For the hardcore gamer, a quality gaming chair is essential. When you’re sitting on your keyster for hours on end, small pressure points and inadequate support can cause discomfort that gets worse from day to day, literally cramping your style. If you finish a gaming session and your body feels like you’ve been working on a construction site, you need to upgrade your chair.
To find the most comfortable gaming chair on the market, we’ve turned to three different subreddits. We’ve parlayed with the paragons of PC gaming at r/pcgaming, we’ve gabbed with the gear gurus at r/pcmasterrace, and we’ve consulted with the console connoisseurs at r/gaming. At the end of the day, we’ve come up with eight popular Amazon gaming chair choices that these communities can agree on.
When it comes to any kind of accessories, including the best gaming chair, Reddit users are just like anybody else. Some are more focused on price and value, while others are willing to spend whatever is necessary to get a chair with all the bells and whistles. As a result, we’ve listed a few cheap gaming chairs along with a handful of more full-featured options.
The Merax Racing Gaming Chair is a chair worthy of a gaming king.
Check Prices On AmazonThe Merax Racing Gaming Chair is our top choice for one reason: it’s exceptionally comfortable. The padding on the seat is thick and cushy, and the back is very wide, with fat wings that allow you to shift from side to side while still maintaining support. The lumbar support is also wide and thick, and can be adjusted from top to bottom. The head cushion can be removed if you like, but it’s so soft that most people will prefer to leave it on.
This chair has an extendable footrest. You can put your feet up while you’re gaming on a console, then let the footrest down when you’re seated at your desk. It also reclines to 175 degrees, which is as close to horizontal as you can get without actually going horizontal.
We really liked the armrests on the Merax. While they’re not adjustable, they do float and pivot as you recline, so the armrests will remain in a comfortable, level position regardless of whether you’re sitting straight up or leaning back.
A word of warning: this chair only supports 250 pounds. While it’s spacious enough to accommodate people of just about any size, it’s not suitable for heavier folks. That said, provided you’re within the weight limit, it’s tough to find a more comfortable chair.
The Homall Gaming Chair is a great choice if you’re looking for an entry level gaming chair with lots of features.
Check Prices On AmazonThe Homall Gaming Chair is designed to offer all the features you’d expect for a high-end, brand-name chair at a fraction of the cost. It reclines all the way back, it’s fully adjustable, and it even has a footrest so you can switch up positions without interrupting your marathon gaming session. The downside? There’s an old saying: “Jack of all trades, master of none.” Basically, this chair does just about everything a gaming chair can do, but if you’re looking for the best of any one feature, you’re better off looking elsewhere.
That said, the Homall Gaming Chair is a great choice if you’re buying your first gaming chair. The reason is that you get to try out all these features without spending a ton of money. And when you’re ready to buy your next gaming chair, you’ll know exactly what features you need. For example, you may find that you recline all the time, but that you’ve never needed the adjustable armrests and prefer to work with the head cushion removed. Knowing these things is essential if you’re going to spend $300, $400, or more on a premium chair.
One thing we liked a lot was the thick, heavily-padded seat. It’s exceptionally comfortable, and creates no pressure points whatsoever. Since comfort is the most important feature to look for in any chair, we appreciated this feature.
The X Rocker 51396 Pro Series features built-in speakers, offering some of the most immersive sound on the market.
Check Prices On AmazonThe X Rocker 51396 Pro Series is a low, pedestal-style chair that sits just 11 inches from the ground. This makes it impractical for most PC setups, but ideal for console gaming — or just watching a movie — in your living room. The seat itself is exceptionally thick, and is constructed from a higher grade of PU leather than you’ll find on most chairs in this price range.
But the main attraction on the X Rocker Pro isn’t the seat. It’s the built-in Bluetooth speakers. Not only does it have a pair of regular speakers on the sides, but there’s also a 4-inch subwoofer built into the back. Not only does this provide true 2.1-channel stereo, but it puts the bass in prime position to rumble the chair when something in your game goes boom. If you’re playing Destiny 2, defeating the Modular Upsilon will never be as satisfying as it is when you have a sound system with this kind of rumble.
The speakers can connect to any modern game system either via Bluetooth or WiFi. If you’re working with a legacy system, you can simply connect it directly to the RCA inputs. Additionally, you can daisy-chain two or more of these chairs together to synchronize sound. This is perfect for multiplayer gaming or LAN parties, or simply for watching a movie with your significant other.
The OpenWheeler Advanced Racing Simulator is designed for mounting pedals, a steering wheel, and a gear shift.
Check Prices On AmazonFull disclosure: the three gaming subreddits we looked at did not have many recommendations for a dedicated racing chair. So we headed over to r/simracing, and the folks on that subreddit just can’t stop talking about the OpenWheeler Advanced Racing Simulator.
Now, most of the chairs on our list are “racer” chairs, but that just means the back of the chair is built like a racecar chair. It doesn’t mean they’re actually designed for racing games; it just means they’re comfortable. This chair, on the other hand, is built specifically for driving simulators. It has an angled foot plate for mounting your pedals, an angled upper plate for mounting your steering wheel, and a gear shift mount that can be positioned either on the left or the right. All components are adjustable. You can angle the seat and move the steering wheel or pedals in and out to get the perfect fit for your height.
The one common complaint we saw about the OpenWheeler is that the center steering post can get in the way of your legs. This seems to be a problem for some people and not for others, so it’s a matter of posture and your preferred seating position. The only way to know for sure is to sit down and try it out.
That said, this chair has an exceptionally sturdy frame. We couldn’t actually find a weight limit, but we did find a 500-pound individual who’s able to use it. In addition, OpenWheeler offers excellent customer service, and has been known to send free parts to customers who want to make some modifications.
The Kinsal Ergonomic High-Back Large Size Gaming Chair has a massaging lumbar pillow that helps prevent cramping and stiffness.
Check Prices On AmazonThe Kinsal Ergonomic High-Back Large Size Gaming Chair is big, thick, and roomy. It has a heavily-padded seat, with padded wings on the sides that support you well even if you shift from side to side while you’re gaming. It’s designed in typical “racer” style, so the backrest is similarly wide, providing good shoulder support in a variety of seating positions.
And when it comes to seating positions, you’ll have plenty of options. Want to recline? You can go back to 150 degrees. Want to put your feet up? Just extend the footrest, and you’ll enjoy a more relaxed position. This is obviously not viable if you’re using a mouse and keyboard, but it’s a nice bonus for console gamers who want to maximize their comfort.
But the main attraction of the Kinsal is the massaging lumbar pillow. It runs on A/C power, which means you’ll have to plug it in, but you also won’t have to mess around with changing batteries. The head cushion is not massaging, but it is adjustable, so the chair is comfortable for people of any height.
The only major complaint we’ve seen is that the instruction manual is poorly written, and the screws and bolts for assembly aren’t sorted. That said, the frame is nice and rugged. Once you’ve assembled it, you’ll find that it can handle a lot of abuse.
The DXRacer Racing Series has an extra-thick lumbar support that’s designed for long gaming sessions.
Check Prices On AmazonDXRacer is the original gaming chair manufacturer. They realized that traditional office chairs are made for typing and talking on the phone, but not for extended periods. Office chair manufacturers typically expect that an employee takes breaks, has to get up to talk to coworkers, go to meetings, and so on. In other words, they don’t expect that you’ll literally be sitting in place for 2, 3, or more hours at a time.
DXRacer took their inspiration from another group of people who have to sit for hours on end: racecar drivers. Nowadays, most gaming chairs share this same inspiration, but DXRacer was a pioneer, and they’ve continued to refine their design over the years.
Their Racing Series chair features an extra-thick lumbar support. Redditors generally had two things to say about this support: it’s uncomfortable at first, and it’s luxurious once you get used to it. Because a quality gaming chair is a long-term investment, we’re willing to trade a few hours of discomfort for years of well-supported posture. And make no mistake, this chair will last — parts are warrantied for two years, while DXRacer guarantees the frame for life.
The only downside of this chair is the relatively limited 250-pound weight capacity. This should still be generous enough for most people, but if you’re a very big guy, you’re going to want a beefier chair.
The Deerhunter Gaming Chair’s mesh seat is both soft and breathable.
Check Prices On AmazonThe Deerhunter Gaming Chair is our top Reddit-recommended choice if your gaming space isn’t air conditioned. Under those circumstances, a leather seat can quickly get sweaty, which means you end up with a condition the kids call “stank booty” or “swamp ass”. Unless you like sitting in a pool of your own sweat, you’ll be much better off with a mesh chair, which can wick moisture away from your body. That said, most mesh chairs are fairly minimalist and not very supportive, which is where the Deerhunter really shines.
This chair has thick, lush padding which provides plenty of support for your backside. There are also a pair of cushions, one for your lumbar area and one for your head. Both of these can be adjusted up or down to suit a variety of heights. The weight capacity of 330 pounds is also impressive, but keep in mind that the seat is only 14.8 inches in width. If you’re tall and heavy, the Deerhunter is perfect, but if you’re wide and heavy, you’ll probably be too big for this chair.
The Deerhunter features adjustable armrests, which can be moved up and down to accommodate people of different heights and seating positions. It also reclines to 165 degrees, which is just over two-thirds of the way back. This is more realistic for console gaming than it is for PC use, but it also means that the Deerhunter doubles as a comfortable, serviceable napping chair.
The ProHT Gaming Chair is an office-style chair, which many redditors favor.
Check Prices On AmazonThe ProHT Gaming Chair is marketed as a gaming chair, but it’s essentially a beefed-up office chair. We decided to include it because many redditors prefer an office-style chair, and think that racer-style chairs are just a marketing gimmick. While we appreciate the benefits of a racing chair, we also understand that many gamers just want an ergonomic office chair, without any extra bells and whistles. Of course, if you’re going to buy an office chair, you don’t want just any office chair. You want one that’s sturdy, reliable, comfortable, and ergonomic.
Enter ProHT. This company is primarily known for their standing desks, which allow creative professionals to maintain freedom of movement and active posture. But they also manufacture chairs and other office furniture, and their gaming chair is exceptionally well-made, especially considering the low price.
This chair features adjustable armrests, which can move up and down or back to front, and which can be swiveled away completely if you prefer an armless chair. It’s not reclinable, but then again, neither are most office chairs.
Unlike many gaming chairs, which tend to sit low, the ProHT has a minimum height of 20 inches and a maximum height of 24 inches. This makes it a solid choice for taller gamers, although you’ll need to keep in mind the relatively low 225-pound weight limit.
If you want a gaming chair, but you also favor a standard office-style design, the ProHT is well worth considering.
So, which racing chair is the best? As a quick glance at Reddit makes clear, everyone has their own opinion.
For our money, we’d choose the Merax Racing Gaming Chair. This chair does everything. It’s thickly-padded, it reclines, and it has an extendable footrest for console gamers. More to the point, the backrest is exceptionally comfortable, providing plenty of support for long gaming sessions.
That said, if you’re already suffering from back pain and stiffness, a massage chair may be right up your alley. In that case, the Kinsal provides plenty of tension relief without the need to drop $1,000 or more on a dedicated massage chair.
And if you’re not sure what to get, the Homall is a great starter chair. You get all the features you’d expect from a high-end chair at a fraction of the price. While it’s not as durable as some of the other choices we’ve mentioned, it’s a good way to get your feet wet and discover what you like and don’t like.
Redditors have spoken, and we’ve cruised their posts to find out what they think. No all you have to do is decide what to choose.
