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Before you purchase a chair for gaming, make sure you're buying what you really need.

Your Choice of Seating Is Messing Up Your Gaming Feng Shui

Before you purchase a chair for gaming, make sure you're buying what you really need.
This article is over 8 years old and may contain outdated information

If you’ve ever experienced back/neck pain, numbness, sore limbs or joint discomfort while you’re gaming, these issues may be caused by your choice of seating. Since gamers spend a ton of time sitting down to grind through those levels, it’s important to have seating that supports this amount of intense ass-in-chair. Don’t allow discomfort to keep you from executing those combos. Below are four reasons your current choice for gaming seating could be causing you issues during crunch time. 

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1. You’re using a PC gaming chair for console gaming 

A PC gaming chair and a console gaming chair are not the same thing. Whereas a PC gaming chair is made for desk-height gaming, a console gaming chair is made for those who like to sit front and center before the television. PC gaming chairs also offer the support you need to sit upright for extended periods of time with your spine, shoulders, neck, and arms in mind.

This article can save you thousands from what you would spend at a chiropractor. 

If you’re a PC and a console gamer, you should spend the extra money to get a chair that’s suitable for each. We have an excellent round up of some of the best PC gaming chairs for less than $300

2. You purchased a standard office chair for PC gaming

This is another no-no. Though office chairs and PC gaming chairs may appear similar, chairs dedicated to gaming offer a variety of functions that will make your button-mashing experience all the more enjoyable. In addition to lumbar support, tilt options, headrests, and padded armrests, PC gaming chairs make up for the bad posture that most gamers proudly develop from spending hours hunched over.

You won’t have this problem if you get a proper PC gaming chair. 

Office chairs, on the other hand, encourage good posture and blood flow for those who have to spend long hours in front of the computer. They aren’t made to recline for napping between raids. Gaming chairs, on the other hand, are. 

3. You’re sitting on the floor 

This one is pretty self-explanatory, as most floors are pretty damn uncomfortable to sit on for extended periods of time. Though it can be good for your posture, and is the more affordable option, most gamers aren’t focused on sitting with shoulders thrown back and head held high while whooping ass in DOOM

Yeah, we’ll see if you’re still that Zen playing Bloodbourne. 

If you can do yoga while you’re gaming kudos to you. However, sitting on the floor for hours of gaming is not the most comfortable thing in the world. This doesn’t mean that you can’t sit close to the floor, though. Console gaming chairs are perfect for those who want to sit low. For those who like to sit near the floor and tilt back, check out our best rocker gaming chairs under $300

4. You don’t have a chair that suits your size. 

Purchasing a good gaming chair is like buying a good pair of pants; you don’t want it too long/short, and you don’t want it to be too tight or too loose. You definitely don’t want them to rip. 

Don’t be like Goldilocks. Get a chair that fits you perfectly. 

For taller gamers, finding a chair with the proper neck/lumbar support is key, and for bigger gamers, you don’t want your armrests constricting your movement. Lucky for you, we pulled together a list of the best chairs for big and tall gamers complete with stats and measurements. 

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Whether you’re a PC gamer, a console gamer or both, make sure you put in the time (and money) to buy a gaming chair that is right for you. Your posture and your performance will thank you for it later. 


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Image of Kat De Shields
Kat De Shields
Eclectic & Energetic. Modern Day Renaissance Woman. Writer | Artist | Nerd | Entrepreneur | Indie Game Aficionado