Gaming chair help!

ruthers

ruthers

ruthers

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26 Jan 2016
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76
Hi, im 6' and weigh 16st.

I am looking for a gaming chair which gets used roughly 8 hours+ a day.

I originally considered the "DXRacer King series" chair but after reading reviews and watching videos on seeing horror stories on poor quality control and many other issues I have been put off.

My budget is around £400. The chair needs to fit under a 70cm high desk (IKEA alex drawers and karlby)

At work I sit on a KAB chair for 12 hours and its perfect. It's really expensive and really looks awful. I would like something similar.
http://www.lockwoodhume.co.uk/kab-director-chair-1279-p.asp


Please help me!:D
 
Spending £400 could get you a nice Steelcase Leap or Herman Miller Aeron. You can get referbed Leaps for around £120-£180 or Aerons from £350 and upwards. I've found mostly that these "gaming" chairs are just overpriced on the looks only, I've sat in a mates one and thought how much better my old over 15 year old Leap feels :D
 
Brand new ergonomic office chairs are expensive and very poor value for gamers. The likes of Steelcase and Herman Miller are the McLaren tier 1 brands and they don't make bad chairs. You pay for the brand, the design, the quality, the replaceable parts and they are locked behind a dealership market which controls stock and price.

A brand new HM Aeron Exec Chair will set you back about £1000 + vat and probably similar for a Steelcase Leap v2 with headrest:
steelcase-leap-office-chair.jpg


However the 2nd hand market changes that particularly if the fabric has been refurbished because the frame and mechanics are solid as a rock. The good ones tend to go for £200+ depending on condition, options stock level etc..

The main attraction to gamers then is:
- They look good in a home office so if you muli-task between games and work this is a big plus
- Many have a huge range of adjustments many of which are useful for gamers with different control systems like HOTAS placement
- Comfort does not equal support, ergonomic chairs are better at supporting your body weight in the right way. For example they provide proper adjustable lumbar support not a micro cushion with straps
- The same chair can often come in different sizes and options to suit your needs
- If something breaks or is damaged you should have repair options thus they are likely to last you longer

What are the downsides?
- Well you get no real warranty so if something breaks after a few weeks your on your own to find a solution or at the mercy of the dealers
- If you are into racing games in a big way then these gaming chairs could well be the better option
- A used seat cushion is likely to be quite firm and may require attention before a new seat would.
- If the material hasn't been refurbished then you have to deal with the unknown hygiene issue but tbh you can pay for that to be done and its not like you can avoid it in an office anyway.

My beef with 'gaming chairs' is they are nothing of the sort imho, its just an image they are trying to sell based around motor racing. To my mind a gaming chair needs to either be something dedicated to gamers needs (simpit style) or serve a dual office/gamer role.

My advice therefore is take your time and look for a good 2nd hand option at least until we see proper gaming chairs being produced.
 
a word of advice.... you don't need the head rest unless you are tall or simply want the look. Steelcase chairs with headrests are hard to come by because of course the 2nd hand market is fed by the commercial use of office chairs and as an accessory the headrests tends to be quite expensive hence they are rarely ordered.

A 2nd hand leap v2 with headrest is going to require research and patience and a willingness to spend over £300 imho without headrest you can easily knock a £100 off the price. My 2nd hand Steelcase Please v2 with headrest was less than £300 but a good non headrest version is £150 - £200 basically.

I wonder if OCuk have considered becoming a Steelcase dealer? Seriously these things are the best atm hence the price premium.

imho the Please is a better 'gaming chair' than the Leap because aside form the comfort and ergonomics the Please has rounded arm rest supports and a flat base below the seat cushion meaning you can clamp or screw gaming accessories to the chair where as the Leap you are going to struggle.So the Please is more moddable which is a big plus given neither the Please or the Leap are 'gaming chairs' yet somehow seem to do far better than the 'gaming chairs'. Well I'll leave you to make ur mind up on that and if Noble want to hire me for helping improve their designs I'm only a PM away ;)
 
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