Gaming chairs definitely look the part and you’ll see them feature in almost every popular Twitch stream, but do they also provide support during long hours of gaming?
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Are Gaming Chairs Good For Long Hours?
A gaming chair is good for long hours of play if you use one that is ergonomic and has good lumbar support to help you maintain good posture while sitting for long periods.
The problem is that gaming chairs are mostly built for visual impact while comfort, support, and functionality are less of a concern and usually comes a distant second place to the aesthetics of the chair.
This means that to find a gaming chair with great lumbar support, functionality, and comfort, you’re going to have to buy one of the most expensive gaming chairs on the market.
However, office chairs are quite the opposite and put economics and functionality first.
It is possible to pick up a quality second-hand office chair that will provide the support to sit for long hours while costing much less than one of the most expensive gaming chairs.
Office chairs are built to be much more sturdy and often come with 10-year + warranties, so if you don’t need to have the look of a gaming chair, a second-hand office chair is maybe the way to go.
Most high-end gaming chairs will have lots of color and branding options when it comes to customization, but they’ll only offer a couple of small pillows to help with lumbar support, neck support, and good posture.
If you’re fairly fit and won’t be sitting for too long without getting up and stretching your legs, then you might be fine with any mid-range gaming chair.
But if you suffer from back pain and need a chair that will support your lower back and help you maintain good posture over long periods, then only a few high-end gaming chairs will have those features.
What Are The Best Gaming Chairs For Long Hours?
Gaming chairs that incorporate the comfort and support of good office chairs are few and far between and usually the most expensive.
However, there are some worth looking at:
Herman Miller X Logitech G Embody Gaming Chair
Herman Miller is the king of comfortable office chairs and Logitech happens to know a thing or two about gaming.
The result of this collaboration is probably the best gaming chair on the market to provide comfort while gaming for long hours.
It has some of the best ergonomic features you will find in a chair while also having everything you would expect to find in a gaming chair.
The Embody is extremely sturdy with great levels of comfort, lower back support, and a lengthy 10-year warranty.
Related Article: Does A Gaming Keyboard Make A Difference In Gaming? (Explained)
Secretlab Titan
The Secretlab Titan Evo 2022 is one of the firmest gaming chairs on the market.
It comes with lumbar support built-in and does a great job of supporting your back.
It also has a multi-tilt mechanism with a full recline and a gel neck pillow.
AutoFull Gaming Chair
For those who enjoy reclining, the AutoFull comes with a footrest, something not seen often in the category of gaming chairs.
It also has an extremely thick seat cushion, has a reasonable price tag, and is easy to assemble.
DXRacer Tank Series
The high-density mold shaping foam of the DX Racer’s backrest and seat padding provide a snug fit for your body and are excellent support for the back and midsection, making it one of the more comfortable gaming seats for long hours.
RESPAWN RSP 900 Racing Recliner
The RESPAWN has segmented padding, cup holders, reclines 135 degrees, and has a 360-degree swivel.
If you need body support and can do without the esthetics of a gaming chair, then there are cheaper options in the form of secondhand office chairs.
Using An Ergonomic Office Chair For Gaming
High-end gaming chairs will often have very little built-in comfort but loads of options to customize their design and colors.
However, for mid-range to high-end office chairs, quite the opposite is true.
They will come with lots of built-in comforts, and back support, with few options to change their aesthetics.
Office chairs are built with ergonomics and functionality in mind and picking up a good secondhand one can be a lot cheaper than buying a gaming chair with similar levels of comfort.
Good ergonomic office chairs are much more breathable, incredibly durable, and make sitting for long hours much more comfortable than most expensive gaming chairs.
Decades of innovation have gone into producing the best new versions of office chairs, while only the first or second versions of ergonomic gaming chairs are being produced now.
An office chair might not feel great the first time you sit into it but once you adjust it to suit your body type it really helps you to sit for long periods while maintaining good posture.
One of the best ranges of office chairs comes from Herman Miller.
They can be pretty pricey when bought new but you will find mint secondhand chairs at reasonable prices on marketplaces like Craigslist.
These chairs are some of the most durable you will find and they come new with a 12-year warranty, so even if you buy one secondhand, it should still last you many years to come.
A good office chair will help to keep your shoulders, hips, and spine in alignment, reducing the risk of back pain and preventing you from sitting in harmful positions during long hours of gaming.
The Problem With Cheap Gaming Chairs
The vast majority of cheap gaming chairs under $300 are mass-produced, overpriced, uncomfortable, poorly built, and only differentiated by whichever brand name stickers happen to be slapped on them.
The truth is that gaming chairs around the $100 to $300 offer little value.
Companies buy up large volumes of these chairs, brand them and sell them on to buyers looking to save money.
And you’ll often pay more for an identical chair just because it’s been hyped up with gaming buzzwords like 3D armrests or because there is a more recognizable brand name slapped on it.
Cheaper chairs might feel fine to sit in at first but they quickly lose their shape and become uncomfortable.
Lower priced gaming chairs use thin racing-style seats that provide little comfort and the pillows they provide for back and neck support quickly lose their form and become useless.
You usually won’t find quality materials in gaming chairs under $300.
If your budget is tight and you don’t have to have that gaming chair look to complete your setup, a decent second-hand office chair would be a much better buy.
How To Sit In A Chair For Long Hours Of Gaming
While health professionals generally frown upon sitting for extended periods, there are some things you can do to stay more comfortable and reduce the risk of straining or injuring yourself.
Maintain Good Posture
Keeping good posture will be essential if you want to maintain comfort and prevent injury while sitting for long periods.
A good ergonomic chair will help you to accomplish this but you’ll also have to make an effort to sit correctly.
- Reduce the risk of back pain by adjusting your chair so that your knees are slightly lower than your hips.
- Reduce the risk of repetitive strain injuries by adjusting the height of your chair so that your arms are bent at 90 degrees and your forearms are level with the desk when typing.
- Keep Your legs uncrossed and feet flat on the floor.
- Sit close to your desk so you don’t have to reach.
- Use armrests, relax shoulders, and try to keep your body weight distributed evenly across the seat.
Get Up And Move Around Regularly
There’s no debate nowadays that too much sitting is bad.
Try to only sit for 50 minutes out of every one hour while you are gaming.
Stand up, do some stretches and walk around the room for 10-minutes out of every hour you are sitting.
Use The Recliner
Like any good office chair, a gaming chair will adjust to provide maximum comfort while retaining good posture.
Gaming chairs are also excellent recliners, most reclining up to 180 degrees, however, for longer gaming sessions, 100 – 110 degrees is the healthiest option and is also considered to be a sweet spot for comfort.
Experts also suggest occasionally adjusting the backrest to facilitate blood flow.
Strengthen Your Core
Doing regular core exercises will train the muscles in your lower back, hips, pelvis, and stomach to work together and stabilize your entire midsection.
Try to work a few squats, planks, and sit-ups into your routine.
Strengthening your core will stop you from slouching and help you to maintain good posture.
But at the very least, get up every hour, stretch your muscles, and have a little walk around.
How Long Should A Gaming Chair Last?
Most gaming chairs come with a two-year or three-year warranty but you should be able to get at least five years out of them before they need replacing.
Of course, how you use the chair and how often you use it will play a major part in how long it will last.
If you use the chair in a rough manner, constantly jumping in and out of it and rocking it back and forth, it may not last as long as you’d like, especially if it’s a cheap chair.
In general, the more you spend the more premium the gaming chair will be, and you might struggle to find a chair with a premium look and feel under $300.
The aesthetics will generally be the first to go, with the wear and tear on the material fading or wearing it down.
Gas-powered lifts can be prone to breaks as well depending on how often they are used, the weight of the user, and how you sit down in the chair.
When looking for a comfortable and supportive chair to game in you don’t have many options.
You can either spend a lot of money on a gaming chair like the DXRacer Tank Series and Secretlab Titan that offer that functionality or opt for a quality used office chair and save yourself some money.
It’s usually not viable to buy second-hand ergonomic gaming chairs because there are not that many of them about and they don’t last as long as office chairs so may not be the best to buy second-hand.
The exception being the Herman Miller Embody gaming chair as it comes with a 10-year warranty.
