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Nov 04, 2024

6 Best Gaming Chairs in 2024, Tested and Reviewed by Esquire Editors

Every product was carefully curated by an Esquire editor. We may earn a commission from these links. Here’s how we test products and why you should trust us. Comfortable and good-looking—a rare combo.

Every product was carefully curated by an Esquire editor. We may earn a commission from these links. Here’s how we test products and why you should trust us.

Comfortable and good-looking—a rare combo.

All right, I'm not trying to put down the gaming community to which I belong. We love gamers here at Esquire. We love video games. We love gaming and every aspect of it. That said, gaming aesthetics are a bit of an abomination. No one sees your RBG headset or PC. But imagine you're on a work-from-home call and your boss sees you sat at your computer in a neon-colored gaming chair.... Not a good look.

That said, actual office chairs aren't going to cut it. Those are made for eight-hour days. We're looking at 15-hour gaming shifts. (Please stand up, just go take a walk.) So we decided to find the gaming chairs that actually look good, the gaming chairs that look like grown-up adult furniture. Sure, they won't look as handsome as your luxury or leather sofas, but they'll be just as comfortable. So load up your favorite AAA title or download an indie one you'll finish in one day. These 6 best gaming chairs are supportive enough for long-haul sessions but nice enough to sit in a home office. Welcome to adulthood.

Logitech G, the gaming offshoot of the computer-accessories conglomerate, has partnered with Herman Miller to make what's easily the best-looking gaming chair of all time. It's also one of the most comfortable and easiest to set up. I seriously love this chair so goddamn much.

The look is sleek, with your color of choice accenting instead of overwhelming. There's an all-black option for those who don't want to push into gamer territory with orange or red. We can't blame that choice, because frankly this chair can and should be used for office work, too. It's wonderfully ergonomic, keeping upright as you play, chat, or work. That said, it's got a nice lean to it, so you can recline and rest a bit in between games. Or just when five o'clock rolls around.

Let's put it this way: The Herman Miller Vantum chair is the best gaming chair for people who don't have back problems. But the Secretlab Titan Evo is the gaming chair for people who do have back problems.

This hefty chair is ergonomic and quite the investment—but worth it. For me, this means it has been comfortable to sit in upright every day for the weeks I've been testing it without feeling the urge to slouch. The magnetic head cushion is a big part of this. If you struggle with headrests on chairs (or keep your hair in a ponytail), this is a soft, pliable solution to the issue of neck comfort.

The only major problem? Compared with the Herman Miller chair, this was a bitch to set up. It's a multi-hour process that will make you think you received a broken chair. You didn't; just keep calm and keep following those instructions.

It's basically impossible to find a good gaming chair for under $300. That's what makes the TC100 from Corsair such an easy rec. It's an extremely comfortable, cushioned chair (your choice of leather or fabric) that gives you all the recline options the rest of these do. It's even got cushions built in for neck and back support.

What you save in money you partially pay for in assembly time. Like the chairs from Secretlab, the Corsair gaming chairs take a bit of muscle to build and some interpretive work to suss out the instructions.

As for something that looks like a traditional gaming chair—with that deep bucket seat—we've really loved Vertagear's SL5800.

It's supremely comfortable, with a great interior structure composed of structure and foam. The VertaAir seat functions similarly to the internal springs on many modern mattresses. It absorbs pressure while offering channels for air to flow into. Add to that a pretty standard headrest, along with some nice faux-leather accents in tasteful colors, and you've got an amazingly comfortable gaming chair.

And if you avoid the RGB lights, it's a very grown-up-looking chair. (If you really feel like you need the lights, go ahead I guess.)

Besides looking like they were plucked out of a Ferrari and stuck on roller wheels, the issue with bucket gaming seats is heat retention. All that memory foam and all that faux leather have a tendency to really trap heat. And with gamers being a particularly sweaty, smelly population, it's a bad mix.

Thankfully for all gamers and their significant others, Cooler Master has nailed the balance between ultra-comfortable gaming chairs and breezy mesh office chairs. The Hybrid 1 has the bucket seat that a lot of gamers prefer with the mesh back they need. In that back, though, there's adjustable lumbar support, so no matter your size or body shape, you can find a spot that works for you.

Another small touch we loved is that the bucket seat isn't as extreme on the actual butt of the chair. The wide seat allows for A) bigger bodies and B) sitting cross-legged. Not a deal maker, but a nice touch.

Comfortability is subjective. It's something we are reminded of by our audience all the time. That's why we think this gaming throne from AndaSeat deserves a spot on our list. Think of this as the Big & Tall section of our curated gaming-chair-shopping experience.

The Kaiser 3 XL is a chair meant to give extra seat space to those who need it. It's a few inches deeper than the rest of the options to account for folks up to 6'8" tall, and it has more seat width as well. It comes with a magnetic head cushion and adjustable lumbar support for ergonomics that go toe to toe with our other picks. Between that and the swappable 4D armrest, the first thought behind every decision in creating this chair was clearly comfort, and comfort for all. For that, we applaud this effort.

Should I get a gaming chair or an office chair?

It really depends on the chair. Gamer chairs used to be garish, uncomfortable affairs. But in recent years, innovation and collaboration has led to the best of both worlds bleeding into one another. Many great gaming chairs, especially mesh ones, can be used as perfectly good office chairs for sitting in eight hours per day. Conversely, if you've spent the money on a non-Logitech-branded Herman Miller chair, chances are that PC gaming in that will be mighty comfortable.

What's the best gaming-chair brand?

If we are going strictly on brand name alone, we trust Secretlab and Herman Miller the most. These are companies fully dedicated to chairs, and they have become the popular picks for a reason.

Are gaming chairs ergonomic?

A lot of the time, yes. Gaming chairs can be quite supportive, but not all of them are built equal. Some have more lumbar support than others. It's important to know what kind of ergonomics you're looking for before making your purchase. Cushions and deep recline can feel great but might not be the best for your posture. It's all about balance and knowing what you need for your spine and neck health. Seriously, I've watched too many gamer friends fuck up their back from too many hours of this shit without a good chair.

Are gaming chairs even worth it?

Gaming chairs will not make you better. You will not get more headshots immediately after sitting in a chair. Your aim will not improve. However, over time, better posture can lead to improved reflexes and reaction time. When considering how many hundreds you want to invest in a gaming chair, the choice comes down to how much you'll need it. The more you game, the better value these accessories become.

We could say we tested all six of these chairs and have a dozen more, but the truth is these aren't things you can just test in a day and move to the next one. As such, we've only got a chance to try a few of these between the two of us who worked on this. For the others, we did heavy research and tracked down word-of-mouth recommendations while using prior positive experience with brands like Corsair to inform our picks.

Our testing process with chairs like the Secretlab Titan Evo and Herman Miller Vantum are simple but time-consuming. Just use them every day for weeks on end. Adjust them frequently, see how they hold up to daily wear and tear, both on a functional and an aesthetic level. You're paying a lot of money for a chair, so we want to make sure it looks and feels just as nice months after that purchase.

At Esquire, we've been testing and reviewing the latest and greatest products for decades now. When it comes to tech, hands-on testing with every gadget and piece of gear we review is our number-one priority. From headphones to smartwatches, we've put in the work to ensure our readers know exactly what they are buying, before they buy it.

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