A gaming chair is a big ask for a lot of customers – even those in the gaming community. After all, spending a few hundred dollars for a chair dedicated solely to gaming may seem ludicrous, but it’s actually not as preposterous as it looks at first glance. A good gaming chair can be used for a lot more than just gaming, and you can find some pretty solid models for a budget price tag.
That’s where we’re focusing our attention today. We’ve picked out 9 potential competitors for the best budget gaming chair models of 2022, and we’ve made sure to provide you with a thorough list of their specs. We’ll also help you understand what goes into making the best budget gaming chair and what to avoid when shopping.
The 9 Budget Gaming Chairs
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Homall High Back Ergonomic Gaming Chair
The Baseline For Gaming Chairs
For many, Homall is the standard for what gaming chair design should look like. The racing car style design isn’t that different from most of the gaming chairs on the market, but it’s been partnered with some very high-density foam to provide a level of comfort regardless of the position you’re in. And the addition of sturdy PU leather means this chair will be good on your skin and will wick off any sweat or spills effectively.
While this may be labeled as a gaming chair, it’s actually useful for a lot more than that. Whether you’re looking to work, watch TV, or take a nap, you can rely on the tilt lock mechanism which can transition from an upright sitting position to a full 180-degree recline. The chair itself is set on a five-star base with reliable casters that give you full mobility on practically any surface.
| Tilt Adjustment | 90 to 180 degrees |
| Height Adjustment | 17.3 – 21.5 inch |
| Weight Capacity | 300 lbs. |
| Seat Width | 19.8 inches |
| Seat Depth | 20.5 inches |
| Back Height | 33.1 inches |
Pros
- Comes with a headrest pillow and lumbar support cushion
- Tested for a thousand running miles
- Single-button rocking function
- Backed by a one-year parts warranty
Cons
- Can be a bit difficult to put together
DXRacer Racing Series OH/RW106/NE Gaming Chair
Quality Components, Quality Design
DXRacer understands that if their customers are investing in a gaming chair, they won’t want to have to replace it anytime soon. With that in mind, they’ve packed in exclusively high-quality components in the construction of this gaming chair. The class 4 gas lift is heavy duty with certified strength, and the durability of the steel frame means it can survive just about anything. And the combination of PU leather and mesh means that you’ll feel comfortable without overheating while you game.
In other places, DXRacer has opted for smarter design to give their customers what they want. The backrest is positioned especially high to provide a greater sense of ergonomics and safety. Then there are the 3D straight armrests, which can be adjusted to suit your preferred gaming position. That’s a rarer feature to find in a cheap gaming chair and could be a make or break feature for a lot of shoppers.
| Tilt Adjustment | 90 to 135 degrees |
| Height Adjustment | 18.1 to 22 inches |
| Weight Capacity | 200 lbs. |
| Seat Width | 17.7 inches |
| Seat Depth | 19 inches |
| Back Height | 29.5 inches |
Pros
- Quality materials across the board
- Comes with headrest and lumbar support cushions
- Constructed from an extra thick chassis
- Supported by a lifetime warranty
Cons
- Pillows can be a little stiff at first
Furmax Office Chair Desk Leather Gaming Chair
For the Ultra Budget Gamer
Even the best budget gaming chairs will usually cost you over a hundred dollars, but that’s not the case with this model from Furmax. The low retail price of this gaming chair is reflected in its design. It’s frankly a bit boring, but it sports the same ergonomics you’d find in any racing-style gaming chair, and its more muted all-black design makes it among the best choices for a gaming chair that can also double as an office chair.
And while this might not be the most feature-rich gaming chair on the market, it does come with some perks that further magnify its value. A rocking function helps you relax between long gaming sessions, and the height has a decent range of adjustment – a feature best used by those who regularly transition between their favorite TV-connected consoles and a monitor-based PC gaming rig.
| Tilt Adjustment | Yes, marginal |
| Height Adjustment | 15.2 to 18.3 inches |
| Weight Capacity | 280 lbs. |
| Seat Width | 19.8 inches |
| Seat Depth | 19.8 inches |
| Back Height | 26.5 inches |
Pros
- Available for a tremendous deal
- Above-average weight capacity
- Understated enough to work in the office
- Smooth pneumatic seat height adjustment
Cons
- The very threadbare feature set
RESPAWN-900 Racing Style Reclining Gaming Chair
An Entertainment First Console Chair
At first blush, the Respawn-900 looks like a barber chair from the next century, but those design sensibilities are all in service of one of the best PC gaming chair models in terms of amenities. The most obvious benefit here is the extendable footrest that lets you recline more naturally. It’s a more than generous consolation for this gaming chair’s inability to tilt to a full 180 degrees. This gaming chair also excels at making sure everything you need is within reach. A cup holder and a convenient side pouch cover all the fundamentals.
Then there’s the ergonomics of the chair itself. Segmented padding provides a distinctive shape that provides targeted and contoured comfort to every part of your back. This is a great gaming chair in general, but it’s especially exceptional for console gaming, particularly because it doesn’t even come with the option for wheels.
| Tilt Adjustment | 90 – 135 degrees |
| Height Adjustment | 17.25 inches (stationary) |
| Weight Capacity | 275 lbs. |
| Seat Width | 18.9 inches |
| Seat Depth | 22.4 inches |
| Back Height | Not disclosed |
Pros
- Fully connected footrest
- Side pouch and cup holder
- Segmented and textured leather surfacing
- Backed by a limited lifetime warranty
Cons
- Doesn’t offer an option with wheels
GTRACING Ergonomic Gaming Chair
Golden on the Fundamentals
GTRacing is not afraid to get bright and bold with the designs of their gaming chairs, but they have some solid engineering to back up all that bluster. Quality materials reflect a gaming chair that was built with the high demands of competitive gamers in mind, even at this budget price. The PU leather feels comfortable and repels moisture very well.
In fact, these guys are pros when it comes to serving pros. This chair prioritizes features that can provide you with the best gaming experience, while more frivolous features are pushed to the curb. The reclining range is solid, if not the best in the industry, and it also includes a rocking function. This probably isn’t the gaming chair you want parked in front of your TV and Playstation, but it will be there when you need it for some more serious gaming at your PC monitor.
| Tilt Adjustment | 90 – 170 degrees |
| Height Adjustment | 48.8 – 52 inches |
| Weight Capacity | 300 lbs. |
| Seat Width | 19.7 inches |
| Seat Depth | 16 inches |
| Back Height | Not disclosed |
Pros
- Can hold 300 pounds of weight
- Pillows are fully removable
- Fully adjustable arm rests
- Comes in seven different colors
Cons
- Arm rests are very sensitive to force
BestOffice Ergonomic PC Gaming Chair 7
There’s something sensible and almost stately about the design of the BestOffice gaming chair. It combines together businesslike sensibilities with the contours and patterning of a gaming chair. While the results are a little odd aesthetically, this gaming chair performs like a dream, and it does so on a budget. All of the components here are manufactured using BIFIMA certified processes – a decision that ensures a higher level of durability.
Just keep in mind that this is a pretty paint-by-numbers gaming chair. There aren’t a whole lot of advanced adjustment options, but the ones that are there will suit the needs of most gamers, and the height adjustment in particular is smooth, quiet, and highly reliable. If you’d like a gaming chair as an alternative to a more traditional office chair at work, this is one of the best gaming chairs available at the moment.
| Tilt Adjustment | n/a |
| Height Adjustment | 18.1 – 21.6 inches |
| Weight Capacity | 250 lbs. |
| Seat Width | 18.5 inches |
| Seat Depth | 18.5 inches |
| Back Height | 30 inches |
Pros
- More compact for office settings
- Built with smart ergonomics in mind
- Very easy to set up
- Backed by a 90-day warranty
Cons
- Barebones approach to design
OFM Essentials Racing Style Bonded Leather Gaming Chair
The OFM Essentials series is pretty by the books in terms of design and sensibilities, but it more than makes up for it with its resilience. That’s not to say the aesthetics are bad. There are tons of different colors to choose from, and the contouring of the design scheme itself is actually pretty slick. That segmented design also allows for some pretty solid ergonomics, even if the build quality isn’t up to some of the competition.
But durability is definitely the key selling point for this gaming chair. The 300 pounds weight capacity is about the best you’ll find for budget gaming chairs, and the casters have been rated for nearly 50 miles of use. Then there’s the chair back itself, which has been tested 100,000 times. It may not impress with its lack of flair, but you can count on this gaming chair to last you through the long haul.
| Tilt Adjustment | n/a |
| Height Adjustment | 17.5 – 21.25 inches |
| Weight Capacity | 275 lbs. |
| Seat Width | 19.5 inches |
| Seat Depth | 19 inches |
| Back Height | 29.5 inches |
Pros
- Casters rated for 46.4 miles
- Available in a variety of colorful choices
- Arms can be flipped up
- Constructed from SofThread leather
Cons
- Tilt functionality is very limited
X Rocker Pro Series 2.1 Foldable Video Gaming Chair
Even the best gaming chairs tend to follow a formula: a focus on optimal competitive performance, alert posture, and racing car designs. The X Rocker Pro breaks that formula. It’s perhaps better described as an “entertainment chair”. Two forward-facing speakers are mounted in the body along with a subwoofer and some smart technology to deliver smart and immersive soundscapes directly into your ears, and they’re even accompanied by vibrational feedback you can seriously feel.
It may be technologically pretty advanced (at least as far as budget gaming chairs go), but it’s pretty easy to set up. A wireless radio receiver (along with optional RCA inputs) easily syncs up what you’re experiencing to the game you’re immersed in. And this, of course, is a rocker through and through, so it’s still easy to grab a quick nap or just chill out between matches when you want.
| Tilt Adjustment | n/a (rocker) |
| Height Adjustment | 15 inches (stationary) |
| Weight Capacity | 275 lbs. |
| Seat Width | 18.9 inches |
| Seat Depth | 20.9 inches |
| Back Height | 16.9 inches |
Pros
- Comfortable rocking chair design
- Two speakers and a subwoofer
- Haptic response tied to games
- Can link up with multiple chairs
Cons
- Missing the ergonomics of racing chairs
Fortnite OMEGA-R Gaming Rocker Chair
| Tilt Adjustment | 90 – 118 degrees (rocker) |
| Height Adjustment | 15.36 inches (stationary) |
| Weight Capacity | 275 lbs |
| Seat Width | ~20 inches |
| Seat Depth | 19.3 inches |
| Back Height | Not disclosed |
Pros
- Attractive design, even if you aren’t a Fortnite fan
- Sturdy standing base with 360-degree movement
- Made from stain-resistant materials
- Weight capacity of nearly 300 lbs.
Cons
- Less mobility than a more conventional chair
Budget Gaming Chairs Buyer’s Guide
So exactly how much research do you need to do before buying a budget gaming chair? That really depends on how particular you are about getting a chair that’s particularly catered to you. Other gamers might be more interested in tactile features or may need larger weight capacities. Whatever the case, we’re here to cover it. We’ll be as thorough as possible within the confines of the article and provide you with some helpful links if you want to dig deeper into some of the specifications and other features.
Weight Capacity
If there’s one thing we can’t stress enough, it’s this: take weight capacity seriously. While most gaming chair manufacturers will allow for some wiggle room in terms of the weight that’s supported, don’t count on that to always be the case. If you weigh 300 pounds, for example, look for big and tall PC gaming chairs rather than more traditionally sized gaming chairs. Never, under any circumstances, should you exceed the maximum weight capacity. It can cause long-term damage to your chair even if you don’t notice it at first, and you also risk potential injury to yourself from PC gaming chairs that aren’t designed to handle the load.
Dimensions
If you want the best gaming chair for your body, you’ll want to treat shopping for the best gaming chair like shopping for the best-tailored suit. And while the vast majority of shoppers aren’t going to dig too deeply into the size of a seat or the height of a backrest, it can have an impact both on how you feel and how you perform while gaming.
Seat Space
The first thing to look at when thinking about the dimensions of gaming chairs is how much seat space there is. The racing car style design that’s so prominent in budget gaming chairs is great for ergonomics, but it isn’t always the best at accommodating people with stockier frames.
- Width represents the space from hip to hip. If you really want to get in-depth about finding the right seat width, measure the length from one hip to another, and then add two to four inches. This will give you space to move while still being able to comfortably get to the armrests.
- Finding the best depth for a gaming chair is among the best ways to make sure your money isn’t wasted. To get an accurate measurement for the best gaming chairs, you’ll want to sit down perfectly straight, measure the length from the back of the chair to the inside of your knee, and then add two to four inches.
One thing to take note of is the fact that many of the best gaming chairs are constructed in Southeast Asia, where the average height and size are smaller than in Europe and the United States. For that reason, sizes can sometimes be a little smaller than advertised, and that’s especially true when looking at more budget-priced gaming chairs.
In other words, if you’re looking for a big and tall gaming chair, you may want to pay extra close attention to those dimensions so you can get a chair that actually suits your weight and build. If you want some in-depth analysis of what you should look for in terms of dimensions, ChairsFX offers some exhaustive data for you to peruse.
Backrest
One of the biggest advantages that gaming chairs offer (budget or otherwise) is their ergonomics. The fully vertical but contoured design that is the trademark of a racing car design creates a cradle that fits key points on your body. Making sure those contour points match up relatively close to the right parts of your body is integral if you want to get the best experience.
There are two main points to take into consideration here: the neck and lumbar support. Most gaming chairs in the budget category will offer a backrest width of approximately 30 inches. That’s enough to extend to the neck and the lower back even when reclining.
Seat Style
The vast majority of gaming chairs utilize a racing car build that’s designed to offer many of the advantages you might find from the seats in a highly tuned racing sports car. The high backrest keeps your spine nicely aligned from the base of the lumbar all the way up to the shoulders, and the bucket seat keeps you secure without slipping around in your seat. And while these types of gaming chairs often have extravagant designs, they can double as office chairs too. There’s a reason racing car seats are so popular – it’s the most reliable and best ergonomic gaming chair style around.
That being said, these aren’t the only types of gaming chairs available to you. Racing car gaming chairs are great for those on a budget, but their focus is on competitive gaming. Every aspect of the design is focused on creating the best experience for gamers situated in front of their gaming monitor. Most alternatives to racing car designs make use of a rocker style.
They may be positioned on a stand or settled directly on the floor, but in either case, they keep a lower profile than an ergonomic racing car gaming chair and often come with speakers and other accessories for longer gaming sessions. That said, these types of gaming chairs often aren’t on wheels, so they aren’t as mobile as a more traditional gaming chair, and they tend to offer much less in the way of adjustment. These types of gaming chairs will be the best choice for more casual and party-oriented gaming.
- You might also like our article on the best 1440p monitors for gaming.
- Make sure you invest in a good gaming desk, too.
- On a budget? Check out the best cheap gaming mice.
Ergonomics
One of the most important facets of a gaming chair is that they promote a more natural and healthy posture than a more traditional office chair. Gaming chairs can often double as office chairs for this reason, and they fundamentally have a whole lot in common with the high-backed and deep-seated executive office chairs that can often cost hundreds and hundreds of dollars.
The biggest ergonomic boost, and one that’s present even when looking for a budget PC gaming chair, is the inclusion of strategic support at the back of the neck and lower back. Chairs at this price commonly come with at least some level of extra padding at both positions, but the best budget gaming chairs offer you the best value for your dollar through the inclusion of both a lumbar pillow and a neck pillow.
If you want to get the best price for your dollar, finding an adjustable lumbar pillow and neck pillow is going to be the smart choice. Even if you manage to find the chair that’s most perfectly suited to your height, weight, and frame, it’s not necessarily going to fit you like a glove. Having an adjustable lumbar pillow and neck pillow means you can adjust the memory foam cushioning to fit the contours of your neck.
So what should you be specifically looking for when evaluating the ergonomics of PC gaming chairs? The best way to test out the comfort of a gaming chair is to sit in it yourself, but that’s not always a practical option. A good second option is to scour through professional and user reviews. Comfort is often a very personal thing, and getting as broad a number of opinions as possible is especially important when shopping for a chair.
Adjustment Range
Ergonomics are generally a matter of form – reflected in features like a neck pillow, lumbar pillow, or bucket seating – but it overlaps pretty significantly with another factor: how much you can adjust the tilt, height, and rotation of various parts of the chair. It’s generally recommended that you swap regularly between different positions to help prevent overstraining particular muscles or muscle groups. A neck pillow is great for keeping your neck comfortable in the moment, but there’s no substitute for being able to slip into an easy incline for a cat nap.
- Tilt adjustment refers to how far the chair can lean back. The recline range is measured in degrees, and the best budget gaming models are no different from the top-of-the-line models in terms of what’s on offer. 90 to 180 degrees is ideal, with the former meaning the chair is fully upright and the latter meaning it’s entirely horizontal. The ability to take naps between long gaming sessions is easily one of the bigger distinctions between office chair and gaming chair models.
- As a complement to traditional tilt adjustment, many gaming chairs will also come with a rocking function. Also available in office chairs, this is a great way to add value to the price of a chair, but you shouldn’t overlook subpar tilt adjustment for the sake of a rocking function. This sort of feature is great to have at any price, but it can also be a way to paper over some price-cutting measures, so be careful.
- If you want to use your gaming chair as an office chair or in a multi-screen game room, you’re going to want to be able to navigate easily. Fortunately, most chair models offer a pretty good range of movement even at the budget level. You ideally want to look for gaming chairs that offer 360-degree rotation so you can get around your space and even travel into other rooms. Just make sure that they’re matched with some quality casters if you’re going to be traveling on rougher and less comfortable surfaces.
- Height adjustment is one of the most common features you’ll find in a chair. Gamers’ needs may vary from one person to another, but the ability to adjust your height means you can shift comfortably between console and PC gaming as well as between gaming and working from the same chair. Seat height is measured from the bottom of the wheels to the top of the seat.
Finding a chair that’s comfortable for you is important, and a neck pillow made from quality materials definitely feels better when you can lay on your back to enjoy it. But you also need to consider what you’ll be using your chair for. Rolling wheels won’t be all that necessary if you spend most of your time posted in front of your monitor, and full backrest tilt adjustment won’t be a big deal if you aren’t looking for a chair you can catch a quick snooze in. Consider your priorities over armchair analysis if you want to find the best budget chair for you.
Material Quality
As you might have noticed just by skimming through our list of chair models, there’s a pretty strong sense of unified design across the whole segment, and that applies to material choice as much as it does to the brightly contrasting colors and sharp lines that are so prevalent in the industry.
- The most common material used in the exterior construction of a gaming chair is PU leather. Constructed from polyurethane, PU leather is a vegan alternative to traditional cow leather. But it also happens to be available at a lower price, resistant to spills, and available in a variety of different colors. That makes PU leather the perfect choice for the upholstering of a gaming chair. Real leather gaming chairs are much rarer and score a higher price. If you see something marketed as a real leather chair at a low price, we generally encourage you to exercise caution.
- Less common but still of great value to consumers are cloth-covered chair chassis. The biggest advantage of this cloth material is that the chair is less likely to stick to your skin during longer and more arduous gaming experiences. In terms of pricing and long-term durability, each chair material is largely comparable, so the right choice on that front is very much head-to-head.
- Just as important as what covers your chair is what’s inside it. Memory foam is one of the most common ways of adding neck and lumbar support to a chair, and it’s a promising sign if a chair can genuinely deliver quality memory foam. That said, it’s not the only interior cushion material. While memory foam contours great to your frame to create personalized lumbar support, other brands emphasize durability or element proofing.
- Mesh is a great addition if you want a PU leather chair but don’t want to worry about it dripping with sweat. The mesh helps disperse the heat evenly across the surface of the leather you’re sitting on to prevent you from sticking to the surface.
- Whenever possible, you’ll want to look for chairs that offer a five-star base made from stainless steel. The design of these chair wheelbases allows them to glide more confidently across the surface of the floor with less need for readjustment on the fly. You’ll need to pay just as much attention to the quality of the casters, as they’ll determine how long that quality holds up in the long term. Fortunately, some manufacturers have their chair models conveniently rated for how many miles they can run.
Warranty
The last thing you’ll need to factor in when buying a chair is how well it’s covered in the event of damage. While a good warranty isn’t an excuse to invest in a lower quality chair (and warranties don’t cover a lack of features that aren’t advertised), it can provide you with some serious peace of mind. A few months or a year of parts coverage is the most common option here, but some chair brands are confident enough to offer a limited lifetime warranty.
Wrapping Up
You can’t always get what you want is a maxim that custom computer builders know well. But at least as far as cheap gaming chairs are concerned, you at least have a whole lot of flexibility. When you’re looking to get a cheap gaming chair for a good price, we suggest that you start by picking out the factors, like weight limit, that are an absolute hard line necessity and then move down the list of what’s most important to you.
We’ll keep this guide regularly updated to make sure that our readers are always tuned in to the best gaming chair models for customers on a budget. And if your price point is a little higher or you’re looking to expand on the quality of your gaming experience, you can always check out our more general guide to the best gaming chair models or explore our thorough content for helping you build your own gaming laptop or desktop rig.
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