Updated at: 24-07-2023 - By: Leo Hall

Do you want to buy a new gaming chair but are concerned about the differences between it and an ordinary office chair? If so, you’ve stumbled upon the correct webpage.

Having a gaming chair can elevate your gaming experience to a whole new level of sophistication and coolness. However, do not be fooled by the advertising of gaming chair producers.

While there are certainly advantages to using a gaming chair, it may not be the best option for you. Before shelling out your hard-earned cash on a gaming chair, there are a few glaring issues you should think about.

Truth be told, I have no intention of ripping into gaming chairs or discouraging you from purchasing one. I’m just going to tell you the ups and downs of gaming chairs. So, let’s not waste any more time and get down to business.

1. Customer Expectations

To me, the gamer themselves is the primary source of the issue when it comes to gaming chairs. Customer expectations for the value of a product are a common source of disappointment for retailers, and gaming chairs appear to be particularly susceptible to this trend.

Customers have unrealistic expectations of what a gaming chair can do for them. Many buyers mistakenly believe that spending $300 on a gaming chair guarantees them one of the highest quality models available. Obviously, that won’t work. If you want a low-end office chair, you can get one for $300.

I’m not trying to imply that $300 is a negligible sum of money, but if you’re looking to furnish an entire office with chairs, $300 won’t get you very far. Buying a car is the best analogy I have for this situation. The sum of $10,000 is substantial. However, if you want to buy a new car but only have $10,000, you won’t be able to afford a luxury model. The same holds true for chairs in the workplace.

Cheap office chairs typically cost $300 or less. Standard chairs cost between $300 and $700.00. The standard for a luxury chair is $700 or more. The most luxurious chairs can run you a thousand dollars or more. If you keep this in mind as you shop for a gaming chair, you should have a good idea of what features and specifications to look for at different price points.

2. Bucket Seat Design is Not Functional

Most gaming chairs have a bucket seat design with side bolsters, which is the first major drawback. Since the original inspiration for gaming chairs was for use while playing racing games, this style has persisted in the industry. The goal of designing a chair to look like a car seat was to make the user feel more at home in the setting.

The seats in race cars are made to keep you in place even during the sharpest of turns. There’s a good reason for the bucket seat and the pronounced side bolsters. They help you avoid distractions while driving by preventing movement within the vehicle.

This sort of design for a chair makes sense for use in racing simulators because the chair is constantly being moved around. If you’re playing a racing game in an arcade for a few minutes before moving on to another game, this layout could make sense. The layout isn’t practical for playing video games on a computer or console.

3. Side Bolsters are Uncomfortable

A gaming chair’s side bolsters are an annoyance. The seat’s side bolsters are the first noticeable issue. Metal, with minimal padding, forms the lateral bolsters. The bolsters are not meant to support your legs, so don’t do that. Unless you happen to be extremely slim, this is an inevitable consequence of the narrow nature of most gaming chair seats.

The seat’s side bolsters not only prevent you from sitting in the most comfortable positions, but also restrict your mobility. You can’t cross your legs or prop up one leg on the seat because you can’t use the sides of the seat. The bucket seat with side bolsters prevents you from sitting in the more natural position preferred by many gamers.

Not only are the seat’s side bolsters uncomfortable, but so are the backrest bolsters. You’re dealing with the same basic issue, only it’s manifesting in your shoulders instead. For prolonged use, your shoulders will be pushed forward on most gaming chairs with bolsters on the sides of the back.

4. Designed for Small, Slender Builds

Gaming chairs, in general, are small and can only support a limited amount of weight. It’s not uncommon to find gaming chairs with weight limits or recommended weight limits of 220 pounds or less. Heavy-duty chairs are both more difficult to come by and more costly to purchase.

Most gaming chairs have a narrow design, and those that do have side bolsters are even less suitable for people of larger stature. Almost every chair we’ve tried is best suited for users with a lean or athletic build.

5. Low Quality, Basic Tilt Mechanisms

The simplest mechanism is standard on almost all gaming chairs. The mechanism is the metal piece attached to the base of your chair that enables features like a height-adjustable seat. Swivel tilt, also known as center tilt, is the simplest mechanism.

The chair can be rocked in either of two directions from a pivot point located directly under the seat’s center. Because your knees and feet will be lifted as you rock back, this mechanism is considered to be of the lowest quality. Your feet might leave the ground if you rock back too far. The discomfort caused by banging your knees on your desk when you rock back is not worth the potential ergonomic benefits.

Swivel tilt mechanisms also have the highest amount of effort needed to rock back and forth. We can begin to grasp this concept if we visualize them as a knee tilt mechanism. The chair can be tilted forward or backward from the area behind the knees, thanks to a knee tilt mechanism. You can rock back with considerably less effort if you position your body so that your center of gravity is behind the pivot.

Last but not least, you should know that many gaming chairs have subpar swivel tilt mechanisms. Some swivel tilt mechanisms are superior to others. It takes a lot of effort to rock back the bad ones, and adjusting the tension doesn’t help. After doing so, you’ll be left with a chair that looks like it should rock but doesn’t.

6. Low-End Builds

Most gaming chairs share the trait of being made with cheap materials and often being mass-produced by unskilled labor. The majority of chairs are made in China, where factories often mass-produce inexpensive pieces.

Video game chairs tend to share design elements. Due to this, many people believe that all gaming chairs come from the same factory in China and are renamed. Not at all true. Instead, hundreds of manufacturers worldwide all produce some variation on the same basic design. There is a flood of chairs with the same design onto the market because so many factories are producing them.

Low-priced plastic is a common material for chairs. It’s common to find wooden chair seats and backs. Due to lax testing standards, the metal and the moving parts are not always as sturdy. The majority of time, the gaming chair material is of poor quality. One of the best ways to save money on upholstery is to use a low-quality vinyl.

The same holds true for the foam. The seat foam on a high-quality chair will be custom-molded to fit the contours of the chair’s pan. Mismatched and misshapen foam is a common problem in some gaming chairs. It’s not supposed to be durable or retain its form for very long.

Unfortunately, gaming chairs are often poorly made and lack attention to detail. Negative gaming chair reviews frequently highlight flaws like crooked logos, loose stitching, and dirty upholstery, all of which we observed firsthand in the chairs we brought in for testing.

7. Paying for Looks

Keep in mind that the bulk of your chair budget will likely be allocated toward the chair’s aesthetics. Stitched-on logos or text raise prices significantly. This also applies to multicolored chairs. Using patterned upholstery or upholsteries in a variety of colors has a higher price tag.

The chair’s design mimics that of a racing car seat at your expense, but it serves no practical purpose. Many of the features that increase the price of a gaming chair do not contribute to your comfort or good posture.

As one drops in price, this becomes more of an issue. Putting a team logo on a $500 chair for an extra $50 isn’t a huge price to pay for improved coolness. However, if the chair costs $150, spending an additional $50 is a significant portion of the value. The chair won’t have much room to move around.

The presentation also plays a role in this. Companies that manufacture gaming chairs sometimes spend a lot of time and money making the box and packaging stand out from the competition. This adds to the fun of unboxing and communicates that this is a premium item.

8. Poor Lumbar Support

An adjustable lumbar pillow support is a feature found on the vast majority of gaming chairs. The pad is adjustable in height thanks to the straps that hold it in place. Lumbar support cushions are standard equipment for gamers’ chairs. The backs of most gaming chairs are not designed to provide any sort of support for the lower back. This again points to the shoddy construction.

A great way to save money is to use a chair with a flat back instead of one that has a lumbar support system built in. Pillows are more affordable than built-in lumbar support, but they don’t provide the same level of comfort or support.

Everyone has different preferences when it comes to how plump their pillows should be. Some people will find the pillow to be too soft, while others will find it to be too hard, regardless of how you make it. This is why high-quality ergonomic chairs typically feature a lumbar adjustment mechanism or a curved backrest to alleviate pressure on the lower back. The chair can be adjusted so that it fits the user perfectly. A pillow won’t permit that.

Another issue with the pillow and straps setup is that the straps don’t reliably keep the pillow in place. When you get up or sit down, the pillow usually shifts. Leaning forward and shifting in your seat can also cause it to shift.

9. Short Warranties

The average warranty length for a gaming chair is less than two years. A two-year warranty on an office chair is relatively short compared to other types of office seating. That’s to be expected, given the high quality of the chair itself.

A manufacturer’s willingness to stand behind their office chair with a solid warranty is usually indicative of the product’s quality. High-end seating typically comes with a lengthy guarantee of between 10 and 15 years. The foam and fabric on some chairs in the middle price range may not be covered for up to five years. The average warranty length for a low-end chair is between two and three years.

10. Lack of Adjustments

When compared to ergonomic desk chairs, gaming chairs offer fewer customization options. The mechanisms we discussed earlier are the first step. You can’t lock the tilt in multiple positions, use synchro tilt, or tilt the seat forward because of your simple swivel mechanism.

The fixed position of your seat and backrest is another feature of the bucket seat design. The design of the bucket seat does not allow for any kind of depth or back height adjustment. This is a major hurdle in the way of a gaming chair being adaptable to a wide variety of users.

The biggest difference between gaming chairs and ergonomic chairs is that the latter have more flexible arm rests than the former do. Most chairs designed for gaming can only be adjusted in height at the arms. For some, there is absolutely no room for improvement. Chairs with three or four possible arm placements are unusual in the gaming industry.

Armrests that can be adjusted in three or four different ways are available. The arms can be adjusted to the most relaxed position in this way. Because of the fixed nature of a gaming chair’s arms, you’ll have to modify your body rather than the chair.

11. No range of movement

The restricted motion of most chairs designed for video gaming is the last issue we’ll consider. There has been a significant shift in the office furniture industry in recent years toward encouraging workers to stand and move around more during the workday.

More and more research confirms that sitting for long periods of time is harmful to health, and this is supported by anecdotal evidence. Because of this, active seating products like standing desk converters, adjustable height desks, and active chairs have experienced a dramatic uptick in popularity.

Even regular office chairs aren’t exempt from this rule. There has been a recent surge in the availability of chairs that promote mobility while you’re seated. Chairs with adjustable frames, mesh upholstery, and kinetic mechanisms help you avoid getting stuck in the same position for hours on end.

The racing seat’s layout goes against this line of thinking. The purpose of the bucket seat design was previously discussed; while sitting, you are meant to be held firmly in place. The frame is sturdy, and the bolsters on the side help you stay put. For extended periods, this is not good for you.

12. Uncomfortable Side Bolsters

The standard design of a gaming chair looks awesome but is actually quite uncomfortable. The chairs typically have thin padding and a metal frame. The discomfort they cause is well worth the effort required to avoid them with your legs. Since the middle section isn’t exactly roomy, most users will inevitably bump up against the bolsters on either side.

This is because most gaming chairs are styled after bucket seats used in motorsports. Even the best race car drivers won’t want to spend too much time in one of these seats. Both the backrest and the seat may have bolsters, and you may feel the same degree of discomfort from either.

13. Not Conducive to All Body Types

It was mentioned before that not everyone has a foolproof method for avoiding the side bolsters. The gaming chair’s narrow middle makes it uncomfortable for people who aren’t particularly slim. If the difference was inconsequential, then there wouldn’t be a problem. Most ergonomic gaming chairs are designed for small, slim people, and this is readily apparent.

Generally, the maximum allowable weight is around 220 pounds. There are many gaming chairs that are even lower than this. While there are certainly a lot of gamers who are the right size and shape, the same cannot be said for a sizable minority. Some people are over 6 feet tall, 3 feet wide, or 220 pounds heavy. The problem of an accommodating gaming chair is, unfortunately, compounded by the design of the side bolster itself.

14. Adjustability Features Are Limited

The majority of gaming chairs are not designed to be easily modified. You can make minor adjustments in an effort to make your playtime more comfortable, but you’ll inevitably run into restrictions. The tilt mechanism on many of these chairs is quite simplistic, so you won’t find any extras like a forward seat tilt or a tilt lock that allows you to lock the chair into a variety of positions to improve your quality of life.

The ability to adjust the backrest is also rarely seen in gaming chairs. A wider range of adjustment would have been useful for accommodating different body types, despite the slim profile.

Armrests add to this effect. The armrests on many chairs designed for gaming are fixed in place. Those that can usually only make vertical adjustments.

15. Lumbar Support Is Poor

This is one of the major transgressions committed by gaming chairs. There is usually very little, if any, support for the lower back. The most assistance you’ll get is a bound cushion meant to improve your posture while seated. The pad is secured to the chair with straps and can be adjusted in height.

Despite its undeniable usefulness, a standard pillow simply can’t replace the preventative benefits of a lumbar support designed to accommodate your unique spine’s natural curvature. The included pillow is supposed to make things more bearable, but the straps aren’t exactly the most reliable, so it often ends up dangling loose.

16. Sedentary Lifestyle Encouragement

The dangers of adopting a sedentary lifestyle have been, and will continue to be, revealed by scientific inquiry. Despite the fact that the majority of these reports focus on the workplace, gamers frequently face analogous situations. In this regard, one of the major drawbacks of gaming chairs is the restrictions placed on your mobility.

Gaming chairs continue to promote lounging around and remaining seated for long periods, while office furniture has progressively leaned towards designs that encourage movement and standing.

17. Gaming Chairs Are Uncomfortable for Long-Time Use 

Always keep in mind that a gaming chair is still just a chair. The quality of the chair, like that of any other product, will determine how satisfied you are with it.

If you’re going to be sitting in one spot for several hours a day while playing video games, a gaming chair may be the best option. While seated, your spine will be supported, allowing you to relax and feel better. As a result, you’ll be full of pep.

However, sitting in a gaming chair for many hours at a time while working may not be the best idea. There’s a good reason why you won’t find trendy gaming chairs in a rainbow of office colors anywhere in the world.

To begin, unlike high-end office chairs, gaming chairs don’t typically have a wide range of adjustment options or extensive padding. Spending long periods of time in a chair will eventually become unpleasant, even if it initially felt fine.

In addition, the backs of gaming chairs don’t offer any lumbar support. To be continued… The lack of lumbar support and adjustment options makes it uncomfortable to use for extended periods of time, such as when playing video games or working at a desk.

18. Gaming Chairs are Oversized for Short People 

Despite claims that their gaming chairs are comfortable for gamers of all sizes, the reality is that this is not the case. Most gaming seats are designed for those who are a normal height (between 5’7″ and 5’9″).

That’s not to mention the fact that it may not apply to many of the most common types of gaming chairs. And unlike office chairs, there isn’t a wide range of sizes available for gaming chairs. It’s important to note that a female user is more likely to be classified as having a large size than a male user.

Therefore, the standard gaming chairs are too big for someone with a small stature (males under 5’7″ and females under 5’3″).

As well as that, There is nothing worse than having to sit in a chair that is too big for you. It will restrict your ability to access your computer and its accessories. It will also make it awkward to lean back occasionally.

However, there are a select few models of high-end gaming chairs that work well for people of varying heights and sizes thanks to their ridged and contoured frames. The is a fantastic instance of such a chair. Chair for competitive video gaming developed by Secretlab.

19. The Lumbar Pillows Are Not Good Enough for Posture 

Lack of adjustability is a common complaint about gaming chairs. Discomfort in the lower back. Gaming chairs may be an improvement over some of the less expensive models of office chairs with respect to lumbar support, but they still leave much to be desired.

Pillows designed to alleviate pressure on the lower back are standard equipment on most gaming chairs. These lumbar pillows are designed to help you maintain a healthy posture by supporting your lower back, hips, and shoulders in their natural curves.

However, most lumbar cushions we’ve seen on gaming chairs are too thick to read. Lumbar supports on office chairs are typically more reasonable in size. However, most desk chairs have a lumbar support that can be adjusted to fit your needs.

In addition to that… Without a dedicated lumbar support system, a lumbar pillow can never provide adequate back alignment. This could cause a variety of health problems, including back and shoulder pain.

The lumbar pillows also have the disadvantage of their chairs have restraints on them and you can’t always count on those straps. That’s why pillows constantly fall off your lap during your sitting sessions.

20. They Have Limited Adjustable Features

A gaming chair is not meant to be adjusted, so keep that in mind. Despite features like height adjustment, tilt, and 4D armrests, the adjustability of gaming chairs isn’t on par with that of high-end office chairs.

A gaming chair may appear to have a tilt adjustment feature, but upon closer inspection, you discover that it is actually just a marketing gimmick. Tilt Mechanism, Primitive that serves little practical purpose. It’s possible it wouldn’t have even happened. Multiple-position lockable tilt.

Vertically adjustable armrests are a standard feature on most gaming chairs. In addition, only a select few high-end gaming chair models offer fully-adjustable armrests.

21. Pervasive Marketing Campaigns 

All the buzz about gaming chairs has probably got you thinking about buying one. Arcade seats are the ideal items for advertising. They are sleek, mimic race car seats, and are designed specifically for gamers.

However, this is a classic case of form over function. You’ll get what you pay for in terms of ergonomics, comfort, and usability if you buy a chair based solely on its appearance.

Manufacturers of gaming chairs frequently skimp on quality in favor of aesthetics. An ergonomic office chair, like the Herman Miller Aeron or Steelcase Leap, would cost about the same as a standard gaming chair.

Don’t be fooled by advertising; instead, make an informed choice.

22. Don’t Come with Mesh Back Design 

Following the style of racing car seats, it is common practice in the gaming industry to construct a gaming chair out of PU leather or another type of leather.

Since most gaming chairs take their cues from racing car seats, they typically feature a leather upholstery instead of a Mesh Back or Fabric Back.

Most modern desk chairs have a mesh back design. Mesh-back designs are popular in contemporary office chairs because they are breathable, supportive, easy to clean, and comfortable.

Since gaming chairs are intended to be used for extended periods of time, sitting in a leather chair that doesn’t allow for adequate air circulation will negatively impact your gaming experience.

Mesh material allows for maximum ventilation. There aren’t many options for gaming chairs that have a mesh back.

23. Looks More or Less The Same

While the thrill of sitting in a gaming chair is undeniable, the uniformity of their bucket seats means that they all look the same.

Despite minor design tweaks, the majority of gaming chairs are based on the same basic frame.

The majority of gaming chairs are upholstered in leather and may feature stripes, contrasting colors, or other visual cues. They look similar because of the bucket seat design, but each has its own unique style.

24. Don’t Offer Adjustable Headrest

Possibility of altering the Any person who spends extended periods of time seated in a chair, whether for gaming or otherwise, should have access to a comfortable headrest.

Having a headrest that can be adjusted to your preferred height will greatly improve your sitting comfort.

While many gaming chairs do provide some sort of headrest, it’s usually just a pillow rather than the fully adjustable variety found in regular office chairs.

25. Upholstery Of Budget Gaming Chairs Are Not Durable

Cheap gaming chairs can be purchased for $100-$150. These chairs look like premium gaming chairs but are priced much more reasonably.

However, after only a few months of use, the upholstery on these cheap gaming chairs begins to crack. In order to reduce production costs, most of these chairs are made with PU leather, which is of a low quality.

Cheap gaming chairs do not have more durable upholstery in the long run.

You should look for a higher-quality gaming chair that is within your price range if you are in the market for a new chair.

26. Built-In Casters Are Usually Not Good

Most gaming chairs, like office chairs, aren’t equipped with sturdy caster wheels. I’ve seen a lot of gaming seats that don’t roll very smoothly.

Moreover, the vast majorityCarpeted floors may be damaged by the wheels of gaming chairs.Using a chair designed for gaming on carpet is risky business due to the wheels.

This article will teach you how to prevent damage to your carpet from gaming chairs.

27. Assembly Difficulties

It’s common knowledge that Herman Miller office chairs require no assembly upon arrival. However, the vast majority of gaming chairs do not.

So, you might think it’s not worth the trouble to put together a gaming chair. It can be challenging if you have never assembled chairs before.

If you buy a gaming chair from a less reputable manufacturer, it may arrive damaged or missing components. It’s a major pain in the neck. However, this is a common occurrence.

I’ve also heard that some gaming chairs don’t have instructions on how to put them together. Assembly of such seating can be time-consuming.

Make sure the gaming chair comes with a clear manual before making a purchase. If not, putting the parts together can be a major hassle.

28. Faulty Hydraulics

A gaming chair’s hydraulics are crucial to a comfortable sitting experience. Many gamers have complained to me about malfunctioning hydraulics in their chairs.

If the hydraulics in your gaming chair aren’t working properly, you may experience jerky motions whenever you try to alter the seat height.

This issue is most common in gaming chairs that cost less than $60.

Hydraulics don’t provide adequate support in these types of gaming chairs. Problems, such as the seat deflating soon after being raised, are possible.

A serious problem exists here. Before you buy a gaming chair, you should give its hydraulics a thorough inspection.

29. Lack of Padding in the Seating Area

The comfort level increases with padding. The ideal amount of padding should be present in the chair’s seat and armrests. If not, your sitting experience is almost guaranteed to deteriorate.

Can you, as a gamer, picture yourself sitting on a chair so hard that you can feel every fiber of your butt while you play? Most likely not.

I have sat in a number of chairs with inadequate padding, particularly in the seat. Padded seats are a must for any gaming chair.

You should look elsewhere if you discover a gaming chair with inadequate padding.

30. Not Good For Office Use:

Most workplaces opt for more conventional office chairs rather than gaming chairs due to the former’s unprofessional appearance.

The bright colors of gaming chairs make them inappropriate for use in a business setting.

While a gaming chair does provide many of the same ergonomic benefits as an office chair, its style makes it unsuitable for work.

FAQS:

What’s wrong with gaming chairs?

Because gaming chairs are designed to look cool and ignore healthy ergonomic principles, some actually encourage bad posture. Their backrests are rigid, and the lumbar support can’t be adjusted to a comfortable level for most people.

Do gaming chairs cause back problems?

When compared to less expensive office or task chairs, gaming chairs do offer some back support, so the short answer is “yes.” Typical features of gaming chairs, such as a high backrest and neck pillow, are excellent for promoting healthy spinal alignment and back support.

Conclusion:

Chairs designed specifically for video gaming are not only useful, but essential. A gaming chair is ideal if you want a seat that looks like it was taken straight from the track or if you need a piece of furniture to complete your gaming rig. They’re stylish, unusual, and permit you to furnish an entire chair in any number of colors and patterns. Brand logos, team logos, or no logo at all are all options.

In most cases, however, you’d be better off spending the same amount of money on a standard office chair and not worrying about how it looks. It will typically be more durable, flexible, and well-protected. Most of the time, ergonomic chairs are more comfortable and accommodating than gaming chairs.

Understanding the differences between a gaming chair and an ergonomic office chair is essential for setting realistic expectations. You can easily determine if a gaming chair is the best option for you if you are aware of the drawbacks.