The chair is something people tend to forget when it comes to gaming gear. After all, it doesn’t do anything besides providing something to sit on. Right? So why would you look into the matter extensively, trying to find something that works best for you? Well, let us open your eyes a little bit, because if the last sentence resembles your train of thought, then it’s likely that you are using the wrong kind of chair. An office chair, that most likely isn’t meant for prolonged gaming hours. Let’s dive in!
What is a Gaming Chair?
Many people tend to think that gaming chairs are just like regular ones, except they are renamed in a way so they can be sold for more, talk about marketing right? Well, with some brands that is exactly the case (unfortunately), but most of the time it couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, gaming chairs are specifically designed and engineered in a way so that they fit the needs of every single gamer out there. They’re better suited ergonomically for your entire body.
First of all, a gaming chair’s goal is to enhance your overall skills. It achieves this by giving your back and neck some extra support, so you don’t need to worry about pain and muscle tenseness. This gives you the ability to focus on much more important things, like the minimap or very faint sounds. You will be able to concentrate on specific things a lot more, which will improve your overall performance a lot. But generally speaking, a gaming chair can be any kind of chair as long as you use it for playing video games. If we want to be more specific, then it’s a chair that is designed for gaming. Not many people know this, but the difference is huge!
How are Gaming Chairs and Office Chairs Different?
These two categories are vastly different and have different purposes. Because of this, you need to be aware of what you are getting. Especially so if you plan on using your chair for both work and gaming for prolonged hours.
Padding
Gaming chairs have a ton of padding in them. Mainly on the armrests and the back, but there are some types that come with a small pillow. You can attach that to the back and its purpose is to make your head more comfortable. Generally speaking, padding is what makes a gaming chair. Office chairs don’t tend to put so much effort into comfort. They do what is the bare minimum and leave it at that unless you’re purchasing an outrageously expensive office chair. Some of those ergonomically engineered office chairs are great but run you over $500 or more.
High backrest
Gaming chairs were originally designed to feel like sitting in a sports car. This happened mainly because they were intended to used by gamers who play games like Need for Speed and Forza. But after a while, this sporty design became the norm for gaming chairs. This includes a very high (meaning it goes about half a foot above your head) and wide backrest, one that can make anyone feel comfortable. Plus, it also helps with the player’s posture.
When it comes to office chairs they are quite different. They only reach as high as your head, sometimes even a little lower. Once again, this happens because office chairs aren’t super comfortable and it is widely assumed that office workers lean in very close to the monitor, hence, they don’t need a high backrest. Even though it would make for a much more relaxing chair.
How are Gaming Chairs and Office Chairs Similar?
Let’s be honest for a second now. Gaming chairs and high end office chairs can get very similar, which is why many people muddle them. This is perfectly fine, as they have a couple of things in common. Keep in mind we are not going to compare gaming chairs and low-end office chairs. Don’t expect a $20 chair to be the same as a $200 one.
Providing support
This feature should be a default one with every single chair, no matter what it’s used for. But when it comes to playing competitively or working for hours on end (both of which count as a job, by the way), then it is the bare minimum. Without proper support, you might experience some short term discomfort. But in the long run, you will end up with a messed up spine and regular lumbar pains. Thankfully though, gaming chairs and high end office chairs both provide a lot of support everywhere it’s needed. They are designed to be comfortable even if you spend all day sitting in them. Long story short: you need to get one of them if you spend long hours in front of a computer,
Structure
If we look at how these two chairs are built then we can clearly see a pattern. They are both swivel chairs, have light padding on the back and armrests and try to make sitting as comfortable as possible. Both designs came from the same source, they just developed a little bit differently over the years, which resulted in the differences mentioned above.
Convinced You Need a Gaming Chair Yet?
If you plan on getting a gaming chair then it’s likely that you have considered getting an office chair instead. In some cases, that might be a good choice. But that requires extensive research on your end, something which we can’t do for you. All in all, both chairs have their pros and cons and it’s up to you to decide.
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