Gaming Chair vs Office Chair: Which Is Better for You?

If you’re shopping for a new chair for your PC setup, you might notice that gaming chairs and office chairs are the two predominant types of options available right now. At first glance, you might think the differences are solely in how they look and where they're intended to be used, but there's much more to consider before settling on the right choice for you. Ergonomics, adjustability, comfort features, and style are all important elements to think on. If you spend a lot of time at your PC, a quality seat is an investment in your health, comfort, and the quality of your day.

Whether you're working, gaming, or doing a little bit of both, there are quality options that will fit most budgets. In this guide, I'll be walking you through the differences between gaming and office chairs and what to consider when choosing one for yourself.

Gaming Chair vs Office Chair: Design and Style

It’s easy to tell if a chair was made for gaming or office work in mind based on common features. Most gaming chairs feature a design heavily inspired by race car bucket seats, which normally feature oversized frames to support helmets from behind and bolstered sides to keep racers in place while they're turning hard.

Gaming Chair Common Features:

• An oversized backrest with wings

• A bucketed seat

• Support cushions

• Large logos plus bright colors

While you won’t be traveling at high-speed and experiencing extreme gravitational forces, this design has become synonymous with gaming seats. Smaller "racing chairs" can make it difficult to cross your legs; however, there are many options with wide, comfortable seats and tall backrests to support different sitting positions and proper posture. Unfortunately, gaming chairs sometimes fall into the trap of emphasizing aesthetics over support which can easily lead to a sore back. This isn't always the case but reinforces why it's always important to read reviews and try before you buy wherever possible.

Office Chair Common Features:

• Frequently use mesh for breathability

• A wider array of adjustments to better match your body

• Understated designs

The design of office chairs varies, but for the most part, they offer dedicated lumbar support and a wider array of adjustments to properly support your unique anatomy. They often use mesh for breatheability and responsive support but many are available with cushions and traditional upholstery if you prefer that. Though many offer dedicated headrests, it's less common than on the average gaming chair. The seats and back lack bolsters but are usually contoured to promote proper posture, support, and circulation.

Gaming Chair vs Office Chair: Ergonomics

Without good ergonomics, you could be risking a potential sore back, stiff neck, worn wrists or worse. Even very affordable options typically offer some for of adjustment, but the options tend to increase alongside their price. Adjustability is the name of the game here, so here’s a quick overview of how office chairs and ergonomic gaming chairs perform.

Most gaming chairs come with support pillows for your head and lower back that attach to the frame via stretchable straps. Beyond that, gaming chairs offer seat height adjustment, adjustable armrests, a tilt lock, and the unique ability to lean back nearly 180-degrees. You may not want to take a nap in your gaming chair but they're usually designed to offer exactly that.

Office chairs are often far more adjustable with the ability to customize the depth of the seat, seat height, tilt tension with lockable angles, adjustable armrests, lumbar support that slides up and down or flexes to match your body, and headrests that can move to properly support your neck. You can't lean back all the way like you can with a gaming chair, so this is something to consider if the recline is important to you. If it has a tilt mechanism under the seat, it should still rock, however.

Gaming vs Office Chair Price Range

There is a huge price range in both gaming and office chairs, but there are some other factors to consider when it comes to overall value. When you compare a similarly priced gaming and office chair, you will typically find that the office chair offers much more functionality. The main reason for this is that a lot of the cost of a gaming chair goes into the look, including, multi-color design, fancy stitching, and team logo. These details cost money and sacrifices need to be made in order to sell an equally priced product.

The second thing to consider is that the price cap on office chairs is much higher than on gaming chairs.