Gaming chairs are known to be stylish when it comes to their looks. However, people are divided on the opinion about them being an ideal buy for your back.
Due to the Pandemic, people these days are following a Work from Home format and many prefer long gaming hours in between breaks in their gaming chairs. So, are gaming chairs a good option for your back with long hours of gaming?
To be honest, whether you are into gaming or not, there are numerous points that hint why people having back pain should opt for a gaming chair in place of a traditional office chair. Sounds intriguing, isn’t it?
Let’s deep dive into the facts that prove a gaming chair is better for your back when compared to a usual office chair.
Why does a Gaming Chair Standout as compared to an Office Chair?
Gaming chairs are somehow designed by taking the theme of Racing Car seats. Having additional features to improve your posture is something that Gaming chairs have always been known for. They are quite ergonomic and can provide you with a comfortable experience for your back while you’re gaming or even doing your office work.
On the other hand, office chairs tend to be rigid as you are restricted from doing certain things. Since you can’t take a back seat and recline in an office chair, slouching can be a major problem and can bring in numerous back pain issues.
Are Gaming Chairs a Good Option for your Back?
To give you an answer right off the bat, a Gaming chair is a splendid buy for your back. As standard office chairs do not give you the luxury of supporting your back, they can pose serious ramifications to your body. In comparison, gaming chairs tend to have a lot stuffed up with them to help you sort out your back problems and provide a top-notch sitting experience.
Check out what Gaming Chairs offer as a whole:
- Amazing Backrest Recline – Most of the Gaming chairs let you recline past 135-180 degrees, which is commendable. This gives you the freedom to relax your back and find peace, unlike office chairs that are limited in terms of reclining. Additionally, a seated position with a backrest recline angle of 135 degrees is considered to be the ideal position for your back.
- Tall Backrest – They do come with a high backrest, giving you the ultimate relaxation to your body and complete support to your entire back, shoulders, neck, and head. The vertebral column or spine consists of the whole portion of your back. When you end up having back pain, a chair with a tall backrest (Gaming chair) is the ideal option to support your spine while you are sitting.
- External Lumbar Pillow – This is a common but useful feature. An external lumbar pillow works like magic for your lower back as its main aim is to take the burden off the tired muscles and lower aim after continuous hours of sitting. Moreover, it stops you from getting the habit of slouching by filling in the space between the backrest and your lower back.
- External Pillow for Neck – Every Gaming chair does come with an external pillow for the neck. Having said that, they help in keeping your neck relaxed during the reclined position.
Productivity & Health Benefits of having a Gaming Chair
Apart from being the best option for your entire back, gaming chairs also provide additional benefits that help you do better in life. They are listed below:
1. Improves your sitting posture:
Due to the luxury of having additional components, they help you improve your sitting posture. This in turn takes away any kind of back problems that you may have had due to bad sitting posture.
2. Makes your brain active:
You might be questioning, why? It is because the improvement to your sitting posture from using a Gaming chair can relieve the overworked muscles and send more energy to your brain.
3. More Energy:
As gaming chairs make your brain work better due to a comfortable sitting posture, it lets you be more energetic than ever. Leading you to do things more efficiently and making you more active.
What are the things for your back that you need to look for in a Gaming Chair?
Yes! Gaming chairs work like a charm when it comes to back pain as it has the necessary features to tackle them. However, there are certain things that you need to keep a sharp eye on when it is about a gaming chair.
Seat Angle Lock
This can be ridiculously useful for people having back pain. When you recline the backrest of the gaming chair, the angle of the seat can be locked and the seat would be pointing upwards even when you stop applying backpressure.
Backrest Height
The height of the backrest is a crucial aspect when you’re planning to get a gaming chair. Do have a close look at the height as it should be roughly similar to the top portion of your body. Additionally, the neck pillow location matters a lot.
The usual height of a backrest for a gaming chair can range between 30”-33”. A backrest of this height seems to be a perfect fit for people with a height ranging from 5’3 – 6’3.
If you’re shorter than 5’3, having a backrest height of less than 30” is recommended. Similarly, when you are above 6’3, the backrest height needs to be taller than 33”.
Seat Dimensions
Another critical thing to keep in mind is the seat dimensions. The seat depth plays an imperative role in a gaming chair. If the seat pan isn’t of the ideal size and is either too short or long, it can lead to circulation cut off to the end of the thighs.
- People shorter than 5’3 should go for a seat depth of 18” or less.
- People taller than 6’5 should look for a seat depth of 20.5” or bigger.
Height of the seat
The seat height of the chair can make or break a decision. When the seat is quite tall with a minimum setting, the feet may be dangling off the floor. This will result in pressure building up below the thighs.
When the seat is shorter with max settings, this will force you to extend your legs, leading to pressure built on the thighs and hips.
Check the table for the perfect gaming seat height as per your height:
| Max Height of the Seat (Top of the seat cushion to the floor) | Max Height of the User |
| 18” | 5’8” |
| 19” | 6’1” |
| 20” | 6’3” |
| 21” | 6’6” |
| 22” | 6’8” |
| 23” | 7’1” |
| 24” | 7’3” |
3D /4D Armrests
3D armrests or even 4D ones are a major plus to your gaming chair as they have been proven to be important. These special armrests support the arms in many positions, resulting in pressure getting off from your shoulders.
Usually, the arms and hands consist of 10% of the body weight, and having a 3D/4D armrest that helps in reducing the weight load from the shoulders can relieve you from back pain as everything is interconnected.
Conclusion
So, the answer to the question: Are Gaming Chairs really good for your back? Is a BIG YES! Gaming chairs are impeccable as they help you tremendously in resolving your back pain issues and bring the best version out of yourself. Gaming chairs can certainly help your back and minimize any kind of back pain risks, which isn’t the case with regular office chairs.
Since you know the answer by now, get a Gaming Chair and go the ergonomic way!