PC Gaming Chair Recommendations

[Niner51]

My wife needed a new chair for her work so I am giving her my current Tempur Pedic Staples chair that has held up pretty well and I ordered a new Lazy Boy manager office chair from Sam's club. Seems to get decent reviews and with my back and tailbone issues I thought I'd give this a try. Looked at the Secret Lab chairs but they didn't look like they had enough cushion on the seating pad for my liking.

 

[Brian_B]

Ok so this is a bit old, but I find myself in need of a new chair, so figured I'd just resurrect.

I've seen some of the reviews here. There's been a bit more time, figured I'd hear the latest round of thoughts.

So my needs - I'm pretty average height/build. We have cats. They have claws. One is ... special and often wears a diaper, so something that's easily cleaned is a must. So that throws out mesh, leather will probably get trashed... fabric is a maybe. Not really interested in "Gaming" - would rather just have a good chair, and if it happens to be gaming, well, so long as it's not too garish. Wife is opposed to used furniture after her one of her friends had a run in with bedbugs - just not an option with her anymore.

I've had a Serta for 4-5 years. The padding in it is finally shot, although the chair still looks ok. Wife's Serta the cats have shredded, but her padding is still holding up. Typically we go with cheap leather (usually faux, but sometimes the really cheap thin leather), as it's easily wiped up, and the Sertas ave fit the bill.

Debating going for something good, as I'm getting old and I'm certainly feeling my age and more recently have been doing a lot more WFH, or keep it semi-disposable with the pets.

For "Something Good" - X-Chair X3 looks like a decent possibility, but I've never sat in one. HM Sayl also looks like it might work. For semi-disposable, probably go back down to Staples and throw down on a couple more Sertas, as they were decent enough for the price.

Eager to see what the current thoughts are for what people are using. Did the SecretLabs chairs hold up for those that went that route (not that they have anything really in stock now, but doesn't hurt to look)?

 

[THUMPer]

I'm sure by now everyone has seen the GN video that all these gaming chairs are the same. Which is something I noticed a long time ago. I will not be buying a GAMING chair. But I am in the market for a nice office chair.

 

[Dan_D]

I'm sure by now everyone has seen the GN video that all these gaming chairs are the same. Which is something I noticed a long time ago. I will not be buying a GAMING chair. But I am in the market for a nice office chair.

Well, I've been saying it for awhile. The Noblechair and the Secret Labs chairs have the same design. I also saw the Maingear and a couple others at Microcenter with the same design. Some others like the Cougar Armor Titan are a different design, but as the video pointed out these have an insane markup. I know a lot of people are butt hurt about that, but the fact is furniture always has a ridiculous markup. It's typically 60% or more in some cases. Furthermore, they are not all the same. There are a few different designs that come from a handful of factories.

Also, the video doesn't change the fact that some chairs like the Secret Labs chairs are great chairs. Frankly, they are bargain compared to some of these office chairs which cost many times more. The Aeron is $1200+ despite the design dating back to the 1990's.

 

[Burticus]

Standing desk?

My 3-4 year old Serta chair ($150 from Staples I think) is finally losing the butt padding. My massive 150lbs girth just destroys padding for some reason. I don't love LOVE the chair, but it was best I could find under $200. I am all about butt comfort, less so ergonomics. So I am on the hunt as well.

Too bad, the thing looks brand new until you sit in it. I assume the wife will want it and hers will hit the dumpster.

 

[Auer]

My problem with gaming chairs is they all look like they came out of a "pimp my ride" ricer.
**** that look.

 

[LazyGamer]

Have a Serta rated for... 400lbs+?

It was uncomfortable for my bony arse under three months. I gave it to my wife and bought something with mesh all around on Amazon that's worked well enough for longer than that.

 

[Brian_B]

Yeah the butt padding on my Serra is shot. I never liked the “active lumbar” or whatever it was called. But for the time it’s lasted (4 or 5 years) and the price it wasn’t a bad chair at all.

After reading some more reviews and folks on here I decided to give Secret Labs a try. The price wasnt god awful (caught the tail end of a Holiday sale, so saved about $50 there), and I could get it faux leather so cleanup would be pretty easy.

Not expected to ship until end of Feb though - only bad thing.

I got ash - it was as benign a design as I could find there.

 

[LazyGamer]

I wouldn't mind leather if I weren't too warm-blooded for it, I need some vents

 

[Brian_B]

Yeah the butt padding on my Serra is shot. I never liked the “active lumbar” or whatever it was called. But for the time it’s lasted (4 or 5 years) and the price it wasn’t a bad chair at all.

After reading some more reviews and folks on here I decided to give Secret Labs a try. The price wasnt god awful (caught the tail end of a Holiday sale, so saved about $50 there), and I could get it faux leather so cleanup would be pretty easy.

Not expected to ship until end of Feb though - only bad thing.

I got ash - it was as benign a design as I could find there.

Ok so my titan came in today - about a week earlier than promised. The packaging was really nice, and It came with a really nice screw driver to remove a single safety lock screw. A lot of packing foam to throw out.

As far as putting it together - yeah, basically the same as every other office chair.

First impressions: it's a lot stiffer than I was expecting. It doesn't have big fluffy padding. I haven't had it long enough to form an impression on if that's a good thing or bad thing yet. Coming from the Serta that was nothing but a giant cloud of fluff, it's different.

It has a lot of various adjustments. That part is nice. Everything feels solid.

The more I look at the garish prints, the more I dislike it though. I got the most benign print I could find (Ash), and even that feels over the top for my tastes. But if the chair holds up and stays comfy I will forgive it.

 

[Burticus]

Ok so my titan came in today

Hey do you have a link to the titan chair you bough?

 

[Brian_B]

Hey do you have a link to the titan chair you bough?

Secretlab TITAN 2020 Gaming Chair | Secretlab US

Sit incredibly easily with the Secretlab TITAN—the large, spacious gaming chair with an integrated lumbar support. Upgrade your sitting experience now.

secretlab.co

 

[Brian_B]

Ok so my titan came in today - about a week earlier than promised. The packaging was really nice, and It came with a really nice screw driver to remove a single safety lock screw. A lot of packing foam to throw out.

As far as putting it together - yeah, basically the same as every other office chair.

First impressions: it's a lot stiffer than I was expecting. It doesn't have big fluffy padding. I haven't had it long enough to form an impression on if that's a good thing or bad thing yet. Coming from the Serta that was nothing but a giant cloud of fluff, it's different.

It has a lot of various adjustments. That part is nice. Everything feels solid.

The more I look at the garish prints, the more I dislike it though. I got the most benign print I could find (Ash), and even that feels over the top for my tastes. But if the chair holds up and stays comfy I will forgive it.

A couple of weeks later:

Yeah the chair padding is stiff, but it's not uncomfortable. It's more like sitting in a car seat than a recliner, and now that I've had a bit to use it, I think I prefer it that way. It has a tensioner spring adjust for rocking (as well as a lock to prevent rocking) -- the spring could be a bit stiffer, I have it adjusted all the way and it's still a bit looser than I'd like, but that's being pretty nit picky.

It ships with a memory foam pillow that you can use as a head rest. It looks really cheesy, but it's very comfortable. I just wish it looked a bit less like something that was As-Seen-On-TV after thought, and more like a purposeful part of the chair.

The only other thing is that I have the faux leather. Which is fine, you get what you pay for. I needed something that I could wipe up... but it's not very forgiving when the cats decide to try to climb it and leave claw marks all in the material. The little devils initiated it on day 1.

My wife got an Omega - it's very nearly identical to the Titan. There were only two differences that I could discern. The most obvious was that the Omega does not have lumbar adjustment, it ships with a memory foam lumbar pillow instead. The second is that the chair itself has a bit higher "wings" on the outer edge of the seating area - the chair itself is about the same width, but since these edges rise up a bit more aggressively, it makes the seating area a bit more narrow. She got the GoT Direwolf edition, and loves it (she also named our dogs after GoT, and her ringtone is GoT....)

 

[Space_Ranger]

TY for the review of the chair @Brian_B !

 

[Grimlakin]

I have an office max chair specifically designed for big and tall with 10 hour plus workdays. It was about 500 dollars when I got it but worth every penny for my heavy ***. And so far it's held up well.

 

[LazyGamer]

I have an office max chair specifically designed for big and tall with 10 hour plus workdays. It was about 500 dollars when I got it but worth every penny for my heavy ***. And so far it's held up well.

I have a Serta rated for 400lbs, and I top out at 255 every year (currently around 215).

Butt pad wore out in a month. My tush is just too bony!

So it went to the wife, which it works well for. She just adds pillows.

I'm bound to mesh chairs for life I think

 

[Burticus]

My wife got an Omega - it's very nearly identical to the Titan. There were only two differences that I could discern. The most obvious was that the Omega does not have lumbar adjustment, it ships with a memory foam lumbar pillow instead. The second is that the chair itself has a bit higher "wings" on the outer edge of the seating area - the chair itself is about the same width, but since these edges rise up a bit more aggressively, it makes the seating area a bit more narrow. She got the GoT Direwolf edition, and loves it (she also named our dogs after GoT, and her ringtone is GoT....)

Hey Brian, it's been a few months... are you still liking your chair?

My stupid Serta chair is really pissing me off lately, and I have to use a foam "pillow" (I cut up an old mattress topper) because the butt padding is gone. My bony *** just destroys chair cushions apparently.

I'm thinking about the Secretlabs Omega (smaller version of the Titan... I don't need that big boy). $349 "on sale" for the cloth version. I really wish I could sit in one first, who would want to have to return a giant box if I hate it.....not to mention cost involved

Secretlab OMEGA 2020 Gaming Chair | Secretlab US

Experience industry-leading comfort, support, and reliability with the multi-award winning Secretlab OMEGA gaming chair. Shop the full range now.

secretlab.co

 

[Brian_B]

Hey Brian, it's been a few months... are you still liking your chair?

My stupid Serta chair is really pissing me off lately, and I have to use a foam "pillow" (I cut up an old mattress topper) because the butt padding is gone. My bony *** just destroys chair cushions apparently.

I'm thinking about the Secretlabs Omega (smaller version of the Titan... I don't need that big boy). $349 "on sale" for the cloth version. I really wish I could sit in one first, who would want to have to return a giant box if I hate it.....not to mention cost involved

Secretlab OMEGA 2020 Gaming Chair | Secretlab US

Experience industry-leading comfort, support, and reliability with the multi-award winning Secretlab OMEGA gaming chair. Shop the full range now.

secretlab.co

Yeah, I don't regret my chair. It did take a bit to get used to how stiff it is - it's like sitting in a sport car seat. But once I got used to it, and got it adjusted just right, no regrets.

I have the synth leather stuff - my wife says it's a bit warm now that we are in summer (She has the omega, I have a titan), and she has a towel laying on hers. Mine it doesn't bother me so much. I'd imagine the cloth would breath a good bit better.

That's about it really. The only difference between the Titan and the Omega is the side walls of the chair seat itself - the Titan lays a bit more flat on those sides, so the seating area is a bit larger. The omega they are more aggressively vertical, making it more into a cup or cradle. Side by side it's hard to even notice the difference.

 

[Riccochet]

That's the one thing I like about my Vertagear. Stiff padding. I've had my chair since August 2018 and the padding is holding up extremely well. Just as comfortable as the day I bought it. No signs of wear either, and I sit in this thing for 8-16 hours a day 6 days a week. If this were one of those $100 pleather office chairs it would be crushed out flat by now.

 

[David_Schroth]

@afowler recently got an Omega, maybe he can comment on it.