Highlights

• Takeaway 1: Gaming chairs offer superior comfort with contoured foam padding that supports the whole body, while office chairs can be inconsistent in their designs and comfort levels.
• Takeaway 2: Gaming chairs come in a variety of colors and styles, providing more options for gamers to match their setup. Office chairs typically have limited color options and a more minimalist style.
• Takeaway 3: Gaming chairs are generally more durable than office chairs, as they are designed to withstand intense gaming sessions. However, office chairs are also durable and can withstand years of everyday use.

As remote work and gaming have grown in popularity over the past several years, so has the need for quality computer chairs. There’s an ergonomic arms race going on, and the best gaming chairs are caught up in the middle of it.

During this time, many gamers had conversations with friends and family about their gaming PC work-from-home setup, and other people were often envious of these convenient configurations. Office chair manufacturers have definitely improved their designs in response, but is it enough? Exactly what are the differences between office chairs and gaming chairs?

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Office chairs stress function above all else and don't always match the modern and stylish gear that is part of many gaming setups. Still, there are more contrasts and similarities between office and gaming chairs including comfort levels, durability, adjustability, and value. If a gamer must make a decision between purchasing either type of chair, the following is a breakdown of what factors buyers should prioritize.

Comfort

First and foremost comes the distinctive padding on gaming chairs. These foam pieces are contoured to support the head, neck, back, legs, and arms. They’re stiff enough to withstand hours of pressure at a time, yet they have enough give that gamers feel cushioned all around.

More specifically, most gaming chairs give gamers a feeling of luxury. They often have padding along the sides, top, and bottom of the back, over the seat, and on the armrests. Some models may have only some of these options or may only offer each feature as a separate purchase, but even many budget gaming chairs will have most, if not all of this upholstery.

On the other hand, office chairs are inconsistent in offering comfortable designs. While ergonomics is the main focus, the way each chair approaches this can be very different from one another. This is great news for gamers looking for a specialty chair though. Some of the standard designs include mesh-back chairs supported by a strong, wide frame: the iconic, simple rolling chair made with just two thickly padded oval pieces and no pesky armrests, and then there are leather executive chairs with tall backs and rippled padding.

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Many of the best office chairs have the same features as gaming chairs, but few have all the features in one design, especially not at the same price point as a gaming chair. However, there is one significant benefit to office chairs as far as comfort goes: they can be much cooler than gaming chairs. Chairs with a mesh construction are more popular in offices, but even some gaming chairs offer this sort of material.

The DXRacer Air is one example of a gaming chair that utilizes mesh fabric, which is much more breathable than leather or faux leather. For gamers who live in hot and humid environments, long gaming sessions can be more comfortable without a high level of sweat buildup. However, while mesh chairs can be ergonomically friendly and supportive, some buyers will miss the feeling of memory cushions on a seat base or seat back.

Companies like Vertagear have attempted to replicate the breathability of mesh chairs even in models with faux leather upholstery. The VertaAir Seat of the SL5800 features eight hexagonal air pillars which allow for constant airflow in and out of seat cushions. In addition, using coffee granules as a shield, this gaming chair's HygennX protects its faux leather from the odors and bacteria that build up from sweat. Combined with dense UPHR foam that resists changing shape over time, the Vertagear SL5800 is a relatively affordable gaming chair that packs an equal number of gaming room and office-friendly features.

Style

Typically, when it comes to office chairs, users are given three choices: black, white, or gray. This is slowly beginning to change, with splashes of color here and there on commercial office furniture, but gaming chairs are already on the scene.

There are tons of colors to choose from when looking at gaming chairs. The most popular colors do tend to be red and black, but it’s rare to find a chair with only these color options.

Secretlab chairs are a showcase for the variety of looks possible with a gaming chair. Although the company sells relatively few different models at a time, its Titan Evo gives buyers a choice of dozens of styles which range from options with only a few colors to far more elaborate designs.

Tie-in designs are also a common occurrence, with two different Diablo IV chairs for sale celebrating the Lilith and Inarius characters. Buyers of Secretlab chairs who want to change the look of their purchase years down the line can purchase Secretlab Skins which are high-quality fabric covers available in an impressive number of styles.

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The racing-style gaming chairs from brands like DXRacer and AKRacing are aptly named. They’re comfortable to sit in, enhance gaming immersion, and actually do look a little like a race car or pilot seat. That being said, there’s only one thing a gaming chair can ever be. The second anyone walks into an office with a gaming chair, they will notice it. For some professions, fun colors and logos are the opposite of what’s wanted in the office. There are certainly gaming chair options that are muted and professional, but office chairs often have a better selection of sizes and styles that are minimalist yet impressive.

Durability

The differences in durability between office chairs and gaming chairs stem from the simple fact that these chairs are designed for two completely different activities. Many gamers move around in their seats, throw their body weight around when frustrated, and often get up or sit down aggressively. Meanwhile, in the office, users typically just sit in their seats, maybe spin around a bit, and generally try to be respectful of their coworkers by not making a lot of noise. Office chairs do need to withstand years and years of eight-hour days, but overall they just aren’t made with the durability of gaming chairs.

The choice of upholstery can also impact a gaming or office chair's durability. Buyers can find both types of chairs sold with mesh, leather, or cloth fabric materials. Even so, gaming chairs are often put through the most stress with intense gaming sessions. As a result, gaming chair manufacturers look to use synthetic leather blends that are durable enough to withstand this abuse. While not as strong as genuine leather, when properly reinforced, PU leather can avoid falling apart into pieces as seen with bonded leather on the cheapest office chairs.

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Cloth fabric is more difficult to locate on any type of gaming or office chair but is an option with the Titan Evo or the Razer Iskur. This type of material can also feel exceptionally soft on the skin, but it is more susceptible to rips and tears, especially from pets. With the Iskur, Razer attempts to change some preconceived notions about fabric chairs, combining layers of densely woven yarn for maximum durability. The fabric on the Razer Iskur is also spill-resistant so cleaning up messes is almost as easy as it is with PU leather. Still, because synthetic leather has a more luxurious look and is very low maintenance, it remains the far more common upholstery used with gaming chairs.

One advantage of mesh gaming and office chairs is they have very little fabric that can degrade over time. The FlexiSpot Ergonomic Office Chair Pro OC14 sports an almost entirely hard construction with a highly elastic fabric lining coating its backrest and seat cushion. Still, the memory foam cushioning common with gaming chairs combined with easily cleanable PU leather found on these chairs makes them hard to resist.

The more complicated a chair is with its ergonomic qualities, the more hardware is needed to make those adjustments. The adjustable components tend to be better constructed on gaming chairs, so they get stuck less often and break down slower. The wheels (called casters) and wheelbases are also usually rated to support higher weight limits while maintaining a low overall weight.

This isn’t to say that office chairs have poor durability because they don’t. Office chairs are ready to stand up to a lot of abuse; it’s just that gaming chairs are slightly better. Should durability be a deciding factor between gaming and office chairs? Not really, because the difference can be negligible depending on the user.

Adjustability

There isn’t much to say about the adjustability of office chairs versus gaming chairs. Gaming chairs usually offer users the ability to adjust the height of the chair, the width of the armrests, the angle of the seat back, and how far forward the seat is. Some gaming chairs also provide a pop-up footrest, an adjustable headrest, and lumbar pillows.

One of the goals of any adjustable chair is to allow users to find the healthiest sitting position to prevent leg, back, and neck pain. The best ergonomic gaming chairs often have some form of lumbar support since the lower back is often where people develop the most muscle and joint problems. Less expensive chairs may have integrated fixed lumbar support or pillows, while the most expensive chairs often include lower back support adjustable with controls underneath a seat. The AndaSeat Kaiser Frontier Series XL is a mid-range chair that opts for lumbar and neck pillows with a limited amount of placement flexibility. Even so, the chair has 4D armrests to suit almost any sitting position and can also recline up to 160 degrees.

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Many office chairs, however, typically only let people adjust the height of the chair and the angle of the seat back. Once again, this is a feature that is actually relatively easy to find on office chairs, but it's typically done at a much higher price than a gaming chair equivalent. It’s usually not worth the extra cost to get some adjustable options on an office chair that are done better on a gaming chair.

Value

As mentioned earlier, the best budget chairs are office chairs. There is a wide variety of budget office chairs that can comfortably support a gamer for many months, but it’s much more difficult to find a gaming chair of any quality under $100. But, once we look at chairs listed over $100, the quality begins to shift in favor of gaming chairs. Both office and gaming chairs have an average cost of between $200 and $400, but what gets prioritized as the price goes up is another stark difference between the two types of chairs.

Buying a budget gaming chair carries with it risks, but there are some exceptions with certain models having adequate build quality and adjustability. The Respawn 110 is a gaming chair with a surprising amount of adjustability and features for a very affordable asking price. This chair boasts integrated lumbar support which isn't adjustable but nevertheless provides more relief for lower back discomfort than cheap office chairs. Also, the Respawn 110 has a back tall enough to accommodate larger gamers and can recline up to 135 degrees to make relaxing after a difficult day more feasible. Other than its flashy gamer styling which would look odd in an office, it's hard to justify purchasing an inexpensive office chair from a big box store instead of the Respawn 110.

Office chairs with a higher price tag tend to be made with much higher quality materials, such as genuine leather and galvanized steel frames. These upgrades look great in executive offices and are supported by ergonomic designs.

As gaming chairs get more expensive, they tend to add new features like footrests or massage functions. Since they start at a higher price tag, they don’t need to improve their materials or design as the price goes up; those elements are already some of the best. Essentially, people get the most value out of their purchase at a lower price point with gaming chairs compared to office chairs.

The Best of Both Worlds?

Manufacturers realize the dilemma that buyers face when trying to decide between an office and a gaming chair. Consequently, some companies have created hybrid office/gaming chairs that can look natural in both gaming rooms and workplaces. Unfortunately, these chairs tend to be extremely expensive like the Herman Miller Aeron and Embody gaming chairs. Herman Miller is known as one of the most exclusive manufacturers of office chairs in the world, with unmatched build quality backed by a 12-year warranty. With their gaming chairs like the Embody, Herman Miller teamed up with Logitech G and added a few features like copper-infused cooling foam to better handle the sweat that's expected during intense gaming competitions.

The Vantum is the first chair made by Herman Miller and Logitech G with only gaming in mind. This gaming chair is somewhat more affordable than other Herman Miller options and utilizes a suspension-type fabric that's porous enough to promote sufficient airflow. The Vantum is a viable purchase for big and tall gamers since it can support a weight of up to 350 lbs. Also, the Vantum has the unique ability to tilt forward, so gamers can get closer to the action without sacrificing back and neck support.

Even some office chairs can blend in nicely in gaming rooms, and manufacturers have begun to market these chairs more to gamers. Available in black and several other colors, the Autonomous ErgoChair Pro has a modern space-age look that makes the chair look like a part of any stylish gaming desk and rig. The ErgoChair Pro also makes an entire suite of modifications possible including an adjustable armrest, headrest, backrest, and seat tilt.

Ultimately, most dedicated gamers will opt for a chair made by or endorsed by a gaming brand. Regardless, buyers who are searching for an option that is both appropriate for gaming and office work will find chairs like the Autonomous ErgoChair Pro a reasonable compromise.

Verdict

Clearly, office chairs have a lot to offer, especially for gamers on a budget. However, gaming chairs are simply superior. They have excellent quality upholstery that’s breathable and soft padding designed to provide ergonomic support even after years of use. Buyers can choose from a much wider variety of colors and brands, too. Plus, it’s easy to find affordable options that are only slightly more expensive than an office chair of much lesser quality.

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Even non-gamers would most likely be better off with a gaming chair in their office rather than whatever run-of-the-mill chair they currently have. Gaming chairs have office chairs beat at almost every point: comfort, style, durability, and adjustability. One of the major factors that office chairs are consistently better at is providing decent budget options, although some gaming chair companies have begun to close in on that market as well.

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FAQ

Q: Which chair is best for office work?

The best chair for office work is one that supports your body for the full length of time that you’ll be sitting in the chair. Not all seats are created equal, and not all chairs will be suitable for every body type.

Q: What is the difference between an office chair and a desk chair?

Office chairs are designed to be lightweight, durable, and able to support a specific person every day. Desk chairs (also called task chairs) are much more industrial and are designed for public spaces such as libraries and schools. They tend to have much less padding and fewer features than office chairs or gaming chairs.

Q: What is a good cheap office chair?

A good cheap office chair should come with some padding, at least three wheels, and hold at least 150lbs of weight. Typically, budget office chairs can be found for around $50.

Q: Is it better to sit high or low in an office chair?

You want to adjust the height of your chair to support the movement of standing and sitting. You should be able to do a simple squat into your chair. If you have to bend over or do not bend your knees at all when sitting down, you may need to adjust the height of your seat.

Q: Are gaming chairs good for office work?

Gaming chairs can be an excellent option for office workers who want to prioritize style and comfort over everything else.

Q: Do gaming chairs look unprofessional?

The short answer is yes. While there are some professional-looking gaming chairs, for the most part gaming chairs are viewed as unprofessional due to their vibrant and often branded designs.

Q: Does the size in a gaming chair matter?

Yes, size matters when it comes to gaming chairs. Typically, you’ll want the top of the chair to just barely reach over the top of your head so that your full back is supported. Along the sides, you should have 2-4 inches of space next to your hips; many gamers test this using their fists.