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Gaming chairs have seen a wild surge in popularity over the past few years, to the point that they're popular even among non-gamers. But that sudden rise in demand has also made it harder than ever to find a chair that's truly well-made and not just a cheap cash grab. The best gaming chairs — the ones that are actually worth your money — are comfortable, customizable, and look great. Desk Chairs For Gaming
Based on a combination of research and testing, we've picked the best gaming chairs you can buy right now. Our top pick is the Secretlab Titan Evo. It's a durable and stylish chair that'll suit nearly any gaming setup or office. Those on a tighter budget will appreciate the GT Racing chair, which offers ergonomic support and colorful styling for an affordable price.
If you spend a lot of time sitting at your desk, you need a high-quality seat to stay comfy during long gameplay sessions. Here are five of the best gaming chair options out there for different budgets and needs.
Best overall: Secretlab Titan Evo 2022 - See at Secretlab
Best budget option: GT Racing Gaming Chair - See at Amazon
Best office model: Steelcase Leap V2 - See at Amazon
Best for a wide seat: AndaSeat Kaiser 3 XL - See at Amazon
Best immersive pick: X Rocker Torque RGB 2.1 - See at Amazon
The Secretlab Titan Evo excels in every field, offering durability, style, adjustability, and supreme comfort.
Having used the last few generations of Secretlab gaming chairs, we're confident in saying the Singaporean brand has nailed it once again, with the Secretlab Titan Evo being the very best gaming chair. It's not cheap (starting at $549), but it's more affordable than other high-end brands and has an exceptional build quality that leaves other chairs of the same price feeling laughably poor.
Various materials are available to choose from across three different sizes: small, regular, and XL. The polyurethane leatherette models feature the broadest range of additional visual designs inspired by game/movie franchises and more, with incredibly intricate embroidered styles that hold up well over time. SoftWeave fabric models have fewer franchise designs but offer more subtle looks (pastel colors are a recent addition). The fabric models are more breathable in hot weather, although we wouldn't say the chair seat itself is softer.
Secretlab chairs have always been a little firm at first, but there is a slight softening after you've had a chance to break it in. Thankfully, though, there doesn't seem to be any further flattening of the memory foam over time. We've been using a Titan Evo since 2021 and a Secretlab Omega since early 2020, and both still feel fresh.
The memory foam head cushion has removed the unsightly strap and is now magnetic, drastically improving the chair's aesthetics. The magnetic range is more extensive and allows you to put it in just the right place without it bouncing into a default position every time you get up.
In addition to super precise four-way moveable armrests, the newly designed lumbar support now moves in four directions via two dials to adjust how much it protrudes and the height at which it does so. The Titan Evo is an excellent buy if you've been looking for something to improve your posture. We also recommend SecretLab's thick memory foam lumbar support cushion as an additional purchase — the cheaper, thicker one rather than the thin "Pro" model.
If you're looking for a better gaming chair, you might have to wait until Secretlab makes something new.
Read our Secretlab Titan review (2020 model).
With extra cushions, adjustable support, and an unbeatable price, the GT Racing gaming chair is a great option on a budget.
If you're working with a limited budget but still need a seat to carry you through your most intense games, then the GT Racing gaming chair is your new friend. With bucket-style seats covered in polyurethane leather, extra cushions, and logos all over, this gaming chair certainly looks the part.
There's padding over the metal frame, so this is a reasonably comfortable chair to sit in for a few hours. More padding would be nice, and the raised sides and metal frame can make this chair uncomfortable after a couple of hours, especially for larger folks. And while the height of the armrests and the seat can be adjusted, the armrests don't go as high as we'd like.
There's a removable headrest pillow, and you'll find a lumbar cushion on the back that you can slide up and down. A lever at the side enables you to recline the chair all the way back to a 160-degree angle. This chair also spins 360 degrees, and the wheels roll freely and quietly on hard floors or carpets.
The GT Racing chair starts from just $110, which makes it the cheapest option on our list by a distance. You can get it in various colors, including red and black, blue and black, or plain black in the polyurethane covering. While the polyurethane wipes clean easily, it can also get sweaty, and it's not something you want against your skin, so you may prefer to pay a little more for a fabric finish.
While this chair feels reasonably sturdy and does a good job of emulating more expensive gaming chairs, you can feel the difference when you sit in it. This is a budget gaming chair, and the quality reflects that. We can't speak to longevity, either. Online research reveals reports about different faults and parts of this chair breaking. Customer service looks to be good, but we have some concerns about long-term durability. Ultimately, although there are better gaming chairs, we can't find a superior option at this price.
It might not look flashy, but the the Steelcase Leap V2 is a wonderfully comfortable seat that can blend in seamlessly with your office.
Most gaming chairs have a certain style, usually involving bucket seats designed to emulate sports cars, along with vibrant patches of color and prominent logos. But if you're hunting for a great gaming chair that has to pull double duty as an office chair, then you probably don't want a garish seat that will catch people's eyes during video calls.
Our pick is the Steelcase Leap V2. It has a well-deserved place in our best office chairs guide. What sets it apart from the competition there and makes it especially suitable for gaming is the padding and adjustability. This is a chair that's comfortable enough to sit in all day for work and all night for gaming.
The Steelcase Leap V2 is designed to support your body whether you're leaning forward, sitting upright, slouching down, or reclining back with your feet up on the desk. There's also fully adjustable lumbar support that lets you tweak the resistance of the back, as well as change the height and seat depth, and adjust the height and orientation of the armrests. It also spins through 360 degrees, and the wheels roll smoothly across carpeted or hard floors.
You can buy the Steelcase Leap in a wide range of fabric or leather finishes in various colors, with or without the arms and headrest. This makes it a great fit for any office, though some combinations are very pricey.
The Steelcase Leap's price is a pain point, though. If you buy directly from Steelcase, prices start at around $1,000, though it does offer a lifetime warranty. On the other hand, this is a chair that's built to last, and if you shop around, you can find heavily discounted refurbished chairs with plenty of life left in them.
Read our full Steelcase Leap V2 review.
The AndaSeat Kaiser 3 XL is one of the roomiest gaming chairs on the market, bringing comfort and style to big and tall gamers.
The AndaSeat Kaiser 3 is a fantastic wide chair that's built for "big and tall" gamers. It's available in both soft linen fabric and tough PVC leather — so tough that reviewers are repeatedly amazed at how well it resists scuffing and scratching. And it comes at a price, $500, that's lower than our overall pick while still offering many of the same features.
Our favorite thing about the Kaiser 3 XL is, understandably, its size. The thick seat is over 21 inches wide, and the backrest is over 22 inches wide at the shoulders. That's impressive for a pro-level gaming chair like this — our previous wide pick, the Corsair T2, only had a shoulder width of about 20 inches. And its aluminum base gives it a high level of sturdiness, including support for up to 395 pounds. That's near the highest weight limit we've seen on a gaming chair.
We also have to shout out the customization features, which let you adjust the lumbar support position and strength, headrest height, and more. The headrest is actually magnetic, which means you won't have to worry about its sliding power degrading over time, and you can replace the pillow with other magnetic options.
The armrest covers are magnetic, too, which has its flaws — it's not hard to pop them off accidentally if you hit them the wrong way. But it also means you can easily switch them out with any of the other color options that AndaSeat offers. The wide variety of magnetic parts also makes assembling the chair pretty easy since there aren't nearly as many nuts and bolts to worry about.
One thing about AndaSeat chairs that's worth mentioning is their strange warranty policy. By default, all AndaSeat chairs have a two-year limited warranty that covers defects in the product but not damage sustained while using it. You can extend that warranty to five years by taking a picture or video of your chair, posting it on social media for at least a month, writing a review on the AndaSeat Facebook page, and sending them an email. But even after all that, the extended warranty still only covers factory defects. It's all very weird.
AndaSeat offers the Kaiser 3 in two sizes: Large (L) and Extra Large (XL). We recommend the XL version since it offers a lot more seat space and weight support for not much more money. But the L version is great, too, especially for smaller users.
The Torque 2.1 isn't very big or adjustable, but it has built-in speakers, RGB lights, and vibration motors that make it perfect for racing and action games.
For those looking for a purpose-built gaming chair, there's the X Rocker Torque 2.1. This new model replaces our previous pick in this category, the X Rocker Pro Series 2.1, which offered similar features but is no longer sold. The Torque 2.1 is an RGB-lit, vegan leather gaming chair with built-in sound for added immersion.
The chair features a pedestal for stability, letting you tilt and swivel while you play. There's a cushioned headrest and armrests, but this is not an adjustable chair. It's not the most comfortable gaming chair either, especially for taller or heavier gamers. We think this chair will work best for kids, teens, and smaller adults.
If you're buying an X Rocker chair, you're buying it for its unique audio qualities. It has two forward-facing speakers and a subwoofer inside, along with vibration motors that make for an immersive experience you can feel. It can pair with gaming consoles via a wired connection, and it supports wireless connectivity with Bluetooth-capable devices. Unfortunately, these features — along with the RGB lighting — require the chair to be plugged into a power outlet.
A panel on the right-hand side houses controls and various wired connections. Assembly is required, and you'll want help to do so.
The built-in speakers and vibrations are especially well-suited for fast-paced games. Racing game enthusiasts, in particular, should get a kick out of the chair's rumbling sound and feel. It's also foldable, which makes it easier to store when you're not using it, especially compared to more rigid gaming chairs.
We think the X Rocker Torque 2.1 has a lot to offer for around $480, but if you don't care about the sound or vibration features, you should check out a more comfortable, adjustable chair.
With such a wide and growing selection to choose from, it can be tricky to pick the best gaming chair for your needs. Here are a few of the important factors to keep in mind when you're shopping for a gaming chair.
Size: It's vital to find a gaming chair that's suited to your height and weight. You'll generally find a suggested range or maximum height and weight in the specs of each chair. Bear in mind that the ideal height and weight for a chair will likely be in the middle of the stated range. This is especially important if the chair isn't adjustable or has limited adjustability. Make sure you read reviews and see what people are saying about the sizing. If you can, it's always a good idea to try before you buy.
Adjustability: The best gaming chairs will be fully adjustable, allowing you to tailor the chair to your body. Ideally, you should be able to adjust the seat height and the armrests and tilt and recline in the chair. The best gaming chairs will also offer adjustable lumbar support and extras like seat depth adjustments, but these are often lacking in cheaper chairs. Bear in mind that you can always add a cushion for lumbar support, but make sure that you get one that can be strapped into the correct position.
Material: The majority of our picks for the best gaming chairs are finished in polyurethane (PU) leather, but you can also find fabric finishes and real leather chairs, though they will be more expensive. Fake or real leather has the advantage of being easy to wipe clean but can lead to an uncomfortably sweaty back. Fabric tends to be more breathable but may stain more easily.
Style: You can get gaming chairs emblazoned with esports logos or styled after videogame characters, but if you're buying something for the home office, it's a good idea to consider what the chair will look like during a business video call. Some options bridge the gap between traditional office chairs and gaming chairs.
We built our guide to the best gaming chairs using a mix of firsthand testing and thorough research. When evaluating which gaming chairs are worth highlighting, we prioritize a variety of criteria, including comfort, skeletal support, price, design, durability, and even the quality of the chair's warranty. Occasionally, we may recommend a chair that falters in some categories if it significantly excels in others.
For this guide, we also gathered recommendations from game developers and avid gamers. Additionally, we cross-referenced our opinions with existing gaming chair reviews to make sure we weren't missing any hidden gems or making anecdotal claims that don't hold up.
All Insider reviewers keep a close eye on the industries they write about, and we re-evaluate our buying guides multiple times per year. This helps us write the most accurate reviews and recommendations possible.
Gaming chairs can get pretty expensive. A budget gaming chair comes in around $150 to $300, but these chairs are usually missing features and aren't super comfortable. You can find chairs for lower than this, but they're rarely even worth considering. Normal gaming chairs — like our top pick, the SecretLab Titan Evo 2022 — range from $500 to $800. These are more comfortable chairs that feature adjustable parts, lumbar support, and sturdy construction.
Once you pass the $800 mark, you'll start seeing diminishing returns. Premium furniture brands like Herman Miller make fantastic chairs that feel wonderful to sit in for long periods, but they're probably not so much better that they're worth breaking the bank for.
No. Some gaming chairs will be too thin to sit comfortably in, some will be too short to avoid cramping long legs, and so on. In general, bigger chairs are easier to get comfortable in than small ones.
For example, in this guide, we recommend the X-Rocker Torque 2.1 as a great immersive chair, but it's also too short to support all body types comfortably. In contrast, the AndaSeat Kaiser 3 XL is great because of how roomy it is.
The best gaming chairs are adjustable, which means that they'll be accessible to a wider variety of body types. But before you buy any chair, check the specifications to make sure that you'll fit comfortably in it and that it'll fit in your office or home.
This is a complicated question to answer. There hasn't been much research on gaming chairs or how they compare to other sorts of chairs for improving game performance. The large majority of claims about gaming chairs are made either anecdotally through product reviews or by the brands that build the chairs themselves, neither of which are totally trustworthy.
The research that does exist, like this 2019 paper from De La Salle University's School of Industrial Engineering, suggests that gaming chairs do improve gaming performance, although in an indirect way. Their research says that gaming chairs tend to be more ergonomic, meaning that gamers can play for longer periods without strain — so, over an extended period, their focus, alertness, and skill stay higher than that of gamers in other chairs.
Some chairs are built in specific ways to encourage focus. The Herman Miller Vantum, for example, slightly tilts the user forward so they're closer to the screen. But the research suggests that when it comes to improving game performance, being comfortable is the most important thing.
Best Rated Gaming Chairs You can purchase logo and accolade licensing to this story here. Disclosure: Written and researched by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our partners. We may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at reviews@businessinsider.com.