We’ve all had that one day where we’ve spent hours gaming only to stop when your back feels like someone’s stabbing a thousand needles inside. It’s on that day you realize that you either stop playing video games for so long or get a gaming chair. So naturally, you decide to buy a gaming chair.
However, merely getting a chair isn’t as easy as you think. There’s a multitude of choices available. Online forums offer no help as people just tend to scream at each other on there. As a gamer, there are two main categories you can choose. The types are gaming chairs and office chairs. If you’re a gamer, you may automatically find yourself inclining towards buying a gaming chair. Should you be making that choice?
A lot of individuals claim that getting office chairs is the way to go, so without much further ado let us get into the nitty-gritty of office chairs vs. gaming chairs.
Gaming Chairs
Chances are you’ve already seen a gaming chair and want nothing more than to buy it right now. While designing gaming chairs, style takes the most precedence over other factors. Some of the gaming chairs out there look fantastic. Any gaming chair, when sat next to an office chair, is going to seem incredibly outlandish.
Almost all gaming chairs have similar designs to racing car seats. Also, they may also drive inspiration from modern video games. The chairs come in various colors and different materials as well. Modern gaming chairs can almost blow you away with the number of features on offer. An average gaming chair will allow you to adjust several aspects of the chair and will have an ergonomic design to increase comfort.
The basis for the creation of these chairs was to provide gamers with a way to easily partake in long sessions of gaming without risking their back. There are several different styles of gaming chairs available as well.
Office Chairs
When comparing to a gaming chair, an office chair is going to look less stylish. Furthermore, office chairs typically don’t come in a variety of color. What is of utmost important to office chairs is the ergonomics. Even the most basic of office chairs will offer you a decent level of comfort.
Office chairs design put the impetus on the intention to support people who are working long days. The ergonomic design of these chairs ensures that your back gets the support it needs. Office chairs typically put precedence on comfort, rather than including a multitude of features. Some basic office chairs may even lack armchairs or adjusting mechanics.
However, a good office chair can be a potential savior in long gaming sessions due to the level of comfort on offer. Before deciding which type of chair to buy, it’s crucial you understand what your requirements are.
Criteria For Evaluation
There are four major factors that you should look into when buying the chair. These factors are comfort, style, features, and price. Every individual puts precedence on a factor of their choice but it’s always advisable to consider these four before buying the chair of your choice.
Favoring one factor too much over the other may lead you to buy a chair, that looks amazing but is awful to sit and use. It’s essential to take each factor under careful consideration when attempting to make any decision as significant as this one.
Comfort
When comparing both office chairs and gaming chairs, it becomes clear that office chairs give precedence to comfort while gaming chairs value style. That’s not to say that gaming chairs aren’t going to be comfortable, they feature ergonomic designs as well.
However, the level of comfort in gaming chairs and office chairs of a similar price tends to go towards office chairs.
Modern gaming chairs come in with further features that aid comfort. Most chairs provide with additional neck and back support. Office chairs of the same level offer the same amount of support. The amount of neck support and back support is essential to the level of comfort. In spite of the ergonomic design of modern chairs, it’s still possible to slouch and sit in a bad posture.
To help support the posture better, modern gaming and office chairs typically allow for a lot of lumbar support. The lumbar support helps the gamer sit upright no matter what. Additionally, the neck support also allows for players to sit upright.
Looking at from the perspective of gaming chairs vs. office chairs, the office chairs tend to be much more comfortable in the lower price range. However, it’s also important to understand that each human individual has a different spine. What might suit your back may be entirely uncomfortable for another person. Reading reviews when it comes to buying a chair may not be the best idea. When you’re looking to buy a new chair, the best approach may be to go for something that you can test yourself.
Ultimately if you’re doing a like for like comparison for similar prices, office chairs edge it in terms of comfort.
Style
If you’re looking at both chairs in terms of style, there’s only one clear winner in this regard. In stylistic terms, gaming chairs take the prize entirely. They have a lot of different styling designs, but the most common is the racing seat shape.
Standing high and mighty gaming chairs can help alleviate your entire area. Even the cheapest of gaming chairs feature the same racing seat designs. When looking at lower price office chairs, most of them are clunky and don’t look as stylish as gaming chairs.
However, that’s not to say that more expensive office chairs don’t offer any form of styling. Going into the higher price range, office chairs incorporate several design aspects to help them stand out.
However, they still can’t match up with gaming chairs at a higher price. Gaming chairs in stylistic terms are clear winners.
Features
There are a whole host of features that both gaming and office chairs offer. Depending on the price you’re willing to pay, office chairs and gaming chairs allow adjustable armrests, adjustable seat height, the ability to rock. Some chairs will enable you to adjust the angle of the seat.
Both office chairs and gaming chairs neck in neck when it comes to features. However, when it comes to slightly lower pricing, office chairs offer fewer features than gaming chairs. Small budget office chairs don’t allow for any adjustable armrests; some may not even support rocking.
Furthermore, office chairs rarely allow you to lock your chair at a specific angle. When because office chairs are for working, it’s understandable why they don’t lock in at an angle. Reclining and working may not be the best for your eyes. However, when it comes to gamers. The ability to lock in your chair at a specific angle is incredibly helpful. It can allow you to play whatever you’re playing in a much more relaxing manner.
Additionally, the ability to lock in at an angle gives gaming chairs much more functionality than office chairs. By simply locking in the chair in a recline, you can chill out and watch a movie or even take a quick power nap.
When it comes to features, it’s essential to look at the price you’re paying. Mid-range gaming chairs and office chairs offer incredibly similar features. However, when looking at the lower price range or higher price range gaming chairs considerably outperform office chairs.
Price
There are several different price points at which both the chairs are available. Each price point offers varying degrees of comfort, features of style. If you have a high-end budget, some of the best gaming chairs are available for no more than 800 dollars. However, office chairs are much more expensive in comparison when looking at the high-end models. High-end office chairs may offer you unmatchable comfort, but they’ll also take a significant chunk out of your wallet.
When it comes to budget gaming chair vs office chair, it depends on what you prioritize if you want style and feature go for the gaming chairs, if you want comfort go for the office chairs. When it comes to mid-range office chairs and gaming chairs, they both offer incredibly similar features and levels of support, so it becomes a matter of preference.
Office Chairs Vs. Gaming Chairs
It’s not easy to pass the verdict and say that one is definitively better than the other. However, most gamers will buy a gaming chair instead of an office chair. The higher functionality and more nuanced features make them more attractive. Additionally, the appeal lies in the aesthetics of the chair as well with gaming chairs helping complete the entire setup. Office chairs aren’t to be taken lightly too, as some can give you an unmatchable level of comfort.
It comes down to personal taste and remembers each human is different; what’s comfortable and functional to you may not be the same for someone else. It’s best to try out a chair before buying one.