The Various Types of Gaming Chairs: What’s the Difference?
The gaming revolution has greatly advanced over the years, with more technologies being incorporated into the different equipment being used. Among these equipment, is the gaming chair, and looking at the different kinds in the market, there is no doubt that it is at par with these developments. Most gamers are aware of the basic gaming chair that resembles an office chair, but a deeper look at the different designs and features speaks otherwise, bringing up more types for diverse gaming needs. Highlighted below are the major types of gaming chairs along with their differences, pros and cons. This will make choosing the right gaming seat a walk in the park, even for neophyte gamers. Also if your budget less than 100$ you can read review of the best budget gaming chair.
PC Gaming Chair.
This is probably the most common gaming chair in this niche. It resembles the swivel office chair, and it is suitable for gamers who play PC games frequently. To improve performance and offer a better gaming experience, the PC gaming chair has been designed with technologies and designs similar to those used in racing car seats, to offer supreme comfort and endurance through the endless hours that gamers spend sitting on it. Just like the office swivel chair, the PC gaming seat has castors, height and recline adjustment features, but comes with additional features including comfy armrests, superior headrests and lumber support, as well as detachable cushioning.
Pros.
- Offers supreme comfort.
- Offers superior support to the lumbar area and other critical areas of the body.
- Easily adjustable to suit the user’s preferences.
- Offers great endurance especially for games that spend longer periods gaming.
- Encourages proper sitting posture for comfortable and safe gaming on a PC.
- Offers easier movement and rotation by the gamer.
Cons.
- May not be suitable for some kinds of gaming as it is specifically designed for PC gaming.
Racer Chair.
Just as the name suggests, a racer chair is mainly designed to cater for racing games. The most common materials used in making these include genuine leather and PVC leather. While most take the shape of the PC gaming chair but with more cushioning, support and adjustability, some take up a lower positioned design resembling that of motor sport vehicle bucket seats. Not only do these offer ultimate comfort while gaming, but also the best endurance in long hours of use. While the basic racing gaming seat comes with casters, armrests, backrests as well as height adjustment, reclining, tilting and swiveling features, more advanced models will incorporate steering wheels, gas/brake foot pedals and wheel/pedal support plates. Actually, all these features are meant to fully simulate the real racing environment.
Pros.
- Very comfortable.
- Easily adjustable to the gamer's preferred options.
- Simulates the racing environment extremely well.
- Strong and durable.
- Promotes proper sitting posture as well as adjustability whenever the gamer gets tired.
Cons.
- Extremely customized for racing games only.
Rocker Gaming Chair.
Console gaming is more fun when you are sitting closer to the floor. This is where the rocker chairs come in. These chairs have no legs or swivel, they are simply positioned on the floor in such a way that you will be closer to the floor and such that they can be rocked. Given their L-shape, well-cushioned headrests and backrests, the rocker chairs are designed to offer more comfort as opposed to sitting posture. Most rocker chairs are simple, with only basic features, but the V rocker offers much more advanced structures. Its design is similar to that of the rocker, but it has more features designed for intense video gaming. Most of the V rocker gaming seats will come with a control panel, in-speakers and additional customizable options including compatibility to DVD and home theatre.
Pros.
- Offers maximum comfort.
- Perfect for console gaming as it is positioned closer to the floor.
- Customizable for diverse PC gaming needs.
- Adjustable to the user’s desired posture through reclining and tilting.
Cons.
- Does not promote proper sitting posture especially for PC gaming.
- Does not promote movement by rolling on casters or swiveling, thus reduced access to gaming accessories.
Pedestal Gaming Chair.
The pedestal gaming chair combines the properties of a swivel chair, rocker chair and a recliner. It is slightly raised, and rests on a pedestal base instead of legs that allowing it to rock and rotate. The pedestal gaming chair, just like the recliner, can be tilted and lounged as per the gamer's preferred sitting posture. It features comfortable cushioning on its backrest, armrests and headrest. Depending on the gamer's gaming needs, there are pedestal seats with additional features such as racing accessories, inbuilt speakers and gaming accessory stands just to name a few.
Pros.
- Very comfortable.
- Rotates with ease thus allowing the gamer better access to different gaming equipment.
- Positioned closer to the ground thus suitable for console gaming.
- Customizable to different gaming needs.
Cons.
- They have no casters for increased movement, thus limiting access to gaming accessories by the gamer.
Beanbag Gaming Chair.
These gaming chairs are all about the comfort of the gamer. Beanbag gaming chairs were common in the 1970's but once again, they have started hitting the shelves in this century. This chair has no armrests, backrest, headrest or lumbar support. It offers great flexibility and is lightweight, which makes it a great choice for gamers. However, if you want some lumbar or back support, then you may have to consider a specially designed gaming sofa or a memory foam gaming chair that is quite similar to the beanbag chair, but has armrests and a backrest.
Pros.
- Comfortable.
- Flexible and lightweight.
- Encourages upright posture, as it offers no back support.
- Looks more fashionable, thus adding some vivacity to your gaming station.
Cons.
- The lack of back, arm, head and lumbar support makes it unsuitable for longer periods of intense gaming.
Hybrid Gaming Chair.
Most of these are usually customized for just a few gamers that can afford it. Hybrid gaming chairs are best described as a genius fusion of two or more different types of gaming chairs. For instance, you can have the features of a pedestal gaming chair merged with those of a racer chair.
Pros.
- Combines the different advantages of the different gaming chairs.
- Versatile.
Cons.
- It may be confusing for gamers that prefer playing only specific kinds of games.
Conclusion.
Any fervent gamer understands too well the amount of physical demands that gaming entails. With the wrong type of chair, it is obvious that you will experience great discomfort, pain and even injury to your back, shoulders, neck, eyes and chest among others, particularly if you spend an average of 6 hours or more per week in front of your gaming system. This is what necessitates investment of the right gaming chair for your station. This article strives to give you a clearer idea of the different gaming chairs, their features, strengths and limitations.The knowledge of the different kinds of gaming chairs as well as what to expect from each of them is vital when investing in these chairs,
