Gaming Chairs vs Office Chairs
If you are working or gaming long hours in front of your computer you will inevitably notice that you need to find a good chair for yourself.
Sitting on your kitchen stool while you do some quick work might work for a short period of time, but soon enough you will notice back pains and all sorts of other troubles popping up.
To avoid all of this, just like when you buy a new computer and you look for the best GPU and CPU for it, you need to find the best chair that you can afford. The main rivalry comes between gaming chairs vs office chairs and it is up to you to decide which one you will go for!
Gaming Chair vs Office Chair – What Is the Difference?
A great setup as mentioned before is not only about having one of the best monitors or one of the best mice on the market, it is also about sitting comfortably, and most importantly maintaining your posture and health!
In this regard, both gaming chairs and office chairs try to offer as much comfort as possible with features such as reclining, lumbar support in the form of a pillow, adjustable armrests, adjustable chair height, etc.
With this in mind, there are still some significant differences when comparing office chairs vs gaming chairs and those differences will determine which one you will buy for yourself!
Why Buy a Gaming Chair?
Gaming chairs initially started being produced by a company called DXRacer that originally made race car seats for luxury cars. This explains the supercar chair look that all of the gaming chairs inherited.
Image source: Razer
The reason this decision was made was that this design of chair offers a lot of support and can keep someone comfortable for long hours on end. This design is specifically made with a long backrest that allows you to support your shoulders and gives you a “hug” while also allowing you to feel comfortable.
Most of these gaming chairs come with a bunch of adjustments that allow you to tailor your sitting experience for the desk and setup you have, making sitting hours in front of the computer not as bad as it would otherwise be.
The most important aspect, or rather the most differentiating factor for gaming chairs vs office chairs is of course the look. Gaming chairs look as cool as a chair can get since they sport the bucket chair design from race cars.
Office chairs on the other hand tend to be pretty plain and bland by comparison while simultaneously costing more (we are talking about good gaming chairs and good office chairs).
If you want to sit comfortably without having to sell your car to buy a chair, then buying a gaming chair is the way for you!
Why Buy an Office Chair?
Like we said before, office chairs do not look as cool as gaming chairs but there is a big advantage to buying something like a Herman Miller office chair vs DXRacer gaming chair – comfort.
Image source: Herman Miller
As much as gaming chairs try to popularize themselves as comfortable, nothing can beat a premium office chair that was designed with human ergonomics in mind. The gaming bucket chairs are ultimately racing chairs therefore they do excel at giving you the necessary support, but sometimes there is just not enough of it to compete with a good office chair.
Office chairs are often less bulky, opting for mesh for better airflow, offer a lot better support and customization, maintain proper body posture and better blood flow, etc.
This shift can be seen in the upper echelon of gamers and streamers with people like Shroud opting for a Herman Miller x Logitech chair over any other bucket gaming chair. The truth is just as it seems – a good office chair will ALWAYS be more comfortable and better for your health.
The downside to such premium products is obviously the price. These expensive office chairs that can be used for gaming start at 1000$, which is a price not many can afford just for a chair.
It is insane to think that an office chair can cost in the thousands of dollars but then you remember that back surgery costs even more…
What Should You Buy?
So what is the conclusion when discussing the gaming chair vs office chair dilemma? Well, the best course of action is as follows:
If you do not have a lot of money and are willing to spend 200-300$ then getting a bucket gaming chair is the way to go. This will not be the best possible experience, but it will give you enough support and adjustments to make it comfortable to sit in your chair and work all day.
DO NOT buy cheap office chairs because in most cases these will offer you a subpar experience and will be net inferior to an equally priced gaming chair.
If you do have more money to spend and are willing to invest in your health more then the benefits of a premium office chair are obvious. Buy one and don’t just sit for work, but lounge like a king.