If you ever came across a video game that you really enjoyed, you’re probably aware of how addictive gaming can be. What starts as a 10-minute session can quickly turn into hours and hours of slouching, sweating, and sitting in weird positions.
While you might not realize the toll it’s taking on you right then and there, if gaming is a regular activity for you, your body will show signs of stress sooner or later. It’s only a matter of time before you start experiencing back pain or posture issues, which is why a gaming chair is just as necessary as an office chair.
A good gaming chair should be able to help you keep your posture straight, support your body where it’s needed, and, last but not least, it should keep your body cool and prevent sweating as you’re gaming.
If you have a gaming chair and you’re not reaping these benefits, it might be time to do something about it. That’s why in today’s post, we’re here to give our tips on how to make your gaming chair more comfortable. With these simple tricks, you’ll be able to get the most out of your gaming chair in no time.
Adjust the Height
Even if we don’t realize it, the height setting on our gaming chairs contributes to our comfort just as much as other features like the recline setting or the back support. Since all gaming chairs are height-adjustable, adjusting the height of your gaming chair is the easiest method you can try to make it more comfortable.
The golden rule you need to remember is simple: your feet should not be dangling off the chair. To achieve the perfect height, simply follow these steps:
- Sit in your chair in an upright position,
- Bend your knees at a 90-degree angle,
- Keep your feet flat while adjusting the height until your feet firmly touch the ground.
Just as you don’t want your chair to be too high, you also don’t want it to be too low. If your gaming chair is lower than the correct position we described, you may be tempted to tuck your legs under you and sit over them. Gaming in this position can feel comfortable, but it disrupts your circulation and is not ideal for your posture.
Adjust the Recline
Your seat height might be perfect, but you may still be experiencing discomfort when you jump into a gaming session. Have you considered changing the recline setting?
This may come as a surprise, but sitting “upright” doesn’t actually mean sitting at a 90-degree angle. Sitting too upright actually puts strain on your back, and your hip and back muscles may get tired faster because of this.
According to the ergonomics department of Cornell University, the correct body-thigh angle should be somewhere between 100 and 110 degrees. Therefore, it seems like adjusting the recline of your gaming chair a little past the right angle (90 degrees) can save you tons of back pain and discomfort!
You might be dissatisfied with your gaming chair’s recline function and looking to replace your chair. If that’s the case, you can head to our review for the best recliner gaming chairs, where we picked the best six available options.
Add a Seat Cushion
Another culprit that might be causing you discomfort is the seat cushion of your gaming chair. A good gaming chair seat should be firm enough to support your hips but soft enough to make you comfortable as you focus on beating that final boss.
If you’ve been using your chair for a long time, your seat cushion may be showing signs of wear, and it may not be in the best shape to match your needs anymore, but fret not. You don’t need to buy a new gaming chair. All you need is a seat cushion that can take your comfort to the next level.
Seat cushions are usually affordable and they come in a variety of different shapes and sizes. Some may even include additional features like a cooling gel pad. If you, like most gamers, are someone who sweats a lot when they’re gaming, investing in a cushion with cooling pads is a good way to solve two problems at once!
Replace Armrest Padding
It may seem like it’s not going to make much of a difference but hear us out. Replacing your armrest can be the final touch you need to take your gaming to the next level.
Armrests are the underappreciated heroes that support our arms and elbows while we’re gaming, and they can get old and soggy, especially with the usual sweating that occurs during a gaming session. In addition to making you feel like you’re sitting in a new chair, replacing the armrest pads on your gaming chair can also help you get more comfortable while you’re in the zone.
If your armrests are too low, that might also be causing discomfort when you’re gaming with controllers. Ideally, your elbows should be resting at a 90-degree angle to ensure that your spine is properly supported. You can also find thicker armrest pads to combat this problem.
If the height is just right, but sweating is a big problem for you, you can also get armrest pads that feature a cooling gel layer. They’re easy to find online, and they’re usually pretty affordable.
Check the Lumbar Support
Nowadays, lumbar pillows are a staple of gaming chairs. Most models feature one, but if your chair is lacking proper lumbar support, you might feel discomfort after a long gaming session.
Before getting a replacement pillow, try adjusting the position of the lumbar support first. The lumbar region is in your lower back, where your spine curves inwards above the tail bone. Placing the support right on this region should instantly provide more comfort.
Remember to always sit in a position where you’re slightly pushing against your lower back, which will help you sit up more comfortably and prevent slouching. Don’t forget that most of the pain caused by long gaming sessions is actually caused by sitting in a less-than-ideal position.
In addition, if your chair doesn’t feature a lumbar pillow, you can simply roll a towel and put it behind your lower back, which should work just as well!
Raise Your Monitor
If you’ve tried all of our tips above but are still not comfortable in your gaming chair, there are a few more things you can modify in your gaming environment that just might do the trick.
Even if you change all the settings in your chair, you may still be uncomfortable due to the height of your monitor. Most of us don’t realize it, but monitors are often placed incorrectly, and they are often placed too high.
A monitor that’s placed too high up is sure to give you chronic neck pain sooner or later. To place it correctly, simply sit in your chair and adjust the monitor height until your eyes meet the upper third of the monitor with your gaze parallel to the ground.
If your monitor is too low, you can use a desktop raiser or other methods to raise your monitor or desk. To learn more about adjusting your monitor’s height, you can check out our recent post, where we share tips on how high a monitor should be .
Conclusion
Gaming requires long hours of sitting in concentration, and it’s very similar to working in that sense. Yu should feel as comfortable as you can be, so you can relax and focus on besting that speed-running record you’ve been working on.
We tried to give you our best tips on how to make a gaming chair more comfortable, which include:
- Adjusting the height,
- Adjusting the recline,
- Adding a seat cushion,
- Replacing armrest paddings,
- Adding/Fixing lumbar support, and
- Raising your monitor.
If our tips didn’t work and you feel like you’re in need of a replacement, you can check out our buying guide where we reviewed our best budget picks for gaming chairs.
