There are a few trivial parts of a gaming setup that have a deceptively huge impact on your entire gaming experience. One of these is the gaming chair. Even if you have the latest and greatest CPU and GPU, if you’re not sat comfortably, you wouldn’t be able to use your glorious system for more than a few minutes. I’ve seen one too many desk setups like this that performs magnificently on max settings via its hardware, but I just can’t imagine how that can be done for more than a few minutes with sub-par lumbar support.
You can build a kickass system out of the best components but if you don’t have the foresight to invest in a good gaming chair, your experience will always be diminished. So, if you’re looking for the gaming chair that’ll suit your needs, here’s a little helping hand. In this piece, I’m going to give a few pointers on which aspects of a gaming chair that you need to look out for.
Ergonomics
Sitting for long periods can be just as damaging to your health as smoking. This has been a dominant debate in health science circles for a long time now. But if you’re going to sit for long periods, like when you’re gaming, it may be less damaging to your health if you’re sitting on a comfortable chair.
Some chairs are more comfortable than others. A bar stool for, example, is nowhere in the league of a good gaming chair. But, that’s exactly what I’ve seen in many desk setups that I’ve come across.
So, if you have the chance, try out the gaming chair of your dreams before buying it. The contours of our body are different from each other so merely browsing visually might not be the best bet here. Feeling how the chair supports your back is of paramount.
Versatility
Gamers aren’t stuck with just PC. A lot of are console gamers too. So, having a chair that adjusts to how you’re getting your gaming fix is a huge plus. Whether you’re using a mouse and keyboard or a game controller, your chair must be able to make you feel comfortable.
At the minimum, the armrests should have some sort of y-axis adjustability. Having armrests that are either too high or too low is a sure way of getting stiff shoulders. Furthermore, the chair height itself should also be adjustable. Leg length can vary wildly between individuals so it should be taken into consideration as well especially if you intend on letting other people use it.
Materials
Gaming hard can make you lose track of time which, for some people, can lead to several hours of sitting. This makes the material your chair is made out of an important aspect to think about.
It should be appropriate for your environment. The cool look of a leather gaming chair might be enticing but if you’re gaming in warm dry environments, you’re going to want to stay away from it. It’s not breathable, high-maintenance, and not very durable.
It’s surely going to start cracking within the first few months of use in dry environments. And if you're an avid gamer, it's prone to getting a lot of abrasion damage as well.
It also tends to get smelly. This is because leather absorbs moisture. And because it’s not breathable, you’re prone to sweating a lot when gaming on it. It’s surely going to absorb the sweat at the back of your neck when things get too extreme at your favourite FPS or horror game. The smell of accumulated sweat trapped in a leather seat isn’t the most pleasant smell out there.
Leather seats, however, a great if you’re in a climate-controlled environment. It’s almost stain-proof and very comfortable to sit on for extended periods as it serves as an additional layer of cushion.
Fabric gaming chairs, on the other hand, are more breathable. Sweat, therefore, is not as much of a problem as it is on leather. Some fabric chairs are even washable which makes it a bit more durable.
This makes sense, because it stains easily, unlike leather. So be warned if you’re the type to bring your food into your gaming area.
The centrepiece of any gaming setup is the gaming unit itself. And within that gaming unit lay the entire setup’s heart and soul - the CPU and GPU combination. Whether a game would run with a playable frame rate all depends on these two tiny little things. Nobody likes gaming on an underpowered system. Picking out which components to use in your gaming setup, therefore, is understandably one of the most important decisions you’d have to make.
However, you can have the best CPU and GPU combination that money can buy; but if you have a crappy chair, the gaming experience is surely going to crumble. It’s like having a heart and soul but no mind or body for a complete entity. So, do yourself a favour… Pick out a decent gaming chair.
You can build a kickass system out of the best components but if you don’t have the foresight to invest in a good gaming chair, your experience will always be diminished. So, if you’re looking for the gaming chair that’ll suit your needs, here’s a little helping hand. In this piece, I’m going to give a few pointers on which aspects of a gaming chair that you need to look out for.
Ergonomics
Sitting for long periods can be just as damaging to your health as smoking. This has been a dominant debate in health science circles for a long time now. But if you’re going to sit for long periods, like when you’re gaming, it may be less damaging to your health if you’re sitting on a comfortable chair.
Some chairs are more comfortable than others. A bar stool for, example, is nowhere in the league of a good gaming chair. But, that’s exactly what I’ve seen in many desk setups that I’ve come across.
So, if you have the chance, try out the gaming chair of your dreams before buying it. The contours of our body are different from each other so merely browsing visually might not be the best bet here. Feeling how the chair supports your back is of paramount.
Versatility
Gamers aren’t stuck with just PC. A lot of are console gamers too. So, having a chair that adjusts to how you’re getting your gaming fix is a huge plus. Whether you’re using a mouse and keyboard or a game controller, your chair must be able to make you feel comfortable.
At the minimum, the armrests should have some sort of y-axis adjustability. Having armrests that are either too high or too low is a sure way of getting stiff shoulders. Furthermore, the chair height itself should also be adjustable. Leg length can vary wildly between individuals so it should be taken into consideration as well especially if you intend on letting other people use it.
Materials
Gaming hard can make you lose track of time which, for some people, can lead to several hours of sitting. This makes the material your chair is made out of an important aspect to think about.
It should be appropriate for your environment. The cool look of a leather gaming chair might be enticing but if you’re gaming in warm dry environments, you’re going to want to stay away from it. It’s not breathable, high-maintenance, and not very durable.
It’s surely going to start cracking within the first few months of use in dry environments. And if you're an avid gamer, it's prone to getting a lot of abrasion damage as well.
It also tends to get smelly. This is because leather absorbs moisture. And because it’s not breathable, you’re prone to sweating a lot when gaming on it. It’s surely going to absorb the sweat at the back of your neck when things get too extreme at your favourite FPS or horror game. The smell of accumulated sweat trapped in a leather seat isn’t the most pleasant smell out there.
Leather seats, however, a great if you’re in a climate-controlled environment. It’s almost stain-proof and very comfortable to sit on for extended periods as it serves as an additional layer of cushion.
Fabric gaming chairs, on the other hand, are more breathable. Sweat, therefore, is not as much of a problem as it is on leather. Some fabric chairs are even washable which makes it a bit more durable.
This makes sense, because it stains easily, unlike leather. So be warned if you’re the type to bring your food into your gaming area.
The centrepiece of any gaming setup is the gaming unit itself. And within that gaming unit lay the entire setup’s heart and soul - the CPU and GPU combination. Whether a game would run with a playable frame rate all depends on these two tiny little things. Nobody likes gaming on an underpowered system. Picking out which components to use in your gaming setup, therefore, is understandably one of the most important decisions you’d have to make.
However, you can have the best CPU and GPU combination that money can buy; but if you have a crappy chair, the gaming experience is surely going to crumble. It’s like having a heart and soul but no mind or body for a complete entity. So, do yourself a favour… Pick out a decent gaming chair.