Gaming vs. Office Chairs: What I Learned After Selling 1000’s
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I've sold gaming chairs and office chairs for years, so I have a ton of experience with both. Which is type of chair actually better will depend on what is actually important to you. Let's jump into why you should consider either.
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Chairs in Video:
GTRacing - amzn.to/3yzSBxl (Amazon)
Secret Lab Omega - amzn.to/3LtWg6m (Amazon)
Secret Lab Titan - amzn.to/3Uu4uiG (Amazon)
Eurotech Vera - amzn.to/3GNZw91 (Amazon)
Ticova - amzn.to/37pnA6c (Amazon)
Clatina Mellet - amzn.to/3we8iJE (Amazon)
Haworth Soji - haworth.pxf.io/yRdy5B (Haworth) amzn.to/392CnEK (Amazon)
Steelcase Gesture amzn.to/3dWLBRt (Amazon)
Herman Miller Embody
Sidiz t50 amzn.to/3qWA0Zq (Amazon)
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Watch Next: I Picked The Most Comfortable Office Chair For EVERY Price kzhead.info/sun/erqapJqkfp2biZs/bejne.html
i really appreciate this video, ive decided im going to get an office chair
What would you recommend for someone who is 6.5 ft tall and 185 lbs? I recently purchased a Herman Miller Sail, but do not like it. The top corners are just a stiff hard edge that press into the bottom of my shoulder blades and causes my back to be stiff after a few hours.
I want to say thank you I've had gaming chairs by entire life every year I have to replace it I got the Steelcase leap V2 love it
one thing you forgot to mention is breathability. office chairs are far more breathable than most, if not all leather gaming chairs.
I feel the main point of gaming chairs are looks. They are furniture designed to look good from a webcam, hence the backrest needs to be big so it's not completely obscured by the person sitting in it.
@@milansvancara your comment sounds exactly like an ad
@@milansvancara how much they pay you 😂
also another point is that yeah office chairs have more options, because they need it, they are meant for an offices full of different kinds of bodies all using the same chair bought in bulk, a gaming chair is only bought by one single person or less than 10 if there is a team and there is not many variables to be changing besides height or size, that you can change BEFORE BUYING, an office chair is designed to adapt to anyone but a GOOD gaming chair is designed to fit YOU by your own especifications before paying, they give the schematics of everything so you can pick based on your own needs or body composition all while looking good, unless you wanted to save some bucks and bought it from a retailer without options it wich case yeah if its too big/small or the color is not right you will have to suck it up or return it if able. also a dumb point was "the range of motion is limited" man, there is no chains nor straps there to keep you in place, nothing constricts the arms nor the choulders. no gamer will move around on the chair like a fish on a bucket lol in fact most people who use gaming chairs wont move, period, they will get up off the chair to stretch or go to the bathroom after potentially hours of constant play time or any type of creative work without moving untill some external force made them move, he might know about chairs but sure as hell he doesnt know about the gremblins who are the core consumers of said gaming chairs
@@nezothgarone2319 the highly adjustable nature of office chairs compensates for the "lack" of size-options before buying. meaning if you buy a herman miller mirra A-size you still have the choice to make it even smaller, or even closer to B-size. you can't really do that with gaming chairs, you're completely locked into the size you buy and they aren't tailored to you because they choose to go with the dimensions that fit most human beings in their relative sizing. or are you talking about customsized gaming chairs? you tell the brand your desired dimensions and they manufacture it for you? that would be "designed to fit YOU".
The wild part is that all of the racing chairs look like complete crap other than SecretLab.
Recently made the change from a gaming to an office chair after years of use. The difference is IMMENSE. I would sit in awkward/contorted positions because the gaming chair was so uncomfortable. Now I enjoy my longer gaming sessions and have no back pain or discomfort from the chair. I did get a refurbished Herman Miller aeron tho haha.
Same, I went to an office chair distributor for my birthday and they gave me a $1,300 Steelcase model for $550 because it had a tiny unnoticeable stain from the warehouse and it was my birthday. Before I used to have tons of back and shoulder problems with my Secret Lab. I haven't thought about my back since the switch.
I am thinking of getting a refirbished Aeron too for working from home and gaming sessions as I have an old Ikea Markus which is tilted and giving me back pain - the only thing I'm not sure about is the low back/lack of headrest on the Aeron. I've seen you can get aftermarket ones but they are pricey ~$150, have you found this or no? I guess I should just do it and if I really want a headrest I can get one.
@@thecommentator6694 I personally haven't been bothered by the lack of headrest. Lumbar support is decent and adjustable on the aeron.
@@quickzach Yeah I figured with good lumbar support it's probably not required, thanks!
The secret isn't even in the price, it's all about the accurate fitting to your measurements and work style, which most ergonomic office chairs do perfectly starting between $500-700.
An underrated aspect of good office chairs is mesh back. It's very good for gaming and/or in general if your environment is hot. In full chairs, fake or real leather I often sweat quite easily and it feels much less comfortable.
Yea, leather cover is bad. Last summer it was really hot and I was shirtless in my chair a part of the leather actually melted on an area that was in contact with my skin. Never going for leather again.
The one I bought has both mesh back and seat so now it's easier to clean and I don't have to lean for my farts I just let it rip...it's great 🤣🤣
Mesh back is such a game changer. I used to have a faux leather 'boss chair' back in the mid 2000s, and while it was comfortable, and you could sink into the padding indefinitely, while I swapped it for a 20$ mesh back chair around 2010, i just couldn't sit in anything else for prolonged times. The mesh is just soft enough to slightly wrap around you comfortably, but firm enough to hold you steady, and the fact that it lets your skin breathe is just the cherry on top for me.
As a heavier dude, I recently shopped online for an office chair that had both a mesh back and a mesh seat. Boy oh boy has it reduced the amount of swamp ass I get, as well as letting my ass breathe when I fart. I know that sounds gross but it's worth it.
!!!!don't get fake leather chairs just don't!!!! one of the best aspects of the Secretlabs chairs is the softweave fabric
I've never realised until now that an "office chair" and a "gaming chair" are two separate classes of product. I've always thought of them as slightly differently marketed computer chairs and was certain the mechanical qualities are pretty much equivalent. This video surprised me greatly. Last time I was picking a chair I have certainly noticed how the "gaming" chairs felt stiffer and less ergonomic than some of the variants of a "non-gaming" chair, even cheaper ones. But I never realised it was locked into their design.
If you want a cheap but well made one consider refurb/used herman miller Celles. Aerons are quite expensive and marginally more comfortable.
I feel like gaming chair just gimmick and over rated.
Yeah, they are.
yup just a ton of money spent on advertising. I do admit they have nice designs but that's all.
@@greymane9266 The variety of themes is good, but the design ultimately kills it viability.
@@greymane9266 I find most gaming racing chairs to be pretty ugly. The SL Titan Evo looks decent tho. Pretty classy.
I agree & I was stupid enough to buy one 4 years ago. :/ Never again will I buy & sit in those gaming chairs. My new office chair is a 1000 times better, after having it for a week! :)
Wish I had seen this video before I first got a gaming chair. I've had two now and everything you say in the video is so true. Thanks to the hard seats and terrible back support, I often got tailbone pain. I was often leaning forward, too. I decided to try getting an office chair. I didn't have much of a budget, so I went with something simple and stylish-- the Branch Daily Chair. Leagues better than gaming chairs. I actually sit up straight now!
I have the same tailbone pain too because of mine lol. Going to buy a new chair rn. Edit: Bought a hyken mesh chair the next day. 11 days later and most of the tailbone pain is basically gone and I can sit on the floor and other surfaces without extreme pain, but I think the rest of the pain, tenderness, and ache is going to stick around for much longer as it slowly goes away. The hyken doesn't make contact with my tailbone, so there's no pressure applied on it. That's what's been helping me. I had considered a cushion that would do the same effect, but it would've been a temporary fix to a larger problem bc the gaming chair sides were rough on my shoulders and the lumbar support was more like a lumbar destroyer. The gas piston was also stuck on max. It was time for a new chair lol
I have been using a basic gaming chair from DT3 for years now, no back-pain, no discomfort. In fact, it broke recently and now I'm using a cheap office one which is horrible :/ Also, it's never about "sitting straight", just change your posture every so often.
@@Luizfernando-dm2rf I think that is just what about the guy in the video said, perhaps the size of your gaming chair was right for you. As for me I have been using a gaming chair for about 2 years and developed the exact same issues as the others said, I cant keep my back properly supported and suffer from tailbone pain. Before I went home office, and stared using the gaming chair, I've used an office chair with a bunch of seat adjustments at my work for about 4 years and never suffered what I'm suffering now.
Similar story here. Had an OK office chair for many years with no issues. Got a "gaming" chair and yeah, the "locked in" positioning and eventual tailbone pain was a real thing. The office chair I had was better across the board except in looks. I got a purple cushion that made it livable, but it's now time to replace the chair. Glad I found this while searching so I had a better understanding of what was going on.
I drive for a living as well, but I’ve definitely in the past year or two started to lean forward more while sitting. However for the tailbone pain if I could suggest something I’ve tried and worked for me. There’s a video on KZhead about it. If you take a rolled up towel, or a regular plastic water bottle like I used, and lay on your back with that under your tailbone for a few mins with your your legs elevated and feet pressed flat against the wall. It will help alleviate a lot of that pain and down there. You can also roll a few inches to and from the wall if your using a water bottle to help massage the area. Every now and then I do that when I really need it and it helps alot.
I've been using an office chair from the 1980's for about 6 years now. When my grandfather passed away I went to his house to begin clearing it and getting it ready for the next family. Anyway, I saw his chair he used all the time and he always told me how comfortable it was, though I never sat in it until then. I fell in love with that office chair. Ever since, it's become my gaming chair and I make sure to take good care of it. It reclines just fine, the cushions feel good, and it's not too big. My grandfather made a lot of memories sitting in that chair, and now it's my turn to make some of my own memories in it.
Brand?😊
@@thex45l35 Lane. Lane Office Chair. It's one of their older ones.
the biggest difference between a gaming chair and an office chair is probably how long you sit in them on average. when the pandemic started, I started working from home. 6 months in and I had really bad back pain which only went away after upgrading to a Herman Miller Aeron chair. pricey but 2 years later it's still going strong so it's well worth the price. I used to play mmorpg games which involved sitting for long periods of time so I was surprised when my gaming chair didn't cut the mustard for office use.
I'm surprised how dumb you are to fall for a gimmick called a "gaming" chair.
well I used to game for like 24 hour session, so I'd rather have the office chair.
@@luizcastro5246 dang you good?
I did the same except I had shoulder and neck pain as well. I had a SecretLab Titan and Autonomous ErgoChair which were ok... But I ended up getting the Herman Miller X Logitech Embody which is much better, however I kinda wish I went with an Aeron C instead and I'm kinda big, 6'3 250lbs. I have much less issue now. Another thing that I think is good is to switch up chairs throughout the week or day even. I know that's some first world crap and most don't have that luxury.
It goes way beyond how long you sit in it. Longer comfort is a costly feature in both types of chairs, that honestly mostly comes from thick paddings. The more fundamental secret to improving your posture and pain issues comes from accurate adjustment of the lumbar support and arm rests to your measurements, adjusting the tip of the seat up and down depending on how actively you are working, and making the backrest resistance light enough to encourage staying in motion (unless you're lying back and locking it in for a rest.)
This was very well put together. Really highlights the advantages/disadvantages of each. Thanks for doing this.
Used to work for a startup that chose gaming chairs for the office, ended up having back pain. Joined corporate after that, they seemed to keep their office up to date with the latest office chairs, so much much better.
Office chairs have a critical functionality which drives its design: employees must be able to sit and work for long periods of time without discomfort otherwise they will stop working.
Every bigger company I've worked at has provided chairs that cost $1500+, and it's been amazing
Definitely the most concise and well put together video Ive seen on this topic. Short and to the point. Excellent.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks -GK
Agreed!
True. Just the kind of video i was looking for. A video that's actually helpful
One thing not mentioned here but is a clear difference between the both is ventilation. Gaming chairs tend to be made out of leather-like material (or leather, I don't know precisely) while office chairs have a net or a mesh like material. And even if you can't see through the back, it still has more potential for ventilation than a gaming chair. Thanks. This video was extremely helpful!
Secretlab has a cloth version of their chairs too instead of the pu leather.
Oh, nice to know.@@GoatzombieBubba
I'd gone shopping for a chair at a supply store that carries overstocked chairs, desks, and whatnot. The staff there were really knowledgeable about these differences and helped me find a chair that I can sit in for hours streaming or doing research. Thanks for spreading the word!
i was still hesitating, now im convinced, thanks for high quality highly informative video!
One thing you missed about comparing high-end gaming chairs like the Secretlabs Evo Titan to similarly priced office chairs is that high-end gaming chairs are typically more size-inclusive. I'm a tall, wide, muscular, and fat. Even "high-back" office chairs tend not to be tall enough for me. the Titan XL is so much more comfortable than any office chair in its price range for me, because it's the only chair I've come across in its price range that actually fits me while still offering useful ergonomic features, which become even more important for people in my size range
Same same same. And I don't see how any chair costs over 400. I'm bwing told I have to spend nearly a thousand or more for a chair for my back. What bs. Maybe I can get a 3d printer instead lol. Anyways I'm 6'4" and office chairs are always too small. What do you reccomend?
i do think that gaming chairs are the equivalent of a race car bed ; great for the kids , us adults not so much
This is my first time seeing someone that put fat and muscular in the same sentence haha. Didn't mean any offense though, sorry if it did.
@@wylsonagustino7947 No offense taken! I got a big belly, but I'm naturally very strong and I've been going to the gym for years. I have some medical issues that I need to counteract by boosting my metabolism with muscle. My basal metabolic rate is insanely high now, and as a bonus I can just about bench my bodyweight!
Same, I am 190cm and around 105-115kg (depends on the time of year xD ). Wide shoulders and chest, but with chubby belly and muscular legs and...jesus, its impossible to find a comfortable officer chair. I thought about getting an office chair and throw away my older gaming chair. I went through entire warehouse of office chairs, trying out the ones I liked (and looked big enough) and honestly...nothing came even close to my relatively mid-range gaming chair (350-400€). They are just not comfortable. Office chairs may have more support IN THEORY, but they are for, literally, average 175-180cm, 70-80kg people. Solution isnt getting an office chair, but gaming chairs adopting some of the support goodies.
Thank you for making such a detailed comparison! Ever since I got a gaming chair, I've been on the side of office chairs because of the overrated "gaming" usage, despite not knowing fully well the differences are. This video definitely opened my eyes for future reference. Although admittedly I think it'd be pretty cool if gaming chairs become more ergonomic
‘If gaming chairs became more ergonomic” Secretlab says hello.
This was a really helpful video, thanks. I'm looking at getting a new chair, the current one i have is a pass-down office chair but doesn't have any lumbar or headrest support. Was looking at a gaming chair but almost everyone i asked said "don't get a gaming chair". I'd personally prefer something with a solid leather back to it, rather than mesh though.
This video was super helpful. I've been working from home since 2019 and mostly been using gaming chairs or cheap chairs from Staples. After having two different times of my back seizing up and hurting for a week+ before I fully recovered, I am now going to be investing in a herman miller chair as soon as I can afford it. I work for 8 hours a day 40 hours a week and typically game after work for 3-5 hours at the same setup and I have finally realized that the chair is the main point that desperately needs to be upgraded.
So glad I watched this before buying a chair.this is very quality video thank you for aaaaaalll the info I would never imagine of
Another consideration is that if you live someplace where there are offices, you can find great deals on office chairs in the second-hand market, sometimes unused. I live in a large metro area and picked up my Steelcase Gesture (with tags!) for about 1/4 of MSRP from a private re-seller
I must say, i used Office Chairs aswell as Gaming Chairs, and i was finding myself Comforting too much in the Office chairs, the Gaming Chairs are less Comfy, but after i had one for a few weeks i started to feel well sitting in it, but i agree with the restricted movement, the Legs are very locked in place and the arm movement is a little restricted aswell.
Great video, very informative. Excellent job explaining in detail the benefits and detrimental aspects of each style.
A truly valuable video. Glad I came across it when I did, prior to making a purchase. Thanks for putting this information out there! Do you find any particular office chairs are better fits for massage pads? (Or I wonder if a high-enough quality chair would reduce/negate the need for a massage pad.)
I'd never imagined such glaring differences, one really can believe gaming chairs are better but with this new info I will look forward for a more office-style ergonomic chair.
Thank you so much for talking about seat depth adjustment. It's the number one thing I look for in both office chairs and car seats, and its something most people don't seem to know about!
Yeah, I've just realized that too much seat depth may be the reason I'm always scratching at the back of my calves; they're probably hard up against the seat all day, getting constantly rubbed. I also find myself leaning forward a lot and not really using the backrest, possibly for the same reason. My chair at work is a cheap POS unfortunately.
Just got an OM Yes and I'm loving it because of your vids. Thanks!
Wow, this was very informative. I am a gamer and I work from home, so I use my chair a lot. I've gone through several in the past 20 years and although I am price driven, I also like something that is as comfortable as possible. This info will help when I go to purchase my next chair. Thank you.
I recently got a gaming chair, UVI Alpha, which has some of the things mentioned here as good for gaming chairs: it has built it adjustable lumbar support and the seat is open without those high edges. Should have gone for the office chair ofc (and will do in the future) but this one isnt bad
what i did to my gaming chair after years of using it, is i reupholstered it, and used memory foams for it. now it feels good with it still looking like a gaming chair. it cost cheap too.
Obe used a ton of different chairs for years and only in the past 2 years went to a high-end office chair. The difference is amazing. I've sat in my office chair for easily 5+ hours a day, up to 10 or more some days, and have not once had an issue with the comfort of it degrading over time. While sitting in it, the ergonomic design doesn't make my back ache and makes me feel like I have to lay down for a while to rest. If I ever have to switch chairs, I'll be getting another office chair over a gaming chair without any hesitation.
I just bought the Corsair T3 Rush on offer for 229. Beautiful gaming chair with breathable fabric. Minimalistic look. I am happy with it as it fully supports my body and back. There is a plus side which you haven't mentioned about the bucket shaped seats. They won't allow you to sit in awkward positions that are straining the back.
I have owned my Haworth Fern Executive chair since this March and it's one of my finest investment choices I've ever made. I considered the Secretlab gaming chair just for that option to really recline but after much research, it wasn't something I prioritized in my gaming and task oriented home office. One other major feature I wanted was that the chair be delivered fully built and have a much better warranty than the popular gaming chairs. HM, Haworth and Steelcase are expensive for a reason. +++ on the BTOD reclining demo: that looks dangerous and am glad you used a stuntman in your video to showcase it 😁
I interned at Steelcase in the department that designs the office chairs, and when I started I was astonished people would pay so much for a chair. After a summer, I was hooked. We would keep the parts of chairs from the test chambers that were still ok, and build chairs that we would sell internally. I got a Reply chair ($500ish) for $50 12 years ago and it still works great and looks new.
Since I have hypermobility syndrome that affects basically all of my joints, the ability to change and lock the backrest angle gives gaming chairs the win for me. It lets me adjust the angle of my hip flexors and back throughout the day without losing sturdy support in a way that traditional office chair designs can't. I would love to see more options without the stupid side bolsters though!
Thank you for the feedback. That is an interesting use case with the backrest -GK
I also have severe hypermobility, so I just got a chair with a locking backrest. It's simply untrue that a traditional office chair can't do this, nowadays almost all ergonomic office chairs can be adjusted and then locked exactly how you want it.
I have had many gaming chairs for many years now and I gotta say my back always hurt and I also feel uncomfortable in gaming chairs but I recently made the decision to switch to a really pricey Herman Miller chair and it fixed most of the problems I had in my old gaming chair, my back doesn’t hurt anymore, I don’t uncomfortable and I actually love how it looks since my setup is minimalistic
I have a Secret Lab Titan 2020 gaming chair and honestly my favorite use for it is watching movies, and sometimes series. Tilting the seat back while keeping the back almost straight gives a nice relaxed viewing angle. Other than that I can change position as often as I like, and even sit crosslegged if I want.
I have always thought gaming chairs were peak comfort. Never got the chance to be able to switch to one, but thanks to this, I can completely forgo this genre of chairs entirely if I want my spine to not be obliterated over the years!
I also thought so then made the mistake of buying one. Switched back to my 7 year old office chair after a month, much better.
they aint that bad
@@gb76231 There are some good ones but they're overpriced.
It amazes how people have ever come to the conclusion that gaming chairs are better for gaming comfort than office chairs.
@@4Leka Indeed. One wonders WHY some people are so amazed that the chair designs that emerged from literally millions of wealthy people who sit all day pushing the ergonomic envelope for decades could be better than a design that sprang up overnight, by relatively lower income gamers who just thought it looked cool. 🤦
I bought an Ergo Human full mesh chair 10 years ago. Still going strong. Gotta have the mesh for breathability doing them long sessions. Was pricey but 10 years and going!
Great buy used too. I got one for 25% of new price, still a great chair and looks good for years to come.
The downside to breathable mesh is your eggy farts disperse far and wide. And forget about pretending it was one of your co-workers. With no padding to muffle it, everyone in the room is going to hear it and they will know it was you by echo-location alone.
Have bought a Steelcase Gesture for cheap after watching this, and am very happy with that decision :) Thank you!
That's it! I am getting an office chair for my home work space. Thank you for sharing what the differences are. (:
You talked about the sides on the seat portion of the gaming chair, but the sides on the back of the chair are even more annoying if you play on PC. You might find your upper arm ends up hitting or being obstructed by those sides. I've noticed many times that I tend to jut my right shoulder out in order to try and stop this from happening and it can become rather uncomfortable...
Bought 6 chairs in 4 years, from $300 to $1200 Herman M. The SL Titan is by far the best for me, I can spend over 12 hours a day on it working and gaming. In the end I believe that each person needs to find the right chair that fits them well, it really depends on your body size and type. I’m 6.2 230 athletic, for some reasons a lot of my coworkers are tall dudes too and we all settled with the SL Titan in a no-limit budget workspace. My wife was excited to get my Herman Aeron after I literally hated it, and she ended up ditching it too for the much cheaper Autonomous Ergo Recline… who knows? My advice: try a few models over a week at least, I know it’s a pain to ship them back but your butt will thank you 😊
I also found the SL Titan chair to be far superior to other office chairs I tried. I used to be comfortable with $200-400 office chairs but the build quality of lower end office chairs has gone down considerably over the last 5 years. I used to be quite happy with plush executive chairs like Lazyboy, but they are terrible quality now. I do find the Titan to be a little overly firm on the seat, but a folded over blanket fixed that. I agree with you, shop around and don't ignore SecretLab chairs because you might actually like them.
I really needed this. I need to get on the ball and get an actual ergonomic desk and chair for myself, but it gets confusing which chair/desk combo to get. I sat once in a Capisco chair and fell in love, because it opened up my hip flexors, but the price is *~very ouch~* so I'm looking for alternatives.
This was helpful. I didn't have a clue about some of the differences. Thanks.
I've never been satisfied with any office chair design I've encountered in 30 years and most of the gaming chairs seem little more than just flashy bucket seat (appearing) versions a la racing cars of the same. But what I do like about deep reclining seats, further than 135-deg back, is that I often raise my legs up and rest them on one of my desks while typing on my laptop and looking up at my larger 4k tv mounted on the wall. (Since that wall is also the only space in my room for my long desk, the tv is also mounted a little higher perhaps than the supposed optimal eyeline.) Seats that don't recline beyond 135-deg are deeply uncomfortable to me.
I've had "gaming chairs" for years, I was one of those "it's £300 it must be comfy type people" they weren't so bad since I only used them a few hours a day, however, now I work from home, I'm in the home office 12+ hours a day, and they are just so uncomfortable. I now have a Herman Miller Embody on order since it will be my most used piece of furniture and will never go back to gaming chairs.
If only I had 1700 to spare:/
I bought a Herman Miller aeron years ago it might be a decade and that was some of the best money I have ever spent on a chair.
Last time I worked in an office I had the office chair shown in the thumbnail, or at least one looking very much like it. It was comfortable enough for me as a programmer. I could move around enough, since I can never sit still for more than 15-30 minutes. At home, the back rest completely broke on my chair (a simple office chair), so it's just the seat and the arm rests. However, despite that, I've not had any problems at all. It makes it even easier to move around and sit in different positions. I don't really use the arm rests (unless I'm just watching some videos), since I rest my arms on the desk most of the time, though. I've had back problems before, but that has not contributed to it at all.
Thank you for the REAL details. My husband told me these things but I wanted to do my own research 😅.
I used to have an office chair for many years, but it wore out so I recently bought a gaming chair for ~600€ thinking it'd be the best option. The one I got is the Backforce One and I have to say I'm very happy with it. I'm not having any issues, but my standard is obviously lower than yours so maybe you'd only rate it 6.5/10 or something like that. With my very limited knowledge I'd give it a solid 8.5/10. Your video though makes me consider testing a few office chairs to see if I like some of them even better. Thanks!
The adjustable back is the reason why i dont switch from my secretlab to an office chair. I use it regulary inbetween games to take a quick nap and just relax and i honestly cant live without it anymore.
@Erisa nah not really i am around 82 kg currently
@@erisa8991 that’s what I envisioned when buying my next chair tbh with u, sounds like a fat guy thing to me as well but i couldn’t get fat if I tried. I’d die of heart failure first.
basically what I've learned from a recent reddit post is there are two choices, office chairs and secret labs lol, the gaming chair i had and tried felt so uncomfortable, especially since I like switching my position quite often, I also use to sometimes switch positions kneeling in my chair with my chest towards the rest, the gaming chair because of the high back rest doesn't allow for that. I think there should or can be a good mix between the two though, i love the lay all the way back feature and i think a head rest when your sitting in a more leaned forward position can be flipped down, the racing chair design can be axed for something stylish but comfortable imho. but ya my old, cheap, kind of destroyed office chair is still really comfortable even if I would like some more booty padding.
Honestly the best chair I find is just a good sturdy adjustable height piano bench. All that swiveling and rolling and tilting of office style chairs always makes me feel unstable, and I tense up and strain to make up for that instability. The solid grounding of a piano bench enables me to move around freely without tension.
It would be great 👍🏽 if you addressed which office chairs are ideal for tall people. The main reason I bought a gaming chair is due to the inability of most chairs to accommodate a long torso. Even tall gaming chairs with the proper back support height are hard to find. (6’6”)
the Jarvfjallet from Ikea is great for tall people
Hello, could you tell me what chair you end up buying? I'm 6'5 and all became small... Not a weight problem, but height
I've had 3 gaming chairs, 1 office chair. All 3 gaming chairs had the lay down recline, being 6ft 1 and quite muscle heavy I'm yet to find a gaming chair that didn't want to tip over when I lay it right down, obviously not ideal when I'm on the chair. My current office chair is much better, it doesn't want to tip over and supports my back much better. I do find that the padding isn't quite enough to accommodate a 19 stone man but I put a cushion on the seat and it's now very comfortable. T{he office chair cost around £120 where all the gaming chairs I bought were over £300. All my gaming chairs failed; the first the base plate broke, second chair the tilt mechanism restricted bar wore on the hole it slid into and the plate became wonky, the third chair was the most expensive of the lot at near £400 and it also suffered from the same issue as the second chair.
I've been using the Serta iComfort i5000 for my daily office chair for about two years. I absolutely love it
I was one of the people fascinated by the cool designs of gaming chair, but another reason beside the appearance was that I could recline the back. Got a cheap nameless one and I've been using it to take naps on it. Definitely not the chair for a healthy seating posture and definitely not ergonomic, but I can still do weird sitting positions without feeling too uncomfortable.
don't you have a bed?
@@yourmum69_420 if I take a nap on the bed it's a full blown sleep usually I'll crash for 2 hours because it's so comfortable lol. My study room is also in a different to my bedroom, so I'm trying to find another reason not to go over and sleep. The chair's good enough for like a 15-30 min power nap.
Got my SecretLabs Titan some years ago and absolutely love it. (Edit - originally bought it in 2017.) I’m a big man, and the chair fits me great. Most office chairs I’ve used were comically small for me, to say nothing of comfort level or ergonomics. Very informative video though. Once my Titan needs replacing I will know what to look for. It may be awhile, my Titan still looks and feels new. Even the foam is still firm.
I just got my XL in the mail yesterday. I’ve heard it can take some time to break it in, but it’s already the best chair I’ve ever sat in. Being 6’4”, it’s hard finding good chairs for guys like ourselves, so this thing is great. Good to hear you’re still loving yours years down the line.
As a person who has worked an office job for almost 15 years and worked from home for the last 3 years of that, my titan xl is great. I love being able to shift around and sit on my leg and move about the huge chair surface. I can sit in positions I like that are a struggle in the nice office chairs we have at work. I don't regret the purchase at all.
@@Giraffetaint I'm also 6'4" and it has its perks but I'm sure you know that things aren't built for guys our height.
@@mahram all too well lol
Good to hear its held up so well over that amount of time. Mine is 3 years old and theres hardly any wear on it and the functionality is identical to when it was new.
Drafting chairs are my favorite, I play guitar at my desk. Drafting tables have a foot rest ring and hinged arm test that move out of the way so my guitar can fit while seated. Adjustable armrest don’t move out of the way enough. I would love a comfy gaming chair with drafting chair features like the foot rest and removable arm rests.
Agree which is why I opted for Ergo chairs (with mesh seating and back) above Task Chairs and Gaming chairs as I believe ergo comes first before aesthetics and trend.
For anyone that wants a cheap gaming chair but still wants it to be ergonomic, the DPS 3D Insight chair might be an option. It cost me $180 and is a mix between an office chair and a gaming chair. Personally think the lumbar support is really good, and it is approved by the American Chiropractic Association so that's a plus.
If you haven't bought it yet maybe wait until 5 Dec. The latest Costco flyer has the Insight on sale, it's $180Cdn normally but it's being reduced to $150Cdn.
I ditched mine when it broke after a year and a half to replace it with a big-boy ergo chair with a ten-year warranty.
As a 6'4" person I wasn't able to find an ergonomic chair that would be comfortable for me in the same range as the Secret Lab Titan Evo 2022. So I went with the Titan and I couldn't be happier.
Me too man the office chairs are too limiting. I have secrets labs omega and it is great and is half the price of my steel case chair at work lol
Me three as a tall arse person the titan evo is great. And the 2022 is far more comfortable than the previous model.
The Herman Miller Aeron size C fits me very well at about 2m height, but that's certainly a ridiculous price range when factory new. I got one at ~500 dollar barely used in 2014 and it's still feeling great. The remastered one with posture fit kit is still around 1700 bucks i think. Mesh has been a game changer for me, leather chairs barely lasted a full summer for me.
I've had the same issue on the other end of the spectrum. I'm 5'3 and the gaming chairs I've tried were all too big for my shorter legs to properly sit on. I think they're just very clearly made with the average gamer body type in mind, so everyone taller or smaller than that should avoid them.
Do you have input regarding woven vs knitted fabrics in office chairs? For example I've seen TrioKnit vs FleeceNet for Vitra chairs but it is difficult to find any information about concrete advantages and disadvantages.
That Secretlab titan with the magnetic pillow for the neck is a godsend. Put the backrest reclined and pass out to some good music n 420 omg.
BTODtv should take a look into the "Backforce One Plus", "Backforce V", the ADEPT gaming chair lineup, the GAMECHANGER chair lineup or even some of RECARO chairs. Most of them have more functonality than some 600,- bucks office chairs.
Will take a look -GK
Hey, I was thinking of buying a Titan Evo 2022 chair but this video is making me rethink my decision for sure. I work between 7-12 hours at my desk every day. Which ergonomic chair would you recommend im the same price range as the evo?
same here brah
I have a Secretlab and I have never had back problems ever since I bought it. I can’t say you won’t as some people claimed to, but if your budget is not higher than that of the Secretlab series, then I would recommend it. If you end up going for it let me know :D
Video made me want to get one, what did you end up doing?
I would give "anything" to replace my old DX Racer UY73 gaming chair with an equally comfortable office chair, but so far I've had no luck. I sit reclined with my legs crossed 90% of the time and the massive cup style seat is perfect for that. Is there a good office chair with the following features? - lets you sit with your legs crossed - reclines the seat (not just the back) - has adjustable arm rests (in 3 dimensions) - lets you remove lumbar support
This video changed my perspective on gaming chairs. Thank you!
I actually got a "gaming chair" because it was cheaper. I just needed to replace an old gifted office chair that I had been using for years and had a pretty low budget for it. When going for very low budget chairs, ergonomic chairs just can't compete with the gaming chairs, because the same "issues" that high end gaming chairs have, are the same things that make the cheapos better. I can't get a $50 ergonomic chair with a decent recline and adjustable armrests (if it has any). I CAN get a cheap "gaming" chair with a tilt recline and cheap but adjustable armrests, which allows me to stretch my legs and relax my arms, as long as I take good care of the chair since the materials aren't as strong as a proper one. BONUS: Cheap gaming chairs don't do bucket seat 'cause that's more padding and that's less money for them
yep, in all of these "buy an office chair instead" videos or threads it usually turns out the person got their chair for like 500-1000$ Its always funny seeing Herman Miller recommendations which inevitable pop up, people just assume you have infinite budget
exactly. gaming chairs have a diminishing return curve the higher u go up the price, while ergonomic chairs dont. thats why when u compare high end (expensive) gaming chairs to ergo chairs at similar price the ergo chairs will always win.
The main reason racing seats look the way they do is because racing will typically produce a lot of lateral forces and the seat needs to hold you tightly in place. In that environment the restrictions are critical and are in fact quite comfortable. You are also typically reaching your feet forward toward the petals, not directly down toward a floor. It’s not surprising then that gaming chairs are not nearly as comfortable as dedicated office chairs because a home office is so completely different from the requirements that resulted in the racing seat’s design.
I think the reason that I like gaming chairs is that they sorta hold you in place and I personally really like that feeling.
I was looking at gaming chairs and now I'm looking at office chairs. Thanks! I really needed this.
Can you test the NeueChair? Or did you already in one of your videos?
We will at some point. We've tried the Teknion Contessa, which is very similar and haven't been super impressed -GK
The sooner some people come to realisation that gaming chairs are not good for your back health the better. They are ridiculously mass marketed and advertised, despite being made by the same set of OEMs from China. Office chairs are just better than gaming chairs for productivity and gaming; I use my Aeron and PC gaming without any hassle.
The best in-depth comparison I have seen. I decided to buy an expensive office one but wasn't even sure it's the best idea. This video confirms I made the right choice.
I had a nice seat for years. It was a relatively cheap office seat, but with padding at the back, not just the mesh you find everywhere nowadays. Since I sit crosslegged very often when I am at home the gaming chairs are no option for me and even if I sit normal i dont like them because of the rising sides. Office chair it is, so I searched a bit, but I dont want to spend 500 bucks on a chair and cant find a chair with padding on the back which suits my needs in my price range. I miss my old chair, but I did use it so much the padding itself was done for and I broke it while having an epileptic seisure. Now I sit on a normal living room chair which is nicely padded until I find something nice.
My cheaper gaming chair is depressingly bad, but the one I got from Secret Lab honestly is so comfy to sit in that I think it's really more about quality. Some cheaper office chairs i've used drive me insane, and mesh is not my thing
I've got a secretlab chair and I really love sitting in it. It is pretty firm, but like that a lot. I have a lot of neck trouble, ptova my caused by being 6'3, so having a chair with no neck support just seems like a horrible idea.
same im often leaning back with it and the pillow is just perfect in the neck at 6'3
I agree with the Secret lab Titan Evo being the only option that can compete with a good office chair, even then I'd never go back to a gaming chair after I replaced my Secret lab omega with the Herman Miller X Logitech G it has fixed my back pain and improved my posture. If the Gaming Embody had not worked out I'd probably be using the Haworth Fern with upgraded features. I'm looking forward to the Atlas headrest for the Embody because it adds even more options for support/comfort and completes the chair.
I'll have to check that out. SecretLabs and AK Gaming are the only brands that I found that use Cold Cure foam. Other brands, their shittly cheap chairs go flat after some time had passed. Cold Cure is LITERALLY the foam type used in car chairs. That's why you can do long drives with little issue. Cold Cure is designed to keep its shape. But I have an Evo too. And my sciatica pain is still here. Imma jot down the name of this Herman Miller chair you mentioned and look into it.
would love to hear your thoughts on the Backforce one plus. Also why do you have a strab on pillow on the Titan evo 2022 which has a magnetic one.
I'm sitting in the same office chair Asmongold sat in for years. And let me tell you, I will never buy another gaming chair ever again.
What chair is it out of curiosity?
The Logitech x HM Embody is the embodiment (heh) of a next-gen gaming chair IMHO. If HM/Logitech would allow more customisation, and give the option of 0% finance outside of the US, I am sure more people would buy it. People still have the choice of going through suppliers, but the cost probably makes it out of budget for most people. As someone who had a "gaming" chair that screwed up my back when I moved to WFH fulltime, I rarely used the "flat" position, and like you said, it is just not practical.
Incredibly happy to what HM has done for the gaming market to spread awareness on Ergonomics in the Gaming industry. Unfortunately, I wish they have done more for the chair than simply adjusting the colors and adding a logo but hopefully the V2/Pro edition is in the works! I am looking forward to the Day when Herman Miller and Steelcase releases their studies on the gaming industry to completely reshape the industry as a whole. We really need a Gesture V2, some minor adjustments and that chair is perfect for FPS Esports.
I feel like a forward tilt system (similar to what the Aeron has) is what some office chairs would need to make them perfect for Esports gaming too.
@@StardustLegacyFighter Definitely. I almost got the aeron for the forward tilt. However, in the end, went with the embody as it allows more movement and flexes with you. Just need Atlas to release the headrest for it and it will be complete package.
and BTOD still needs a Lamia... lol -GK
@@Shearsy013 doesn't seem likely for a V2 version, not likely given HM trackrecord but I could be wrong, they dont release new products that often. I wonder also where there was no forward tilt feature, maybe because you can adjust the back support?
I have scholiosis, what is a good office chair I can use, I have to sit for long periods of time. Thank you.
just realised how decent my gaming chair is. i got it for £50 and a lot of the features a typical gaming chair would have, such as side bolsters on the seat and back, aren't present on my chair allowing me more flexibility. however, i've had my chair for almost 6 years now and the amount of wear and tear it has really shows that. definitely looking to get an office chair soon!
Honestly one of my biggest concerns about shopping for a new office chair to replace the aging secondhand library chair that I've been on for the past few years now (it's also pretty comfortable! I've been tempted to take it to an upholstery renewal expert instead) is how so few chairs continue the elbow ends of the arm rests all the way to the back rest. I often like to rest my elbow WAY back there, where the arm rests meet the back of my current chair, and I also hang a small towel there (I sweat a lot). I pretty much NEED a chair that has solid resting support for my elbows against the back rest, and none of the ergonomic office chairs I've seen are like that.
You can usually get good refurbished office chairs as companies tend to buy in bulk and swap their entire fleet out every 3, 5 or 7 years. Since office chairs tend to come with a limited 3-10 year warranty, where you get the parts for free, but not the actual repair, specialised companies buy used Office chairs for cheap, get the spare parts for free by using the warranty then repairing them and sell them for a profitt, but still quite cheap compared to the price of a new chair.
I actually swapped around/inverted the arms on a $200 office chair to do this, as mine were angled forward. Now flipped 180, I can actually push the adjustment backwards far enough that it goes behind the backrest of the chair, if I wanted to.
Thank you for this breakdown. I fell for the hype around gaming chairs and simply assumed that they were developed for long gaming sessions and would offer additional comfort over a chair that was meant for office work. I've been using gaming chairs for a few years and some issues struck me almost immediately. The first being the shoulder wings. I'm by no means a big guy, I'm 6'1, but very much on the lanky side. The shoulder wings really made me feel like I was being squashed together and forward, resulting in a very bad sitting position. I can only imagine how uncomfortable my chair would be for anyone with a broader frame. To add to this, the atrocious lumbar support from the sliding pillow, and also neck support from a similar pillow held on by elastic. I'd have to constantly reposition these things to get any kind of support, sometimes multiple times per day. I'm on the hunt for a good office chair now, one that I can sit comfortably in for many years to come. Unless gaming chairs goes through a fundamental change in the future I won't touch one ever again.
Okay where do I get the desk though? please reply looks like it has good cable management too!
I'm looking for a new chair and this was very helpful, definitely going office chair after watching this.
Or go for the second hand/refurbished office chairs, a LOT of them are like new and will be better and last as much as any gaming "new" chair. Aeron, Steelcase leap, even series 2, Haworth etc... Go around those 400-600 USD.
Any particular one you'd recommend off ebay? Saw some good Steelchase Leap 2's for sale for like $300.
@@miqotelover Those refurbished ones are good indeed, there's even a review of those in this channel. I got a new series 2 for $400 on ebay, be on the check out for any particular model you want.
@@FcoEnriquePerez Did it come refurbished or anything? A few of the reviews mentioned they had gotten chairs with different OEM's, and stuff. But it's amazing how it does take the chair down from $1400 to $400.
I was shocked the first time I sat in my ex bf’s gamer chair by how uncomfortable it was. Granted, I’m a 5’4” woman so it was probably always going to be too big for me, but still! I also think they look awful unless you’ve got the entire gamer room set up with the LEDs which is not my vibe… but to each their own at least.
Tbh my fav gaming chair setup is a couch with a lapdesk and a massive clipboard for the mousepad. Just have my laptop on a table to the side and do a 2 screen setup with the tv. Awesome for gaming and long typing setups and the only big downside is that it does consume a whole couch seat and can be tricky to get the setup right without positioning the pad wrong and making your shoulder sore
What do you think of vertagears trigger line then? are they overpriced on what they offer comparred to similar office chairs?
I worked out what my problem was. I had office chairs I was using (and hated), but they were pretty cheap (comparitively speaking). When I changed to a Secret Labs gaming chair, my neck and back really thanked me for it. I know when the time comes to look at the more expensive office chair options.
yeah i just posted something like that - but secret labs discontinued my tiny chair!
I honestly don't experience any of these issues with my current gaming chair, the cushion of the seat feels soft enough to be comfortable - but firm to lock me in place. Not to mention that since I'm tall it fits my back far better than what most office chairs did - I've actually lost some back pain using this current chair.
which chair is it?
@@RocketBladeTV It's a GtRacer with a footrest on it, idk the specifics but I think there's only one make
Great stuff. I have two chairs in my office, my office/gaming chair and my guitar chair. The one thing I find hard to find in both is good back support. I used to have a chair with a fully adjustable and locking back. Most of the time, I want the back vertical with good lumbar support. Most of the modern ones, will go back with a little effort and spring back. This is fine, but they don't spring back far enough. All of the chairs I have tested is all the way up, the back is slanted more than I want. Also, most claim lumbar support but don't really have any. For the guitar chair, I need mostly the same as long as the seat height is adjustable. I tend to sit a little lower in it. Also, arms have to move completely out of the way. Typically, I just don't assemble the arms when I assemble the chair. Both my current chairs are in the $100 range. I don't have a budget, but I haven't found a more expensive one that feels right. I will watch your other videos with hopes to find my perfect chair.
I ain’t reading allat 💀 Pls tell me the gaming chair you use and is it comfortable
I recently splurged on a $800 office chair (which I know is not THAT expensive in the world of office chairs), and man. It’s so good.
I got a gaming chair recently because it was the only option that actually had a head rest that could work for me. Flopping down on an office chair just leads to my neck folding backwards over the top of the chair. It took a gaming chair in order to be tall enough that I could actually rest my neck with it, and even then it usually requires slouching a bit.
You know there's after market head tests you can buy in Amazon and install them super easily? Companies even make brand and chair specific headrests because offices will save a bunch of money and buy them they just put in a bit of labor installing them :]
@@shelwyn If I can't test it out before buying, no deal.
I have the Titan 2020 and have hated it since Day 1. Seriously in need of a better chair and something high end. Been looking at the Steelcase Gesture with headrest but not quite sure if it would be comfortable for long sitting sessions. I find the Titan chairs to be to hard in the seat and my butt hurting after a short period of time.
Gesture would be a massive upgrade :) -GK
You just have to try out the Gesture and see if it's something that you would find comfortable for long sessions, if not there are plenty of good office chairs out there.
So I had the leap v2 and liked it, it was comfortable (guessing gesture would be too), BUT in MY opinion. I got the Aeron (gaming edition because all black goes with room), and have absolutely LOVED it, you cant cross legs much but what I was looking for was good posture and forcing my good posture. so IMO it's VERY comfortable in that regard, and I have no wish for a headrest on the chair. I absolutely love the feel of the armrest and am in love with the recline feature, as my adhd causes me to move around a lot in chair, I turn on forward tilt and can reline back and forward like a rocking chair well keeping good posture, I loved the leap v2 (so Ik I'd adore the gestue), but chose the aeron w/ posturefit due to (above). Just wanted to give my input as they are somewhat near the price when you include gestures headrest.
i have the gesture because i home office 70% of my time. its fantastic. the crazy thing is that everyone is swooning over the arm rests and i was like "what the hell. how can that make such a difference?". It does, they are really good. My wife also has a Gesture at her home office desk and she also loves it. Its an investment for the next years. my ass is on this chair roughly 1760h per year. well worth it if your budget allows.
Hi, amazing vid, beautiful room and great cinematography and narration. Want to add a defender for gaming chairs: razer iskur (not "iskur x"). It actually has a whole adjustable solid padded lumbar support panel which i haven't seen on any other gaming chair. And I went with it instead of an ergonomic chair because I really didn't see anything good for that price in my local ergonomic chair shop here in Warsaw, Poland. Iskur costs around $450 and at least ok looking ergo models were above 550 here I think. I also don't like the bucket design's limitations for my legs and shoulders, but i bought an xl model which helped with those quite a bit. Also I didn't buy an ergo chair because I just couldn't get comfortable on any one present in the chair store - they require too much initial configuration to be comfortable and i just wanted something simpler 🙂.
Great video to highlight the important differences between the two when considering buying one or the other.
The most comfortable and ergonomic chair I've ever sit it was a lab chair.