Gaming chairs are worth the investment for people who spend long hours sitting in front of a computer screen, as they are designed to address poor sitting habits.
Gaming chairs have become very popular during the last few years. They have impressive features and stylish designs; however, these chairs tend to cost a lot more than normal office chairs.
Budget-friendly office chairs cost approximately $60, while cheap gaming chairs cost around $150. People can pay over $400 for a high-end gaming chair. Despite the unique look and special features, is it worth it to pay so much more for a gaming chair?
Reasons why gaming chairs are not worth it
Gaming chairs have a one-size-fits all approach
Any gaming chair catalogue will show a user that all the chairs look almost exactly the same. Certainly, there are some differences, such as less pronounced lateral wings, or some having footrests, but gaming chairs have a strict formula that manufacturers stick very closely to.
The problem is that not everyone can comfortably sit in a typical gaming chair. Some people prefer smaller chairs that will guide their body into a snug, comfortable sitting position.
Other people prefer a chair that focuses on lumbar support with adjustable height, tension and a good distribution of weight on the entire backrest of the gaming chair.
If a user is not aware of their sitting habits, it is entirely possible for them to buy a gaming chair that does not properly fit their body and sitting positions. This could mean that the chair might never feel comfortable for them.
Gaming chairs do not provide good lumbar support
Good lumbar support is very important for overall back health, as it redistributes pressure correctly so that the user does not squeeze their cervical and lumbar discs, which can cause severe back pain.
Gaming chairs often only come with a simple pillow to provide lumbar support. On most gaming chairs, the user cannot adjust the height of the pillow, nor how hard or soft it is.
If the user is one of the lucky few, the lumbar pillow will be a perfect fit and they will experience little to no back pain at all.
Chances are high that the gaming chair could be very uncomfortable to sit on, or it could cause pain and numbness while sitting.
However, most office chairs offer much more flexible lumbar support that can be moved up or down, or even tightened to harder or softer on the user’s back.
Gaming chairs can force the user into uncomfortable sitting positions
Gaming chairs have a lot of distinctive features, which include the “wings” on the backrest and on the edge of the seat.
These features are holdover from gaming chair’s origins as racing car seats, which needed wings to hold the drivers in place when doing sharp turns at high speeds.
However, these wings have absolutely no practical purpose on a gaming chair. The wings are, in fact, bad for the user’s back and posture, because they touch the user’s shoulders, forcing them inwards towards the chest. After longer periods, this can lead to shoulder and upper back pain.
Another design issue that many gaming chairs have, is a slightly elevated “lip” at the end of the seat. The lip digs into the back of the user’s thighs, which creates a pressure point, cutting off the blood circulation to the user’s legs.
The severity of this issue can range from slight, bearable discomfort, to tingling or even complete numbness in the user’s lower legs with prolonged sitting sessions.
Nevertheless, many gaming chair manufactures have learned of this problem and worked to eliminate the lip, but it is still a general widespread design element.
Reasons why gaming chairs are worth it
Gaming chairs have good shoulder, neck, and high back support
Despite the gaming chairs not providing good lumbar support, they do provide excellent high back, neck and shoulder support. Seats on the gaming chairs are generally tall, and they usually have a neck pillow, which provides good support for the user’s upper body.
That being said, not all people need high back, neck or shoulder support. The natural sitting position of many people is to lean on their mid and lower back, while keeping the upper back and neck away from the chair.
Depending on the user’s personal preferences, the high backs of a gaming chair are either a nice-to-have or a must-have.
Gaming chairs have excellent reclining abilities
A useful feature that gaming chairs inherited from their car seat roots, is the ability to recline the backrest so it is almost completely parallel to the ground.
This feature allows the user to lower the chair and just stretch themselves on it, almost like on a bed. The user can relax while watching their screen or listening to music.
Gaming chairs have a fairly good price-to value ratio
Gaming chairs normally offer good value for more, especially ones that come from more reputable brands. The GTRacing ACE’s cost is $199, and offers a two-year warranty, 4D armrests, aluminium components, with height and recline adjustments.
This can be seen as a great value for the price, and most importantly, such deals on gaming chairs happen very often, so users can always buy a chair at a similar price-to-value ratio.
Gaming chairs are customizable
Some gaming chairs come with dozens of personalization options that let the user modify the overall colour, accent colour, and even what designs they want imprinted on their chair.
In comparison, office chairs in the $300 price bracket come in simple colours, and even the most expensive chairs only let the user choose from 10 colours at most.
Gaming chairs are spacious
Gaming chairs have a lot of advantages, one of which is how big they are. This allows the user to switch between multiple different seating positions during a gaming or working session.
Office chairs tend to be smaller, so they don’t not give the user as much room to switch between different seating positions.
Conclusion
Gaming chairs are worth the investment for people who spend long hours sitting in front of a computer, as they address poor sitting habits and teach the user how to sit with the correct posture. However, the user might have to buy an additional lumbar support pillow for extra comfort.
Sitting in a gaming chair is extremely comfortable, while also being good for the user. The user will enjoy better blood flow, deeper breathing, improved posture, and an improved wellness.
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