You've got your gaming PC and gaming desk, 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. A dedicated gaming chair gives you the best seat to comfortably lounge in for hours. You'll be nestled into comfort whether you're playing at your desk or using the PS5 or Xbox Series X on the big gaming TV in the living room.
You might be thinking "what’s the difference between gaming chairs vs office chairs anyway?", and it mostly comes down to a long back and sculpted louvers to support you. Beyond that, there are a lot of different options from rockers and recliners to the typical racing-style seats to something more sophisticated. Plus, there are even some big and tall choices to ensure everyone's covered.
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:
- Razer Enki
- Cougar Explore S
- Vertagear SL5800
- DXRacer Air Series
- Noblechairs Icon
- Herman Miller Vantum
- Secretlab Titan Evo 2022 Series
Razer Enki
Best Gaming Chair
The Razer Enki is the perfect gaming chair that anyone can get into. Thanks to its wide seat and backrest you’ll feel well supported. Speaking of support it’s designed for a wide range of users ranging from 5’ 5” to 6’ 8” and up to 299 pounds. Better yet, the Razer Enki features reasonably short side bolsters on the seat so users can sit cross-legged, folded leg, or in whatever position they prefer.
This chair is also designed for all-day comfort with a mix of plush, textured fabric, and synthetic leather for high travel areas. You also get a built-in lumbar arch and while it isn’t adjustable, it adds some much-needed ergonomic support for the user’s back. Lastly, the Razer Enki sits at a fairly reasonable price of $400, putting it squarely between high-end and budget gaming chairs.
Cougar Explore S
Best Budget Gaming Chair
Cougar isn’t new to the gaming chair world and knows a thing or two about making quality seats, so their wallet-friendly option, the Explore S, takes that expertise without sacrificing features or comfort. This racing-style throne is packed with high-density foam and wrapped in stylish PVC leather with a slight perforation to give it a bit of extra breathability for staying cool during intense play sessions. Its wide seat sits on top of a robust steel frame ready to support up to 264 pounds, and the wheels are even slightly larger than average for more stability and effortless movements.
The Cougar Explore S totes more than just the basics as it includes 3D armrests and piston lift height adjustments to give you an ergonomic alignment with your desk. There is no built-in lumbar support, but a back and neck pillow comes with the chair. And to kick back between matches, there is a deeply reclinable backrest, though unfortunately, the chair only offers a simple tilt base that can’t be locked in place.
Vertagear SL5800
Best Ergonomic Gaming Chair
Ergonomics are the number one feature you will want in a chair, especially if you plan on spending a lot of time sitting. With that in mind, the VertaGear SL5800 offers the most adjustability in a gaming chair we’ve seen. It starts with a ContourMax lumbar support system that combines a layer of memory foam with four flexible panels that adjust to the shape of your back.
Meanwhile, you’re seated on a highly ventilated and plush VertaAir Seat. The bottom cushion is basically fitted with eight foam pucks with a host of air funnels to keep your bottom from getting hot while seated. Add in all the adjustability you get from the seat height, tilting backrest, and armrest, and you can seriously tune your setup for maximum comfort.
DXRacer Air Series
Best Mesh Gaming Chair
If you're looking for the best possible way to stay cool, then 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, and DXRacer put this principle to practice with its Air Series, which features both a mesh back and seat with plenty of gaming chair flair.
The DXRacer Air Series’ mesh panels are made of a highly resilient netting material that stands up to everyday wear and tears. Most mesh chairs feel like sitting on a hard sheet of fabric, but this one replicates 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 a position that's best suited for you.
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. The noblechairs Icon is one of the few gaming chairs that use real, genuine leather, rather than a typical PU and other synthetic leather option. 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.
Herman Miller Vantum
Best Fabric Gaming Chair
Herman Miller is known for their innovative, high-quality office furniture, and in collaboration with Logitech G, they’re bringing that expertise to gaming chairs. The Vantum loses the traditional racing chair aesthetic, opting for a more sculpted, sleek design that’ll fit perfectly pulled up to a gaming or work setup. A plush and durable polyester fabric wraps around the seat, delivering a more breathable feel than leather that’s also softer on bare legs than mesh. However, this chair isn’t exclusively fabric, as a fine mesh suspension backrest ensures you don’t overheat during intense action.
The material used in Herman Miller’s Vantum may feel fantastic, but its ergonomic build places it a notch above most gaming chairs. You get both adjustable lumbar support and a passively adaptive thoracic support pad to ensure you’re comfortable and maintain great posture. Also, a unique “active, forward-leaning alignment” feature pushes you slightly forward in the seat, helping with focus and reaction time, though you can always adjust the tilt and tension for a more relaxed position.
Secretlab Titan Evo 2022 Series
Best High-End 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.
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.
Gaming Chair FAQ
How much is a gaming chair?
Yes, while you can buy a gaming chair for $79 or less, doing so is just asking for pain. Something cheap is usually nothing more than a cheap plastic frame with some thin fabric or pleather upholstery on top.
You can get a quality gaming chair for as little as $200 and that’s the absolute bottom floor of affordability we’d go for. Spending $300 or more will get you access to better options like the Razer Enki X and $319 Respawn Specter. If your budget allows you to soar a bit higher, more expensive gaming chairs start to come with built-in lumbar support, cooling gel layers, and more adjustable ergonomics.
How should you sit in a gaming chair?
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.
Alternatively, most gaming chairs come with a lever like you’re ejecting out of a jet fighter. This is used to recline all the way back so you can lie on the gaming chair like it’s a mini bed.
Are gaming chairs good for your back?
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.
How do you make a gaming chair more comfortable?
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.
Image Credit: Annalee Tsujino is a multi disciplinary designer and illustrator. Check them out on Instagram @antsu_illustrations.
