Having the best gaming chair can make a huge difference in your overall playing experience. Along with premium building materials that can make any amount of hours played feel much more comfortable, added lumbar support can really help to improve your posture and give your spine much-needed break while you play. Of course, this is assuming that you’re probably going to be spending a good amount of time settled down in this seat. Gone are the days of bad backs, aches, and pains, as the best gaming chairs will allow you to adjust the height, tilt, and more to make sure the seat is tailored to your needs.

However, with all the available gaming chairs out in the market, many people get confused and have no idea where to even start looking. No need to worry, as we have pieced together a complete list of the best gaming chairs 2020 has to offer. To kick things off, we have sorted out favorites by category, so you can have your pick depending on your needs, budget, and features. This list has something to suit a variety of tastes and needs (regardless of whether you’re taking it to the office for work or playing the latest big-budget release at home). 

Best Gaming Chair Overall 

Secretlab Omega Softweave

  • Dimensions: 68 x 70 x 126-136cm
  • Seat height: 126-136cm
  • Pros: Extremely comfortable and supportive. Soft, textured fabric. Sturdy and durable.
  • Cons: Softweave fabric will stain

Improving upon their already fantastic Omega chair, Secretlab has added their proprietary Softweave fabric — a smooth, soft weave that makes the seat feel like a proper luxury item. It enhances an already great office/gaming chair design that’s very supportive, but not aggressively so, meaning if you want to recline and slouch comfortably back into it while you binge Netflix shows, the chair will adjust accordingly. The Omega Softweave has also been updated with Secretlab’s 2020 line of upgrades, including a fully metal, silky smooth armrest mechanism for adjusting it in practically any direction.

In fact, it’s a remarkably adjustable model across the board. Along with the reclining backrest, you can also tilt the entire chair to further adjust things like the seat height (which is itself separately adjustable) angle, and slide or reangle the armrests to suit your elbows. The whole package can be modified to an incredible degree to fit practically any body shape or type. It also rides the perfect line between give and firmness to let you sit comfortably even through an MCU marathon session.

Best Premium Gaming Chair

Noblechairs Hero Gaming Chair

  • Dimensions: 55 x 52 x 141cm 
  • Seat height: 131-141cm
  • Pros: A more refined-looking chair. Perfect for gaming and office work.
  • Cons: Expensive

Noblechairs Hero is undoubtedly easy on the eyes. Created to be an office chair as well as a gaming one, the design is very understated and elegant. It has a firm back and seat, which is better for your posture, accompanied by plenty of features — like fully adjustable armrests — to make you comfier. The downside is that it may appear a little dull for some, and if you’re looking for something to really slouch in, this chair isn’t as accommodating as some others on the list. 

There are few extra features too, so what you’re paying for is a solid, dependable chair that’ll likely last you for years while helping out your back. This chair really does play to people’s preference though: if you’re looking for a flash chair with all kinds of gimmicks, this isn’t for you, but if you’re a 30-something gamer who wants to look after their body while they play, then this chair is a pretty damn good investment.

Best Budget Gaming Chair

GT Omega Pro Racing Office Chair

  • Dimensions: 68cm x 70cm x 1.3m 
  • Seat height: 124-132cm
  • Pros: Sturdy and supportive. Quick to build. 
  • Cons: Slim seat might not fit all. No slouching allowed.

This chair is surprisingly quick and easy to build (you should be able to move from unboxing to sitting within 25 minutes) and is sturdy, making it a compact and efficient gaming chair. It fits the same sort of floor profile as a more ordinary office chair. It’s more focused on delivering a great sitting experience as the shape of the seat and back contouring are very supportive, so it’s not one to slouch into. 

You have the option to remove the lumbar cushion to make things a little more relaxed — however, it reclines to practically flat and you can adjust the seat tilt and pressure, as well as armrest angle, separation, and height. So, if you can’t get comfy with all that maybe chairs just aren’t for you (a bean bag perhaps?) It’s a very slender seat, though, and shaped for a thinner frame which is worth bearing in mind.

Best Customizable Gaming Chair

Vertagear Racing Series S-Line SL4000

  • Dimensions: 52 x 53 x 140-149cm 
  • Seat height: 140-149cm
  • Pros: Comfortable. Striking design.
  • Cons: Needs 2 for setting up ideally. 

If you want to make a decor statement with your gaming chair, consider the SL4000 as it gives a striking addition to any room and is well suited for man-caves. An ultra-comfortable racing-style seat, it comes in a variety of colors — if blue doesn’t fit in with your style, the white and black is particularly attractive — and everything is adjustable. Whether it’s seat height, four different armrest settings or the 170 degrees of choice for the backrest, this is a brilliantly customizable offering. 

It does take a little bit to get used to the cushion of the seat with its racing sensibilities but the lumbar cushion support is exceptional and you’ll never want to go back to a standard office chair again. Like the Noble chair, we would suggest you set it up with a friend as things can get a bit fiddly when screwing in the backrest but once it’s built, you can wheel and spin away on a sea of comfort. Plus, as a bonus, the PVC coating is easy to clean. 

Best Mid-Range Gaming Chair

AK Racing Core Series EX Gaming Chair

  • Dimensions: 56 x 54 x 14.2cm 
  • Seat height: 126-135cm
  • Pros: Strong metal frame. Long lasting foam cushions. 
  • Cons: Not an obvious quality jump for the price

The AK gives you a small increase in quality for the increase in its price. It’s not a huge leap up from the Omega Pro in terms of initial appearances but the metal frame and foam quality mean it’s built to last. If you have a few extra bucks to throw around and aren’t planning to change or upgrade your set up for a few years, this should see you through. It’s got the usual lumbar and head support cushions and also has a fabric finish if you find leather and plastics a little too squeaky.

Best Fabric Gaming Chair

Nitro Concepts S300

  • Dimensions: 50 x 50 x 117-124cm 
  • Seat height: 47-54cm
  • Pros: Well priced. Comfortable.
  • Cons: Difficult to put together. No back cushions.

This gaming chair is ideal for when you want your gaming throne to be disguised as an office chair. Aside from that, the Nitro Concepts S300 is well priced and comfortable for long overnight sessions. It manages to both look and feel like a far more expensive model with a stylish design and good cushioning. While it’s not quite as adjustable as the others here, it makes up for those disadvantages with supportive and comfortable back and armrests. 

Again, it’s not the easiest to set up — it may take two people — and doesn’t come with the lumbar cushions of the more luxurious chairs. But its foam back support will keep your spine happy and you’ll still feel like a Marvel villain as you spin around. There’s also the benefit of a perforated seat covering to prevent everything getting too warm in the hotter months. We didn’t notice a noticeable difference but it definitely stays comfortable for seriously long Skyrim sessions.

Best Professional-Looking Gaming Chair

NeueChair

  • Dimensions: 69 x 60 x 112cm 
  • Seat height: 103-112cm
  • Pros: Attractive but understated. Durable and supportive.
  • Cons: Minor issue inserting casters during assembly.

If you’re not the type of gamer who needs all of their accessories bedecked with RGB lighting and ‘gamer’ aesthetics, the NeueChair might be just the seat for you. It’s a very professional looking (and very professionally constructed) chair that would suit a corporate office as easily as a PC gaming rig. And it’s heavy-duty, as well, solidly constructed in a way that immediately imparts that it’s industrially engineered to last, and the taut mesh fabric is virtually impossible to stain. It’s not an inexpensive chair, certainly, but it is the kind of seat that will last you for a very, very long time.

Best Gaming Chair for Bigger Frames

DXRacer Classic Series

  • Recline: 135 degrees 
  • Weight capacity: 300 lbs 
  • Pros: Perfect chair for larger/taller frames. Sturdy and durable. Firm and supportive.
  • Cons: Material isn’t very breathable.

If you’re searching for a big, cozy chair you can really surround yourself with but still stiff enough to support proper posture, the DXRacer Classic is an excellent option, and is a popular choice for those with a bigger frame or on the heavier side. Aimed at particularly busy gamers who can go on and on for days, this chair has been designed especially for anyone who wants that extra helping of sturdiness and comfort. 

It’s a perfect example of a manufacturer that realized one size doesn’t actually fit all, a chair that’s wildly adjustable (though some do wish the armrests had a slightly higher height ceiling). And it’s constructed of extremely high-quality materials that are designed to be comfy but also to be truly durable — this is a seat built to justify its price tag by surviving for years and years, possibly even through the searing apocalypse impending global climate change that may very well visit us in the near future.

With so many brands and models to choose from, this list should’ve been able to find the ones worth investing in. We’ve also covered the most crucial points when deciding to buy a gaming chair, by assessing their stability, comfort, price and overall value for money, so there’s something for everyone. Whether you’re into heavy gaming, casual gaming or you prefer movie marathons, these functional, yet stylish gaming chairs will tick all your chair goals for 2020.