Choosing a chair for work or for gaming is another quest. Many people do not take it seriously, many believe that they can save on a chair for the sake of better components in a PC, a better monitor, or peripherals. At the same time, people somehow forget that it is in a chair that they will spend a huge number of hours. Some people literally live in the "bed-chair-bed" mode for weeks, so why should the choice of a chair in which we spend so much time not be at the forefront when organizing a work or gaming space? A chair is important, and in this article I will try to help you decide how to choose a comfortable chair for both games and work.
First of all, I would like to point out that you don't have to buy a gaming chair, that is, a racing chair or a cockpit chair. You can take whatever you like, because in reality, a chair is just a chair, after all, I'm sure that a conventional Herman Miller for long gaming sessions will be no worse than a conventional Dx Racer. But I've been reviewing gaming chairs for about 10 years, so let's assume that you've decided to choose a gaming chair for yourself, in which you also plan to work.
If you type "buy gaming chair" into Google right now, you'll get a ton of options in different colors, with different price tags, but mostly they'll be similar in design, and mostly it'll be " cockpit" (a racing car chair design) or "mesh" (a mesh chair). What's the difference, which one is better, and how do you choose one of these?
First, you should know that, most likely, 90% of similar chairs are made in the same factory. In general, there are quite a few factories in China that produce gaming chairs, and, depending on the price, any brand can come to them, order certain models in their design, in their colors, with their quality requirements, and so on. This is normal, literally everyone does this, even giants like Razer or ASUS.
As far as I know, there is only one company with its own factory on the Ukrainian market. This is Anda Seat. They claim to have the largest factory in China, and for some time they produced spare parts for chairs for various brands, until they decided to make chairs under their own. Until recently, there were Dx Racer chairs in Ukraine, they also have their own factory in China, but now these chairs are no longer sold in our country.
Theoretically, let's take two chairs with the same characteristics for comparison. Let one of them be under the "Mezh" brand, made by an OEM factory that also makes chairs for many others. The second is made at its own factory, with a full production cycle, let it be the Anda Seat factory. Of course, it's not a fact that Anda will be better in all respects, but it seems to me that the quality control of its own chairs should be carried out a little better at its own factory.
Of course, all this affects the price, you should understand that a good chair will cost more, so be prepared to compromise if you have a limited budget.
So, you have pre-selected a chair. The first thing you need to know before buying it is your height. Usually, manufacturers write what height the chair is designed for, and if they do not write the height, then the size of the chair itself should be indicated, for example, L or XL. Each manufacturer may have its own size grid, for some L is for people up to 2 m tall, XL for 2.10 m tall. If the manufacturer does not write anything about height, then you may not need such a chair, because this is important information. Although everything is quite conditional. My XL chair is designed for a height of up to 210 cm. My height is 183 cm, and I feel very comfortable in it, it is not big for me. Well, in general, from my personal experience, it is better to take a chair with a margin, let it be a little bigger, but definitely not smaller.
Next, you should look at the quality of the materials. Of course, all manufacturers write that they have the highest quality materials, and, unfortunately, you can't check this on the Internet. Therefore, I will explain what all these terms PU leather, ECO leather mean and what you should pay attention to.
For starters, make sure there is more metal in the chair's construction. A plastic wheel support is not OK, I know this because I broke one in one chair. Of course it depends on how you use it, but you can't break a metal one that easily.
Next, the frame. It should also be metal, and almost all gaming chairs have it. The exception is mesh chairs, they often have a plastic frame, but a reinforced structure that you can’t break so easily. Such chairs can easily withstand loads of up to 150 kg, and are even stronger than metal ones.
In budget chairs, the frame can be thin and made of thin metal. In special cases, it can be unpainted and even rusty. Here you can hardly check it except by looking at it yourself, and almost no one writes the thickness of the frame itself. However, some manufacturers still write it, so pay attention to it.
Good metal should be around 2 mm thick, and the thickness of the metal tubes is around 22 mm. The frame can be painted so that it does not rust, or vice versa unpainted so that the foam holds better after it is poured into the frame.
The frame design in different chairs can also differ. In some, it is just a frame, and there is nothing in the center. In them, foam and elastic elements stretched in the middle of the frame are responsible for cushioning. In others, there are additional metal bars to better hold the foam. Someone simply puts a piece of plywood in the back and seat and that's it. If you see plywood and the chair does not say Razer, then it is better not to buy such a chair. Razer can be an exception, there was plywood in one of the first ISKUR models, but with a well-thought-out design and high-quality assembly. Yes, do not be surprised, Razer really has high-quality chairs, it is a fact.
Moving on. The filler for chairs is very important. For example, cheap chairs can simply be with foam rubber. I do not recommend it, because it quickly sags and loses its shape. Usually, where there is foam rubber, there is plywood nearby. Higher quality chairs already come with foam. It can be of different densities, some are softer, some are harder, somewhere the foam layer is thicker, somewhere thinner.
Different manufacturers can really have different situations with foam. Someone pours foam in the shape of the chair, it hardens and the entire frame is in foam. Others may have foam only in the back and seat, and the frame is wrapped in foam rubber, or in another foam. This is not very critical, in my opinion, just a different production technology. In such chairs, the frame must be painted. The main thing is that the foam itself in the back and seat is good.
Why is foam bad in the back and seat, but not on the frame? Well, for example, what difference does it make to you what is on the side of the frame, which you don't sit on? It is not subjected to any pressure, therefore it does not deform.
Unfortunately, it’s not easy to immediately understand whether the foam in a chair is good or bad, especially when you just look at the information on the website. So just keep in mind that there should be at least more of it visually. Well, in principle, now you can expect good foam in chairs priced from $250. All the chairs that I have tested in this price category over the past couple of years had good foam. They had different elasticity, different thickness, but overall the foam was not bad.
Let's move on to artificial leather. It is very difficult to understand what it is, because manufacturers often do not like to disclose details. The most popular material for chairs now is ECO leather, or PU leather. It is used in many modern models, it is processed remnants of natural leather on a cotton base, covered with polyurethane. It can be in the form of leather, in the form of carbon, etc. Good material, resistant, durable, easy to clean.
As for durability, it depends on who uses it. I have a cat at home, and in a year he completely destroyed a PU leather chair. It's just completely ripped apart. There's no cat in the office, so the chairs are fine.
The only thing you can count on is that no matter what kind of artificial leather your chair is made of, it will be hot to sit on it in the summer. If the room does not have air conditioning, then you should immediately think about a chair made of fabric or with a mesh. Fabric is also a good material, but if it gets dirty, it is difficult to clean. But mesh is the most practical option in this regard, and it is not hot, and you are not afraid of spilling something.
Rocking mechanisms are also an interesting topic, there are several types, I will talk about the two main ones, because they are the most common and are mainly used in gaming chairs.
The simplest is tilt. It is also called "butterfly" or "top gun". This mechanism is usually found in budget chairs, less often in expensive ones. It works simply - the lever goes into the slot and blocks the swing, or comes out of the slot and unlocks it. The same lever adjusts the height of the chair. The stiffness of the swing is adjusted using a screw from below. Its disadvantages are that it quickly starts to creak.
The second mechanism is a multiblock. This is used in most top-end chairs. It has two handles. The first adjusts the height, the second activates or blocks the swing. In addition, the seat tilt can be fixed in 5 different positions. There is also a screw for adjusting the stiffness of the swing. This mechanism is smoother and does not start to creak after a couple of months. Of course, there may be individual cases, but this is more likely an exception. I recommend taking a chair with a multiblock.
Next is the gas lift. This thing is responsible for the height of the chair. They come in 4 types, and differ in how thick the metal is and, accordingly, how much weight they can withstand. I haven't seen gaming chairs with a gas lift below class 3, and in most cases it's class 4, which can withstand up to 150 kg. I recommend getting a chair with class 4, because it will last longer. In some cases, the gas lift may stop holding the height over time. In this case, it can be replaced. Armrests. Make sure they are not too narrow and not too hard, because resting your elbow on them will hurt. In cheaper chairs, the armrests are narrow and are only adjustable in height, have plastic fittings, can creak and move not smoothly.
The most common armrests in chairs of the middle and high price category are called 4D. They have a flat surface, are wide and are adjustable in height, length, width and angles. Here it is already individual which one to choose, but I like 4D more than usual. They can already have metal fittings, a smoother and quieter movement. But it is also worth understanding that this is not an axiom and there may be exceptions. However, given the frequency of armrest adjustment, in my opinion, this is not a critical indicator.
The wheels in the chairs differ in diameter, but they are usually similar in materials - it is an eraser with a rubber coating so as not to damage the floor. Everything is simple here - wheels with a larger diameter ride quieter and smoother. But I will note from my own experience, a neighbor once came to me and asked me to stop moving furniture every day. Then I realized that he could hear me moving the chair on such wheels very well. So I had to buy silicone wheels separately. They are smaller in diameter, but ride much quieter and softer.
There are various additional pillows in chairs, and in most cases I don't like them because they are not comfortable. But here you need to choose based on your own physiology. I usually don't use pillows. Chairs also have all sorts of additional things, such as footrests or adjustable lumbar support. Here too, everything is individual, some need it, some don't. I used a chair with a footrest, and in my opinion, it is not comfortable, I don't see the point in overpaying for it. But adjustable lumbar support is an opportunity to customize the chair to suit you. However, as a rule, this is an option for more expensive models.
So, summing up my own experience, I will note that for me the ideal chair is large, with good foam and a thick metal frame, a metal base for wheels. With a multiblock mechanism, 4D armrests, comfortable pillows. Fabric or artificial leather - here you should proceed from your own needs, I sat on a fabric one for the last year, and I really liked it, especially in the summer. Although I am constantly afraid of spilling something on it. If you have to choose between a "cockpit" and a chair with a mesh, I like the "cockpit" more, I am more comfortable in it. But this is also individual, you should at least try to sit in different options. Therefore, if you have the opportunity to go to a showroom and sit in a chair, be sure to do it before buying! This will help you understand whether the chair suits you, and save yourself nerves.
Of course, in the end, everything will be decided by price, I understand that it is very cool to give advice while sitting in a $500 chair. But even with a limited budget, I would try to avoid plywood models and carefully look at the size of the chair.