You've got your gaming PC and gaming desk, so now you just need an awesome gaming chair to complete your battle station. It's essential to stay comfortable as you game, if you’re constantly shifting around trying to find the ideal position, it’s going to be impossible to focus and cost you your win. A dedicated gaming chair gives you the best seat in the house and it's pretty easy to move from room to room. You'll have consistent comfort whether you're playing at your desk or using the PS5 or Xbox Series X on the big screen in the living room.
The amount of gaming chairs out there is overwhelming, so we've narrowed down the search to bring you the best options to fit all types of setups. We've included everything from rockers and recliners to the typical racing-style seats and even some more unique, ergonomic models. Plus, there are even some big and tall choices to ensure everyone's got a comfy place to settle down. Some of our picks are a bit expensive, but if you match that with quality materials, like solid steel frames and densely padded cushions, it's worth the investment. Take a look at our favorites below – click here to find them in the UK.
TL;DR – These are the Best Gaming Chairs:
- Secretlab Titan Evo 2022 Series
- Cougar Explore S
- OFM Essentials Racing Chair
- Mavix M5
- Razer Enki
- noblechairs Icon
- Corsair TC60
- DXRacer Air Series
- Respawn 205
- Big Joe Dorm Chair
- Respawn 900 Gaming
- Thermaltake CyberChair E500
- Secretlab Titan Evo XL 2022 Series
- Homall High-Back Racing Chair
1. Secretlab Titan Evo 2022 Series
Best Gaming Chair
Secretlab continues to wow us with the Titan series. It takes what we already loved about the series and continues to refine it further with the Titan Evo 2022 Series. A soft, spacious, and generously padded seat is still a staple, and the material options of leatherette or fabric hold up great over time. That's paired with a sturdy backrest containing a sneakily added adjustable lumbar support ensuring you maintain good posture and preventing back pain. Plus, you still get a deep recline that locks into place for better relaxation between heated gaming sessions.
Where the new model changes things up is in the headrest and armrests. Secretlab has ditched straps for holding the neck pillow in place and instead opted for magnets. This makes for a stylish appearance and finer control over positioning. The tops of the 4D armrests are also held in place magnetically, so you’ll have an easy time taking them off if you want to swap them out for some of the alternate toppers Secretlab has available. Those additions on top of everything else make it hard to beat this option in terms of quality and comfort.
2. Cougar Explore S
Best Budget Gaming Chair
If you're on a tighter budget but want to kick back in style like the best of them, then the Cougar Explore S gaming chair is right up your alley. For under $300, you're still getting a racer-style seat with a good chunk of features often found on more expensive options. Plus, it even has the design and durability to keep up with the cream of the crop.
The Cougar Explore S offers up a quilted-style PVC leather finish on top of a solid steel frame. Inside, the surprisingly wide seat is packed with high-density foam to support you, and it even includes some extra padding in the form of an adjustable lumbar pillow and a neck pillow for added comfort. When you're gaming, you can sit upright and dial the 3D armrests to the ideal position. Then, when you want to relax, you can lean back into a deep recline. If you find that sweet spot in the recline, you can even lock it into place. Really, you aren't sacrificing much when saving on this chair. And, we have plenty of other budget gaming chairs you can check out.
3. OFM Essentials Racing Chair ESS-3085
Best Ultra Cheap Gaming Chair
Whether you're gaming on a tighter budget or just want to keep it simple, the OFM Essential Racing Chair can help out. Now, it doesn't tote an overly elaborate feature set, instead opting to keep it simple to keep the price low. Though, for just a bit over $100, it still packs in tons of comfort and durability thanks to loads of padding on the seat and armrests plus the bonded leather material and 275-pound weight capacity.
The OFM Essentials Racing Chair certainly hits some of the style points of other racing chairs, especially with the shape of its backrest and color options. But, it also avoids one of the more contentious elements of racing chairs: the bucket seat. Without the little wings at the side of the chair, you have more freedom to move your legs while you're sitting. Plus, there are basic armrests that may not be 4D adjustable, though they can flip up and out of the way when you don't need them or when you want to slide your chair under the desk.
4. Mavix M5
Best Ergonomic Gaming Chair
If you want a gaming chair that's less focused on how much it can replicate the cockpit of a racecar and more on how it can provide proper ergonomics for long-term comfort while gaming, the Mavix M5 has you covered. Built on a sturdy metal base, it suspends a mesh seat and back. This material is both tough and breathable to keep you cool in the heat of a game. And, loads of adjustments are available to ensure you get the chair in the best ergonomic position for you, so you're good to game for hours.
The Mavix M5 offers up nine total adjustments. The armrests can be rotated to three different set positions and their height can also be adjusted to dial in the proper levels for an ergonomic desk setup. The seat itself slides forward and backward, providing the ideal amount of support without adding pressure on the back of your lower legs. And, the back itself can be raised or lowered to best fit your stature. Finally, you'll find a 140-degree recline to let you relax between matches as well as adjustable head support.
5. Razer Enki
Best Racing-Style Gaming Chair
When you picture a gaming chair, your mind immediately goes to those racer-style seats. Our favorite of that bunch has to be the Razer Enki because few can match its all-day comfort, versatility, and style. No matter your size, it should work for you, as the chair's designed for users from 5’ 5” to 6’ 8” and up to 299 pounds. Plus, it can be positioned however you’d like with adjustable 4D armrests, backrest, and tilt to ensure you're at the best angle for annihilating your opponents and keeping up with intense marathon gameplay.
Once the Razer Enki is adjusted exactly to your liking, you’ll find the soft cushioned seat and firmer back with lumbar support comfortable, even after hours of use. Plus, the bolsters on the seat's side are lower than previous models, so you'll be able to cross your legs or sit in whatever position you prefer. Finally, it's wrapped up in a stylish, dual-textured synthetic leather and fabric combo that manages to stay surprisingly cool. The only thing missing from this design is adjustable lumbar support. Otherwise, this is a solid racing-style chair with none of the discomfort often found in this type of seat.
6. noblechairs Icon
Best Leather Gaming Chair
Leather often comes at a premium, but it is super durable and adds a bit of sophistication to your setup. We've found that the noblechairs Icon does leather best, and the rest of the design is pretty great, too. It's a stylish gaming chair that offers a model with real leather, rather than opting for the PU leather you usually find. Inside the leather-wrapped seat is a healthy dose of cold foam for a soft, comfy place to rest your behind for extended gaming sessions. The subdued design also doesn't scream "gaming chair", so it fits in just as well in a work environment as in a gaming one.
On top of the noblechairs Icon premium leather design, it is also highly adjustable. The seat can be raised or lowered nearly 4-inches in height, giving you plenty of room to get a proper position at your desk. The 4D armrests make it that much easier to find an ideal ergonomic setup. Plus, when you want to kick back, the chair can recline back to 135 degrees, and the base provides a bit of rocking range as well. Though the design doesn’t insist on them, the Icon includes a lumbar cushion and neck pillow for those who want a little extra support.
7. Corsair TC60
Best Fabric Gaming Chair
PU leather might look cool and be easy to keep clean, but it doesn’t always feel great when your skin comes into contact with it. So if you’re gaming in shorts, tank tops, or go for the occasional birthday-suit gaming sessions, you’ll be much more comfortable in a fabric gaming chair that avoids that terrible sweaty stick. The Corsair TC60 is the fabric chair you'll want to grab as its material is soft and breathable, so you won't be overheating, even during your longer gaming sessions.
At $270, the Corsair TC60 falls on the budget side of the gaming chair market, but it’s still a solid throne. It provides a spacious, wide seat with a decent height range. Plus, the chair and piston support 264.5 pounds, so heavier gamers don’t need to shy away. If you're looking to relax, the chair offers a deep recline that comes with a synchronized tilt preventing your butt from sliding out of the seat when you lean all the way back. And, when you add in the 3D adjustable armrests and built-in lumbar support, you really do get a lot for your money with this chair.
8. DXRacer Air Series
Best Mesh Gaming Chair
If you're looking for the best possible way to remain cool as you game, mesh is the way to go. It's the most breathable fabric out there making these chairs popular in offices, as comfort is essential when spending hours laboring at a desk. But, there's no reason you can't have the same comfort while you game. DXRacer must have thought of the same thing and decided its Air Series would feature both a mesh back and seat. Don't worry though, that gaming chair flair wasn't left out either.
The DXRacer Air Series totes highly resilient netting material that stands up to everyday wear and tear. It's able to replicate the cushy feeling of sitting in a foam chair by using suspension springs. On top of that, the Air Series ensures you have proper posture while sitting with built-in, adjustable lumbar support and a memory foam headrest. Plus, with adjustable 4D armrests and tilt, you're bound to find the position that's best suited for you.
9. Respawn 205
Best Budget Mesh Gaming Chair
It's important you don't overheat while gaming, so you can stay focused on the action. That's where an affordable mesh gaming chair like the Respawn 205 comes into play. For just over $200, you get a chair with a mesh backrest for a higher degree of breathability. Mesh doesn't mean a lack of durability though, as this chair is constructed on a steel frame and can support up to 275 pounds. You'll also get a PU leather seat that's plenty wide with a decent range of height adjustments, making this a viable option for tall and short gamers alike.
The Respawn 205 gaming chair offers more than just basic height adjustments. For one, you can raise and lower the armrests, letting you better position your arms for ergonomic use of a keyboard and mouse. It also reclines back to 130 degrees and can lock in three positions for a bit of relaxation in between gaming sessions. The ergonomics are taken even further with lumbar and neck pillows allowing you to position the cushions where you need them. Overall, it's hard to beat the heat control and comfort loaded into this highly affordable package.
10. Big Joe Dorm Chair
The Bean Bag Option
Sure, big, expensive gaming chairs aren't for everyone, especially if you live in a smaller space or don't have a PC gaming setup. So, for anyone currently grinding through games in front of the TV in a modest pad, the Big Joe Dorm Chair might be for you. It's filled with dense beans that conform to your shape, has handy pockets for your controllers, and is available in a variety of colors to match your room's aesthetic. Plus, it's perfect for kicking back and watching some TV or a movie, too.
While the Big Joe Dorm chair may be affordable, coming in around $60, it's not junk. It totes sports-quality double-stitched seams and has a handle on the top to easily drag its lightweight frame from room to room. And, if you find the bean bag chair losing its original comfy cushioning, you can easily refill it with new beans. So, sit down, relax, and save your money for what you really want to spend it on: more games.
11. Respawn 900 Gaming Recliner
This Gaming Chair Recliner is a Dream Come True
Are you looking for a gaming chair option that doubles as a rocker and armchair? Dreams do come true folks thanks to the Respawn 900. Now, you're not really meant to pull this bad boy up to your computer desk. Instead, it's meant for a more sedentary life in your living room, letting you kick back as you play your Xbox Series X or PS5—or a gaming PC you have hooked up to a TV. And, this pick is super affordable to boot, coming in under $300.
When you need to take a break from the game's action, the Respawn 900 lets you recline up to 135-degrees. Plus, with a separately adjustable footrest and included neck pillow, this chair is the lap of luxury and comfort. The chair and footrest are also a continuous surface, so you don't have to worry about wires getting caught in the mechanisms. It even has two cup holders and pockets for snacks, so you really won't need to get up for a while once you get comfortable.
12. Thermaltake CyberChair E500
The Best Office Chair for Gaming
Sometimes you want a seating option that'll blend perfectly with your work-from-home setup as well as keep you gaming in style. That's where the ThermalTake CyberChair E500 comes in, the only hint it has anything to do with gaming is the brand. Beyond that, you're looking at a sleak combination of aluminum and black mesh providing comfort and durability that transcends the office and gaming for a seat that can serve as the perfect throne.
The ThermalTake CyberChair E500 totes a nice wide seat and a tall backrest all covered in breathable mesh. You'll feel supported while also keeping cool during tense gaming or work situations. Plus, with a max load well over 300 pounds, big and tall gamers should get by just fine in this chair as well. And, the highly adjustable armrests ensure your shoulders won't feel overburdened while using your mouse and keyboard. The lumbar support, headrest, and tilt round out this chair, so you can lean back and relax just as much as you can lean in and take your opponents to school.
13. Secretlab Titan Evo XL 2022 Series
Best Big and Tall Gaming Chair
The Secretlab Titan Evo is amazing, but it's not the best for big and tall gamers. Enter the champion of big and tall gaming chairs: the Secretlab Titan Evo XL 2022 Series. This model swaps out a number of the parts of the standard version with larger ones allowing it to boost the overall weight capacity and max height.
Have no fear, though, you still get all of the smaller version's awesome features like adjustable height, tilt, lumbar support, and 4D armrests.
The Secretlab Titan Evo XL 2022 Series seat is extra wide at 19.3 inches, and that’s not including the raised sides of the bucket seat. The backrest is also longer and wider. And, thanks to stronger components, the XL version can support almost 400 pounds — a serious upgrade from the regular-size model. This version still totes the same magnetic neck pillow and swappable armrests of its smaller, capable sibling.
14. Homall High-Back Racing Chair
Best Budget Big and Tall Gaming Chair
It’s hard to find a super affordable gaming chair that’ll also work as a big and tall option, but the Homall High-Back Racing Chair manages to do just that. For just $150 (and it regularly goes on sale for much less), you get a chair that can hold up to 300 pounds. Plus, it features a steel frame and a steady, five-star base like a lot of its competition. There are even neck and lumbar pillows, and when you want to take a break from the game, you can tilt the seatback for added comfort.
The main limiting factor on the Homall High-Back Racing Chair is the unadjustable armrests and the width of the seat, which is on the narrow side at just 14.5 inches. But, this chair is an effective fit for taller gamers thanks to that seat’s 20.5-inch depth and the height adjustment from 17 to 22 inches.
Where to Get the Best Gaming Chairs in the UK
Upgrading your gaming setup with a brilliant gaming chair is always a good idea. Not all the chairs we've mentioned in this article are available in the UK, but there are still plenty of great chairs ready to order. This includes some of our favourite choices from Secretlab, such as the Titan, Omega, and Titan XL gaming chairs.
What to Look For in a Gaming Chair
There are plenty of reasons to invest in a chair dedicated to gaming, but the biggest one of all comes down to comfort. Gaming can be an incredibly sedentary lifestyle, not moving anything but your thumbs and forearms for hours at a time. Sitting on a lumpy chair for a few minutes is already uncomfortable and if you stay there for a long gaming session, you're in for a world of hurt.
Chairs designed with gaming in mind help support your back, neck, and arm positions in ways non-gaming chairs don't. This is largely thanks to the tall backs found on gaming chairs, which end up supporting your back and shoulders better than a short office chair. At the same time, the best gaming chairs should stop you from slumping over and falling into other bad postures with neck and lumbar pillows.
Between the tall back and support pillows, you should almost feel like you're being forced to sit up straight. Making them feel almost a little challenging and uncomfortable to sit in. That might sound counterintuitive to how chairs are supposed to be just comfortable, but it'll help save you from a lifetime of lower back pain and developing other gaming-related health complications like repetitive strain injury.
That doesn't mean you have to spend a ton on a higher-end chair to reap the comfortable rewards. But it makes a noticeable difference. Ultimately, it all comes down to how comfortable you want to be while you're playing games.
There are other benefits to a gaming chair outside of comfort and a sturdy build. Pretty much all dedicated gaming chairs, from the cheapest ones on Amazon to the highest-end pro-gaming thrones, look awesome. Seriously, they're called racing chairs because they look like the chairs you find in a high-speed touring car. Factor in the loud colors, aggressive angles, and eye-catching shape and there's no question as to your chair's intended purpose.
If you already have a high-end PC with a top-end graphics card or a dedicated PC gaming desk with a crazy 240Hz gaming monitor on top, do you really want to sit in a folding chair you picked up at Goodwill?
Since the majority of gamers play on console, a gaming chair might not suit your needs. But a chair for gaming is still a good investment. Whether it's a beanbag chair like the Big Joe Dorm Chair or something wild like the Respawn 900 Gaming Recliner, console gaming still requires a level of comfort. Well, at least until things get heated and you have to lean in.
No matter which type of gaming chair you choose, one thing you'll definitely want is good, adjustable ergonomics. When we say that we mean a chair with customizable lumbar support, adjustable armrests, levers to tilt and height, and a movable headrest. For the most part, all the gaming chairs on this list include at least one to all the points of adjustability mentioned and you'll want to take advantage of them.
Kevin Lee is IGN's Hardware and Roundups Editor. Follow him on Twitter @baggingspam
