Gaming is serious business. Whether you’re trying to beat a new game or want to dominate on the battlefield, you need the right gear. Besides, the longer your gaming session is, the more support your body will need as you keep your eyes on the prize.
If those long gaming sessions are taking a toll on your body and you’re experiencing posture problems, you may be wondering if investing in a gaming chair can help. Well, you’re in luck because, in today’s post, we’ll be answering the question on every gamer’s mind: do gaming chairs fix posture?
How Are Gaming Chairs Different Than Office Chairs?
Much like working, gaming requires long hours of sitting motionless and focused, which is why your gaming chair matters as much as the chair you sit on while working.
However, there are some differences between an office chair and a gaming chair. Below are some of the most prominent ones.
- The seat: While most gaming chairs usually have a raised edge to their seat, a regular office chair has edges that slope down.
- The backrest: Office chairs usually have lower backrests, but gaming chairs almost always feature high profile backrest with an adjustable neck pillow.
- Lumbar support: Office chairs usually feature lumbar support with an adjustment handle, but they might not feature any lumbar support at all. Gaming chairs almost always offer lumbar support with an adjustable pillow.
- Design: Gamings chairs usually resemble racing car seats with bright colors, while office chairs are more professional-looking and have less personality.
- Armrests: Some office chairs might feature armrest height adjustment, but gaming chair armrests can usually be adjusted in at least three different directions.
Now that we have explained the main differences between an office chair and a gaming chair let’s look at how it can help your posture.
Do Gaming Chairs Help Posture?
If you’re an avid gamer, you’re probably familiar with having a stiff back or hips and even achy muscles after a long session. Even if you are careful and try to sit upright in a correct position at first, it’s hard to focus on anything other than the game once you get going. You may feel tempted to slouch down and sit in less-than-ideal positions in just a few short moments without even realizing it.
This is where a gaming chair can be helpful. While gaming chairs won’t necessarily help you win games, they will help you improve your performance by supporting your back and spine, enabling you to maintain a good posture.
Lumbar Support Pillow
You might have heard of lumbar support before, but do you know what it means? The lumbar region is the curve located on your lower back, a little above your tailbone, and it’s essential to properly support the lumbar region while sitting to maintain a good posture. This is why lumbar support is one of the most important features for all types of office and gaming chairs.
As we mentioned, gaming chairs offer lumbar support with an external pillow that straps onto the chair, and you can adjust it up and down to your liking. While some lumbar support pillows are shaped like a small regular pillow, some chairs feature lumbar pillows that are shaped much more ergonomically, so go for one that features an ergonomic pillow if lumbar support is important for you.
If your chair doesn’t have a lumbar support pillow, you can easily get one online, and they’re usually pretty affordable.
The Recline Function
Another important feature of a gaming chair is the recline function. Believe it or not, if you’re sitting at a 90-degree angle and think you’re doing your spine a favor, you’re wrong.
Cornell University says that the thigh-body angle should go over the right angle (90 degrees) in the ideal sitting position by 10 to 20 degrees. If your monitor is placed high up, you can go a little bit more than that. Reclining is good for your back as it takes the pressure off your hips.
Much like office chairs, most gaming chairs offer a recline function nowadays, but not all of them are of the same quality. Some recliner gaming chairs have a smaller range, and some can feature cheap mechanisms that easily break over time. If you’re looking for a good-quality chair with a robust recline function, you can check out our recent buying guide, where we reviewed some of the best recliner gaming chairs.
Neck Support Pillow
As mentioned above, gaming chairs have high backrests, unlike most office chairs. This allows gaming chairs to offer neck support, which is very much needed when you’re gaming to relieve some stress.
The neck pillow should be placed right on the curve in the back of your neck and should support your head enough to relieve the tension off your neck, shoulder, and back.
If you’re experiencing chronic neck pain, it might be time to get a good gaming chair with proper neck support. Alternatively, you can look for a chair that has adjustable neck support that comes in the form of a headrest attachment.
Height Adjustment Function
You may not realize it, but your posture problems may be due to the height setting of your chair. Most gaming chairs, like office chairs, feature a height adjustment function, but that’s not what you should be looking for. What you need to check for is the height range.
Some gaming chairs may feature surprisingly low-height settings despite their high-quality looks, so beware. Of course, you don’t want your feet dangling off the seat, but you don’t want your knees to go up when you sit down, either.
Sitting too low can cause you to sit on one of your legs or cross them while sitting constantly. This may lead to all sorts of posture problems as this position doesn’t allow your spine to stay aligned. However, if your feet are too high, you may feel tempted to slouch down.
To find your ideal height setting, simply sit in your gaming chair in an upright position, and bend your knees at a right angle. Then, adjust the seat height until your feet are flat on the ground and barely touching. This is the height you should be sitting at if you want to maintain a good posture or prevent any posture problems you may run into in the future.
Armrests
Your armrests do a lot more than you think. They support your spine a great deal when you rest your arms on them, and having them on the wrong height setting or not having them at all can cause you all sorts of posture problems. Luckily, all gaming chairs feature armrests!
Most office chairs feature armrest adjustment functions, but they only allow you to change the settings in two directions. Nowadays, almost all gaming chairs allow you to move the armrests in at least three directions (3D), and some can even move inwards and outwards to provide extra comfort.
In this aspect, we can say that gaming chairs are better for your posture than a regular desk chair, and you can find very affordable gaming chairs these days. If you’re interested in a gaming chair but don’t want to break the bank, you can head over to our post, where we’ve reviewed some of our favorite gaming chairs that are below $100.
Backrest Height
Last but not least, backrest height is another important feature that you don’t have to worry about in gaming chairs because almost all of them feature tall headrests.
A tall headrest can support your head while you’re gaming, and along with proper neck support, your spine will stay relaxed and in a natural position even in the most stressful gaming sessions.
Conclusion
In today’s post, we have tried to explain how a gaming chair can help your posture. Gaming chairs differ from office chairs in a variety of ways. They may feature a detachable lumbar pillow instead of an adjustable lumbar support mechanism, and they usually have high backrests that feature neck support and a headrest.
Gaming chairs can help your posture in many ways. For your spine to be properly aligned, you need proper lumbar support, neck support, a reclined sitting angle, and a correct sitting height, all of which a gaming chair can easily provide.
If you’re an avid gamer and want to upgrade from your couch or office chair, you will definitely benefit from having a good gaming chair that will help you maintain a good posture. You can check our reviews of the most expensive gaming chairs to find out the best and the most l that are currently on the market.
