Gaming Chairs vs Office Chairs: Which is Best For Your Home Office
If you are one of the lucky people that can now work remotely 100% or in some type of hybrid work schedule then you must have realized that your dining chair or Amazon budget chair won’t do. You may be wondering if gaming chairs are a better option than office chairs. In this blog post, we will compare gaming chairs and office chairs to help you decide which is best for your needs. We will discuss the pros and cons of each type of chair, as well as provide suggestions. By the end of this post, you should have a good idea of which type of chair is right for you!
Table of Contents
What Are Gaming Chairs?
Before we get to the meat and potatoes, let’s first define what a gaming chair is and what it is not. During the transition between adolescence and adulthood, the prefrontal cortex which is in charge of our higher-level cognitive abilities such as planning, solving problems, and making decisions is still under development well into the mid-20s. Therefore until this area is fully developed, decisions are mostly influenced by emotions, rewards, and social acceptance.
That is why keywords that target a child’s brain such as Alpha, Omega, Evil, Pros, Titan, Cyber, or any other keyword that allures to hyper-masculinity are used to name gaming chairs and seem so appealing to “some people”.
What are gaming chairs? An abomination between a wannabe racing car seat on wheels that will wreck your back if you use them continuously for more than 4 hours.
Are Gaming Chairs Good For Sitting All Day?
Gaming chairs were never meant for you to use them for more than 4 hours and sit mostly in a static position. If you pay attention to how much your body moves when you game, you will see that your hands and torso are constantly moving. A typical gaming chair is well suited for playing video games not work. On the other hand a typical ergonomic office chair will have the necessary features to keep you healthy and comfortable for 8+ hours.
Are Gaming Chairs More Ergonomic Than Office Chairs?
It depends… Most gaming chairs are on the budget side of the price spectrum ($300 and under) and if you were to buy an office chair in the same price range then most likely there will be little to no difference as far as ergonomics. You see office chairs and gaming chairs at this price point only differentiated by how they look. A real ergonomic chair starts at $600+ and is considered more of an investment in your health and comfort. Gaming chairs on the other hand even at higher price points do not have the adequate ergonomic features for you to use them for more than 4 hours.
What features make an ergonomic office chair... Ergonomic?
Ergonomically designed office chairs prioritizes healthy posture and spine alignment while gaming chairs prioritize design and style. A good ergonomic chair will have a variety of adjustable features such as lumbar support, seat height, seat depth, moving armrests, multi-lock back, or a body balance mechanism. If you want to learn more about what each of these features does for you check out this blog post “Choosing the best ergonomic chair for your home office in 2022“.
Some gaming chairs do have a few of these features but they are mostly for show and do not function as well as a purpose-built ergonomic chair. For example, gaming chairs will have adjustable lumbar support but it is often a small lumbar pillow that does not do much in the way of actually supporting your spine. Most gaming chairs do not allow you to adjust the seat depth which could be a problem if you are tall or very short. Think of a gaming chair as a racing body kit for your 1998 Honda civic. Screams fast but 0-60 is still 10.3 seconds.
What features do gaming chairs get wrong about ergonomics?
Bucket seat
The bucket seat design in cars is to prevent the driver to move sideways while making hard turns. This does nothing for you while gaming and on the other hand if you are a large person with thick thighs, it can restrict your blood circulation. An ergonomic office chair will have a waterfall seat design. The waterfall seat prevents your thighs from going numb by putting less pressure under your thighs.
Fixed lumbar pillow
This is one of the worst features of gaming chairs. Do you see any high-end office chairs with a lumbar pillow? No! Companies spend a good amount on research to find the perfect curvature of the back as well as provide a functional adjustable lumbar support.
No seat depth adjustment
If you are a tall person gaming chairs will cause you problems because you cannot adjust the seat depth. This means that your knees will be higher than your hips which is not ideal. An ergonomic office chair will have a seat depth adjustment so you can find the perfect position for your thighs and knees.
Final Verdict
Gaming chairs vs office chairs is not even debatable if a typical seating is more than 4 hours, just like you wouldn’t sit on a dining chair or conference chair all day. Gaming chairs are meant for gaming and a good office chair is meant for work. They are both chairs but that is where the similarity ends. If you want to be comfortable and get work done then buy an ergonomic office chair. If you want to look cool and play video games then a gaming chair is for you.
