How we test gaming chairs
Here we break down our review methodology for gaming chairs
Updated: Jun 14, 2022 3:31 pm
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Table of Contents
We’re all gamers and we use the products we recommend. Your gaming chair might not be the most exciting part of your set-up but it’s a critical one. You’re going to be spending hours in it so you want one that’s durable, comfortable, ergonomic and value for money. We’ve got gaming chairs from all manufacturers in the office and we’ve put them all through the same rigorous tests so you know which one will be right for you.
Design
- We rate the style and the color scheme. If there are any other color schemes available we will let you know. This is highly subjective so we will furnish you with as many high-resolution pictures as you need to make your own informed opinion.
Build quality
- We check how robust the chair is once constructed.
- We check the strength of materials and the quality of fabrics.
- We test the casters on different surfaces (carpet/hardwood, etc).
- We put the chair through our very own office assault course.
- We check to see if the chair can hold the advertised weight. We then test the casters on various surfaces again to see how it performs at different weights.
Comfort
- We’ll give you our subjective but very well-informed opinion.
- We also add weights incrementally to show via photos how much the chair squishes/flexes under different weights.
- We show you max recline/tilt and minimum recline/tilt with overlaid photos.
- We use a thermal camera to record heat dissipation/retention.
Ergonomics
- We test adjustability options and measure travel distance of height and armrest movement.
- Does the chair ship with a lumbar pillow/neck support cushion as standard? We test the quality and adjustability if included.
How we score
Some aspects of gaming chairs influence the overall quality more than others. To that end, we’ve assigned different weightings depending on the importance and they are listed below.
Ease of assembly (5%)
This is a subjective account of how easy the chair is to build. Given that in the vast amount of cases gaming chairs will only be assembled once, this one has a relatively low weighting.
Comfort (30%)
This refers to how pleasant the seating experience is. Additionally, we consider how well the chair performs during extended periods of sitting.
Ergonomics (30%)
Ergonomics refers to how well the chair is designed for the human body. Lumbar support, neck support, and extensive adjustability are what we’re looking for in this category.
Build quality (25%)
This concerns both the overall quality of the materials used and how long we expect the chair to last. This is particularly important given the high price commanded by most gaming chairs.
Value for money (10%)
As with build quality, this is given a higher weighting than other product categories due to the expense of gaming chairs, and the fact that furniture isn’t generally expected to expire.
Test team
Our paragon of posture is Ben Atkins Chafer. In addition to the unsurprising preference of sitting in a comfy chair, he’s interested in medical biology, so testing chairs and researching about associated health problems is a perfect storm of interests for him.
How a gaming chair can feature in our best of guides
Only the best of the best get to feature in our best of guides. Each chair must be ergonomically sound, boast confidence-inspiring build quality, and be comfortable enough to vegetate in for long periods of time.
Recent gaming chair reviews
We get a fair few chairs through the office here at WePC, why not take a look at some of our more recent reviews below…
WePC guides to buying the best gaming chair
We’ve tested just about every gaming chair that’s been released on the market and we put them through a rigorous testing procedure so you can have faith in our recommendations. If you’re looking for the best gaming that money can buy you should check out our best gaming chair articles.
Learn more
Is a gaming chair good for your back? What should you be looking for in a gaming chair? We can answer all of these questions and more, such as are mesh chairs good for gaming or how durable are gaming chairs? Do you want to know what chairs the pros use? Or do you want to know the healthiest way to sit? Arm yourself with the knowledge with our extensive guides.
