Can ergonomic chairs completely replace gaming chairs?

 

There are many opinions that gaming chairs are just a waste of money, and are purely a hyped concept. It is better to choose ergonomic chairs than gaming chairs.

 

I do not completely agree. If you are only focusing on gaming games, you can choose a chair with a strong sense of wrapping, adequate support for various parts (waist, neck, arms), and ventilation (not stuffy).

 

Of course, if many traditional gaming chairs remain unchanged, then the quality and design of many brands of gaming chairs are very poor, and the consumer market has gradually eliminated them. Some stores have closed down after two years.

 

In this article, I will talk about the original intention of the birth of gaming chairs, the difference between gaming chairs and ergonomic chairs, and the scenarios in which gaming chairs and ergonomic chairs are applicable. Finally, I will introduce several chairs that are truly in line with the habits of gaming games.

 

1. The original intention of the birth of gaming chairs
The gaming chair is mainly with the popularization of home computers and the emergence of computer games. People began to sit in front of computers for a long time, so they needed a suitable and comfortable chair.

 

The real popularity of gaming chairs is mainly due to the rapid development of the e-sports industry. There is a saying that dishwashers, smart toilets, and gaming chairs have replaced telephones, computers, and air conditioners in the 1990s and become the new "three major items" in Chinese families. This shows the popularity of gaming chairs.

 

The main reason why gaming chairs are so popular is that their design is more scientific than ordinary chairs. When we sit for a long time to play games, it can provide certain support to various parts of our body to relieve the back pain caused by sitting for a long time.

 

In addition, gaming chairs also provide some adjustable parts (armrests, waist support, neck support), so that people of different body shapes can adjust to the most comfortable position according to their own situation.

 

Then there is the design of the backrest and cushion of the gaming chair. Although there will be many complaints that the appearance of the gaming chair imitates the racing seat, this design of the gaming chair is very friendly to the sedentary gaming crowd. It can give a better sense of wrapping and support to the buttocks and waist and back, and can indeed relieve the pressure caused by sitting for a long time to a certain extent.

 

For example, the cushion of the gaming chair is not designed horizontally. The front end of the cushion is slightly tilted upward. The purpose of this design is to make your center of gravity backward and your waist and back close to the back of the chair. In addition, the gaming chair is made of leather + sponge, so it has a very good wrapping feeling and can provide all-round support. It is not a big problem to sit for a long time.

 

In fact, it can be seen that the professional teams and players of major e-sports events are basically using gaming chairs, which can also reflect from the side that gaming chairs are indeed useful for people who sit for a long time in e-sports. For example, if I usually play games for a long time, I still prefer gaming chairs. The wrapping feeling of the cushion and backrest is very substantial.

 

Although I mentioned earlier that gaming chairs are good for gaming, there are still some problems with this traditional gaming chair, such as insufficient adjustability and being too stuffy in the summer when there is no air conditioning. In addition, with the rise of ergonomic chairs (ergonomic chairs have more adjustability and the entire chair is made of mesh material, which is more breathable), many traditional gaming chairs are slowly being eliminated if they cannot be upgraded and changed. This is the case with the gaming chair brand I bought two years ago.

 

So can the popular ergonomic chairs completely replace gaming chairs? Below I will explain in detail the differences between gaming chairs and ergonomic chairs to see if ergonomic chairs can replace gaming chairs.

 

2. The difference between gaming chairs and ergonomic chairs
The main difference between traditional gaming chairs and ergonomic chairs lies in the adjustment function and the fabric of the entire chair. Let me explain in detail below.

(1) Difference in adjustment function
① Chair back
Whether it is a gaming chair or an ergonomic chair, one of the more important parts is the chair back. A reasonable chair back design can provide an effective support for our waist and back to relieve the back pain caused by sitting for a long time.

Traditional gaming chairs usually have an independent lumbar support on the back of the chair to provide lumbar support. In fact, this is no different from putting a cushion on the chair by yourself.

The lumbar support of a better ergonomic chair generally supports adjustment (up and down or front and back), so you can adjust the lumbar support angle and support strength according to your actual situation.

From this point of view, the design of ergonomic chairs seems to be more "ergonomic". At present, some better gaming chairs are also being upgraded and changed. The lumbar support supports up and down and front and back adjustment, and the support of the waist is more accurate.

But there is one point that everyone should pay attention to. If you need to play games for a long time, only the back of the gaming chair can provide a better wrapping feeling. With the upgrade of the lumbar support, the whole waist and back have a good wrapping feeling and the support is more accurate. The ergonomic chair provides a sense of support for the waist and back without a sense of wrapping.

 

② Neck pillow
Then there is the neck pillow. Its main function is to provide a reasonable support for our neck to relieve the discomfort caused by sitting for a long time to the cervical spine.

The traditional gaming chair neck pillow is a small pillow tied with an elastic band. This kind of support is generally not very stable, and the tightness will become loose over time. Most ergonomic chair neck pillows are fixed on the chair and support adjustment. This kind of support is more stable and precise.

At present, there are also a few better gaming chair neck pillows that are fixed on the back of the chair and support adjustment.

 

③ Armrests
Finally, there are armrests. Most traditional gaming chairs have very few armrest adjustments. Generally, they only support up and down adjustment, which means that when you sit and play computer games, there is no problem. You can raise the armrests to provide arm support.

Ergonomic chairs also depend on the price. Low-priced ones almost only support up and down adjustment. More and more rich ones support front and back and left and right rotation adjustment.

Now more and more people play mobile games, especially the emergence of King of Glory. At present, the armrests of high-priced ergonomic chairs have added a mobile game flip mode, so that you can also provide better support for your arms when playing mobile games. Traditional gaming chairs are also gradually upgrading in this regard, such as the 6D mechanical arm armrests that support flip-up mobile game mode.

 

(2) Fabric differences
In addition to the differences in adjustment functions, gaming chairs and ergonomic chairs also have relatively large differences in the fabric of the entire chair. As mentioned earlier, gaming chairs are mainly prepared for people who sit for long periods of time in gaming, so the entire chair uses a combination of leather + sponge, which can give us a better sense of wrapping, but a problem that comes with it is that it will be quite stuffy in the summer if the air conditioner is not turned on.

 

At present, the mainstream ergonomic chairs are basically made of mesh material, so the air permeability is much better and it is more friendly in summer. However, one thing to note is that the durability of mesh is worse than that of sponge, especially for people with heavy weight, it is easy to collapse when sitting. It is okay for people with light weight, but people with heavy weight should try not to choose mesh chairs.

 

If you are not heavy and sit normally for office work, a regular mesh ergonomic chair is also fine. But if you are mainly playing e-sports, it is better to choose an e-sports chair with a better wrapping feeling. At present, in order to solve the problem of stuffiness, e-sports chair manufacturers are also iterating products, such as mesh e-sports chairs, or the whole chair uses ultra-soft breathing leather, which is much more breathable than traditional leather, and it also adds a fan under the base to increase breathability. You don't have to worry about stuffiness when playing games in summer.

 

However, with the promotion of ergonomic chairs, many traditional e-sports chair brands are basically gone. If you still want to choose a suitable e-sports chair, you can only try to choose a big brand, so that at least there is a little guarantee for after-sales service.