Is a gaming chair on your wish list? Here you can find out what makes a high-quality gaming chair.

1.    Is it a gaming chair?

What is a gaming chair anyway? Couldn’t you just as quickly buy an ordinary executive chair? In principle, yes – but gaming chairs are specially adapted to those who gamble often and for long periods at the PC. In particular, they are optimised for an upright sitting posture at a 90-degree angle.

This posture is best suited for operating the keyboard and mouse and for concentrated viewing of the action on the monitor. Also, unlike conventional executive chairs, gaming chairs tend to look like car seats in sports cars – although that’s probably more of a design issue.

2. Weight and body dimensions

A good gaming chair must fit your height and weight. Most chairs are suitable for you if you weigh less than 100 kilograms and are between 165 and 184 centimetres tall. Otherwise, you must pay special attention to the manufacturer’s specifications.

The Brazen Gaming Chairs are exemplary in this respect, as it provides exact specifications and offers chairs that are optimised for players between 185 and 200 centimetres tall and weigh up to 130 kilograms. Its XL series is even adapted to players up to 2.10 metres tall and weighs 170 kilograms.

If you are too heavy for a chair, it will usually not collapse immediately, but the stability suffers because too much weight presses against the backrest or the side. In addition, components such as the castors and the rocking mechanism are subject to particular stress and can die more quickly.

3. Basic construction and castors

The material of the basic construction of the seat is decisive for the quality of workmanship. It should be made of a tubular steel frame with elastic bands, which is the most comfortable and stable. The gaming chair should also have a tilt-resistant and stable metal or die-cast aluminium base. Suitable castors for your floor are ideal, i.e., hard floors such as stone or sensitive soft floors such as parquet. A practical feature is a locking function for the castors so that you don’t slip away just before the high score.

4. Rocker mechanism, gas pressure spring and seat surface

The rocker mechanism should be able to be locked in several positions without the chair wobbling. This mechanism determines how far you can move towards the monitor or lean back.

The gas spring must allow you to sit so that your upper and lower legs form an angle of at least 90 degrees, with the back of the knee almost level with the front edge of the seat. The seat must be large enough so that you don’t bump into the side bolsters, and it may have slightly harder padding – as with the bicycle saddle, this is more comfortable when sitting for a longer time.

5. Armrests and backrest

The armrests should be large enough for your arms and adjustable in height. Ideally, they should be able to rotate and move backwards and forwards. The so-called 4D armrests can also be adjusted from the inside to the outside and vice versa. When playing, your forearms should rest on the armrests without you having to move them to type or operate the mouse.

The shoulder bolsters of the backrest should stabilise your shoulder without you sliding around or getting squeezed. Genuine leather is not necessarily the most practical material for a gamer chair because it needs regular maintenance – just like leather shoes. Ideally, the gaming chair should also have built-in lumbar support, which is better than a cushion.

6. Design: taste and utility

Of course, design is essentially a matter of taste. Maybe you find the colourful gaming chairs childish and prefer a dignified executive chair. Conversely, you might find such a chair boring and choose a sporty chair, possibly with unusual colours.

Remember, however, that in the best-case scenario, you will only spend a lot of money on a gaming or executive chair once in your life and that the chair’s place of use or your taste might change. Maybe the pink unicorn chair won’t look as good in the lawyer’s office as it did at the networking party with your friends.

7. Price: spending more is worth it

In contrast to gaming mice, where you often buy superfluous features for more money, the extra gaming chair expenditure is usually worth it. Well, maybe not for the high-maintenance genuine leather that not every gamer wants to deal with, but certainly for a higher quality of workmanship, built-in lumbar support and a stable rocking mechanism. Also wisely to check product reviews.