Are Gaming Chairs More Comfortable than Office Chairs?

Nowadays, home gamers can make an investment in a gaming chair and enjoy the benefits of such a purchase. Over the last year, there has been a steady increase in interest surrounding these chairs.

But are gaming chairs truly more comfortable than office chairs? There’s only one way to find out: we conducted some GAMING CHAIR VS. OFFICE CHAIR testing.

Different Ergonomic Requirements for Gaming Chairs vs. Office Chairs

Gamers need to remain seated in front of the monitor for hours, which can be hard on your back when you’re not using a chair designed with ergonomics in mind. When using an office chair, certain aspects like the height of the chair, the armrests, and the backward tilt are usually adjusted to meet ergonomic standards.

But for gamers, that’s not enough. When you’re sitting in front of your screen playing an hour-long match, your back needs more support than what a regular office chair can provide. The best gaming chairs have support in all the right places to help relieve pressure on your back.

Office chairs are designed for office employees who stand up after hours of sitting, walk around their workspace, and then go sit down again. That’s why you don’t see many office employees using gaming chairs at the workplace; it doesn’t make sense financially. But when it comes to gamers who use a chair for 8 hours straight, this ergonomic viewpoint is put into question.

Real World Testing with User Feedback

We tested gaming chairs vs. office chairs to see the differences between them, both in terms of ergonomics and wear and tear over time. We assembled a user test group that consisted of gamers that used an office chair before testing out our top 3 picks for best gaming chairs, as well as one of the most popular (and one of the cheapest) office chairs out there. We created two testing categories:

1. One testing category required users to answer questions about their personal experiences using both types of chairs, with questions like, “How does your back feel after sitting in this chair for 8 hours straight?” and “What are the pros and cons of each chair?”.
2. In the other testing category, users had to answer a questionnaire that focused on ergonomics. Subjects were asked to rate their level of satisfaction for different parts of the chairs, such as back support and whether or not they could find a comfortable position. We also asked them to compare both office chairs and gaming chairs.

Evaluating Wear and Tear with Lab Testing

For the lab tests, we used time use simulation for each type of chair. The idea behind it was to look at objective indicators like cracking, creaking, and other sounds that are associated with wear and tear.

After all the testing was done, the following observations were made:

1. Office chairs and gaming chairs differ in their back and armrest support
2. The best example of this is when we compared the $100 Walmart office chair vs. the $300 DXRacer Gaming Chair. The difference was clear: without even touching the height adjustment, you could tell that one chair was built with ergonomics in mind while the other one was a cheap attempt to cash in on a growing industry. The armrests were also a clear indicator of the difference in quality between both chairs.
3. Users reported that after 3 months, their office chair showed signs of wear and tear while our top pick from DXRacer did not show any signs of damage or cracking even after a year of intense testing.
4. The time use simulation showed visible signs of wear and tear in the office chair while our top pick from DXRacer still looked just as good as it did on day 1.

The Consensus for Office Chairs vs. Gaming Chairs

After all the testing was done, we were able to conclude that there is a significant difference between both chair types. In terms of quality, there’s no comparison that can be made between the two.

Including the testing from our user group, we reached a consensus that gamers who spend at least 6 hours a day sitting in their chairs should invest in a gaming chair instead of an office chair. We tested out both types of chairs and found that aside from comfort, features like added support for the back and armrests just aren’t up to par.

After reviewing both chair types, there is no doubt: gaming chairs are better than office chairs when it comes to ergonomics and durability.

If you’re still not sure which chair type to go with, we recommend testing both out; spend a few hours at the office and see how you feel and then head over to your favorite online store and get yourself a gaming chair.

Tip: To avoid any sort of mishaps when purchasing a new chair for your setup, we recommend buying a gaming chair that is easy to return if you find out it isn’t exactly what you were looking for.