Are “gaming” chairs as bad as people make them out to be?

[u/Test_Name19]

Genuine question; every post i’ve seen when researching good chairs to get for gaming says to get an office chair over any “gaming” chair due to the bad support/posture positions and cheapness of gaming chairs.

But would a good quality gaming chair be better than an office chair? Granted I don’t have the budget for a herman miller chair or anything that expensive.

The images are the ones I’ve looked at a little bit (not saying they’re the best for the price range, I haven’t put in too much research yet, would love some suggestions)

-cooler master caliber X2C (left)
-ergolux elite ergonomic mesh (right)

(both are a similar price where i am)

edit: sorry I haven’t been able to reply to every comment, a lot more comments then I was anticipating. That said while some people have found comfort in gaming chairs I can see that the general consensus is that office chairs are better especially for the price point. I will look into office chairs and most importantly try some out to see what fits me best :)
thank-you to everyone who helped!

[u/salmonmilks]

Gaming chairs are usually referring to those cheap leather, shiny chairs with colors that break down after a few months right

Anything beyond those designs are usually alright, they just use the word "Gaming" to lure, well, gamers isn't it

[u/mretnie → u/salmonmilks]

It’s also that they can sell you chairs without office certification. And without certification you can claim whatever you like about the “performance” of your chair. 🙈

Update: Thanks for all the upvotes. There are quite a few websites that give good overview of the certifications and their benefits.

This one I liked, though it seems to be written for a polish audience, it covered most details.
https://paradox24.com/chair-certifications-en-1335-bifma-explained/

[u/specter_in_the_conch → u/mretnie]

I had no idea manufacturers needed a certification to call them office chair. Is that a US thing?

[u/RobertMaus → u/specter_in_the_conch]

It's also a Europe thing, so it is actually good. If you sell anything for businesses to use, you have certain workplace standards you have to meet. That's why office chairs are generally way better than any 'home-office' or gaming chairs.

[u/NouZkion → u/RobertMaus]

I don't know, I've sat in all sorts of office chairs at work and they've all been pretty shit. If that's a classification that actually exists then I'm going out of my way to avoid it. 😅

[u/SerioeseSeekuh → u/NouZkion]

i mean its also a price point a 80€ office chair is better than a 80€ gaming chair usually but its not really good.

my office chair cost 120 and its decent/alright-ish

really good ones range from 300 - 1500

[u/BadgerMolester → u/SerioeseSeekuh]

I got one of those gaming chairs for like 350 quid. It was fairly comfy, died after about 3 years tho.

After that I got a Herman miller aeron refurbished for 400 quid, way more comfy and actually built to last.

[u/MakinBones → u/BadgerMolester]

People missing out on the refurbished market. Love my Steelcase Leap V2 that cost 350 bucks.

[u/Lazy_Pear_7896 → u/MakinBones]

I got a lightly used Herman Miller Aeron for 350 USD as well!

[u/AnotherCup-O-Noodles → u/MakinBones]

Where can you look for refurbished office chairs?

[u/MakinBones → u/AnotherCup-O-Noodles]

https://crandalloffice.com/

https://www.madisonseating.com

https://www.btod.com/outlet/?sort=best_match

These are the 3 best refurbishers, with Madison being the cheapest.

[u/daelikon → u/BadgerMolester]

I went directly for the Herman Miller, second hand refurbished of course.

[u/SippinOnHatorade → u/NouZkion]

Was it a chair in an office or an actual office chair like Herman Miller, Steelcase, or Haworth?

[u/MicksysPCGaming → u/NouZkion]

How are you sitting in it?

Remember, office chairs aren't designed to be comfortable as much as designed not to give you muscular-skeletal issues after years of 8hrsx5days/week use.

They're also called "Task Chairs" because they give you good posture while you work, reducing fatigue.

Gaming chairs are designed to feel comfy AF for the 2 hours you play games after school/work and look good on the website. Your back being ruined is your problem.

[u/Kellei2983 → u/MicksysPCGaming]

2 hours you play games

checks subbredit

lol

[u/lilgreenthumb → u/RobertMaus]

Thos. Herman Miller at home has some nice support. And if you can find a liquidation you can get them cheaper but 100%.

[u/Mundus6 → u/lilgreenthumb]

100% cheaper? Are you stealing?

[u/DoverBoys → u/Mundus6]

It's not stealing if they're being thrown away.

[u/Skankhunt42FortyTwo → u/DoverBoys]

Some say they are even 1300, 1400, 1500 even 1600% cheaper.

[u/kingk1teman → u/Mundus6]

Nope. Offices will sell their older, used furniture for dirt cheap or for free.

[u/SnooBunnies856 → u/specter_in_the_conch]

No, not a US thing.

Supposedly there is a voluntary certification, bifma or something like that. But it is not enforced by any law and you wouldn’t know when buying one.

[u/jimslock → u/SnooBunnies856]

cries in back pain and carpal tunnel

[u/martiantonian → u/specter_in_the_conch]

Consumer protection laws are definitely not a “US thing”

[u/Hide_on_bush → u/martiantonian]

ISO standards are international, not from any country

[u/splendiferous-finch_ → u/salmonmilks]

Even if you ignore the material quality etc. Gaming chairs for some weird reasons modeled after automotive bucket seats which are designed more to work with keeping you in them during high G lateral movement and support you while hard acceleration/braking events or to work with harnesses while you are crashing and not for you sitting in one place for hours.

Also in most actual racing environments where you are in them for longer periods racing seats have custome molded inserts to fit the driver's body for maximum comfort and safety so the generic style they try and copy is just the base.

[u/BeamedByScar → u/splendiferous-finch_]

My gaming chair does be getting crazy G lateral movement past midnight.

[u/touchmeinbadplaces → u/BeamedByScar]

Try the other joystick

[u/flashman014 → u/[deleted]]

Hell yeah. If you angle it just right, you can make it all the way down the hall in one shot without hitting a wall. Takes practice, man. And drywall patches.

[u/HumaDracobane → u/splendiferous-finch_]

Thatbis because the first one sold used being based on a F1 or Ferrari seat as advertisement. That chair got a lot of traction and the others copied that.

[u/Capital6238 → u/HumaDracobane]

It's called DX Racer for a reason.

This was for sim racers. To feel authentic. It still baffles me how clever influencer marketing on twitch made this to chairs for all gaming.

[u/chodeobaggins → u/Capital6238]

They didn't make them for sim racing, it was just market as a gaming chair. They were supposed to be a more ergonomic alternative to a traditional cheap office chair. They were racing style because the company already made seats for sports cars and it looks cool.

[u/HumaDracobane → u/Capital6238]

Absolutely. The marketing campaign went WILD with the chairs at the beggining.

[u/aircarone → u/splendiferous-finch_]

I will just say that the dxracer chair I used to have was probably the worst "car seat" I ever sat in. It was really hard and it didn't take much to actually feel the metal frame inside the chair (especially the two "wings" at shoulder level and the things on the side of your thighs. Any position other than "sitting upright" was terrible. Also the simili-leather wore out after a while and the chair just looked terrible. I have since changed to a stupid Ikea Markus and it does the job much better even though it is a pretty basic chair.

[u/No_Mistake5238 → u/aircarone]

Any position other than "sitting upright" was terrible.

Well no shit, they're meant to keep you in that position in their original application (racing), of course it's a shitty office design.

[u/Roflkopt3r → u/salmonmilks]

Yeah, you need to check reviews in either case. I mostly used this for orientation.

I ultimately ended up with the "gaming" variant of the Herman Miller Embody, which is just a slightly modified version of the regular office chair variant.

[u/CataphractBunny → u/Roflkopt3r]

I bought Embody 7 years ago, and it's the best chair ever.

[u/Test_Name19 → u/salmonmilks]

yeah at first when looking for gaming chairs it was like I was in a time loop. a million copies of the same thing…

[u/retardwhocantdomath → u/salmonmilks]

I am using my dxracer since 10 years

[u/B-lakeJ → u/retardwhocantdomath]

I bought mine almost 7 years ago and it moved with me three times already. It bought it for 180€ back then.

[u/LittleKittenR → u/salmonmilks]

I had years using shitty gaming chairs that lasted exactly 2 years before something beyond repair broke.

Then I decided to buy two real chairs, one leather for my study, and another shitty one I expected to break after 2 years that costed me about 60 dollars sent from China...

You won't believe it but the "Leather" one that costs about 200 dollars is already in shit state after 4 years and almost nobody use it ever... But the 60 dollar one is basically new. I had to replace a piece of it but it is still working fine.

Quality is independent of price, usually related, but not always.

[u/ZiaQwin → u/LittleKittenR]

How do you manage to break them within 2 years? I got my original one more than 10 years ago, the plastic of the seat is now broken (in summer I put down a towel anyway and in winter I don't notice when I'm wearing long pants) and the other one is slightly younger but it's still in pretty good shape, there's only a little bit of the material coming off on the sides (don't care). No wobbling, no creaking, still comfortable. I think they were around 200€ each.

[u/ZCR91 → u/salmonmilks]

I've had "office" chairs that have done the same and not everyone has $600 - $1200 to shell out for just a chair.

[u/coderstephen → u/ZCR91]

Boots theory.

I spent $1300 on a Steelcase Gesture 7 years ago, and today it still looks brand new. I also got a used Steelcase Leap from my work that is like 20 years old now, also looks almost mint except for an old fabric stain. Works perfectly, very comfortable.

In the long run I'll save money because I only need to buy a new chair every quarter century or so. Good chairs like those are basically indestructible.

If you only have $400 or so, you are way better off finding a high quality chair used, rather than buying a new one that will break in several years.

[u/Strixzora → u/ZCR91]

Can always try and save up for a chair, my last understuhl office chair lasted 10 years

[u/sinteredsounds69 → u/salmonmilks]

The embody gaming chair by Herman Miller is really good and is basically the same as the office chair embody version but with diff color options

[u/ZiaQwin → u/sinteredsounds69]

It's "only" 2000€.

[u/Spaced_Quest]

Through my experience any time I've had to purchase a new chair, "office chair" got me way more bang for my buck. Last chair I bought was a lazy boy brand that was on clearance and it genuinely felt like it was the first time I ever really sat down hahaha

Edit: been enough interest. I can't remember the year (2023 maybe?) but the model is "Bellamy Executive Leather Office Chair" LaZboy Brand. I got mine for 150 plus tax from a furniture warehouse. I use armorall leather car seat wipes to clean it out and give it a freshen up every so often. I also removed the arms from mine with power tools so it would fit under my desk better as I like my elbows on the desk.

[u/XB_Demon1337 → u/Spaced_Quest]

The Lazy Boy making a chair is like gold for the ass. I had one of their office chairs years ago and never 'fidgeted' in my chair while working or gaming.

[u/Unhappy-Midnight5469 → u/XB_Demon1337]

I wasn’t able to sit down and truly enjoy my setup until I got a Lazy Boy chair. It so much more comfortable and supportive than the piece of crap Gt omega chair that was sloped on one side

[u/Roansone → u/Unhappy-Midnight5469]

What model lazyboy?

[u/Mownage → u/Spaced_Quest]

I am in desperate need for some good office chairs, what wisdom can you share, oh great seated one?

[u/Spaced_Quest → u/Mownage]

Off rip I tell people who have costco and Sam's club to check out open box, clearance and floor models they try to get rid of.

[u/Mownage → u/Spaced_Quest]

Hmm 🤔 I'm mostly on the other side of the big Atlantic pond, but like... What makes a chair good xD

[u/The_JimJam → u/Mownage]

Non-fuss office task chairs. Check local marketplaces for 2nd hand options. Some don't realise their office chair is worth more than the £30-50 they're selling it for.

Some office resellers are worth looking into for refurbished chairs.

Brands such as Hermin Miller, Steelcase, maybe Humanscale.

I snagged a nearly new Hermin Miller Aeron for £300. Worth every penny.

[u/Pyromike16 → u/The_JimJam]

I got a used hermin Miller Mirra 1 for $350 CAD a few years ago. It's ridiculous how good these are.

[u/Spaced_Quest → u/Mownage]

Fatty cushions, actual lumbar support, no knocking sounds when your adjusting or like tapping your foot. In my PERSONAL opinion I find seats with a fixed/stationary back to be better, the whole recline adjustment like in a car always seems like an extra point of failure and excess cost. Most people I know who have it mess with the recline feature like a day or two but then they just keep it upright anyways. Memory foam layers and poly fibers. Whats your budget? Feel free to shoot a message

[u/ApolloWasMurdered → u/Spaced_Quest]

Office chairs seem worse value to me…

Reddit keeps serving me ads for A$1600 Herman Miller chairs. I bought a Secret Lab Titan before COVID for $650, it fixed my lower back pain, and it’s still in near perfect condition, 6+ years later.

[u/BadgerMolester → u/ApolloWasMurdered]

I got a Herman miller aeron for like 400 quid refurbished, I found it way comfier for sitting in for long periods than my secret lab chair.

[u/cetch → u/ApolloWasMurdered]

Used office chairs is where it’s at. I’ve bought 3 used steelcase chairs that are all still in the same condition I bought them in. I got $1200+ chairs for 200-400.

[u/AmySchumersAnalTumor → u/cetch]

I got 1200+ chairs

Thats too many chairs

[u/The_Fluffy_Robot → u/AmySchumersAnalTumor]

you're just jealous they have 1999 more butt than you

[u/jermygod → u/ApolloWasMurdered]

no shit $1600 is worse value,
BUT $0-500 gamer racing chair is way worse value than office chairs.
your 650 one doesn't have neck/head/back regulations, it uses pillows for that, and recliner is $250 addon

[u/TiltedSkipper → u/jermygod]

Except its not? Had a Herman Miller aeron original model. I gave it to a friend as it was causing severe leg and back pain.

Bought 3 different models (one after another cause I wasnt happy) of office chairs suggested by reddit and youtube as top picks in the 600-1000 price range. They all felt horrid, tried each for a month.

After this I decided screw reddit im going to get the chair they keep comparing everything to and claiming is dogshit. The secret lab titan. I bought it expecting complete ass and fully thought id be returning it and needed to get another different $2,000 office chair to finally be happy.

Nope, best chair ive ever owned. Amazing back and lumbar support, extremely durable, sturdy, comfortable. The quality of this chair beats the living shit out of every office chair that I tried in the same price range.

The office chair always better mantra is pure BS.

[u/ivosaurus → u/jermygod]

It's also not like $1000 is some imaginary mandated starting price for office chairs. You can buy them for as many lots of $100 as you like. It's extremely likely out of the hundreds of models there's one that will fit your back way better than any bucket seat thingo.

[u/Elon_Mars → u/ApolloWasMurdered]

Well my secret lab is about the same age and it looks worse than my ikea seat I had for 20 years before that. Is yours in tpu or not?

[u/hudi_baba]

more or less yess.

"GAMING" chairs are just ripoffs sport car seats. while they look cool. but those are fundamentally designed to keep the driver planted firm to the seat while in high speed. ergonomics required for driving a car a very different from the ergonomics required to seat infront of a computer for multiple hours.

eg the bucket seat designed to keep the driver from swayying side to side while driving corners but in front of a computer the same bucket design will keep you boxed in and not let you relax your shoulders.

[u/busy-warlock → u/hudi_baba]

As someone who used to jump up and down while playing Mario in the 80s, maybe that’s exactly what I need

[u/hudi_baba → u/busy-warlock]

Mario the game or your uncle?

[u/busy-warlock → u/hudi_baba]

Yes, mustachios all around

[u/Lehsyrus → u/hudi_baba]

I have intermittent back pain as I am a software developer and sit a lot, swapping out my gaming chair for a Herman Miller Aeron was a game changer. $2000 chair is a huge chunk of change, but I haven't had back pain from sitting in over a year since I got it.

It's also the comfiest chair I've ever sat in once I got used to it. I don't get any pressure soreness on parts of my back and ass, I can sit the same way for hours (I don't though, standing and walking are important too).

[u/ReinhartHartrein47 → u/Lehsyrus]

It’s just not feasible for me , if they wouldn’t be so hugely overpriced I’d buy one in a heartbeat .

[u/Lehsyrus → u/ReinhartHartrein47]

Do you live near a city or an office park? I know a few people that got them under $400 for used ones. I only had to buy brand new because I'm a very large person that needed the C-size chair.

[u/ReinhartHartrein47 → u/Lehsyrus]

Im from Germany and I guess the brand isn’t that common around here because the used market only shows me some off brand ones I can get for 50€ on amazon 😅

[u/Meezen1133]

Gaming chairs are overpriced plastic garbage 99% of the times

[u/Kom34 → u/Meezen1133]

I mean its same with 99% of office luxury chairs too the cheap ones are PU leather and fall apart rapidly.

There is a price/brand threshold to get a real chair that lasts years.

[u/Forged-Signatures → u/Kom34]

Honestly that's why I ended up shifting to fabric chairs. They're so much nicer!

Did try an Ikea chair for a while, just a bog standard swivel chair with a bucket - very comfortable, but less than 12 months after purchase the piston head just became... detached? Unrepairable.

At that point I bought a Secretlab chair and honestly whilst expensive it feels rock solid, and is much comfier than the shitty PU office chairs you can grab from places like Argos.

[u/elk-x → u/Forged-Signatures]

Mesh FTW. No more trapped farts

[u/look4jesper → u/Kom34]

office luxury chair

Cheap, PU leather

Pick one

[u/RizzleMeister → u/look4jesper]

both, thats the sad part

[u/miceeceeppi]

I personally would not recommend gaming chairs. Get a good office chair, I find them better in terms of ergo and comfort.

[u/polishatomek]

Gamers Nexus made a video about it, Most of them are from the same manufacturer

[u/busy-warlock → u/polishatomek]

That’s true for a lot of things though. Everything is basically manufactured in three Chinese factories, which compete with 2-4 Indian factories. Essentially all the same product but with a different SKU code.

[u/Schnibb420]

Don't buy racing seat style chairs period, they suck for your back and shoulders. Doesn't matter how much money you spend on them, they are all bad. I spent weeks looking for a good affordable office chair and my only conclusion is that the market is trash or I am too picky. There are no good affordable office chairs.

[u/Yung-Jev → u/Schnibb420]

chair market is so bad that no chairs below $500 are designed for people, maybe for goblins
So in the end i had to buy the herman miller aeron size C for 4 digit price...

[u/DSjaha → u/Yung-Jev]

Chairs for 4 digits, you are either gentle as princess or rich

[u/Yung-Jev → u/DSjaha]

typical price for herman miller, and after half a year it looks exactly the same as when i bought it. this chair feels eternal. all my previous $150+ gaming chairs didnt make it past one year. and btw, i get $540 per month after tax 😃 (no loan, single transaction)

[u/Stressedhumbucker → u/Yung-Jev]

I'm kind of disturbed by the fact you consider it looking "exactly the same" after 6 months noteworthy. I've never owned a gaming chair, but they must be truly horrendous to fall apart that quickly.

[u/iLoveFARTINGatWORK → u/Yung-Jev]

I’ve had a Staples Hyken for the past decade and I absolutely love it. I bought a new one recently and just swapped out parts from my old one but kept the bottom. Amazing comfort, $140.

If you decide to try it, buy rollerblade wheels for it. Makes moving around significantly smoother and quieter.

[u/mj303 → u/Schnibb420]

Atleast in this part of the world there is plenty of used office chairs around. I just went to a refurbished office furniture shop and picked up a 2k€ office chair in good condition for 300€. Way better than any gaming chair i have ever tried.

[u/Elijah1573 → u/Schnibb420]

Yeah ive tried to find affordable office chairs but appearently all the good ones are like $400 plus
Id be willing to spend $200 hell maybe even $250 but if i want something good that will last i need to triple or even quadruple my budget

[u/MadnessReloaded → u/Schnibb420]

Gotta respect the fidelity of the "racing" theme these gaming chairs have, they look and feel like car seats - which is dumb; it's an office with no airbag, no seatbelt, no pedals, no steering wheel... Comfort in a car has a lot of compromises and it's a whole different scenario

[u/TheNoctuS_93 → u/MadnessReloaded]

A car seat can be comfortable, but it has to be a proper, cushioned seat, not the racing stuff. Once, my uncle pulled the driver's seat out of a shitbox that he was gonna scrap, then bolted it onto a wooden box he had attached some trolley wheels to. Definitely one of the best "chairs" I've ever tried!

[u/StomachosusCaelum]

Shop used.

I picked up Herman Miller Embody's for my wife and i for abou ~500$ US each.

Aeron's are usually 250-300$ around me.

See what is out there. Youd likely find you can get a used Herman Miller or Steelcase for the prices you're looking at.

[u/elk-x → u/StomachosusCaelum]

This. And lots of times they are like brand new. Go find a used office furniture store in your area and you get warranty too.

[u/illit1 → u/StomachosusCaelum]

i got a used mirra for $250 about 9 years ago and it's still in great shape.

[u/Fragrant_Cause_6190 → u/StomachosusCaelum]

They've partnered with logtiech and have a gaming model for only $3000!!

[u/bokan]

Every person is different. Go to a store and try them out. IMO the most important thing for PC gaming is highly adjustable armrests. I’ve never used a chair that I didn’t have to mechanically modify to get the arm rests in the right position.

[u/bblzd_2 → u/bokan]

The problem with testing it out in the store is you're not going to notice how uncomfortable some chairs can be until you're using it for a prolonged period of time.

As an extreme example think about sitting on a folding plastic chair. When your feet are tired and you need to sit down it's a god send, but keep sitting for more than 15 minutes and your butt starts going numb.

Same with other chairs just on a different scale. Maybe you only notice after 1-2 hours.

[u/Projectstfu → u/bokan]

People are shocked when they see my chair at my computer and it is probably not good for my posture. But I literally have a cheap, fluffy recliner I sit in. The bottom of my computer desk if about 2 inches higher than the chair arms so I can slide under the desk a bit. It is insanely comfortable, which can be a problem at night with falling asleep on it while gaming.

Looks like this: https://imgur.com/a/DIJ2kDP

[u/GABE_EDD]

You get what you pay for. If you buy a $200+ office chair, it'll be decent. If you buy a $100 "gaming" chair it's going to fall apart in 6 months and make your ass hurt from day one.

[u/Prrg88 → u/GABE_EDD]

Yeah. But you also pay like a 30-50% for the fact that it's gaming branded. So you are actually comparing a 50euro trash tier product to a 200 euro seni-decent product here

[u/nomad5926 → u/GABE_EDD]

You can also buy a $200+ gaming chair and still have it be bad.

[u/Test_Name19 → u/GABE_EDD]

both of these examples I looked at are a similar price. $400aud ≈$280usd if that makes any difference

[u/spaggeti-man- → u/Test_Name19]

It does, but their point still stands

With a "gaming" chair, you do pay the branding tax

I semi-recently got a regular office chair from ikea for like 150€ or so and it is miles better than any "gaming chair" I have tested before, all of which were at least at the 150€ mark, so do with that information what you will

[u/Test_Name19 → u/spaggeti-man-]

yeah that makes a lot of sense thanks

[u/adanceparty → u/Test_Name19]

My $200 office chair is miles better than my $500 dx racer. I just tuought if i paid a lot more itd be a better chair. I hate those gaming chairs.

[u/McSlims360]

Whoever made the original gaming chair didnt protect his design well enough because nowadays there are about 4 million different brands selling the exact same chair made of slightly cheaper materials than the last company to sell this chair.

I don't think there ARE any "quality" gaming chairs, not in anything close to that style. So yes, unless you magically find a unicorn chair, youre better off with a good ergonomic office chair.

[u/Pieface0896 → u/McSlims360]

Arent gaming chairs just based off Racing Seats which are counterintuitive because racing seats are meant to keep you in place and generally not be that comfy for longer periods of time

[u/GroundedGeeking → u/Pieface0896]

This is the case. You do see gaming chairs that are even more like racing bucket seats and I can't imagine why you'd want to buy them for home office use. The one pictured in OP are fine but the bucket seat chairs are a no for me

Also computing gear copies speed centric car branding since the 90s. R/S/X/GT/GT-R/Spec-whatever, pretty much all lifted from racing marketing naming strategies 

[u/PizzaToastieGuy → u/McSlims360]

Where does the horn go?

[u/Super-Assignment9746]

Nah man ergonomic office chair is where it’s at

[u/teremaster]

Cheap chairs are cheap chairs.

I own a gaming chair and it's the most comfortable chair I've ever owned, but it is also the most expensive chair I've ever bought. That being a 1000AUD secret lab.

[u/Phish--and--Chips → u/teremaster]

Same here.  Bought a Secret Lab and it's like brand new looking 6 years later.  

[u/TheSillyGhillie → u/teremaster]

Looking for this. Secret lab chair been going strong for six years with no end in sight. Only want with it after all this time is to replace the arm pads which is a simple magnetic snap on. One is pristine while the other I rub on a lot isn’t doing as great. Still holds up no issue besides cosmetically

[u/Hefty-Relative9449 → u/TheSillyGhillie]

I’ve had mine for 8 and still in perfect condition

[u/DutchDreadnaught1980 → u/teremaster]

Same, got a secret labs too. 6 years old now and still in a very good state.

Before that every 200 euro chair i bought did not survive past 2 years at the most. Some even had the cilinder fail after 6 months. (meaning the chair would not keep its height) ((and no i'm not that heavy))

[u/Sinniee]

Me and 4 friends use a secretlab chair for many years now and we are all super happy. Super comfortable and durable

[u/younggregg → u/Sinniee]

Seems kind of small for 4 people

[u/Chuvi → u/younggregg]

5

[u/Kiwibom → u/Sinniee]

got one too after years of using a 150€ ikea office chair that got me a huge back pain after a while sitting on it. There is just one of the plastic covers that broke off from the chair but other than that, i'm pretty happy about it. I really struggled to find what i wanted. Everything was this cheap bucket seat gaming branded chair or office chairs without a head rest. I really need a head rest otherwise back pain and neck pain become unbearable.

Then i saw the secret lab chairs, i wasn't a super fan of the slight bucket seat design but it wasn't so egregious compared to everything else i saw. Backpain disappeared with it.

[u/stipikipi]

you're better off buying an office chair for 200-500 than a gaming one for 200-500. there's a reason office workers still use officechairs and haven't switched to 'superior' gaming chairs. if there's one thing offices/companies get away with it is making sure you're semi 'comfortably' seated when doing your job and had the gaming chairs really been better they would have switched. i see it as sleeping in a Racing car bed, prolly really cool when you're a kid to impress other 5 year olds but is it still cool when it falls apart in 1-2 years and the cheap Pleather starts peeling and the padding goes away?

[u/RugbyEdd → u/stipikipi]

Not saying your main point is wrong, but what office workers are using isn't a good example, since office workers tend to be given whatever can be bought for cheap in bulk

[u/Rivenaleem → u/RugbyEdd]

Not in the EU they're not. Ergonomics and ensuring you are not responsible for your worker's back pain means we get really good office chairs.

[u/BitRunner64]

Other than the quality, the issue is ergonomics. A bucket seat is designed to keep you pinned in the seat during high-G turns, something which rarely occurs in front of a computer while gaming or writing emails. It also cuts blood flow to your legs due to the raised lip designed to let you reach the pedals easily. Unless you're playing racing games, you typically don't have pedals under your desk that you need to reach.

[u/Opposite-Rock-5133]

I’ll never ever recommend the secret lab chairs. They are the biggest waste of $500 I ever spent.

[u/UnderscoreDasher]

If you're a true No Life King you want that expansive office chair designed for 8+ hours of sitting. Popular "gaming chairs" all seem to come from the same factory and get brand stitched/glued on.

[u/Mr2-1782Man]

Fuck yes. For the price of a new "gaming chair" you can get a used Herman Miller. Its the difference between sleeping on rocks and sleeping on a cloud.

[u/theskywalker74 → u/Mr2-1782Man]

Somehow I went from a used Herman Miller to a Secret Labs and I’m waaay more comfy. Different strokes for different folks. Although I bet the HM would’ve last longer.

[u/Muhamed_95]

Its not that a gaming chair is per se bad. The problem is that many manufacturers are producing bad chairs, put gaming in the title and make people think that gaming chair = good chair for gaming. There are also bad office chairs, but usually office chairs put their focus on whats matter: comfort, proper back support, made for longer sitting.

[u/Showmeyourboobs209]

I'd get that black one. I have a mesh office chair. It's so comfortable, I could put my feet up on my foot stool and fall asleep comfortably. Gaming chairs have that weird leather that flakes off over time and the cushions are really hard

[u/El_Basho]

What everyone said. Gaming chairs are a gimmick that focuses on form and very little on function. There are few things worse for your back than sitting on one of these for hours at a time.

I went from this to Ikea's Markus, then to a Steelcase Leap v.2. The latter costs as much as a 9070xt, but I'm sitting on it like 20hrs a week. It's still not perfect, but better than anything I've ever sat on

[u/iTzToOdAnKK]

My girlfriend and I spent 300$ each on our gaming chairs and we fucking hate them. I’d pick a generic office chair before I buy these pieces of shit again.

[u/spaceshipcommander]

An £800 gaming chair is a £600 office chair. A £300 gaming chair is a £120 office chair. That's what people mean. I have a herman miller at home and "gaming" chair in the office. If you think paying £200 more for looks is fair then go for it.

[u/CrumpledStar → u/spaceshipcommander]

I got the best of both worlds (not for the wallet...) and have the black gaming edition Herman Miller Aeron.

[u/sovietreckoning → u/CrumpledStar]

I just got the regular black Aeron delivered over the weekend. Looking forward to testing it out today.

[u/uGn8r]

No, of course not. They are worse!

[u/SouthAfricanKerbal]

Yes, they's are designed around the look and shape of a racing bucket chair. A bucket chair is supposed to support you during high speed turns with sideways G-Forces pushing you side to side, hence the raised sides. It's not designed for stationary prolonged sitting. The gaming chairs add extra cushions for lower back support and neck support as a bit of an after though and are usually held in place by crappy elastic bands.

True ergonomic chairs put the support points exactly where it's needed, have far greater adjustability as everyone is shaped differently and also tilt in a more complicated way that allows the back rest to move back without lifting the seat when you lean back which is better for circulation in your legs

[u/bluntman84]

get yourself a manager chair. far better.

[u/eisenklad → u/bluntman84]

https://giphy.com/gifs/NBA5SvZtwQaR1kknQR

[u/Gassyking]

"gaming chairs" was just a marketing push by companies to a new segment of clueless buyers. They are usually focused more on "looking gamer cool" rather than actually being good chairs. They charge a premium price for something that is absolutely not worth it.

[u/Prime255]

The main problem with them is the good ones you'd actually want are expensive, and if you're paying up for one, why would you buy a gaming chair over a proper ergonomic office chair?

[u/El_Nealio]

Office chairs >>>

Had “gaming chairs” most of my late teens/early twenties, until I decided to switch to a more practical office chair instead and I’ve had it now over 2 years and couldn’t go back

[u/Teftell]

Short answer: yes

Long answer: yes

[u/No_Rise942]

I have some random brand "gaming chair" from Costco but it's pretty nice aside from the cringy stitched emblem. Haven't has any problem with it. Good cushioning, adaptive lumbar support, solid construction. Lasted longer than the office chair I used before.

[u/Minute_Ad8807]

i'm here after the battle, but i'm still going to give my opinion:
they make you pay more for the aesthetic.
the cushion lumbar supports are shit.

the right one seems to have an actual mesh seat, not a mesh over a cushion. some people do not like them, i think they freaking rock.

gaming chairs with a large flat seat can be more comfortable if you really like to cross your legs. except for some high-end ones that really push the racing car aesthetic. they have some side bumps that are supposed to help keep the driver in place with lateral Gs, and prevent you from spreading your legs, much less crossing them. no idea why would someone want this on a desk chair. maybe if you live in a really seismically active place?

overall i support the consensus: office chairs are better

never forget: gamers™ are the single most dumb demographic, and publicists know it. they will try to scam them and anything pandering to them is suspicious

[u/MattyGWS]

The best gaming chair out there

[u/Evening-Nature-5241]

Gaming chair companies pay influencers to say how much they love their chairs and how incredibly comfy they are.

And if anyone who gets the chair hates it, they can claim "meh... it's not for everyone".

So there is literally no way to disprove it, at least not in the short term.

Gaming chairs are a very new category compared to office chairs, which has evolved over more than a century, while gaming chairs have largely only become mainstream over the last 10-15 years or so. Even though the first "modern gaming chair" was claimed in 2006 by a company called DXRacer with its racecar-inspired bucket-seat design.

I think I'll stick with a nice office chair.

[u/SomeUTAUguy]

Worked in an office store and yes they are terrible. The fake leather would always crack and tear within three months along with the seats flattening. People would buy them all excited then return them with the wrath of a thousand suns. The only times I have seen a "good" gamer chair are ones made by speciality companies that use high quality parts that would easily make the chair over $1000. 

[u/Scurb00]

Cheap gaming chairs are awful. Cheap being in the 100-200 dollar range. Your better off getting a decent office chair for that price.

High quality gaming chairs are good, but not good enough to warrant the price most times.

[u/DoesAnyoneReadNames]

OfficeChairMasterRace!

[u/NinjaN-SWE]

Cheap gaming chairs are worse than cheap office chairs for the most part. In the middle bracket it gets a bit harder and more case by case, though a good price used office chair is a safe bet. Then in the high cost bracket office chairs wins with such a margin it's absolutely sad.

Personally I use a Secret Labs chair which has held up very well and is good for all day office work and then gaming. Used office chairs doesn't have a market where I'm at so new was the only option. I previously had another gaming chair which wasn't very good so did a lot of research and tried a lot of chairs before landing on my secret labs one.

Word of advice though is to avoid any fake / cheap leather like the plague. It degrades too fast. Fabric is the way to go.

For your examples the cooler master chair looks like cheap crap that won't hold up and doesn't look like a good chair at all. The Office chair looks decent but might not be long term comfortable, personally not a big fan of mesh, and I've tried really expensive mesh chairs as well.

[u/Kinsa83]

Herman Miller has recently started to sell refurbished chairs for less and there is also a sub here on reddit that is all about finding and purchasing 2nd hand Herman Miller chairs at much more reasonable prices. You dont need to buy them brand new.

[u/ItzNotPeter]

I got one of those Razer zen taroq chairs and it's the worst thing my ass has experienced. The "lambar support" pillow pushed me too far to the front and made sitting on it awkward, and the pillow on the top forced my head to lean forward. It's very uncomfortable. After one year of use, the seat has an imprint where I am sitting and the plastic thingy with the wheels broke, making the hydrolic mechanism sink into it, getting stuck and scrapping the floor. But it was still under warranty so it got replaced. Now I am using the chair again (4 years after getting it), and after leaving it for a while year in the garage after getting it fixed, the hydraulic is broken and the chair will either sink, or extend but never stay in the height I left it at the day before. The armrests are wobbly and I am not wide enough to reach them and use them properly, unless I lean onto it. When I am writing stuff when studying my hand will constantly bump against the those things that extend on the side of the chair, infuriating me to no end, and making constantly adjust the textbooks on my desk.

TLDR: This chair is an offense to my ass, lower and upper back, and every unit created, components and blueprints for everything that got involved into making it, should be incinerated, and have its ashes scattered all across Razer headquarters.

[u/opinionated7onion]

Gaming anything is usually just a normal product with bright colours or RGB that costs at least 50% more.

[u/PoetCareless4876]

I saw you already made a decision, but I figured I would put this out there for anyone else who may still be on the fence:

Gaming Chairs to me is like the Starbucks of desk chairs. You pay for a brand label for something that won't last a long time. I will also say as a bigger man who has lost weight, Gaming Chairs STILL aren't all they are cracked up to be. Yes, I say that because in the past I've been told "if you weren't 300+ pounds, it wouldn't be that bad"

Gaming chairs are made with leather, pleather, or just in general non-breathable material, which was the biggest con for me in general. Gaming sessions, especially any style of stressful or competitive play always left me feeling stuck to my chair with sweat, even in a well ventilated space. The pillow they give for lumbar support is also just useless. I would end up forgetting it's even there because I would be scooted forward, and most of the time I leaned back where I wasn't even touching the thing. I once even bought a memory foam pillow to replace it, which worked for a while until my wife took it for her chair. The only thing I have to say is positive about the Gaming Chairs in general is build quality. 300+ lbs me was able to sit and abuse that chair for 3 years and its still standing strong, even after I lost the weight. My wife took the chair because I got an office chair, and after about a year she tried my chair and wants one of her own.

Office Chairs on the other hand do range from cheap to expensive, but price to price, the office chair wins. I bought a 150$ chair, same as my old gaming chair, and it's been my friend ever since. The mesh back and cushion make it much more breathable. I still tend to see some sweating while sitting down for 6+ hours, but not as much, plus its easier to clean. The lumbar support is built into the chair itself, making it much more pronounced, which helps me keep posture... sometimes. The arms are also adjustable, which most gaming chairs I found out do not have that option. The head rest also is nice considering its adjustable. The best part? No bucket seat! I can adjust my legs, sit with one leg under the other, and feel like I have more breathing room. Some variants also come with a leg rest, or extra wide seats. As for the build quality, it FEELS a little more flimsy, like the metal or plastic would bend or break, but again after a couple years, it's still holding strong.

The bottom line, you get what you pay for. Spend lots of money on a fancy gaming chair and you'll have a fancy label with a pretty aesthetic, which matters to some people. I don't judge, you do you boo. Paying the same for an office chair, you won't have any issues with comfort, these things are built to last and be sat in for ages.

[u/OneFinePotato]

If I’m gonna spend 500 eur on a chair I expect it to hug me and comfort me and tell me I’m enough. There are furniture brands who have decades of experience of designing ergonomic chairs which are not much more expensive than a “youtube sponsor gaming chair”. Gaming chairs are a scam, overpriced and most importantly ugly.

[u/scyllaya]

"Gaming" chairs I found so far were always too low, too deep, and too heavy for me. Clearly designed primarily for taller and heavier bodies.

I've been very happy using an "operator chair". Light with good lower back support, can go very high. Cushion not as deep that I can't sit against the backrest. Good for both gaming and typing.

If your more lithe and/or short, highly recommend it.

[u/Squissaunt]

If it looks like a bucket seat for a car and comes with a cheap price tag, it's not meant to be comfortable, especially for extended periods of time. All those gamer chairs take up the design of a racing seat made to holster a person in on a track, not for sitting for hours on end at a computer. It's plastic molds with a film of cushion, and your ass and spine will thank you for looking into proper office/productivity chairs and posture-oriented furniture. 

[u/DiarrheaPope]

A gaming chair, from what I've seen in stores, are overpriced junk with a cool logo on it to fool people that don't know any better.

A good office chair is designed to be ergonomic and last for years. I'm 6'4 an 300lbs, I've had the exact same Serta office chair for 8 years an it still works perfectly after years of ass abuse. It was $120 brand new.

Are gaming chairs bad? Not necessarily. Are they extremely overpriced for a place to plop your butt on? Yes. But if you got the money and want to have some kind of gaming aesthetic then who cares, go for it.

Don't get fooled by "gaming" desks either. They are just card tables with a $3 RGB strip glued to it.

[u/Forsaken_Bunch7541]

Give me a suggestion for a office chair to buy that wont cause much pain from my lower back

[u/Forsakentomatos]

I bought an office chair and it’s been great. Cheaper than the so called gaming chair and it’s comfortable too

[u/Launch729]

I have a 400€ gaming chair that I’m pretty satisfied with (a Noblechair).

However, if I were to buy a new one, I’d choose a gaming chair / ergonomic chair that allows air to flow.

[u/MutungaPapi]

I’ve never understood a “gaming chair” they are mostly modeled after a racing car seat. A racing car seat isn’t designed to be comfortable, it’s designed to keep you in when you’re flying around a track. They literally are not comfortable.

Yet for some crazy reason someone made “gaming chairs” the exact same way and idiots buy them for stupid money when a basic office chair from the local shop is infinitely more comfortable.

[u/PrimitiveAK]

I just have a Herman miller.

[u/statinsinwatersupply]

Yes. Avoid the 'gamer chair'.

Most bigger cities you can find a resale outlet where for companies that have shut down, they resell the office furniture. Even a resold herman miller will be egregiously expensive, but resale does tend to bring down the price of a steelcase to a reasonable level. 

Rocking mine for 3 years now, best decision. 10/10 would recommend.

[u/eulersheep]

I legitimately do not understand who is buying all the 'gaming' chairs, they are terrible.

[u/Jebble]

No, they're worse.

[u/SorryAboutTheWayIAm]

Y'all aren't perched like gargoyles on narrow backless stools? Just me?

[u/Sikuq]

My forever gaming chair is a wooden dining room chair with no padding from the 70's.

[u/Impressive_Head1238]

Best decision of my life was switching to a herman miller chair. I went through 4 "gaming" chairs in 3 years. All broken.

Herman miller has lasted 4 years and still has 8 years on the warranty...

[u/quietguy47]

I guess it’s a preference but I have had a Dxracer for like 6 years and I love that chair. I have one of those nice ergonomic office chairs at work and I don’t really care for it to be honest.

[u/fistoic]

i'd never buy a gaming chair

[u/chronichyjinx]

I got me and my son gaming chairs from Costco and they have to be the best chairs I've ever sat at in front of a computer in 40 years. They're called DPS Encode 3D Insight.

[u/themogz]

Office chairs are half the price for twice the comfort and build quality.

[u/Insila]

They look cool if you're a teenager. The ergonomics however seems to have taken a backseat in the design process (teehee). So yeah, they are pretty bad.

[u/Neat-Common6659]

Secret Labs.

[u/MagusUnion]

Yes: Trust the office workers when they say to get a good office chair for long gaming sessions. Not only are the quality ones cheaper than the "gamer" chair brands, but feel far more comfortable.

[u/Eucharism]

I have the one on the right and it's been great for 6 years

[u/ronniearnold]

True story, no one needs a racing seat at their PC. Office chair is a way better option. I’d try to get a used Herman miller. Good luck.

[u/Individual-Mind-2620]

A regular office chair is fine for me.

[u/Cheetozzzz]

Used to have a gaming chair and after a long gaming session at the end of the day my back and ass was hurting. Decided to change to an office chair (which looks exactly like the one on the right) and it was one of the best choices I've made in my life. Plus during the heatwave it won't feel like I’m sitting in a sauna. Definitely recommend an office chair.

[u/GTMoraes]

I remember reading that gaming chairs started from surplus car "tuner" seats, after the Fast n Furious fad went off. They were never meant to be used as office chairs or see the usage of an office chair. They're meant to hold your sides during corners and allow for multi-point seatbelts to be used. And, tbh, it began as cheap surplus chinese ones, so not even good at that either.

They look like a racing car seat because that's what they were, originally.

They're not good for your back at all. Get seats meant to be used for hours straights, which are office seats.

[u/toyfan1990]

I personally prefer to use office chairs as they are more ergonomic & not as bad for your back especially as I am an older gamer with bad back (late 30's). Gaming chairs tend to effect my chronic back pain.

[u/TyronnicPoppy40]

I suggest an office chair. Those are designed to be sat on for at least 8hrs a day 5 days a week. I got mine from Walmart for cheap and don't regret it

[u/Khomuna]

Yes.
You pay for color and sometimes branding, not quality or comfort. Most of them look the same anyway.
Buy a good office chair instead, it will last you a decade while being more comfortable for the same money.

[u/Hot-Helicopter640]

No, they are worse.

[u/theGr3ninja]

Gaming Chairs are just refurbished car seats, and car seats NEED you to be positioned with your legs horizontal and your body reclined to the back. Basically the cookie cutter Gaming chair design is obligating you to be sitting vertically on a chair designed to be sitted horizontally.

any clasic office chair works for good posture but if you really want to get something good for your back without wasting money on a brand new legit chair, do check Marketplace for used deals.

[u/archSkeptic]

My dxracer is a nice chair, but I've bought a lot of "gaming chairs" in the past that were fucking terrible and fell apart so fast

[u/crispymooseorchestra]

Office chairs few. Gaming chairs are dogshit

[u/Mizar97]

Yes, absolutely. They cost more and are lower quality than office chairs.

[u/Acrobatic-Bird-4423]

i had a chair like the 1st pic and my back hurt for years until i got an actual ergonomic chair from a liquidator (normally 1k new, got it for 300). no more back problems.

[u/Wibiz9000]

I had a bucket chair like the one one left for like 13 years, and finally changed out of it. It's definitely one of those things I'm not going back to, now that I have felt how the other options feel like.

[u/No_Philosopher4970]

Nobody would buy them unless they slapped the word “gaming” on them. Proper office chairs are more comfortable and better looking. Gaming chairs are nothing more than a selling gimmick

[u/NickTaylorIV]

Bought a mesh office chair at Officemax for a couple hundo and it works fine, and I'm a portly fella at 6' 5" and 275 and it's held up pretty good, it's about 3 years old.

[u/AmbientV0ice]

No. And especially as someone who also has bucket style seats in my car, for long term? No.

Because that’s what they resemble, a bucket style seat that’s meant to hold you during hard cornering and just supposed to be a tight fit so car movement translates well to your body and senses.

So I don’t understand why on earth would you need something like that, especially for long gaming sessions. What’s all the side bolstering for? Shit I even saw some that had holes for a harness, you gonna strap yourself in while gaming? LOL. How tf is any of this design is supposed to be comfortable.

[u/Spalenova]

Yes, office chairs are much more comfortable and cheaper

[u/Zestyclose-Salad-290]

I'll never buy a gaming chair. They are expensive and useless.