The PC Gamer team and I have spent many a long day parking our posteriors on the finest seats around—and have also twisted our spines in many of the worst—to bring you the definitive list of the best gaming chairs you can buy in 2025. We’ve also spoken to a team of experts to help guide us in what to look for in terms of proper ergonomics, too, so we’re covering all bases. And we’re constantly reviewing new chairs, because one day we’ll find something to replace the Secretlab…
Yes, the best gaming chair, based on hundreds of human hours of testing myriad different chairs, remains one that we’ve been recommending for years: the Secretlab Titan Evo. And there’s good reason for that. It isn’t a cheap chair, for sure, but it is more affordable than the best office chairs, and still delivers a great level of comfort and support. And, almost as important, it’s incredibly durable, too. Our Titan Evo has been in the office, and well-used for 40 hours a week, all year round, and still looks as good today as the day it arrived. To be fair, so does our pick for the best budget chair, the Corsair TC100 Relaxed. It’s a very comfortable, supportive, and good-looking chair, especially for its relatively low price. And it’s often in the sales, too. Win.
We regularly test a range of different chairs, including the best office chairs, too. And we’ve put them all through rigorous testing to make sure we can thoroughly recommend all the picks that we have on this page and can honestly stand by each and every one of them. So, invest in something that’ll last and give your butt and back the comfort and support it deserves.
The quick list
The best chair overall
The Secretlab Titan is the benchmark by which we judge all other gaming chairs. To earn that role, it ticks all the boxes you could ask of gaming furniture: it’s comfy, supportive, and looks great too. The recommendation might be a regular one, but it’s a chair that has stood the test of time.
Best budget chair
The thick cushion, broad design, and refined styling make this a good gaming chair, but the fact that Corsair has managed to get the price down without compromising on comfort is what makes the TC100 Relaxed a great gaming chair.
The best luxury chair
The Herman Miller Embody oozes premium, and you’d expect nothing less at this price. With superb comfort and a warranty spanning over a decade, it’s absolutely the chair of choice if you’re willing to invest in ergonomics.
The best for back support
The ThunderX3 Core came out of nowhere to deliver excellent lumbar support in an affordable package. We love it, and your back will love it, too.
The best for larger frames
Available in two sizes (L and XL), the Kaiser 4 XL is the best gaming chair for anyone who finds most chairs a bit of a squeeze. It’s big and comfy, and the adjustable lumbar support is great. It looks the bee’s knees, too.
The best office chair
A brilliant option if you’re after something more traditional-looking, the NeueChair’s mesh design keeps you cool for long periods and offers elite build quality.
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The best affordable office chair
With slight confusion over whether it wants to be an office chair or a gaming chair, ThunderX3 has almost created the best office chair for gaming. It’s more affordable than a standard office seat with a lot of the same features.
Jacob Ridley
I’m a human with a spine and a posterior. I’ve sat on chairs for longer than I can remember, and have been doing so in a professional capacity for many years, too. In fact I’ve probably sat in, and personally tested more gaming chairs than any person on PC Gamer. Which all makes me suitably qualified to tell you what the best gaming chair is when it comes to cost, comfort, and spinal support.
July 5, 2025: After a review of the new Razer Iskur V2 X, I’ve added the affordable chair to the also tested list, because it’s not going to topple the excellent Corsair TC100 Relaxed from our best budget gaming chair pick. I’ve also updated our notes on how we go about testing gaming chairs within the team.
June 12, 2025: Having spoken to a selection of certified ergonomists about posture at our desks, what annoys them about gaming chairs specifically, and what you should be looking for in your next chair, I have included their advice in our best gaming chair guide to help you make your choice. I have also added in a more affordable office/task chair design to the list, the ThunderX3 Flex Pro, and noted our review of the affordable, but slightly uncomfortable AndaSeat Novis.
May 1, 2025: We have checked over all the best gaming chairs right now and, rather predictably, the Secretlab Titan Evo still comes out on top. We have also checked our copy to make sure our information is as up-to-date as possible.
The best gaming chair overall
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Buy if…
✅ Adjustability is key: Getting a chair in just the right position is hugely important to your experience, and the Titan Evo makes tweaking until you find a comfy spot easy.
✅ You’re looking for something durable: Our review model continues to truck on in the office, with nary a mark to show for all the use it’s had over the years.
Don’t buy if…
❌ You want a long warranty: Three years isn’t terrible, but we’ve seen chairs with much longer warranties. Still, given the durability here, it’s not the biggest concern in the world.
The bottom line
💺 The Secretlab Titan Evo is the pinnacle of gaming chairs for a reason. Yes, it’s pricey, but it’s also extremely well-made and impressively long-lasting. There’s a reason every cheaper brand is trying to copy it and why subsequent models have barely changed the formula: it’s a great gaming chair.
The Secretlab Titan Evo is the best gaming chair. That’s it, recommendation over. Oh alright then, let’s get into the reasons why—and there are a lot of them.
We loved Secretlab’s previous chairs, and two of them used to rule the top spots in this very guide. Though nowadays we heartily recommend just the one model, the Titan Evo, as it does everything well.
There’s a slightly bigger curve to the seat base to keep you in a good sitting position all day long compared to previous models, and while we couldn’t quite tell if it was making a big difference, what we can say is this: the Titan Evo is extremely comfortable, even over very long periods of time. There are three models available, S, R, and XL, and while those looking for something extra-large would do well to check out the AndaSeat Kaiser 4 XL, for the rest of you, the Titan Evo should do very nicely.
Our initial review model came in a coating Secretlab called Neo Hybrid leatherette, which feels airy and cool over the course of a long day, and really looks the part. We have also recently reviewed the Titan Evo NanoGen edition, which is the latest addition to Secretlab’s lineup, and features a new approach to the materials it uses. Aiming to match two presumably mutually exclusive goals—namely being supportive and soft.
And it does that mighty well, creating a chair that ends up feeling even more comfortable than the standard Titan Evo. But with Secretlab asking another $200 for the privilege, it’s a fair bit extra to pay over the standard model.
The upholstery of both, however, is immaculate, and the overall quality of the fit and finish is pin-sharp perfect. Something as big and as dominating as a gaming chair should look good on all levels, and the Titan Evo certainly ticks the right boxes, no matter which finish you pick.
What’s more, the original chair has been in constant use in our office since we first reviewed it in 2021—gosh, has it really been that long? Since then, it’s been rolled around, bumped into, and carelessly caressed by many staff members, yet it’s still in excellent condition. That Neo Hybrid Leatherette is really holding up great. The chair’s not squeaky, either, which is a plus.
The detachable head cushion is magnetic and very supportive. For that matter, so are the armrests, which deliver 4D movement (up, down, forwards, backwards, side-to-side, and rotation) and should fit into most desks—and most arms, for that matter, as these are about as adjustable as they come.
Mechanically, the cavalcade of quality continues. The hydraulics are superbly smooth, as is the recline. You can also adjust the lean tension, which means finding a comfortable seating position is no problem at all. Everything here is customisable, good-looking, well-built and confidence-inspiring.
Prices start at $449/£379, which, if you’ve been looking at no-name gaming chairs on some of the bigger retailers’ sites, might seem like a lot for a throne. Let me say this with absolute confidence: If you’re ever going to spend up on a piece of equipment, make it the chair you sit in all day long. Compared to many of its rivals, it’s still well-priced, and the Secretlab Titan Evo really is worth the money.
It’s the best gaming chair we’ve ever tested, and believe me, we’ve tried the top contenders. The Titan Evo? Well, it beats them all.
Read our full Secretlab Titan Evo review.
The best budget gaming chair
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Buy if…
✅ You like a subtle look: If you want a chair that simply blends into the room rather than looking like a gamer’s dream, this chair’s handsome aesthetics will suit you.
✅ You like to recline: The TC100 Relaxed tilts with the best of them and makes reclining a supportive and comfortable way to sit rather than a pain.
Don’t buy if…
❌ You want a lot of armrest adjustment: The 2D armrests here don’t offer a lot of options, and they’re a bit rickety, too.
❌ You want an easy time of assembly: Ok, so it wasn’t the most difficult task we’ve undertaken, but the TC100 relaxed was a bit fiddly to build.
The bottom line
💺 Good gaming chairs are expensive, yeah? Yet the Corsair TC100 Relaxed is one of the most affordable chairs you’ll find from a recognisable brand. And it’s not just a good, cheap model, it’s simply a brilliant gaming chair overall.
The Corsair TC100 Relaxed has entered the gaming chair space as a refined racer-style chair with very few compromises, which makes it our recommendation for the best affordable, budget-friendly chair. We were big fans of the Corsair T3 Rush, but the TC100 pips it to the post in many regards.
It’s shorter with an 81 cm backrest, but the TC100 Relaxed is in fact a fair bit broader. It’s got a wider backrest, a bit more cushioning in the seat, and gentler bolster angles, hence “relaxed.” It’s the sort of chair that asks you to settle in and get comfy, although that shortness does mean it’s perhaps not best suited to some larger frames.
If you’re very tall, you might need to reconsider your options. For the rest, though, the Corsair TC100 Relaxed should fit your frame nicely, and there’s always the AndaSeat Kaiser 4 XL to consider if you need something larger.
Concessions have been made to keep that cost down. You only get 2D armrests, for example, compared to something like the Secretlab Titan Evo’s 4D arm-holders. But I suppose the company had to make it affordable somehow, and it was the arm support that bore the brunt.
The construction does reveal the odd price concession, too. Some of the bolts are a bit of a struggle to get into their respective holes, due to some wadded material leftover from the manufacturing process. Otherwise, though, it’s still pretty easy to build, at least as far as gaming chairs go.
Where it shines, though, is in places where you’d expect to see budget constraints, but don’t. For example, the fabric version we tested feels fantastic on the skin and looks great, too. Material choice is often a revealing part of a chair’s construction, as so many manufacturers choose to skimp out on the important bits.
Here, everything feels quality, refined, and more expensive than you’d expect. Really, what most people will be looking for in an affordable but brilliant gaming chair is something that looks the part, feels the part, keeps you in a great seating position for long days, and doesn’t break the bank. Job done, we’d say, and then some.
Overall, what you’re getting here is a budget chair that doesn’t look nor feel like the budget option. It’s supremely comfortable, well-made, and looks the part in almost any setup. The TC100 Relaxed beats out every other chair in its price range by a large margin and is absolutely the best affordable gaming chair you can buy right now.
Read our full Corsair TC100 Relaxed review.
The best high-end gaming chair
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Buy if…
✅ You’re looking for luxury-level comfort: This chair is comfortable with a capital C, whether working, gaming or otherwise.
✅ You want build quality that stuns: It might be very, very pricey, but every inch of this chair screams quality, attention to detail, and fantastic design.
✅ You don’t want to build it out of the box: What, build your own chair? Not for the sort of money you’ve just spent. The Embody G comes ready to roll, no screwdrivers required.
Don’t buy if…
❌ You’re on a budget: Yep, the price is… excessive. You do get an excessively good chair though, but we sucked the air between our teeth when we first saw the price tag too.
❌ Armrest adjustment is key: While the rest of the Embody G is highly adjustable, the armrests are a bit limited in their movement.
The Bottom line
💺 Herman sure makes some comfortable chairs, and the Herman Miller Embody, with or without the Logitech G x branding, is an absolute stunner. It is super-expensive, but it has a very long warranty, is ultra-durable and incredibly comfortable. It also comes fully formed out of the box, so no messing around with hex keys or screwdrivers.
We love the Herman Miller Embody, and it occupied the top position in our best office chair roundup for a long time. But when it comes to the best high-end gaming chair, we simply have to recommend the slightly more gamer-focused version, the Herman Miller x Logitech G Embody, instead.
Let’s get one thing out of the way right out of the gate—it’s not cheap. It’s not even close to cheap. Nope, if you want one of these, be prepared to spend $1,830/£1,570.
I’ll wait for you to pick up your collective jaws from the floor. Welcome back! The good news is, however, that the Embody is a fabulous chair. Our Jacob loves his model very much, and that’s a man who has sat in every single good gaming chair you can think of.
If you do decide to treat yourself to one of these, upon delivery, you’ll receive a very large box. That’s because the Herman Miller turns up fully assembled. For this sort of money, no one expects you to get busy with a screwdriver, and that alone is worth a fair bit of cash.
Once opened, however, you’ll find that this chair is surprisingly compact. There’s no gigantic headrest, as Herman Miller reckons you shouldn’t need one if the back support is done properly, and thankfully, that is very much the case. The sprung-mesh design coated in Sync Fabric is extremely supportive, while still being very comfortable. Support and comfort can co-exist, and thankfully, this isn’t one of those chairs that tries to realign your spine against your will.
That fabric coating is remarkably hard-wearing, while still feeling great on the skin, too. The foam-layered seat cushion is designed to be comfy, cool, and posture-enhancing. You might shift around in your seat all day long from the top upwards, but your rear remains in roughly the same place. Herman Miller knows this, and the Embody is ready to deliver comfort and spinal bliss in equal measure—from top to bottom.
You might have to pay a high price, but you also get a 12-year warranty for your money. That covers just about everything about the chair, from the casters to the pneumatics, although perhaps the fabric might not qualify. Still, as we said, it feels tough enough to withstand the test of time, as does everything else about this chair.
In fact, just about the only thing that isn’t exceptional about the Embody is the armrest adjustment. You don’t get fancy 4D movement here, although they are adjustable to a degree and comfortable in their own right.
The Herman Miller Logitech G Embody is simply fantastic to sit in, looks great, and is built tough. It’s the best high-end chair by far. Yes, you’ll have to fork out. But what with that excellent warranty, and all the comfort and support on offer here, it’s still the one we’d have if we were looking to spend some serious cash.
Read our full Herman Miller Logitech G Embody review.
The best gaming chair for back support
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Buy if…
✅ You want exceptional support for your back: Well, it is in the title after all. But seriously, the ergonomic mechanisms here are superb and will adapt to your every supportive need.
✅ You don’t want to overspend: The ThunderX3 core isn’t the cheapest chair in this list, but it’s still very well priced for the plush comfort and great build quality it provides.
Don’t buy if…
❌ You like to recline with arm support: The synchronous tilt mechanism here is very good, but it’s a shame the armrests don’t move with it.
The bottom line
💺 If you struggle with normal chairs, your spine might thank you for spending the cash on the ThunderX3 Core chair. The smart lumbar support cushion manages to follow you as you move, providing a level of comfort and support we’ve not found in any other chair. Certainly not in one that’s priced at this level.
While some chairs take a rigid approach to supporting your back, if you’re looking for something that’s supremely comfortable while also looking after your spine, you should really hunt down a ThunderX3 Core. It manages to be not only the best chair for back support but also one of the most plush and good-looking chairs we’ve tested, too.
That adjustability really is key. We all shift around in our chairs, and while some models try their hardest to push you into the correct shape, the ThunderX3 Core takes a different approach. It’s ready for your odd seating positions, choosing instead to employ a variety of mechanisms that allow it to conform itself to your particular seating styles for ultimate support.
The Lumbar 360° tech backrest is designed to move around with you as you shift your weight, meaning that it’s always ready to support your lower back when needed. 4D armrests are an increasingly common feature on modern gaming chairs, but they’re usually covered in a “soft-touch-esque” kind of material that’s less rigid than hard plastic but not what you’d call cushy. Not so here, as the ThunderX3 Core adds proper cushioning into the mix for arm leaners and forearm resters.
All of this adds to the feeling and look of a chair that invites you to sit down. The aesthetic is refreshingly sleek yet comfy-looking, and while it’s got stick-out “wings” that won’t be for everyone, it doesn’t look particularly gamer bling—meaning it’s unlikely to look out of place no matter where you put it. Some gamer chairs scream “I have hobbies” to the rest of the world, but this one is much more Scandinavian cool.
Back to back support. The clever Sync6 box underneath has synchronous tilt, which allows you to lean back while still keeping your feet flat on the floor. You can also tilt it forward to lean in, although the armrests will end up staying where they are. Speaking of leaning back, the backrest locks at four different angles, although you can’t lean it back all the way like some other chairs. Still, there should be a position there that suits most leaning styles.
Fabric and leatherette versions are available in various colors, all for an MSRP of $399. That’s a fair bit cheaper than a lot of other competing chairs, and since the ThunderX3 Core is up there for affordable back support, it gets a big thumbs up from us. A well-looked-after spine doesn’t have to come with an overly firm cost, and this chair proves it.
Read our full ThunderX3 Core review.
The best gaming chair for a larger frame
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Buy if…
✅ You want plenty of room: The Kaiser 4 XL is appropriately named and appropriately sized.
✅ You like proper lumbar support: The new pop-out lumbar cushion is a real upgrade over the previous model, and is both extremely comfortable and plenty supportive, no matter your size.
Don’t buy if…
❌ You bang the rear of the chair into furniture on the regular: The plush rear backing looks great, but it does make this chair prone to damage from the back if you’re clumsy with it.
The bottom line
💺 The AndaSeat Kaiser 4 XL is a big boi chair for the larger human, but its comfortable, capacious surrounds mean that it’s also a fantastic chair for anyone who wants to be enthroned in a seat. And maybe doesn’t sit precisely how ergonomists recommend you should…
If regular gaming chairs are a bit tight, or you’re the sort of person who likes to spread all over a seat, then the AndaSeat Kaiser 4 XL is the gaming throne for you. Available in L and XL configurations, we were very impressed by our XL model—so much so that it had to go in this guide as the best chair for a larger frame.
First off, this is a good-looking seat. Lots of color options are available, but all of them will have wide shoulders, proper side bolstering and good attention to detail in the fit and finish. It’s very USS Enterprise, and despite its large dimensions for sittin,g it’s not too dominant in your average gaming setup.
Be warned, however: construction is not an easy task. That’s nothing to do with a lack of tools or bad design, but more that this chair is large, wide, and heavy, so we’d highly recommend bringing a friend. Or, if you want one of these because you’re covered in muscle, enjoy the free workout.
That being said, once you do have the Kaiser 4 XL together, you’ll find plenty of room. The wide seat cushion and flared shoulder sections mean most should fit very well, and even if you’re not a giant, you won’t feel too swallowed up. It’s very nicely judged in its dimensions. Larger than just about everything else, not so large that it looks cartoonish.
There’s lots of adjustability here, including a side-mounted lever for backrest adjustment that makes a whole lot of sense. Why some chairs choose to mount the tilt mechanism underneath is beyond us, but here you can lean and use the handle at the same time to find the perfect amount of recline.
The best bit, though, is the pop-out adjustable lumbar cushion. It’s very comfortable to lean against, but firm enough to provide proper, robust support, and it’s adjustable in a multitude of different ways. Combine that with a magnetic head pillow that can be adjusted easily, yet stays anchored in place once you’ve found the ideal spot, and this is a chair that’s easy to set up just the way you like.
It does have a couple of drawbacks. Firstly, the branding isn’t particularly subtle, so you’ll find the word “Kaiser” emblazoned all over it in big letters. And second, the rear backing material is a lovely textured plush material that looks great.
Doesn’t sound like a drawback? Well, as nice as it looks and feels, it’s prone to damage. You’ll be fine if you treat it gently, but if you bang the rear of the chair into your furniture, it’s likely to rip or leave a mark. And, if we’re being picky, the (otherwise huge and very comfortable) armrests do wobble rotationally a little more than we’d like.
Other than that, the AndaSeat Kaiser 4 XL is a bit of a winner all around. If what you really want is size and comfort combined in a chair, this is the one we reckon you should go for. Big, bold, and brilliant.
Read our full AndaSeat Kaiser 4 XL review.
The best office chair for gaming
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Buy if…
✅ You like the clean office look: It’s subtle, it’s clean, and it’ll blend into any professional environment—although those looking for a gamer aesthetic should venture elsewhere.
✅ You like proper support: While the NeueChair might not be the most relaxing of chairs, it’s highly supportive and feels like it does your spine some good over a long day.
Don’t buy if…
❌ You like to lean back and relax: It’s a focused, professional chair and doesn’t lend itself well to chilled-out sessions.
❌ You’re on a tight budget: It’s expensive, there’s no getting around it, and the headrest doesn’t come as standard. Bit mean that, but again, this is a chair that’s all business, little play.
The bottom line
💺 The NeueChair is very much an office or task chair, rather than a relaxed gaming chair. That means it’s incredibly comfortable and supportive in the ‘active’ position, keeping you engaged in your daily tasks better than any chair I’ve sat in. But when it comes to kicking back and relaxing, it doesn’t quite do the lounge thing as well as dedicated gaming chairs.
The NeueChair has been our best office/task chair recommendation for so long, it’s practically part of the furniture (boo, hiss). That’s because it’s got so much going for it in the support and build quality department; it simply hasn’t been bested, even here in 2025.
Let’s get one thing straight: this isn’t quite what you’d call a gaming chair. It’s a tasking chair, designed to make sure that over a long day at the office (or working from home, of course), you leap out of it feeling like you haven’t damaged your back.
Of course, it can be reclined, and it’s far from what you’d call uncomfortable. But this chair is all about keeping you supported and upright, with a sensation that lets you know it’s doing excellent things for your spine. It’s got a wide seat base with a good level of comfort, but this chair is all about getting down to business. And that, it does better than anything else on the market.
A good office/task chair should provide supreme support. The NeueChair is unmatched in this regard, and it’s still what we’d call comfortable. You only get one set of bones, of course, so you’d do well to look after them in the hours you spend sitting at your desk. Comfort isn’t just about sitting in squishy, armchair-like confines, but also about what you take with you when you get out of the chair.
Back pain, sore shoulders, and a numb posterior should not be any of those things. The NeueChair is designed to prevent or reduce them all, and it does an admirable job.
You get smart Controlshift controls located under each armrest that allow you to unlock or lock the recline, and raise and lower the chair for the optimum seating position. The armrests, however, don’t have a huge amount of adjustment, so if you’re looking for something with as many armrest settings as possible, the Secretlab Titan Evo might be more up your street.
The real kicker on top of that excellent spinal support, however, is the build quality. Its industrial-inspired design isn’t just to help it look great in a modern office setting (which it really does), but to ensure that this chair will go the distance. It’s remarkably tough and well-made, with a 12-year warranty that should go some way to offsetting concerns about its price.
At $1,169/£774, the NeueChair isn’t cheap. But like the Logitech G x Herman Miller Embody above, what you’re spending your money on here is something that is designed to stand the test of time, with a warranty to prove it. It’s handsome, robust, supportive, and business-like, which makes it the best office chair overall.
Read our full NeueChair review.
The best affordable office chair
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Buy if…
✅ You want endlessly adjustable comfort: The ThunderX3 Flex Pro moves in almost every dimension you can think of, mostly without you even having to think about it
Don’t buy if…
❌ You want an office chair that supports excellent posture: The lumbar support is great, but I struggled to get the Flex Pro to adjust around a really straight spine.
The bottom line
💺 The ThunderX3 Flex Pro maybe has a bit of an identity problem, being some sort of halfway house between a task chair and a standard gaming chair, but that actually works to its advantage. It has a lot of the benefits of an office seat, but the relaxed comfort of a leaning-back-to-play gaming chair.
Okay, maybe the ThunderX3 Flex Pro can’t quite make up its mind exactly what sort of chair it is, but honestly that actually plays right into a PC gamer’s hands. Or buttocks, even. With a dizzying total of 19 different “dimensions of adjustment” the chair is certainly playing to our choir of experts, offering consistent support as you move around in the Flex Pro.
With so many different moving parts you can really feeling it shifting around to accommodate you as you fidget around in the ergonomically recommended way every half hour or so.
And with lumbar and head/neck support, shifting seatpan, and continuous recline mechanism, the Flex Pro comes with a lot of different features you will generally find in serious office-based task chairs. Though, in reality, we found that it didn’t quite work as well as the Neuechair in terms of providing a true active posture for working at a desk, which would normlly earn it a black mark, and a place in the ‘Also tested’ section.
That’s not to say it isn’t supportive when you are in work mode, the back and lumbar support sections capably prop you up while you might be typing away, but, because of that incredible flexibility and the stellar lumbar support, as soon as you kick back and relax in it, the ThunderX3 Flex Pro becomes an excellent tasky gaming chair.
It’s an incredibly comfortable chair to sit back with a gamepad and play on, and still retains enough support to remain a decent option for the work day.
And even though there are myriad moving parts that doesn’t make it a nightmare to build. It doesn’t come fully realised, with fully six major components to put together, but it only took us around 30 minutes solo work to get it up, rolling, and reclining.
If you’re after the range of task chair features without paying Neuechair or Steelcase money, then the Flex Pro gets you most of the way there on a bit of a budget. Okay, it’s not cheap, but it is around half the price of those other brands. But where it stands out is that it can really compete with other primarily gaming chairs when it comes to reclined comfort, and not all office chairs are able to do that.
Read our full ThunderX3 Flex Pro review.
Also tested
How we test gaming chairs
Let’s face it, we spend a lot of time here at PC Gamer sitting on our butts. And that makes us perfect candidates for testing gaming chairs. We will dedicate a significant amount of time to parking our posteriors in a variety of gaming and office chairs when it comes to testing them out, because it’s only really by using a chair over an extended period that you get to know where it supports you and where it might be lacking.
Of course, the first step is about building your chair; most gaming chairs come in various stages of disassembly and you’ll have to put them together yourself. This process can already tell an experienced reviewer a lot about both the quality of the materials being used in the chair, and about the finished article’s overall quality, too. If it’s stripping thread when you’re screwing in bolts, or parts are loose when they should be tight, then you can already tell something might be missing.
We also use each of the gaming chairs we test as our main working seat for the time that we are testing a chair. That way, we can get a feel for what it would be like to actually live with a particular piece of gaming furniture, as we would if we’d purchased it ourselves.
It also means that we can test the longevity of things like the different levers and controls over time, too. We’ve had issues where some cheaper brands had plastic levers that just wouldn’t last, and where seat materials fail when used for extended periods of time.
And it means we can tell how it makes us feel after using a particular chair for a while. Now, that’s not about some emotional connection with a seat, but with ergonomics being such a vital part of gaming chairs when it comes to your overall physical health, this long-term testing is important for us to tell when something doesn’t feel right in our own bodies while we’re using a chair. Conversely, when something fits you as though it’s been made especially for you, then you know you’ve found a genuinely quality gaming chair.
And value is key to us as well. A chair doesn’t have to be cheap, but so long as it feels like it’s worth the money you’re being expected to pay, then it has value.
Our panel of ergonomics experts
Collectively, here on PC Gamer, we’ve spent hundreds of human hours testing a host of different gaming chairs. We have a lot of experience and have built up a whole lot of expertise on the subject. That puts us in a great position to be able to let you know why some chairs are better than others, and to be able to pick out the absolute best options in the different categories.
But we can’t just rely on our own expertise when it comes to putting your body on the line when you’re spending hours sat in a seat. So we’ve recently got in touch with several trained and certified ergonomists, and interviewed them on what makes a great gaming chair, what you should be looking out for, and how to spend time at your desk without putting your body in peril.
Three of our experts are from companies that specialise in manufacturing ergonomically fit chairs, and one independent physical and occupational therapist.
Kevin Butler, MS, CPE, Fitwel Amb.
Kevin Butler is a Board Certified Professional Ergonomist who holds both a Bachelors and Masters Degree in Industrial Engineering. Although Kevin has extensive experience as an ergonomics consultant, for the last several years he has been almost completely dedicated to the holistic topic of Wellbeing. While Kevin’s primary role at Steelcase began in understanding the meaning of workplace Wellbeing by bench-marking and best-practice-sharing, it has evolved into maximizing his knowledge and expertise as a practitioner. This is realized by assisting organizations of varying sizes in the design and implementation of their Ergonomic and Wellness program development efforts, always striving to leverage the workplace as a resource to increase both individual and organization Wellbeing.
Jonathan Puleio, M.Sc. CPE
Jonathan is a board certified professional ergonomist who holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in human factors and ergonomics from Cornell University. He has extensive experience in the areas of occupational health & safety, musculoskeletal injury prevention, software usability and workplace design. Jonathan has worked with the International Standards Organization (ISO) on the development of international ergonomic standards for office environments and holds several U.S. patents for the design of ergonomic work tools.
Dr. John Gallucci Jr. MS, ATC, PT, DPT
Dr. Gallucci Jr. is President and CEO of JAG Physical Therapy, one of the fastest-growing comprehensive physical and occupational therapy practices providing rehabilitative care to patients and sports teams in over 160 locations throughout the Northeast. He has significantly impacted his field in the Tri-State area and holds a national presence in the sports medicine community. A noted published author, Gallucci released his first book, Soccer Injury Prevention and Treatment, in May 2014. His second book, Play Ball: Don’t Let Injuries Sideline You This Season, was released on May 1, 2018. His third book, The JAG Method, was released on October 10th, 2023.
Dr. Jordan Tsai
Dr Tsai started gaming at the age of five on the original NES and was immediately hooked. He served three years in the Army, including a deployment to Iraq before going back to school. He graduated from USC’s #1 ranked Doctorate of Physical Therapy program in 2018 and started working with Cloud9 that year. Since then, he has been on staff with three LCS Championship teams with five total titles so far. His mission is to help gamers of every level practice habits that will enable them to continue playing pain-free as long as possible.
What you should look for in a chair according to the experts
Look for a chair that keeps you supported and moving.
Kevin Butler
We can provide advice on what gaming chair to buy based on our experience, comparative pricing, comfort, and build quality, but when it comes to the science of ergonomics there are clear, objective things that you should always be looking for in a new gaming chair purchase. Our ergonomic experts are unified on the main thing that you need to consider, though.
“Look for a chair that keeps you supported and moving,” says Kevin Butler. “Long gaming sessions demand a seat that adapts to your body, not the other way around.”
And that’s what Secretlab’s advisor, Dr. Tsai notes, too. “You want a chair that gives you room to naturally move about and able to provide support for your body at the same time. Because when you’re able to shift and change your sitting position regularly, you will naturally adopt comfortable positions as needed.”
Jonathan Puleio, global VP at Humanscale agrees, stating that: “Movement and postural variation are critical for maintaining long-term comfort and health. Consider chairs that have self-adjusting features such as weight sensitive recline mechanisms and form-sensing mesh.”
Dr. Gallucci, however, is more concerned with adjustability. “The most important thing to look for in a chair is ergonomic adjustability. A good chair should support your posture for long periods without causing discomfort or fatigue. That means it should allow you to adjust the seat height, seat pan depth, armrests, lumbar support and backrest tilt.”
“Because we’re all built differently,” agrees Dr.Tsai, “adjustments are key to tailoring the chair to best match your needs. That’s why it’s not just about whether they have certain features, but to what degree of adjustments said features actually give us.”
The advice has previously been that there is an ideal posture, but as Dr. Stuart McGill, Professor Emeritus of Waterloo and expert in back pain, notes in the study Secretlab links from its site: The science of stress: How to reduce back pain while sitting (.pdf warning), “this may be the ideal sitting posture, but for no longer than 10minutes!”
“Tissue loads must be migrated from tissue to tissue to minimize the risk of any single tissue accumulating microtrauma,” Dr. McGill continues. “This is accomplished by changing posture. Thus, an ergonomic chair is one that facilitates easy posture changes over a variety of joint angles.”
Therefore, you need to be looking for a chair that can accommodate a range of movement and a range of different seating positions. For years, I assumed that my favourite sitting posture, with one leg crossed beneath me, was dreadful. And yes, it would be if I stuck to it, but so long as you are changing positions regularly, sitting cross-legged can be an effective posture, too.
How you should sit at a desk
We have spoken with ergonomists in the past about the ‘right’ way to sit at a desk, and the general guidelines remain largely the same, except with more emphasis now on movement being key to continued physical health.
Dr. John Gallucci Jr. CEO of JAG Physical Therapy, told me recently that “a good rule of thumb is to stand or move every 30–60 minutes. Even just a quick stretch, short walk or posture reset can reduce the strain on your back, hips and neck. During the workday, even on your busiest days, it’s good to get up for a micro-break—motion is medicine!”
Recommendations of these micro-breaks can be as simple as standing from the chair and maintaining a relaxed standing posture for 10 to 20 seconds. During this break if you perform some neck rolls and arm windmills you can help relieve neck and shoulder discomfort from sitting at your desk desk.
Secretlab’s advisor and founder of Respawn Therapy, Dr. Jordan Tsai, had similar advice on that point. “You want to create “micro-breaks” for your body by introducing movement, and switching between sitting positions is an incredibly effective way to do this. I usually recommend my patients to:
- Vary their sitting positions every hour at a minimum. Listening to your own body is also key. If you feel like you need to raise a leg for a bit, then you should!
- A simple exercise to do while sitting would be to move your trunk in each direction: forward, backward, and side to side—to the limit of their range of motion, ideally once every hour.
- Stand up and walk around for a few minutes every 2-3 hours as well.“
But when you are sat down, there are some key things to consider to ensure that you are at least starting out with the ‘correct’ posture. Even if it is advisable to be constantly shifting around in your chair—fidgeting is good for you—considering these initial pointers is a great starting position for your seated posture.
- Your knees should be bent at 90 degrees, and your feet flat on the floor.
- Your elbows should be level with your desk and close to your body (meaning that you shouldn’t have to extend your arms to reach your mouse and keyboard).
- Your shoulders should be relaxed.
- Your lower back should be supported. If your chair doesn’t have built-in lumbar support, a small pillow can do the job.
- Your monitor should be positioned such that you don’t have to tilt your head up, with the top monitor bezel level with your eyes.
- Unlock the backrest of the chair and adjust the tension to allow for movement.
- Adjust the seatpan such that there is at least two inches of clearance behind the back of the knee.
- Stay in motion: Even small shifts throughout your session make a big difference.
- A great gaming chair should support every move, from clutch plays to mid-match breaks.
One other bit of advice for the dudes out there is that if you still carry a wallet, and it resides in your back pocket, you should remove it before you sit down. We’ve been told that some experiments have even used a wallet in the back pocket to intentionally create back pain in a subject.
And finally, if you’re trying to avoid back pain from long hours of sitting at your desk, you ought to do some sort of physical exercise in the middle of the day, even if that’s just a short walk. Go walk the dog, for example.
Best gaming chairs FAQ
Five things I always tell people before they buy their first gaming chair
Are gaming chairs actually bad?
Between our articles about the effects of sitting down on your body and our experimentation with standing desks, you might think PC Gamer has fallen out of love with the humble chair.
That could not be further from the truth.
As gamers and office workers, we spend a significant chunk of each day sitting on our money makers in front of screens. Given that most of us don’t plan to change that anytime soon, it only makes sense to do so in a great chair. So that’s what I set out to find.
We wanted to find chairs that maximized comfort, support, and value. We spoke with Melissa Afterman, MS CPE, a Senior Principal Ergonomist with VSI Risk Management & Ergonomics, Inc., who specializes in workstation setups.
“Absolutely, chairs are still okay,” she told me. “Yes, we know that sitting too long is bad for you. The reality is that standing too long is just as bad for you, so the answer is movement. Taking breaks, getting up at least every hour and moving, or changing your position from standing to sitting every hour so that you’re not standing too long either.”
“If you’re typing and working at the computer, you really want more upright support so that you can maintain neutral spine posture and let the chair hold you up,” she said. “But when you switch to a gaming mode, you may want to recline a little bit to relax your lower back while still having good support in that position. So a locking backrest and/or some tension control is important.”
Another feature to look for, though it tends to be found on more expensive models, is a seat pan slider. This enables you to slide the positioning of your butt forwards or backward relative to the backrest.
Are gaming chairs really worth it?
The best gaming chairs will complete your PC setup, not just from an aesthetic point of view, but because you will likely be spending hours sitting in front of your machine, which means they will give you the support needed to keep your spine healthy, too.
Is a gaming chair better than an office chair?
Nope! You can find good or bad examples of both, and believe us there are plenty. That said, some office chairs are great for gaming and vice versa, and there are ‘office chairs’, like the Herman Miller Embody, that blend the line between both.
Really it’s about finding what’s right for you, and a lot of the time that’s a gaming chair because, let’s be honest, you like the look of it. That’s a perfectly good reason to make that decision, just make sure you’re not sacrificing comfort and ergonomics for style and flair.
A cheap office chair can be a great pick if you want to save cash and be comfy.
Are gaming chairs good for your posture?
The best gaming chairs look out for you and your back. When it comes to chair design, lumbar support is vital. The first thing you should look for in a new gaming chair is whether it has any built-in support to help your body maintain an ideal posture. Some even come with lumbar support pillows that work to some extent. Multi-adjustable armrests, upholstery, and general style are also important; note these features aren’t cheap.
That said, a gaming chair can’t do everything. The best gaming chairs encourage good posture, but the other half of the equation is on you to stick to it.
Does every gaming chair fit every body type?
Different chair models accommodate different heights and weights, so make sure to check your fit. Look at the width and depth of the seat, too. Some chairs claim that you should sit cross-legged, but that depends on your size and leg length.