Are Gaming Chairs Good for Your Back? Here’s the Truth
According to Petrak Chiropractic, as of 2022, more than half of Americans who contend with back pain spend their days sitting at their desks. The rightful conclusion is that how one sits and the chair they sit in contributes to this pain, as does a sedentary lifestyle. You’ve heard that office chairs might be good for your back, but what about gaming chairs?
Gaming chairs are good for your back in many ways. You’ll naturally sit up straighter and improve your posture, enjoy full back support, and utilize features like a built-in secondary spine or lower-back adjustment pads.
In today’s guide, I’ll discuss further the features of gaming chairs that can help your back. Then I’ll look at today’s gaming chairs and highlight the ergonomics in each so you can choose the one that’s right for you!
How Can Gaming Chairs Help Your Back?
Before I delve too deep into this section, I want to make clear that not all gaming chairs necessarily feature ergonomics that will make a difference in your daily back pain.
You’ll see the kinds of chairs I’m talking about in the next section, but for now, know that you have to be willing to spend at least a couple hundred dollars to get high-quality ergonomics. Lower-quality, cheaper chairs need not apply.
Here are the features of today’s quality gaming chairs that can help your back.
Full Back Support
For many, lower back pain is a common ailment, but that doesn’t mean that upper back pain should be discounted either. Since upper back pain is nearer your neck, it can be its own type of pain.
Many gaming chairs include full back support for your head all the way to your lower back. You can lean all the way back into your gaming chair and feel the support for your entire back.
This way, whether you’re more prone to upper back, lower back, or even mid-back pain (or maybe all three areas), you’ll feel supported.
The winged sides of many gaming chairs are designed to cradle more of your back so that you’re covered from all sides.
Spinal Cradling
Back pain affects every quality of your life. You can’t concentrate at work, as you’re constantly shifting in your seat and dealing with an achy, stiff back. At home, you can’t shake the pain, and it’s hard to actively participate in your life.
That’s why many high-end gaming chairs have bridged the gap between office chair and gaming chair ergonomics and offer more sophisticated back support than ever before.
For gaming chairs, Secretlab innovated the built-in spine via its L-ADAPT spinal support system.
Built within some Secretlab chairs is a second spine. You never see it, but it’s in there, and you can certainly feel it (in the best way possible). The hinges that comprise the spine almost seem alive just as your spine does.
The purpose of the spinal support system is to help your own spine no matter how you like to sit. If you’re still, then you get minute spinal support throughout the day that could very well make a difference in your level of back pain.
Even during more overt movements, a built-in spinal support system like this never wavers. It’s truly a difference-maker!
Tension Adjustments
Going back to my point from before, lower back pain is so common in back pain sufferers that of course, gaming chair manufacturers had to come up with a solution.
Some gaming chairs feature lower-back pads that you can adjust the tension and pressure of. With individual control for both the left and right sides of your back, you can now fine-tune your ergonomics so they suit you perfectly.
This custom level of support targets your pain specifically, minimizing the discomfort you feel.
Postural Control
As if all those features weren’t effective enough, many of today’s higher-end gaming chairs also offer postural support.
Through a combination of the seat and back design improvements, you’re encouraged to sit in a natural way that’s more conducive to proper posture.
This always feels awkward at first, but once you give it a chance, you might realize that most if not all of your back pain stems from how you were hunching over!
These 11 Gaming Chairs Have Great Ergonomics for Sore Backs
As promised, for the rest of this guide, I want to go through and review the ergonomic features of some truly exceptional gaming chairs.
This section will prove to you the depth of gaming chair ergonomics and what your money can buy you.
Secretlab Titan Evo 2022 Series Gaming Chair
When discussing a gaming chair with superior ergonomics that’s blazed a trail that other gaming chair manufacturers follow, I can only be referring to the Secretlab Titan Evo 2022 Series.
Few gaming chairs have gotten as close to perfection as the Titan, which is the new and improved version of the original Secretlab Titan.
Secretlab threw everything they had into this chair, and it shows. Ergonomically, the Titan is a powerhouse!
The gaming chair includes Secretlab’s own patent-pending lumbar support system which is known as L-ADAPT four-way lumbar support.
The hinged latticework that comprises the secondary spine in the L-ADAPT system has the flexibility to move as you do, flexing in, out, up, or down depending on how you move.
The new and improved pebble seat base was proprietarily sculpted for better ergonomic support than what Secretlab has ever offered before.
The flared edges of the Titan’s seat provide generous space to sit while the curved center of the chair makes maintaining proper posture easier than ever.
How about head and neck support for those long days spent gaming or working? The Titan has a Magnetic Memory Foam Head Pillow complete with cooling gel that’s quite comfy as well as supportive.
The 4D armrests can brace your arms and shoulders or stay completely out of the way thanks to a reimagined internal mechanism.
If you want more adjustments still, the Titan allows you to recline 165 degrees, lock your recline positioning, or adjust your seat height with one of two Class 4 hydraulic cylinder sizes.
You can also select from three chair sizes, size small (for users under 5’6” and less than 200 pounds), size regular (for users between 5’7” and 6’2” and under 220 pounds), and size XL (for users between 5’11” and 6’9” and up to 395 pounds).
The Secretlab Titan Evo 2022 Series gaming chair starts at $519.
AndaSeat Jungle Series Premium Gaming Chair
When designing the Jungle Series premium gaming chair, manufacturer AndaSeat spent more than a decade researching human engineering. The result is the brand’s AD+ design.
According to their website, AD+ design “applies the science of ergonomics for the chair workplace, intending to maximize the healthy seating hours by reducing fatigue and discomfort. AD+ design significantly improves the sitting health for gamers, office workers and people anytime, anywhere sitting on chairs.”
I don’t know about you, but I like the sound of that!
Part of the AD+ design featured in the Jungle Series gaming chair is a high degree of recline known as AD+ Recline. You can pull the chair back up to 160 degrees and then sit up straight in the chair at 90 degrees.
AD+ Recline features recline angle lock as well as a multi-tilt mechanism for setting the chair’s suspension. Between these two features, sitting in the Jungle Series chair should feel effortless.
The AD+ molded pillows feature temperature and pressure sensitivity so they stay cool and comfortable to use all day. Plus, the pillow molds to your body so it has a customized fit every time.
The AndaSeat Jungle Series premium gaming chair starts at $350.
Noblechairs Hero
The Noblechairs Hero is another gaming chair that could be good for your back.
The lumbar support featured in this Noblechairs gaming chair is better than in past models, as the manufacturer upgraded what was included “due to overwhelming popular demand.”
Now the lumbar support is built right into the Hero’s backrest in a feature that Noblechairs likens to that which you can find in today’s highest-end automobiles.
To adjust the degree of lumbar support, you can use an included rotary dial mounted to the side of the chair.
Customizing your degree of back support is a feature that many gaming chairs manufacturers are prioritizing since everyone’s needs and pain levels are different.
The Hero also features a very sizable backrest and seat. If you’ve tried other chairs by Noblechairs, the Hero is their biggest yet as of this writing.
A sizable backrest that envelopes your back is another great means of alleviating your pain and providing optimal support. A wider seat gives your lower half the freedom to sit comfortably, which too can increase your comfort.
The headrest is stuffed with memory foam while the rest of the upholstery features cold-cure foam that’s plenty thick but not overly so.
Noblechairs even upped the size of the Hero’s armrests. The arms aren’t quite 4D, so their comfortable design by size counts for more.
The Noblechairs Hero costs $460.
AndaSeat 2022 Kaiser 3 Series Premium Gaming Chair
Another gaming chair with great ergonomics from AndaSeat is the 2022 Kaiser 3 Series premium gaming chair.
To bolster your comfort, you can select from two sizes, large and XL. Size large is for users between 4’11” and 6’2” who weigh less than 260 pounds and size XL is for users who are between 5’11” and 6’9” who weigh up to 395 pounds.
A four-way adaptive lumbar support system clearly takes a page out of Secretlab’s book, but hey, there’s nothing wrong with that if there’s another ergonomically driven gaming chair on the market.
The internal lumbar support is adjustable with a side knob and can move up, down, in, and out. You’ll also find another side knob for setting the lower back pressure and firmness.
With reactive rocking, you get a more comfortable sitting experience in the Kaiser 3. The chair also boasts 165 degrees of recline (that you can also set to approximately 90 degrees for perfect posture) via the full-mechanism backrest.
A magnetic head pillow clips into position and never shifts. The pillow also features cooling technology for preventing noggin warmth.
The flatter, wider seat design of the Kaiser 3 provides more space but doesn’t have any sort of postural features. Inside the seat is AndaSeat’s own Re-Dense molded foam, which is resilient, strong, and plenty dense.
Don’t forget the fully flexible 4D armrests as well! They too are another feature for keeping you comfy in your gaming chair as you work or play for hours.
The AndaSeat 2022 Kaiser 3 Series premium gaming chair starts at $550.
Secretlab Omega 2020 Series Gaming Chair
Speaking of Secretlab, let’s next examine an older but still equally beloved gaming chair, the Secretlab Omega 2020 Series.
This Secretlab classics chair may not be quite as sophisticated as the 2022 Titan Evo but still has some great features in its own right.
For example, the Omega has a lumbar support knob near the backrest for adjusting your lumbar support on either side of your back.
This personalized, customized degree of support lets you favor your left side or right side more depending on whatever’s hurting more that day!
The full metal 4D armrests–later a reworked staple of the Titan–started with the older Secretlab chairs like the Omega.
The internal mechanism in the arms allows for smooth and effortless adjustments up, down, backward, forward, right, left, and at right or left angles.
The same Secretlab Signature Memory Foam Pillow that appeared in the new and improved Titan was part of the 2020 series of chairs, and worry not, as the cooling gel is there as well.
A tall, full-length backrest plus great recline capability (up to 165 degrees) in the Omega reduce strain according to Secretlab.
Plus, the Omega features the intuitive multi-tilt mechanism, which Secretlab says “adapts effortlessly to you, whether you’re sitting straight and leaning back.”
The Secretlab Omega 2020 Series gaming chair costs $550.
Mavix M9
The Mavix M9 is likely named after its nine impressive ergonomics features.
What are those ergonomic features? From the top down, the M9 offers:
- Adjustable neck and head support
- Adjustable back height
- Recline lock in any position you wish
- Dynamic Variable Lumbar Support (DVL)
- Cooling seat
- Seat depth adjustment
- Seat width
- Tension recline adjustment
- Locking enabled wheels
Whew! That sure was a lot. Even if you have significant back pain, in a chair like the M9, you might notice that your days are less uncomfortable.
I do want to take a moment to talk a little further about the DVL support. Mavix says its M9 chair includes Advanced Tensile Recovery or ATR fabric, which is a multilayered woven nylon that supports the user and is designed to be ultra-responsive.
The Mavix M9 is more expensive than the other chairs I’ve discussed so far and costs over $1,000.
Corsair T3 Rush Gaming Chair
The Corsair T3 Rush has made quite a name for itself, so it rightfully deserves a spot on this list.
Supporting both your back and neck, the T3 Rush offers memory foam throughout the back and a neck cushion with luxe padding.
Lumbar support puts your comfort at the forefront while adjustments galore (everything from flexible armrests to recline) allow you to customize your sitting experience to the fullest.
The 4D arms swivel as well as move to the front and back, left and right, and up and down. You can keep the arms under your own or move them out of the way.
The degree of recline available in the T3 Rush is up to 170 degrees. You can also sit up with the recline angle set to 90 degrees.
The tilt mechanism lets you control the recline as well as the tilt and the height of the chair.
The Corsair T3 Rush is available for $320.
DXRacer Craft Custom Gaming Chair
I know, I know, DXRacer doesn’t exactly have the best reputation when it comes to gaming chair quality, but some of its chairs stand head and shoulders above the rest. The Craft custom chair is one of them.
The Craft chair has more of the features you’d expect out of a Secretlab or AndaSeat gaming chair, such as integrated lumbar support in the backrest.
The rotary dial, which is side-mounted, is rotatable so you can increase or decrease the degree of spinal support depending on how you’re sitting and what you’re doing.
An included head pillow in the Craft is packed full of plush memory foam that will mold to your shape but bounce back when you’re done using it. The head pillow also has a layer of cooling gel.
The DXRacer Craft custom gaming chair costs $480.
Herman Miller Embody Gaming Chair
The Herman Miller Embody is one of the most famous office chairs in history. Now it’s available as a gaming chair.
The biggest names in ergonomics, vision, physical therapy, and biomechanics put their heads together to create the amazing original Embody. That same expertise extends to this gaming-friendly edition of the Embody.
Herman Miller also worked with Logitech to determine what gamers are looking for in a chair.
The result is a gaming chair with an enhanced seat built with extra foam padding than the original Embody.
Within the chair is cooling foam infused with copper that keeps you cool when you’re fighting it out against the final boss.
The arms aren’t 4D, but that’s standard for Herman Miller. You can adjust the Embody gaming chair’s arm width and height, which is better than stationary arms!
The Embody has better pressure distribution than past models to keep your blood flowing healthily and your balance optimal.
Best of all, included with the Embody gaming chair is the awesome BackFit adjustment system, a refined lumbar support system that allows you to customize your degree of back support via adjustable knobs.
The Embody gaming edition is on the costly side, as it’s priced at nearly $1,800.
Razer Enki Gaming Chair
Revolutionize your back comfort with the Razer Enki. This gaming chair offers a sizable seat base and extended shoulder arches at 110 degrees, so it’s certainly a seat that commands attention!
The included lumbar arch extends across your lower back and promotes a more neutral sitting position that’s a lot better for your posture.
Razer also says the Enki’s ergonomics are designed to reduce your fatigue if you use the chair for a while.
To make the Enki, Razer optimized the density of the cushion, making it firmer and plusher where it counts.
You can also tilt this chair back 152 degrees with two tilting options. You can either lean back and you’ll tilt via weight-adjusted tilting, or you can use the mechanism.
Although it’s not magnetic, the memory foam head cushion doesn’t have overly noticeable straps, so it’s an enhancing feature rather than a distracting one.
The Razer Enki costs $400.
RESPAWN Specter Gaming Chair
At the end of the list now, the RESPAWN Specter is incredibly innovative for a gaming chair.
It’s a full mesh chair, the first of the seats I’ve discussed on this list with an exclusive mesh upholstery option.
The contoured lumbar support is built into the backrest. To further augment your comfort, you can adjust the seat slide depth and the height of the headrest.
The armrests are adjustable as well, but they’re 3D, not 4D.
With Synchro-Tilt, the edges of the chair are closer to the ground. RESPAWN says this improves spinal alignment and leg circulation.
The RESPAWN Specter starts at $320.
Conclusion
Gaming chairs can be incredibly good for your back due to the range of ergonomic features available.
From expansive recline to lumbar support cushions or secondary spines, 4D arms, wide seats, and plush memory foam, you’ll be supported by a quality gaming chair and your posture may naturally improve.
Your pain could evaporate as well, which will make you more productive and put you back in the driver’s seat of your own life!
