When I wanted to buy my first gamer chair, I immediately wondered how you could choose one without having tried it first…. In reality, you just need to know a few tips and tricks to find the right gamer chair.
So how do you choose a gamer chair without trying it out? Here’s how you should go about it:
Choose according to your body type: weight and height. This will determine the capacity of the chair and its dimensions.
Look at the chair’s features: height adjustment, backrest adjustment, tilt, armrests (1D, 2D, 3D or 4D).
Check the type of upholstery (leather or fabric) and padding (preferably cold foam) used.
See if the style suits you.
Finally, set a budget that is in line with what you want.
You want more details?
Keep reading… I’ll tell you everything you need to know!
The three people you see above will not have the same needs for their gaming chair. Therefore, each of them will have to pay a different price.
Indeed, seats that are large, comfortable and durable will be more expensive than those that are smaller and more fragile. Logical, isn’t it? In concrete terms, this means that if you are 75 kg and 1.75 m tall, the gamer chairs will be less expensive than for someone who is 1.90 m and 90 kg (I am 1.85 m and 95 kg, so this is also my case).
This product segmentation is present in all chair manufacturers (DXRacer, AKRacing, Vertagear, Noblechairs, Quersus). All of them will charge you more for the more resistant products… That’s life!
Size is also a major factor in the ergonomics of the seat. In fact, many manufacturers indicate recommended size ranges. This allows you to find the right chair for your size.
Unfortunately, all low-end chairs have low capacities. They are in the order of 100 kg , or 120 kg in the best case. You will have to invest more if you are heavier. In any case, the ideal is to have as much margin as possible.
I recommend taking gamer chairs with a capacity of 100 to 120 kg if you are in the average range and opting for 150 kg if you have a large body.
In addition to the capacity of the seat, you should also pay attention to the dimensions of the chair. Just because a chair can support up to 150 kg does not mean that its dimensions will be suitable for you! To find out all about this, I have created an article on the dimensions of gamer chairs. I advise you to check it out. I have also created a complete guide for tall gamers. It is in the top 5 best gamer chairs for tall people. If you’re over 6ft tall, check out this guide which you won’t find anywhere else.
In any case, as you can’t try out the front seat, I suggest you take a close look at the dimension sheets presented in all our tests.
In short, if there is only one thing you should remember from this guide, it is this: you need a chair that fits you at all costs to maximise your comfort.
Features: what you absolutely must have on a gaming chair
When I talk about features, I’m talking primarily about the settings available on the product. So I’m going to detail all the settings that are normally found on a gamer chair.
To put it simply, the more settings/functions you have, the better!
Height adjustment
God forbid if you do NOT have this setting. You might as well buy a chair from Conforama!
On a more serious note, having a chair that can be adjusted in height is the foundation of the foundation. It is extremely important for your overall posture.
Also, be sure to check that the lifting piston is class 4… I had a few unpleasant surprises during my tests.
Also note that the maximum capacity of a gamer chair is directly deduced from the strength of the piston. Hence the importance of not exceeding it…
Armrest adjustment
Another important factor is the adjustment of the armrests. We don’t necessarily think about it, but I can assure you that it has a significant impact on the general comfort.
Indeed, being able to rest your elbows allows you to relieve the tension in your shoulders and to be really comfortable when typing or playing.
But not all armrests are created equal. In fact, manufacturers often make concessions in this area for the lower end of the market. In general, armrests can be adjusted: height (1D), sideways (2D), back and forth (3D) and rotation (4D) (see figure above).
Lower-end models offer fixed or just height-adjustable (1D) armrests. High-end models often offer 3D or even 4D armrests (by adding rotation). The 4D armrests (see video below) are therefore often reserved for the top models of a brand. 3D armrests are much more common.
In any case, I advise you to avoid fixed armrests. At the very least, use height-adjustable armrests (1D). This is the minimum.
Seat tilt
The seat tilt is also an important parameter for comfort. But don’t worry too much about this. You don’t need to go crazy here. About ten degrees is more than enough.
All you need is an adjustable tilt and you’ve got a good gamer chair.
Backrest tilt
It’s also a good idea to be able to adjust the backrest angle.
Let’s be clear. You don’t need to have a backrest that tilts 180 degrees. But the ideal is to be able to relax in your chair. Generally I recommend a maximum tilt of 140° or even 150°. You should also look at the number of intermediate positions. The more the better for you. Believe me, you don’t want to end up with a backrest with two positions, 90° and 180°… That would be unbearable.
Tilting systems
Inspired by: https://forum.hardware.fr/hfr/Discussions/Viepratique/acheter-fauteuil-bureau-sujet_9082_214.htm#t48712775
This is the mechanism that will regulate the angle and movement between the seat and the backrest and the type of relationship between the two. Let me explain.
On the backrest tilt mechanism, the vast majority of gaming chair manufacturers have opted for a permanent contact tilt. This means that only the backrest of the seat can move.
For the seat tilt, the mechanism chosen is the centre tilt (see figure above). This means that the angle between the seat and the backrest remains constant.
The combination of these two types of tilting is, in my experience, a major advantage for the ergonomics of gamer chairs.
Unfortunately, most low-end chairs do not have a seat tilt system. This greatly reduces the ergonomics of the chair, and therefore the comfort of use.
Lumbar and head cushions
These are included as standard in 99% of gamer chairs today.
Their quality and size vary greatly from one manufacturer to another, but in my opinion this is not a parameter you should focus on.
However, the next most important parameter is…
The cover of a gamer chair
The upholstery of a gamer chair changes the overall feeling. So, depending on your personal taste, you should ask yourself what type of upholstery you want.
Note also that this parameter has its importance in the price of the product.
Here I give you some quick recommendations for the choice of covering. If you want more details, I have written a detailed article on the difference between PU leather / leather and fabric.
There are two main types of upholstery:
Fabric is the cheapest of the available coating materials. Its other advantage is that it is soft to the touch and lets the skin breathe.
Very often synthetic fibres are used. If you are in a warm environment, I would advise you to use a fabric cover.
Leathers: For this category there are three sub-types.
Genuine leather, which is expensive (very expensive) but very chic and comfortable. On the top of the range chairs (price above 500,00 €) we sometimes find another type of covering: Nappa leather. This is a type of leather that is particularly smooth and supple, which makes it even more comfortable. Nappa leather is only available on some of the more expensive chairs.
Finally, there are two types of synthetic imitations of leather: imitation leather and PU leather. Many people confuse the two, but they are two different manufacturing processes.
PU leather is made by assembling bovine leather crusts and adding a polyurethane coating.
How can you tell them apart? PU leather is known as shiny leatherette or shiny leather. Indeed, PU leather has a characteristic shiny surface. In any case, you should know that PU leather is even cheaper to produce than leatherette. It is therefore very common in gamer seat covers.
Note that PU leather tends to retain heat. This is perfect in winter, but much less practical in summer. But this depends a lot on the quality of the product. The PU leathers used by DXRacer (and other major brands of gamer chairs) are of the highest quality. The “slow cooking” effect will be lessened here.
Personally, I tend to prefer fabric. However, the overwhelming majority of gamer chairs have a PU leather cover. If you don’t like this type of covering, good luck!
