years using it

A bit expensive but worth it

I was shopping around for a desk and I was also in the market for a chair, and as someone said I actually decided to get an Office Chair instead. I got screwed over so I actually couldn't get one, but just wanted to share

also, I don't really like gamer chairs. They're just not comfortable for me. Usually the lowerback part comes forward too much. I usually like to have my whole back against the chair, but this forces you to like, slouch back.

The chairs I was looking at were around 100. I can't believe how expensive chairs get, they're even more expensive than the desk I got

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Punnyz posted...

also, I don't really like gamer chairs. They're just not comfortable for me. Usually the lowerback part comes forward too much. I usually like to have my whole back against the chair, but this forces you to like, slouch back.

Oh, is this from the lumbar pillow? I remember thinking it was weird at first but it was actually hit spot on my lower back and I think makes you sit in a better position.

That reminds me that I need to figure out how to get a new lumbar pillow.... the pillow accessory wore out and I had to throw it away and they don't sell replacements in Canada even though they do in the US....

Punnyz posted...

The chairs I was looking at were around 100. I can't believe how expensive chairs get, they're even more expensive than the desk I got

This is a trap a lot of people fall into. "hundreds of dollars for a CHAIR?????"

It's not just a chair. It's furniture that you will use for possibly many years, and potentially for many hours each day if you are a PC guy. Just like a couch or a bed, it can significant impact your quality of life each day if you cheap out vs getting something that will be very comfortable and stand the test of time.


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I was in this exact same spot a couple of years ago and splurged on a refurbished Herman Miller Aeron - easily some of the best money I've ever spent.

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Xiahou Shake posted...

I was in this exact same spot a couple of years ago and splurged on a refurbished Herman Miller Aeron - easily some of the best money I've ever spent.

Dare I ask how much that was? Herman Miller chairs are known for being expensive.

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azuarc posted...

Dare I ask how much that was? Herman Miller chairs are known for being expensive.

Had to check my history to confirm, but I guess it wasn't even a refurbish - it was new but out of box. Ended up being only $440 which is actually great considering they retail for $1,100+

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My dad accidentally bought a gaming chair and its really uncomfortable for him. I tried sitting in it, and while it looks super cool, it is very uncomfortable. My opinion is an office chair beats a gaming chair in comfort.

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https://www.microcenter.com/product/510802/inland-lightning-gaming-chair---black-gray

I have that chair, it was $250 on amazon when I bought it but does not seem to be there anymore.
It's pretty good given the price of what these types of chairs go for.

Though it rocks back and forth a little now. I do sit on this thing all day for work and then play...and I'm pretty hard on it when leaning back (which is literally 90% of the time). So that may be the case.

But it does everything you'd want it too and is comfortable.

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CoolCly posted...

This is a trap a lot of people fall into. "hundreds of dollars for a CHAIR?????"

It's not just a chair. It's furniture that you will use for possibly many years, and potentially for many hours each day if you are a PC guy. Just like a couch or a bed, it can significant impact your quality of life each day if you cheap out vs getting something that will be very comfortable and stand the test of time.

I guess I've never bought Furniture then. And at the same time I'm not one to drop hundreds of dollars on single things

so this was a double shock

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LOLIAmAnAlt posted...

https://www.microcenter.com/product/510802/inland-lightning-gaming-chair---black-gray

I wonder if they'll have it on display. I haven't been over to Microcenter since the pandemic began.

CoolCly posted...

This is a trap a lot of people fall into. "hundreds of dollars for a CHAIR?????"

It's not just a chair. It's furniture that you will use for possibly many years, and potentially for many hours each day if you are a PC guy. Just like a couch or a bed, it can significant impact your quality of life each day if you cheap out vs getting something that will be very comfortable and stand the test of time.

No argument. The problem is how will you know if it will stand the test of time without the benefit of hindsight? My current chair wasn't the cheapest junker in the store, and I went around and around for a while, evaluating different options...and it hasn't held up super well. Not so poorly that I can complain, but not at all what I was hoping for. Will spending over 300 for a chair guarantee me a good chair?

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I have an Ikea Markus office chair that I've only had for a year but is holding up well and I know multiple people that have had them longer and swear by them. It's relatively cheap for the quality and comfort level. It is one of the mesh kind, but personally I very much dislike the gamer chair aesthetic and all the bulky leather crap is legitimately less comfortable to me. It really depends on what you prefer.

I will say it doesn't have elbow support though I don't need that with my setup? And the mesh might be a problem with cats, ours started off curious about scratching it but we shooed her away enough and supplied her with enough other interesting things to scratch that she no longer bothers with it. I think it likely depends on what your cat likes to scratch - as leather is a problem for some cat owners too. I just know for us it was eventually not a problem.

https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/markus-office-chair-glose-black-00103102/

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azuarc posted...

Dare I ask how much that was? Herman Miller chairs are known for being expensive.

I also bought a used Herman Miller Aeron chair last year, but I got mine off of Facebook Marketplace (which may not be an option with the pandemic now) but i was able to find someone selling them for $300 that looked almost brand new. and one of my friends got a different Herman Miller, the Mira 2, off Craigslist for about $150 in good condition. if youre not opposed to buying used right now, there are probably a lot of opportunities to buy like a $1000+ chair for about $200-300 or so

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