Gaming Chair vs Ergonomic Chair: What Are The Differences?
In general, gaming chairs and ergonomic chairs have the same design principle and they are made for the same purpose to provide comfort. So what are the differences between these? and which one should you get? Let’s take a look!
Many studies have indicated that incorrect sitting posture can result in long-term spinal damage and premature arthritic symptoms. Therefore, no matter what you do, if you have to spend long hours sitting, it is vital to invest in a proper chair that can offer you comfort and support your sitting posture.
Choosing a chair with high-quality ergonomic design is a must, however, there are plenty of chairs with ergonomic design on the market. Basically, there are two most popular kinds of chairs for extensive sitters, gaming chairs, and ergonomic chairs.
Gaming chairs are specially designed for gamers and ergonomic chairs are widely used among office workers. In general, these two kinds both aim for offering comfort and can be used for multiple purposes.
Nonetheless, there are several differences between them and in this article, we will highlight and make a comparison in order to provide you with a thorough insight. After that, we will suggest which one you should get for your long period of sitting.
But first, let’s take a look at the overall idea about gaming chairs and ergonomic chairs.
Gaming Chairs
Gaming chairs evolved from the normal office chair and became a vital part of the gaming world since the booming of Esport.
With the advanced ergonomic designs, gaming chairs can offer you the highest level of comfort and take you to the flow of the game.
Moreover, most of the gaming chairs are equipped with specialized features and functions for extensive gamers, they can boost your gaming experience to the new level.
That’s why even though, gaming chairs are not the most economical and affordable part of your game set-up, many gamers still invest and get hyped about buying the latest gaming chair model.
Ergonomic Chairs
Ergonomics is a scientific discipline that studies human efficiency in a working environment.
Ergonomic chairs are a common name for all kinds of chairs that are designed base on the ergonomic study in order to create comfort and improve productivity. In this article, ergonomic chairs refer to office chairs, working chairs, which have a business-look design.
Ergonomic chairs are an essential part of a working space since the long sitting hours on uncomfortable chairs can lead to long term consequences such as numbness, spinal misalignment, joint pain, neck pain, and herniated discs.
Therefore, there is a very high demand for ergonomic chairs, even though it is not always affordable for mass usage, it’s a worthy investment for health, comfort, and productivity.
Gaming Chairs vs Ergonomic Chairs
Due to different using contexts, gaming chairs and ergonomic chairs can look completely different. However, in order to generate comfort, they share some common essential features that every ergonomic-designed chairs should have: adjustable seat height, armrest, backrest, swivel, and tilt function.
In general, ergonomic chairs always come with a higher price tag. For example, high-quality gaming chair costs as much as an average ergonomic chair.
In this comparison section, we will compare the two kinds of chairs based on the fundamental categories in order to have an overview look for both sides.
Level of Comfort
First of all, we take a look at the comfort level of a gaming chair and an ergonomic chair. This category seems a bit broad since comfort is generated from many factors. In this section, we consider the ergonomic design and resting area.
Even though with the thicker padding cushion, the gaming chair seems to be more comfortable to sit on, the ergonomic office chair is designed based on a more exact level of ergonomic.
Every curve of the seat and backrest of an ergonomic chair is measured to correct sitting posture in order to create the least pressure on your spine and disc. Meanwhile, for gaming chairs, some of the padding contoured details only have an optic purpose.
For example, the bucket seat, which is inspired by the racing car seat in order to secure driver from moving side away, can be counterproductive in an ergonomic point of view.
In particular, with the two raised sides, there is more restriction in your seating space and the ability to move around. Meanwhile, for the office chair, you will find the waterfall seat which is the best for reducing pressure built up in the back of the thighs.
On the other hand, most gaming chairs are built with high backrest and equipped with fixed or separable neck and lumbar support pillow, which are the main source of comfort for a chair. This is one of the advantages of the gaming chair since only some kinds of office chairs include these features due to the simple design for narrow spaces.
Gaming chairs are believed to generate a higher level of comfort than average price ergonomic chairs.
Adjustable Features
Most gaming chairs and ergonomic chairs are crafted with fully adjustable features, including adjustable seat height, armrest and backrest recline. The biggest difference between these two kinds is the tilt mechanism.
Many standard office chairs are very restricted when it comes to this function because from the ergonomic view, sitting at a reclined angle and working for hours is not ideal.
In contrast, gaming chairs are more versatile in this respect even the budget one. For those who want to take a rest and relax a bit on the chair, this is an advantage of a gaming chair, nonetheless, you can always find this function in an upscale ergonomic chair. Besides, being able to recline back once in a while during many hours of sitting can help avoid backaches and long term injuries.
For other adjustment features, the battle between the two kinds can be even out. For each price range, office chairs and gaming chairs typically offer similar adjustment options.
Even though it is more common to find a 3D armrest gaming chair at below $200, the 4D armrest function pops up at the price of $400 for both chairs. Other than that, all gaming chairs and ergonomic chairs include the height adjustment feature.
Material
When comparing the chair product, we cannot forget one of the most important factors in determining the quality of the chair, it is the material.
On one hand, most gaming chairs are constructed with artificial leather (or PU) or real leather, in combination with mesh covers which improve the breathability.
Genuine leather is more pricey but it is also the most durable and waterproof material. Meanwhile, artificial leather looks optically the same as the real one, it’s much cheaper with, of course, lower quality. Also, they are built with high-density foam which is very comfortable to sit on.
On the other hand, most ergonomic chairs are made from fabric and mesh, with their durable and breathable texture, these materials will keep you cool and fresh all day long. Some chairs are designed with more than one layer of fabric in order to create dynamic tension zones for maximum comfort. At the same time, leather is also used for ergonomic chairs but mostly among the luxurious and classic ergonomic office chairs.
Price
Both gaming chairs and ergonomic chairs serve the same purpose but for different target groups even though sometimes people can use a chair for many occasions.
However, as mentioned before, the average price of an ergonomic chair is relatively more expensive than a gaming chair. Within the range of $200-$300, you can already find a high-quality gaming chair, meanwhile, at the same price range, you can only just a few models of ergonomic chairs with average quality.
The reason for this difference is that for an ergonomic chair, it requires a higher exact level and more details. On the other hand, gaming chairs offer ergonomic design for the mass and there are more gaming chair manufacturers on the market.
As a result, the price is more competitive and the gaming chair brands have to release big upgrades and new features for their new model in order to keep up with the market.
Conclusion – Which should you get?
So you have already had an overall view of gaming chair and ergonomic chair. These two kinds of chair each has its pros and cons features and they are both play an essential role in the gaming and working area.
Now turning to the most important question: which one should you get?
It’s all about the optic preference. If you prefer the racing-style, energetic chair that can be the highlight of your gaming or working area, get a gaming chair.
And if you prefer the professional, formal look for your area, an ergonomic chair is the choice for you. There’s no perfect chair that fits all purposes and preferences. Therefore, we hope that this comparison review can help you make up your mind on which chair is suitable for your purpose.