Best Budget Gaming Chair
Need to up your gaming furniture game but haven't got the cash for a premium seat - let's find you a good budget option instead
- Updated Jun 14, 2021
- Gaming, Gaming Chairs
There are two types of hardcore gamer out there as far as WePC is concerned, ones that want to buy an expensive gaming chair and others that can’t afford to drop the best part of $500 on a posh seat. Fortunately, there are some cheaper options on the market, that while they may not live up to the standard of the great offerings from the likes of Secretlab, let’s find out if they can still do a job for you.
Our Top Picks
First Look
Respawn 110
The Respawn 110 Gaming Chair doesn’t just look great, it offers supreme comfort and adjustment options too.
This is one comfy chair and one of the best cheap gaming chairs on the market. The PU leather is easy to clean while being durable, and the cushioned armrests make all the difference with this racer-style chair.
KCREAM Gaming Chair
The KCREAM high back gaming chair is the best budget option for the bigger framed gamers out there. This comes with a great design, adjustment options, and support.
This is built for the big boys out there and it can hold up to 330lbs! The bucket seat wraps around your torso and really makes you feel supported. A great gaming chair for a great price.
Ace Bayou X Rocker II SE 2.1
The X Rocker from Ace Bayou is a superbly priced rocker to fully immerse you into your games, films, music, and TV. This leather lounging chair rocks backward and forwards and is very comfortable.
Rockers are classic gaming chairs for consoles, and this model is no different. Aside from being incredibly affordable, this chair will fully immerse you into any game you play, plus the rocking feature is very addictive.
AKRacing Core Series EX-Wide Gaming Chair
Sneaking up to the top end of the budget range we have this racing style chair from AKRacing, perfect for if you have a little more to spend on your comfort.
This fabric seat might not be perfect if you are a mucky pup but it is breathable and ideal if you live in a hot area (ie, not the UK).
Headrest and lumbar supports also come as standard.
Things to Consider
It’s important to realize here that you are going to be buying a piece of furniture that will hopefully last you many years, and, more importantly, provide you with a level of comfort while you are sat at your PC, that you might not have previously had. Therefore, before you click Buy, spare a thought for the following.
Price
The cost of gaming chairs can vary quite dramatically. the big-name companies are all going to be charging considerably more for their wares but there is a reason for that. generally, the materials used are of much higher quality, this is how the cheaper manufacturers can trim down their price so much. With this trimming down also comes a reduction in comfort. Extra support cushions aren’t included, the foam used in the seat and back sections won’t be as high quality and may lose its shape quicker than you would like. The seat itself might not recline or even feel as sturdy.
What we are saying, and we certainly don’t always suggest you go for the higher ticket items, but when it comes to gaming chairs you generally get what you pay for. It all depends on how happy you are to compromise.
Style
The last couple of years have definitely seen a move away from the huge gamification of gaming chairs. No longer are we only different bright green chairs with orange lightning bolts emblazoned across them but you can now get high-quality gaming chairs that do not look out of place in any corner of your home. You need to decide whether you want one that’s more akin to a big padded ‘bosses’ office chair or stick with the racing-style so popular in years gone by. It’s also worth considering you may redecorate before your chair reaches the end of its life so that bright yellow racing chair may not fit in so well in the future.
Selection Criteria
Weight Limit
The weight limit on most of these gaming chairs is less of a concern than on a traditional office or computer chair. That’s because these chairs are already based on the floor, and therefore aren’t likely to collapse if they have a sturdy frame.
The only real exceptions to these rules are the Intex Inflatable Chair and the X Rocker Pedestal Chair. The Inflatable Chair is much more strict about its weight limit since it risks popping if you go over it, while the Pedestal in the other chair may give away if you stress it too much for too long.
Besides those chairs, though, you’re probably just fine being 350+ lbs and using these chairs on the floor. They should be reasonably comfortable, too, but you can also check the measurements on them if you’re particularly wide.
Features
Features are another big thing, but the main one at play here is audio.
For whatever reason, most people expect gaming chairs to have built-in speakers for an immersive gaming audio experience. If this interests you and you don’t mind a few extra steps of setup, you should probably opt into it.
If this doesn’t interest you, though, don’t waste your money. Focus on buying a comfortable chair instead.
Best Budget Gaming Chairs
In-depth Review
Pros
Cons
The RESPAWN 110 racing style gaming chair is one of the best for its price. This cheap chair is the perfect alternative to the $200+ premium chairs we see, with similar levels of adjustment, comfort, and design.
We have gone for the black and grey chair, which is much more subtle than some of the other colors on offer from RESPAWN. Of course, you can always select a different color to match your bedroom/ office if you desired. The chair features padded armrests that pivot with the chair’s recline function. The PU leather is durable and easy to clean, making this cheap gaming chair look professional while remaining affordable.
The RESPAWN 110 is very comfortable, as mentioned the cushioned armrests are excellent. Furthermore, the seat and backrest feature segmented padding, giving your body contoured support. This can recline up to 155 degrees, with infinite angle lock and tilt tension adjustment. Naturally, the chairs swivel and this comes with an extendable footrest that comes from beneath the chair.
As far as cheap gaming chairs go, the RESPAWN 110 is a superb choice. Aside from its durability, the chair ships with a head and lumbar support pillow, not to mention it also supports weight up to 275lbs.
Pros
Cons
The KCREAM high back computer chair is the best budget option for bigger framed gamers. This chair comes with a plethora of features and offers a superb level of support for the price.
This black KCREAM chair is just one of five available colors up for grabs, however, this model features a lovely stitched cushion pattern down the middle of the chair. Like the similarly priced RESPAWN 110, this chair comes with sufficient padding on the armrests, great adjustment options, and is completely covered in easy-to-clean PU leather.
This is a very comfortable chair and remains so, even for bigger gamers (up to 330lbs). The cushioned bucket seat wraps around your torso and provides excellent support. The included head pillow and lumbar support go a long way to making this comfy for many different sizes and we eve see a telescopic footrest. Aside from 360-degree rotation, the backrest can go back as far as 180 degrees, which is great if you fancy a nap.
This features class 4 gas lift and a thick steel frame, meaning this is going to be supportive for a very long time. This chair is on the higher end but for this amount of features, it is certainly worth considering.
Pros
Cons
While console gamers could easily take advantage of every cheap gaming chair on this list, we thought it necessary to include a chair specifically made for console gaming. X Rockers are well known in the Xbox and Playstation sphere and offer great comfort with built-in speakers and controls making them a very attractive option for more than just gaming.
This leather lounging chair rocks on its frame and is great for gaming, watching TV, reading, or even just chilling. The plush leather and inviting shape are very comfortable, making this great for long game sessions or films. The headrest protrudes from the backrest giving you some built-in neck support and the ergonomic shape makes this comfy for many different body types.
This may be rather plain in design but I think the understated look is always smart when working with leather. The chair provides a great immersive alternative to TV audio playback, with two speakers in the headrest and a 4” subwoofer pounding your back.
While they say this is compatible with most consoles you may need to grab an HDMI audio extractor from Amazon or somewhere to use this with your Xbox. It works fine with the PS5 and older consoles though and when sat at such a low price, this is a small compromise.
Pros
Cons
You can tell you have spent just a little more than the budget chairs out there. In fact, this AKRacing Core Series offering is creeping up towards mid-priced, but we like to give you options here at WePC. If you have a little extra cash in the pocket you may well find this is the perfect option for you, the caveat being it is fabric only and a racing style. It’s also not exactly discreet, so make sure it fits in with the rest of your decor.
With its adjustability and extended warranty, you should be covered even if you manage to twist an arm off in a moment of gaming excitement and the fact it can hold a human weighing up to 33llbs with its Class-4 gas Lift mechanism means it should suit most gaming frames.
Support pillows are also included which is a nice touch that we don’t always see at this end of the price spectrum, so in short, you will do well with this one if you have a little extra money available.
How We Choose
For us, a good gaming chair is a complete necessity. Finding the right one can be determined by several key areas. The following is a list of the areas which we consider most important when selecting a quality chair:
- Ergonomic Design
- Chair Functionality
- Lumbar support
- Build materials & quality
- Aesthetics
Ultimately, if the chair you’re looking to buy can tick off a few of these fundamental criteria, you’re more than likely onto a winner. However, finding a chair that houses all these qualities can sometimes be expensive and challenging, meaning you have to spend endless amounts of time researching numerous different options.
This is where WePC comes into the equation. Our team of dedicated computer enthusiasts spend their days researching and testing the best hardware offerings on the market and have focused their energy on this guide on finding the best gaming chair.
Final Word
It’s a tough gig recommending budget gaming chairs because, unlike in all walks of life, the price really does seem to make a difference here. To hit budget price tags companies tend to take liberties with materials used – the cushion foam won’t be as good, the structure might not be as durable and the adage that you get what you pay for certainly rings true.
Having said that, furniture stores still manage to produce decent office chairs for much less than the budget price of gaming chairs so somewhere along the way we think gamers may be paying more than they perhaps should be. Having said that when you get a high-end gaming chair you can feel the difference and your skeleton really will thank you for it. Do you get the same with one of these chairs, well no, but the choices on offer here, and we think there is something for everybody, will still probably be a sizeable upgrade on what you are sitting on reading this.
Let us know how you get on in the comments below. Have you found your own budget game chair you are in love with?
