Finding the perfect office chairs for gaming can be a game-changer for your setup, providing not only comfort but also enhancing your overall gaming experience. Whether you’re a casual player or a dedicated enthusiast, a well-designed chair can make long hours in front of the screen more enjoyable and healthier for your posture. To understand what makes a good gaming chair, we will explore the current traditional design and the qualities to look for when determining the best gaming chairs for posture.
WHAT IS A GAMING CHAIR?
Back in 2006, when Chrysler began to discontinue various product lines, DXRacer was armed with a handsome marketing budget and a need to find a new market to sell its stockpile of bucket seats – and so the race-car style bucket seat was repurposed and remarketed to gamers. After taking off in the market, other companies followed suit, and the standard design for gaming chairs was quickly influenced in the industry.
So, what exactly is a gaming chair? Well, Wikipedia states that a gaming chair is simply defined as “a type of chair marketed towards gamers.” After describing a gaming chair as having a high backrest, and customizable settings in the armrests, back, lumbar support and headrest; the same descriptor went on to state that common criticisms of gaming chairs are that they tend to be designed and marketed primarily for the aesthetics as opposed to ergonomics. Therefore, the resulting designs place gamers in a worse ergonomic position than that of traditional office chairs, making them fall to the bottom of the list of good office chairs for gaming.
With digital gaming established as a professional activity that is focused on the use of computers, the apparent need for suitable ergonomics is becoming more prevalent. The more important questions to raise are: “what makes a good gaming chair?” and “what are the best gaming chairs for good posture?”.
WHAT MAKES A GOOD GAMING CHAIR?
Reality check: the world of gaming as we know it, requires exceptionally long hours engaged in computer activities. Most of which is in a very static position with movements reduced to hands alone and sometimes just fingers.
Sound familiar? For many years now the world of office place ergonomics has been focused on designing optimal seating solutions for positioning a human in front of a computer for many hours. These solutions are dramatically different from car seat designs; however, the standard has now been influenced, and ergonomic education is needed to encourage people to consider more scientifically engineered solutions that offer gaming chairs for good posture. Afterall, how many car seats have you actually experienced comfort in during your long commutes?
Recognizing the opportunity, many of the well-established ergonomic office chair companies have re-marketed their ergonomic sitting solutions as “gaming chairs”. The challenge faced by all, is the combination of brand awareness and price.
For example, when Herman Miller stepped into the gaming chair market with existing products such as the Embody, they focussed both brand awareness and quality assurance in their marketing efforts, although lacked in competitive pricing.
When you visit the Herman Miller store and see that they also identify their Aeron model as a gaming chair, it becomes more obvious that the logical design of a quality ergonomic chair naturally aligns with what makes a good gaming chair. Ironically, the Aeron chair design process was originally focusing on the geriatric population as an alternative to the LazyBoy Chair. However, due to timing and opportunities presented by tech start-ups, it became a trend in Silicon Valley and landed a product placement on Will & Grace and other media opportunities that changed the course of their marketing plan.
Practically speaking, well-designed ergonomic office chairs like Herman Miller’s Embody and Aeron models, among other designs and manufacturers, are being designed for prolonged use in front of a computer. Whereas the design seen in most gaming chairs for all practical discussions, were only meant to be used when driving a car.
The real question should not be which one is the better sitting solution as a gaming chair, but rather, what features in an ergonomic office chair would optimize the designing when considering what makes a good gaming chair.
DETERMINING GAMING CHAIRS FOR GOOD POSTURE
It has become common knowledge that prolonged sitting in a static position for computer-related activities or more specifically for gaming has deleterious effects on the health of our bodies.
The list of problematic outcomes includes those related to the sedentary effects of static sitting as well as the musculoskeletal effects of poor sitting posture.
These include but are not limited to:
- Decreased circulation with decreased metabolic rate
- Lower extremity swelling
- Foggy brain from reduced supply of oxygen and nutrients
- Insulin production affecting blood glucose regulation
- Obesity
- LBP, low back pain from posterior pelvic rotation
- Upper back and neck pain from anterior flexed spine
- Soft tissue creep affecting joint integrity and strength
- Muscle atrophy, lack of use and over supported
Finding gaming chairs for good posture is the most important consideration in either an ergonomic chair or a gaming chair.
The most challenging aspect of human biomechanics and musculoskeletal disorders when seated in a conventional chair is when we compromise the natural balance of the spine.
The vertebrae of the spine are designed in both shape and size to position from bottom to top with an equal space between each vertebra. Gelatinous intervertebral discs cushion the space evenly, front to back and side to side, with the connective soft tissues under equal and balanced tension around each of these joints to achieve an effortless, efficient posture.
When we have achieved this optimal alignment and balance it results in a neutral pelvis, which creates a lordotic or inward curve of the lumbar spine that leads to a kyphotic or outward curve of the thoracic spine and finishing with a lordotic or inward curve of the cervical spine.
With all these curves balanced, the skull can then rest on the top of the first cervical vertebrae in a balanced position that allows the ears to align roughly with the shoulders.
However, when seated in a conventional chair, a common scenario for most is that the sit bones slide forward on the sit surface allowing the pelvis to rotate rearward.
When the pelvis rotates posterior this causes the lumbar spine to flatten, a situation where the vertebral column actually flexes forward creating uneven alignment of the vertebrae, pressure on the intervertebral disc that can lead to bulging and a condition known as soft tissue creep, where the soft tissues, ligaments and muscles on the front side of the vertebral column become shortened and the same tissues on the rear side become lengthened.
Prolonged periods sustaining this position can contribute to joint instability and risk of injury.
This inappropriate pelvic position with posterior rotation and lumbar flattening will also encourage forward flexion of the thoracic spine and hyper lordosis of the cervical spine. Generally described as a collapsed sitting position.
Traditional intervention for this flattening presentation has been the introduction of a support in the lumbar spine region to push the spine into a lordotic or inward curve.
This symptomatic approach may provide short term relief but often places too much force on this small boney structure and can even contribute to pushing the sit bones further forward on the sit surface and exacerbate the situation over time.
IDEAL SUPPORT IN GOOD OFFICE CHAIRS FOR GAMING
The ideal scenario when designing good office chairs for gaming is to introduce support on the pelvis in a way that the pelvis can maintain an upright and neutral position.
The CoreChair design focuses on pelvic positioning very similar to an orthotic device.
This involves a sculpted seat that prevents the sit bones from migrating forward on the sit surface and a pelvic stabilizer or low back that is angled and positioned to make contact on the top of the back of the pelvis and the lower lumbar-sacral junction.
This is much more robust point of contact with more prominent boney structures. By keeping the pelvis in an upright and neutral position the lumbar spine can assume a more appropriate lordotic curve allowing for better alignment of the vertebrae.
The positioning effect of the CoreChair as a good office chair for gaming, is optimized for an upright balanced and engaged sitting position. The user can adjust the chair height to allow for a more open hip angle, which further enhances the pelvic orientation and with an appropriate height work surface, the arms of the gamer can relax at their sides, as they would while standing, in this case with elbows bent to 90 degrees or slightly more.
The thoracic spine then also assumes a neutral position with natural kyphotic curvature and the head sits balanced atop the cervical vertebrae with the computer monitor adjusted so that the gamer is looking straight across at the top of the monitor.
An optimal engaged sitting position allows the user to orient themselves to their monitor with their head in a balanced position over their shoulders rather than having their head positioned in front of their thoracic cage.
This forward flexed position requires engagement of the posterior neck and upper back muscles to sustain this position.
The CoreChair Elite model is the best office chair for gaming as it allows for the gamer to sit engaged as described but offers an additional position where the gamer can slightly recline while maintaining optimal pelvic support. The upper support pad incorporates flexion to allow this reclination of the upper back as well as lateral twisting to accommodate the inherent dynamics of the human spine.
Other office chairs for gaming may provide similar lateral dynamics but tend to follow general rules of ergonomics that encourage a more consistent reclined position.
This seated position is more desirable than the classic Gaming Chair as it does promote better spinal orientation but does not provide the optimal pelvic support found in the CoreChair Elite.
CONSIDERATIONS WHEN CHOOSING GOOD OFFICE CHAIRS FOR GAMING
The greatest shortcoming in the classic Gaming Chair is the sedentary effect of static sitting. Compounded by the compromised postural positioning.
Recognizing that the sedentary effects can be extremely hazardous to one’s health over time, it is imperative that when looking into gaming chairs for good posture, that the chosen office chair for gaming has the easy ability to continuously change the gamers position to stimulate their biomechanical and physiological functions.
When a good office chair for gaming is fitted to provide the user optimal sitting posture and movement, the ideal pivot point is located immediately beneath the users center of balance.
The patented CoreChair mechanism facilitates this movement with a dual dampening system that provides smooth articulation for the hip joints below the pelvis and the spine above.
This movement in the CoreChair is what makes a good gaming chair as it not only allows for constant low intensity incidental movement, but also deliberate activity where all movement provides significant health benefits.
Dynamic movement being a key indicator of what makes a good gaming chair will address:
- Blood circulation to enhance the delivery of oxygen and nutrients without necessarily increasing the heart rate.
- Increased caloric expenditure by 20%, as determined by a Mayo Clinic study in collaboration with Arizona State University, compared to conventional chairs.
- More significant increase in caloric expenditure with exercise periods.
- The lower leg muscle groups act as a second pump to the heart, assisting with venous return and flow of lymphatic fluids. This was determined by a study conducted by Memorial University.
- Enhanced cognitive function as determined by a Guelph University study, which can imply better focus, and improved performance.
- Muscle stimulation to provide strengthening as well as pliability.
Overall, the movement encouraged by this active Gaming Chair provides smooth transition to subtle new positions and a general sense of well-being, making I one of the best office chairs for gaming
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, selecting the right gaming chair is paramount for any gamer looking to enhance their overall experience and well-being. It’s crucial that the chair supports and active posture, allowing for mobility while seated, and maintains an open hip angle to position the pelvis naturally. These features not only promote increased cognition, leading to better alertness, reaction times, and gaming performance but also help alleviate pain in the back, neck, and other areas commonly strained by prolonged sitting. Additionally, a well-designed gaming chair such as the CoreChair Elite improves blood circulation and stimulates muscles and joints, preventing stiffness and ensuring comfort during long gaming sessions. Investing in the right gaming chair can make a significant difference in your health and gaming prowess.
