If you have recently started working from home, or have free time to do some serious gaming, then you need a comfortable gaming chair that you can sit on for long periods of time.
With all the craziness going on in the world, one thing we can guarantee is your comfort, which means going the distance and getting the best gaming chair under $200.
You will be able to upgrade from your hard, non-ergonomic chair to the perfect entry-level chair that’s designed for comfort and built for longevity.
If you’re sitting at your desk for 8+ hours a day, getting a comfortable and ergonomic chair is a must, so you’re not constantly adjusting the settings, and to make your posture better which in turn will prevent long-term injuries.
In this article, we will be covering a criterion you should follow prior to buying a gaming chair, and how you can pick the best chair for your needs.
Let’s dive in.
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I would classify picking your chair as one of the most important aspects of your battlestation setup.
Your chair for your setup is like the bed for your bedroom. It will affect your daily routine, and can either make your life easier, or make it uncomfortable.
Chairs are important for ergonomics, comfort, and being able to stay in one place for long periods of time.
If you have ever did some work on a laptop in a cafe, or currently use a dining chair, you know that after about 20 minutes, you start to feel sore, so getting a soft, cushiony chair is essential.
When it comes to the marketing of chair products, the term ‘gaming’ is put into the title as a marketing ploy to target gamers specifically.
These products with ‘gaming’ in them are NOT just for people who game. They can be used by anyone who needs a chair, whether you’re in an office, or if you work from home.
A great chair will be comfortable and solve your ergonomic problems, and the criteria I’m about to show you below will be your guide to finding the best chair to suit your needs.
Below is every aspect you should consider when buying a new chair.
Comfort is #1 and should last you years without the chair breaking or failing to adjust.
You want to feel comfortable enough that you could almost fall sleep, and have the ability to adjust your chair into a comfortable sleeping position (at a 180° angle), so you have leeway with how far backwards or forwards you prefer to sit.
This ensures that your body is always in a comfortable position (and also prevents injury). If you work from home or enjoy gaming for long periods of time, that you won’t become restless and will be able to stay in one spot for extended periods.
Ergonomic design ties in with comfortability and should be high priority when it comes to looking at gaming chairs.
When seated, you want to ensure you’re in an ergonomic position, meaning your posture is straight, your monitors are at eye level and you’re not hunched over.
You should essentially be laid back in your chair, as this will relieve the pressure off your spine. Usually gaming chairs come with a lower back cushion and a neck cushion which you can use to help your posture if you want.
I've played around with my chair, and have had times where I cycle off the cushions, so it's not a necessity. Having a chair which can be adjusted to your liking is more important.
Adjustability is another big factor when looking at gaming chairs.
You will have a different height, weight, and body shape from the person next to you, so being able to adjust your gaming chair to your personal preferences will help with posture.
Some chairs allow you to adjust your chair almost completely flat, so it's like you're laying down:
This may be unnecessary for some, but it's great to have the option to adjust as far back as you can.
There's also a lifehack to solve these afternoon slumps (losing energy in the afternoon). If you suffer from the dip in energy during the afternoon, try this:
Afternoon Slump Lifehack: Set your chair up so that you’re in a comfortable “lying” position. If you prefer to be completely flat, like in a bed, go for it, I prefer to be slightly elevated.
Then use your desk as the footrest. Essentially you would want your feet elevated higher than your heart.
Now, take a 10 - 15-minute nap. Make sure you don’t go over 15 minutes because it on average 20 minutes to reach REM (rapid eye movement) sleep (deep sleep).
Set an alarm clock or two to make sure you wake up. After you get up, you should feel very refreshed.
Height is also crucial for good ergonomic posture. One ergonomic trick you can do is have your feet planted on the ground or some sort of footstool.
Below is a video explaining the perfect ergonomic practices for your battlestation setup by The Wall Street Journal:
As shown in the video, getting an elevated footrest is a great option, or if you don’t have one, ensure your feet planted on the ground.
Alternatively, some desks have built-in footrests that you can utilize. They're not the best, but they can do the job.
Other than having your feet rested, your arms should be resting on your table at a 90° angle.
With both your feet and your arms resting, you will have maximum ergonomic comfort when gaming.
There are two main types of materials used in chairs:
Some gaming chairs include a combination of both fabrics, which is usually done to try and prevent heat build-up.
Here's a list detailing some pros and cons of each:
| PU Leather | Fabric |
|---|---|
| Sweating: If you're running hot on a leather seat and start to sweat, the sweat can easily be cleaned with a cloth and spray, or a wet wipe. While sweating, your chair may feel icky. | Sweating: Since the fabric is more breathable, you have less chance of sweating in your seat. Although, if you do start to sweat on your chair, your sweat will be absorbed into the fabric which can cause damage. |
| Stains: PU leather is super easy to clean. If you somehow drop your drink or some food on the leather, it won't be hard to wipe up all the gunk. | Stains: Fabric is much harder to clean than leather since the gunk can get absorbed into the fabric. It will take more effort to effectively clean a spot. |
| Durability: PU leather is very durable and will last a couple of years if maintained well. Small tears can happen over time, but as long as you're not exposing the leather to constant sunlight, then you're good. | Durability: Fabric is durable, but the material tends to rub off, or the color might start to fade over time. Again, sustainability can be prolonged if you maintain your seat well. So there are no winners between leather and fabric when it comes to durability. |
| Heat: Although leather is easy to clean, but can heat up real quick; this is what leads to you sweating faster. Some chairs include bonded leather, which limits heat from building up. Leather will always get hot if exposed to heat for a long time | Heat: The great thing about fabric is that it's more breathable. Even when exposed to sunlight for long periods of time, it will be warm, but it won't be too hot to sit on since the fabric mostly absorbs the heat. |
There are 3 main styles of gaming chairs:
Everything comes at a price, and gaming chairs are no exception.
For chairs, just like your bed, they're an investment. Your chair will dictate your comfort levels when you're seated at your battlestation, so it's in your best interest to choose this wisely.
There are many chair designs made by different materials, so prices vary, but as shown in our top 5 list, you can get a chair that is comfortable and will be durable for years without needing to break the bank.
All of these come down to how much value you want to put into sitting in a comfortable chair.
If you are upgrading from just a regular office chair or just a normal chair, then switching to a gaming chair under $200 will be a massive upgrade.
The comfort, ergonomic features, and adjustability settings make gaming racing chairs worthwhile.
The chair I’m sitting on was revolutionized by my setup. I went from being uncomfortable and readjust my seat every 15 minutes to sitting on my chair for hours without any pain or soreness.
There are quite a few types of gaming chairs on the market today.
We focus on getting the best gaming chairs for this article, but there are some types you may want to consider.
Gaming PC Chairs - Gaming PC chairs are what’s featured in our article, and is the most versatile for comfort, whether you’re gaming, or working.
They mimic the comfortable office-style chairs, but have more of a 'gaming' look to them, with many designs having that racing-type look.
Gaming Racer Chairs - Racing chairs were originally designed for racing games, but nowadays have been adopted to duplicate the design of a car seat.
Depending on what you’re preferences are, you can get an actual gaming racer chair that includes a steering wheel and pedals, so you can have an immersive racing experience.
Gaming Rocking Chairs - Rocking chairs (AKA floor chairs) are chairs that sit on the floor and provide an ergonomically rounded shape for comfort.
The design is tailored towards more console players or setups that are low to the ground.
Imagine sitting on a bean bag, but instead of a bean bag, it’s an L-shaped chair. That’s what a rocking chair is.
Gaming Pedestal Chairs - A pedestal chair is a rocking chair on wheels. Rocking chairs have a unique design that you can tell compared to other chairs, and adding a pedestal adds height and swivel motions.
If you combine both the criteria we’ve listed above, with the chair type that you prefer, then you’re on your way to maximum comfort.
Below is a list that was researched through review posts, YouTube user reviews, personal experience, and testing on-site.
You should be able to find a gaming chair no matter what your budget is, just make sure it fits your criteria.
Specs:
GTracing is a great budget gaming chair that won’t disappoint.
The chair comes in all black, has a great ergonomic design to it, and is built like a racing chair.
What differentiates this chair from other gaming racing chairs is the seat. Most gaming chairs have more of a ‘bucket’ style seat which restricts your legroom, whereas this seat is flatter, and has more of an elevated front.
The ‘Bucket’ Seat: A seat where the grooves on the side come up high.
Here is an example between the two:
A flat seat allows for more legroom if you prefer not being limited by the grooves.
The chair also includes two cushions for the neck and lower back, coupled with retractable footrest, so if you enjoy sitting back and relaxing, you can do so on this chair.
The GTRACING gaming chair is height adjustable and can recline to between 90° - 170°, so if you want to have a comfortable nap to solve those afternoon slumps, you can do it with this chair.
Well built with a leather finish and includes high-quality materials that produce a heavy-duty base, you won’t have any problems with durability or stability with this chair.
If you’re looking for legroom, a luxurious leather finish with soft supporting cushions made to last, then the GTRACING gaming chair is an excellent choice.
Specs:
Homall has made an awesome chair, having the design of a more traditional racing chair.
The S-RACER has all your traditional features of a racing chair, including the neck and lower back supports, a bucket-style seat, and an elegant leather finish.
What’s great about this chair is surprising comfortability when sitting in this chair, which is due to the perfect balance of the seat being soft, yet firm, creating the ideal balance.
The chair allows you to recline to a 90° - 180° and includes a stable wheelbase which will stabilize taller or larger people,
The downside to this gaming chair is the inability to adjust the arm supports, which could be a problem if you want to move your chair directly under your table.
Specs:
The Devoko and Homall gaming chairs may look the same, but they provide slightly different comfort levels.
Devoko has included a very sturdy and non-wobbly base on their chair, which can support larger and taller persons with ease.
Devoko's ergonomic gaming chair includes an excellent, soft, cushion support for your glutes and a firmer finish than most, so you're not sinking in, but it won't wear out anytime soon.
The durability of this chair is second to none, as it can take a beating, yet still hold itself up extremely well.
A bonus of this chair is that Devoko has great customer service, so if anything goes wrong with your chair, you can always hit up support and they will take care of you.
Specs:
If you want a chair that’s more classy, more office-like, then OFM’s Essentials Collection has introduced the perfect chair for your needs.
The chair includes a high-back racing chair style and SofThread leather upholstery that was put together to last.
The high-back gaming chair has a unique design to it, and unlike your traditional gaming racer chairs, includes a mix of fabric and leather to prevent heat buildup, so you don't run hot on this chair.
If you like a flat seat, soft and comforting cushions with an aesthetic, ergonomic finish, then you can’t go wrong with OFM's budget gaming chair.
Specs:
If you’re looking for an upgrade to your old chair, and don’t want to spend over $100, Smugchair’s gaming chair is the perfect fit for you.
It’s comfortable, compact, and lightweight, making it the perfect entry-level chair that’s durable enough to last a while.
The chair easy to assemble, with all the parts lining up perfectly, so if you're not the greatest at putting things together, this will be a piece of cake, just ensure you follow the instructions.
Smugchairs gaming chair offers another unique design to the regular gaming racing chairs. It’s a little bit shorter of a shorter build, but you can still rest your head on it.
You won’t get some of the more expensive features like adjustable arms (they’re hook-shaped), or any additional neck or lower back cushions, but for a chair like this you don’t really need them.
The chair is comfortable on its own and is put together with bonded leather, which prevents heat from building up.
If you’re not interested in getting a gaming racing-style chair and want something more compact and easy to put together, this is an excellent choice as an entry-level chair.
The most comfortable type of gaming chair is the chair that suits your body shape the best.
If you’ve followed our criteria in the Buyer’s Guide section of this article, you should have a pretty good idea of what to look for when buying a gaming chair.
However, there are 3 specific features I would look for to maximize comfortability:
For the perfect ergonomic chair, all 3 body parts should be well supported and comfortable when seated.
Your gaming chair should allow you to be in excellent posture at all times, and thus be comfortable.
So it doesn’t matter which ‘type’ you choose, as long as you find one that suits your personal preferences and allow you to maintain a healthy posture.
The most comfortable chair you can find.
Whether that’s a rocker chair, a PC gaming chair, or an executive office chair, the choice is yours.
What matters most is comfort and ergonomics. If you buy an uncomfortable gaming chair, you'll be fiddling around with the settings regularly, and your body will become sore every 15 - 20 minutes.
Find one that you can sit in for hours at a time, where you don't have to fiddle with the settings. A great indicator is if you can sleep in the chair.
Absolutely!
Our selection of gaming chairs all starts at a reasonable price, being under $200, some even under $100.
These types of ‘entry-level’ chairs are the perfect upgrade from a regular office chair or any other kind of ‘normal’ chair that you would be using.
An excellent gaming chair (even if it’s cheap), is an investment, and luckily there is an array of cheap gaming chairs available for you to shop around.
See our 5 best gaming chairs under $200 and decide for yourself as to what cheap gaming chair will be best for you.
Here’s a quick rundown of what you should’ve learned, and how you can go on to finding the best gaming chair to suit your needs:
We have provided a list of products that are all great, and have unique features that you may, or may not like.
Whether you’re a hardcore gamer, a light-gamer who works from home, or want a new office chair, there should be an option that you can choose from that’s perfect for your situation.
For us, the chair that ticks off most of our criteria when choosing the best gaming chair under 200 is the:
The chair itself offers the most adjustability, whether it’s the arm height, seat reclining, or the ability to have neck and lumbar support.
No matter how you like to sit on your chair, you can adjust it to your liking and be ergonomically safe doing so.
It doesn’t have your traditional ‘bucket’ type of seat and allows you to have more legroom compared to traditional racing-style gaming chairs.
So if you’re looking for an amazing upgrade for your chair, and don’t want to spend over $200, then you can’t go wrong with a GTRACING gaming chair.
You can get your own GTRACING racing gaming chair by clicking here.
