No matter if you are a freelancer, gamer, or designer, it is important to choose a good chair for optimal support and comfort. However, it can be a challenging task to decide between a gaming chair and a normal chair. Each option has their own pros and cons, making them suitable for different purposes. In this guide, we’ll show you a comprehensive comparison between two options so that you can make an informed decision.
Design
The design is obviously the main difference between a gaming and a normal chair. In general, gaming models are specially designed to look cool with flashy, colorful, and bold features, while normal chairs come with conservative and minimalist designs to ensure comfort rather than a good look. Of course, there are still exceptions. For example, the Vertagear S-Line SL4000 is a gaming chair that has an impressive yet ergonomic design like most office chairs on the market.
In other words, the main selling point of gaming models is the racing-style and cooling-looking design. And normal chairs will be noted for ergonomic-based constructions. Therefore, it’s fair to conclude that gaming chairs typically look better when it comes to aesthetics.
Comfort level
As said earlier, most gaming chairs often sacrifice the comfort level for a better look and design. Thus, it’s no surprise to say that normal models can provide much more support for the users. However, if your budget is not tight, there are still some high-end gaming chairs which come with both features to bring a luxury feel.
Keep in mind that when you look at the lower price range for both gaming chairs and normal chairs, the differences in comfort level is not as considerable as you might think. Also, it is important to know that comfort can be very subjective. Some people might enjoy a gaming model with a firm seat, while the others like a normal model with a soft fabric. Most people have different preferences and body types, so a comfortable option for this one might be not a good choice for another one.
So, when it comes to comfort level between gaming chairs and normal chairs, the difference is not as clear-cut as deciding that gaming models have better designs than normal models. In reality, there will be not-so-comfortable and comfortable normal chairs. And, there will also be not-so-comfortable and comfortable gaming chairs.
Price range
On average, a gaming chair tends to be more expensive than a normal chair. But again, this is only a generalization. In reality, the comparison is not so simple.
For example, the majority of gaming models available on the market often falls in the price range from $300 to 500. However, the upper echelon might cost you more than $700. Similarly, a luxury and high-end ergonomic normal chair might get up to $1500, while other models are only $150 to $500. This means there are still normal chairs which are expensive than gaming chairs and vice versa. In fact, most high-end normal chairs are often more expensive than their counterparts.
At the same price, there might be a significant difference in the quality. For instance, a $200 gaming chair is often cheaply-built compared to a normal one. This might be due to the priority on design rather than the comfort and other important features.
Adjustment features
The final difference between a gaming chair and a normal chair is other adjustability features, which will decide your position and flexibility at home or workspace. In general, these functions include base tilt, backrest, recline, height, as well as the armrest.
Just like other sections above, there’s no clear-cut variation between both options when it comes to adjustment features. However, most gaming models typically come with more adjustment options in comparison with similarly-priced normal models. The main reason is that the majority of racing-style gaming units are constructed with a reclining part that normal models do not often have.
Overall, it is easy to see that most gaming models, even the cheap ones often come with a recline function which gives them the advantage over the normal chairs in terms of adjustment features. However, not all users will make use of this feature as it is not simple to adjust for beginners. Thus, gaming chairs and normal chairs which are on the same price range tend to have the same adjustment features as said earlier
Ergonomic features
The last feature that we want to compare between gaming chairs and normal chairs are ergonomic features, which are especially important if you have to sit and work for hours.
Basically, most gaming chairs come with better ergonomic designs than normal models simply because they have recline features. In fact, this is the most important benefits of gaming chairs over other options. While most gamers will never fully recline, the option to have their backrest reclined slightly can help relieve pressure and enhance the comfort after hours of playing or working in front of the computer.
Also, these ergonomic features will allow you to choose any positions that you want with a few adjustments. This can be important to keep the spine and neck aligned properly, thus prevent common health issues such as back pain. So if you often work or play many hours per day by sitting, it is much better to go for a gaming chair instead of a normal model.
In overall, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. In general, gaming chairs and normal chairs are created for different kinds of users with different needs and preferences. If you’re a gamer who likes the bold and impressive style, then there is no option better than gaming models. Similarly, when you are looking for comfort and support at home or office, normal or office chairs seem to be the ultimate solution to enhance productivity and focus for hours. Either way, it’s up to you to make the final decision.
