You’ve got the top PC, you’ve got the best games but do you have the right gaming chair?
Gaming chairs are possibly the most overlooked feature of a gaming setup but are the key to lasting those gaming marathons we all love. So, with this in mind, here is your ultimate guide for choosing the right gaming chair.
Health is key
When setting up the ideal gaming room, it is important to understand that choosing to have a gaming chair is not just to make your setup look good but is also essential for your health. They are designed to help users endure long periods of sitting down while combating the effects of slouching and poor blood flow.
According to Mighty Gadget, gaming chairs are great at preventing fatigue by supporting vital parts like your neck and lower back. Both known to cause post-game exhaustion, associated with long gaming sessions and bad posture, Think about your old math teacher shouting at you to sit up straight and ‘do some work’. This is because posture and productivity come hand in hand. There is actually a medical diagnosis called sitting disease that leads to long-term issues such as increased blood sugars, diabetes and heart disease.
Doom and gloom aside, there are loads of cool features that come included so you can not only impress your friends; you can impress your doctor too.
Let’s have a look at the main features to consider.
Fabrics
When you’re looking for the right gaming chair, you will be mainly faced by two choices; PU leather or fabric. This entirely comes down to personal preference and what your priorities are during your gaming sessions.
Sweating
Any great gaming session is going to have you breaking a sweat so it is important that your gaming chair has breathability. Unfortunately, PU leather lacks breathability and becomes sticky if you are sweating on a hot summer’s day. This could become incredibly uncomfortable and in some cases, the thickness of the leather can make you feel more hot and bothered.
Fabric gaming chairs have tiny holes between the stitching which allows a little airflow and absorbs sweat so you aren’t going to stick to the chair after a long gaming session. This may require an occasional Febreze from any offensive odors but apart from that fabric gaming chairs are generally more sweatproof.
Stains
No gaming session is complete without snacks and drinks to fuel the session but that comes with the risk of spillages. A major perk of PU leather is they are practically immune to stains – just wipe them away! This is great for all your mishaps that come from eating or drinking while you play.
Unfortunately the same cannot be said for fabric. Any spillages may demand a good scrubbing and in worse cases, you may be left with some discoloring.
Durability
Both the fabric and PU leather are very long-lasting and, with the right treatment and care, will have a great lifespan. Over a period of time, they may start to wear that you may begin to notice but this is to be expected. PU leather does hold the advantage of being able to buy treatments to fix any discoloration and to keep its shine.
Overall, the gaming community seems to agree that PU leather is the better and cost-effective choice for a gaming chair.
To wheel or not to wheel
There are three basic designs of gaming chairs: rocker style, traditional and pedestal. The traditional is best for PC gaming as it gives you the height you need to but traditional chairs are flexible enough to give console plays the chance to kick back and relax.
That’s right, gaming chairs support you leaning backwards without getting the scary feeling you get with office chairs when you lean back. This stability allows you to sit comfortably and safely.
Speakers and connectivity
Here’s the cool bit: you can get a gaming chair with built-in speakers and wifi connectivity to your PC and console for an immersive experience. This means they may vibrate or move in coordination with the game to give you an exhilarating gaming experience. Most gaming chairs are compatible with these settings and, although they are a little bit more expensive, the experience it provides is priceless.
Gaming chair speakers usually come with surround sound and allow you to ditch the headphones that may be uncomfortable wearing for a long period of time.
Head, lumbar and armrests
The great thing about gaming chairs is they are customizable, meaning you can adjust the support cushions and armrests to suit you. The latter should be adjusted so that your arms are supported, meaning that you don’t have to stretch or strain to reach your keyboard. Your lumbar and neck rests should be positioned so they are fully supporting and comfortable.
Style
With all the health and comfort benefits that gaming chairs have, it is without a doubt a great addition to the aesthetic of your gaming setup. They come in every color and shape you can imagine. This means you can choose from the sleek and seductive shape of a Secretlab Titan gaming chair or the impressive build of an X Rocker Monsoon fitted with LED lights. The right gaming chair is the perfect piece for your setup to impress your friends and create the ultimate gaming space.
Key considerations
The best thing when choosing the right gaming chair for you is to think about CRU (yes, I made that up). That stands for ‘Cost, Reviews and Use’.
The best gaming chairs are upwards of a few hundred pounds so you need to think about whether the chair matches your needs and budget. It is wise to do some searching of the web to see what is the best value for money and look for any deals or promotions.
Reviews are a great way to grasp whether it is good value for money and help you make up for your mind before your buy. Trustedreviews.com and pcgamer.com are just a few to start with
Finally, it is important to think about what you are going to use the chair for. Are you just going to use it for gaming or is it going to double up as an office chair too? This should give you a hint toward whether it is worth spending more money for better quality and comfortable chair or whether you want to concentrate on built-in features like a headrest speaker for a more immersive experience.
Summary
Choosing the right gaming chair is important for any gaming experience, packed with cool features as headrest speakers and ergonomics to protect you against any health-related issue that comes with gaming. This means that you can concentrate on what really matters – the competition.
Happy gaming!