Buying Guide: How to Choose the Perfect Gaming Chair for Your Setup?

• Understanding the Importance of a Good Gaming Chair
• Criteria for Selecting a Gaming Chair
• Buying Tips for Choosing Your Gaming Chair

From the screen to the mouse, including the keyboard or the controller, building a gaming setup is essential for any video game enthusiast. But among the indispensable accessories for gamers, an appropriate chair is crucial, not only to improve your gaming performance but also to prevent physical problems such as back pain. The key criteria for choosing the ideal gaming chair include the quality of materials, aesthetics, durability, and adjustability. This buying guide will help you select a chair that meets your needs and preferences, for a comfortable and immersive gaming experience, and a PC gaming setup entirely to your liking.

Understanding the Importance of a Good Gaming Chair

Investing in a gaming chair rather than a simple office chair is not a luxury or a whim; it is a crucial element for anyone who spends many hours sitting, whether for gaming, working, or both. Forget basic stools or low-cost office chairs: for the sake of your back, an ergonomic and adjustable seat is essential.

Ergonomics and Comfort: Knowing the Keys to a Good Gaming Chair

When choosing a gaming chair, comfort and ergonomics should be at the heart of your decision. A good gaming chair should offer both proper lumbar and cervical support, as well as prolonged comfort, even after long hours of use. Here are some essential criteria to guide you in purchasing your ergonomic chair:

• The seat: it should not only support your body correctly but also promote good blood circulation to avoid discomfort and long-term health problems.
• The backrest: inspired by the bucket seats of sports cars, the backrest of a gaming chair effectively envelops and supports the back; a crucial criterion for increased comfort and reduced back pain.
• The armrests: they also play an important role in terms of comfort. They can be soft or rigid, tiltable or adjustable, depending on the models and preferences of each user.
• The cushions: the most sophisticated gaming chairs are equipped with dedicated cushions for the lower back and head. These make a significant difference in terms of comfort and pain prevention, especially during prolonged sessions.
• The foam: the quality of the padding inside the seat largely determines its comfort and durability. Later in this article, we will discuss the criteria for choosing optimal foam.
• The casters: mobility is another important aspect. Gaming chairs generally rest on a five-star caster system, but you can also opt for a chair with glides if you prefer a fixed chair that does not move.
• The maximum weight: standard-sized chairs can support a load of about 100 kg. For larger users, it is necessary to choose a chair with larger dimensions and more resistant mechanisms, capable of supporting a weight beyond 150 kg.

Style and Design: Customizing the Aesthetics of Your Gaming Setup

The aesthetics of your gaming space are just as important as its functionality. The style and design of your gaming chair should match your existing accessories to complete your setup harmoniously. Here are the criteria to keep in mind when choosing a chair that integrates into your gaming environment.

• The style: due to their shape inspired by sports cars, most gaming chairs have a dynamic and distinctive design, while their size is more imposing than that of classic office chairs. This particular style may not suit all spaces, especially those shared with other family members, such as the living room or bedroom. It's up to you to decide between very "gamer" oriented models or more sober designs, depending on the location reserved for your chair.
• The color: in terms of shades, gaming chairs offer a wide range of choices, from dark and neutral tones to more vibrant and flashy colors. This allows you to select a chair that not only meets your comfort needs but also harmonizes with your gaming or work space, or more broadly with your tastes.
• The materials: the choice of materials is crucial for the look and daily maintenance of the chair. Fabric, for example, is very comfortable but sometimes lacks style and can easily stain. Leather and faux leather, on the other hand, offer a more elegant appearance but are more marked and less easy to match.

Criteria for Selecting a Gaming Chair

The differences between a standard office chair and a gaming chair are significant. Beyond ergonomic and physiological considerations, a high-quality gaming chair stands out for its longevity and resistance to wear. Unlike many low-end models that tend to lose their comfort and structure after a few months of use, a good gaming chair must remain reliable and perform well over time.

Materials and Durability: Investing for the Long Term

The Choice of Padding

Selecting a gaming chair inevitably involves evaluating the padding, which guarantees comfort, but also the durability and solidity of the seat in the long term. High-density foam ensures a firmer seat, while low-density foam translates to increased softness. Chairs with cold foam padding are particularly recommended for their resilience and ability to retain their original shape, even after several years. Used in mattress manufacturing, this type of foam offers exceptional longevity, often exceeding 10 years.

The Choice of Upholstery

Beyond aesthetic style, the upholstery will also determine the durability and ease of maintenance of your gaming chair. Here are the most common options:

• Leather: a noble and elegant material, leather gives your chair a sophisticated look. However, it can be hot in summer and cold in winter. It also requires some maintenance if you want to keep its shine and original quality.
• Faux leather: a more affordable alternative, faux leather is easy to clean while retaining most of the aesthetic qualities of its counterpart. However, it is generally less durable than genuine leather.
• Vegan leather: gaining popularity over the years, this type of leather that is not of animal origin constitutes a more eco-friendly option, without sacrificing style or longevity.
• Fabric: with a soft and warm appearance, fabric allows for better ventilation than leather and is ideal for people prone to sweating—although it requires more care, maintenance, and cleaning.
• Mesh: also offering optimal ventilation, this airy fabric prevents excessive sweating and ensures additional comfort during long gaming sessions. Another advantage: it is easy to clean.

Features and Adjustments: Customizing Your Gaming Experience

The ideal gaming chair should offer a multitude of adjustments to suit your specific needs and morphology. After all, it's YOUR chair, so it should ensure an optimal and personalized gaming experience! Here are some essential features and adjustments to prioritize as much as possible.

• Armrest adjustment: to relieve the muscles and joints of the upper body, opting for adjustable armrests is crucial. Indeed, their vertical adjustment allows you to find the ideal position for your elbows and wrists. The most advanced models offer 4D armrests, with height, width, depth, and rotation adjustments.
• Backrest tilt: if possible, a gaming chair should have a tiltable backrest for optimal and adjustable back support. Some models even offer a 180° tilt, perfect for a nap after an intense gaming session!
• Seat tilt: the ability to tilt the seat is another key feature. The standard angle of the latter is 90°, but customizable tilt allows for increased flexibility and better mobility.
• Seat height: for optimal ergonomics, it is recommended to choose a chair with adjustable height, especially in the absence of adjustable armrests. This ensures a harmonious alignment between your chair, your desk, and your gaming peripherals.
• Cushion height: on models equipped with head or lower back cushions, the ability to adjust the height or depth of these is essential to provide adapted support and effectively relieve the body.

Buying Tips for Choosing Your Gaming Chair

Which gaming chair to choose? You now know the essential criteria for buying a gaming chair: we now offer you some additional tips to find the model that will meet both your personal requirements... And your budget constraints.

Budget and Recommendations: Finding the Best Value for Your Gaming Chair

Buying a gaming chair is certainly a significant investment, but there are options for all budgets. Here are some tips to find the best value while meeting your gamer needs.

• Read product descriptions carefully to make a long-term choice: choosing an office chair should not be limited to its aesthetic aspect or price. As we have seen, it is essential to examine characteristics such as foam quality, adjustment parameters, and seat durability. Investing in a higher quality chair can be profitable in the long run, as it will last longer and ensure a better gaming experience day after day.
• Finding the balance between quality and cost: if the most high-end models seem out of reach, it is possible to find more affordable alternatives without compromising on comfort and ergonomics, which are the primary criteria. You can make concessions on the rest. For example, a synthetic material upholstery can be a less expensive option but just as comfortable as leather.
• Testing before buying (or not): although it is preferable to test a chair before purchasing, this is not always possible, especially when buying online. In this case, it is recommended to refine your search by reading tests, comparisons, and customer reviews. This information can help you choose a chair that offers excellent value for money and meets your criteria, even without having tried it yourself.

Reviews and Tests: Discovering the Best Gaming Chairs at Nacon

Among the manufacturers of chairs for gamers, Nacon is well known for its high-quality gaming chairs, offering excellent value for money and very positive customer reviews. Two models stand out particularly for their popularity among users:

• Gaming Chair PCCH-310 Turquoise : this model has an exceptional rating of 4.9 out of 5 at the time of writing, reflecting its high appreciation by users. Its key features? Its ergonomic design, comfortable armrests, 5 durable and solid wheels for easy mobility, adjustable height, and a maximum weight of 110 kilograms. Customer reviews particularly praise the overall quality of the chair and its very competitive value for money.
• PlayStation Gaming Chair PCCH-350 : with a rating of 4.7 out of 5 (average observed in December 2023), this model is a favorite among PlayStation gamers (but not only). This chair features a look with PlayStation colors and logo, ideal for fans of the Sony console. Its ergonomics and seat adapted to all morphologies make it a very versatile chair. Customers particularly appreciate the distinctive design, overall comfort, and advantageous value for money of this officially licensed PlayStation chair.