Best gaming chairs 2023

The best gaming chair will keep you comfortable and looking good throughout long stints gaming, working, or relaxing at your computer. PCGamesN’s experts have tried dozens of gaming chairs over the past few years, and have selected the most ergonomic, stylish, and comfy for your viewing pleasure below.

You probably spend a long time sat at your gaming PC, making a chair that supports your behind and back an absolute must. Luckily, gaming chairs are getting better for this all the time. Our best office chairs is another great place to look if you’re spending long hours at your desk. You might also want to pairing your comfy chair with the best gaming desk to ensure everything is the right height to avoid any strains or injuries.

There are lots of factors to consider when it comes to finding the best gaming chair: style, materials, weight, support and of course, price. There’s also a wide range of brands vying for your hard-earned cash, including peripherals behemoths like Razer and Corsair.

Here are the best gaming chairs in 2023:

1. Secretlab Titan Evo (2022) – best overall gaming chair
2. ThunderX3 Core – most comfortable gaming chair – and best value too
3. Corsair TC100 Relaxed – best gaming chair for most people
4. NeueChair – best gaming chair for the office
5. Mavix M9 – most ergonomic gaming chair
6. Razer Enki Pro – most comfortable gaming chair
7. Noblechairs Legend – most versatile gaming chair

1. Secretlab Titan Evo (2022 series)

The best gaming chair overall is the Secretlab Titan Evo (2022 series). Expect to pay around $609 / £619.

Secretlab Titan Evo (2022 series) specs:

Pros

• High build quality
• Wide variety of designs
• Available in three sizes

Cons

• Expensive base price
• Customization is costly

It’s no secret that the Secretlab Titan Evo 2022 Series is our favorite gaming chair, and it checks all the boxes when it comes to comfort and aesthetics. It even pays homage to some of the best PC games of all time, including The Witcher 3, Overwatch, and League of Legends.

Videogame-themed shenanigans aside, the Titan Evo 2022 Series boasts style and substance, featuring full-metal 4D armrests, a locking full-tilt mechanism, and a perfectly plush memory foam cushion. Secretlab’s premium seat is also a sturdy bugger, but if you’re not convinced it’ll stand the test of time, its included three-year warranty will provide you with peace of mind.

The Secretlab Titan Evo 2022 is undeniably a premium perch, and those fancy game-themed variants mentioned above cost even more. Yet, it actually trades blows with other contenders like the Razer Enki Pro – an ultra-premium alternative that costs more than many living room sofas. So, while paying over $500 USD for something to sit on sounds excessive, it’s far from being the most expensive option out there.

We honestly can’t think of anything wrong with the Titan Evo 2022, other than the fact it’s quite expensive. If you’re in the market for a premium seat, you could say Secretlab’s solution is almost a bargain, but there are various cheaper alternatives out there that’ll fill the brief if you’re on a budget.

Read our Secretlab Titan Evo review.

2. ThunderX3 Core Modern

The most comfortable gaming chair – also best value gaming chair – is the ThunderX3 Core. Expect to pay around £340 / €400.

ThunderX3 Core specs:

Pros:

• Class-leading gaming chair comfort
• Fantastic feature set for the money
• Great build quality
• Excellent value

Cons:

• Faux leather version can get a bit hot
• Faux leather finish creaks

The ThunderX3 Core is defined by two core things: it’s really comfortable and it’s surprisingly good value. Across the board, its padding is much softer than many competitors, leading to superior short and long-term comfort. The seat padding and armrests are so much nicer than many gaming chairs.

Then there’s the lumbar support. It’s a really odd idea on the surface of it: the lumbar support plate sits on a pivot point that wobbles around as you lean against it. But, it really does work. The support nestles nicely into your lower back – unlike so many poor quality lumbar support cushions provided with other gaming chairs – and then just gently moves with you as you shift in the seat, continuing to add unobtrusive support.

You also get a quality recline feature that’s nicely weighted for an easy, relaxed recline action, plus the seat slides forward and back to provide for shorter or longer-legged users. The recline controls aren’t easiest to use but get the job done.

All this and the ThunderX3 Core is priced well below the more premium chair we’d consider it to compete with. Unfortunately, buyers in the US miss out on this chair at the moment but hopefully it will be making it’s way to these shores soon. Otherwise, it’s an option for our European readers only at the moment. Read our full ThunderX3 Core review for more details.

3. Corsair TC100 Relaxed

The most comfortable gaming chair is the Corsair TC100 Relaxed. Expect to pay around $249 / £149.

Corsair TC100 Relaxed specs:

Pros:

• Comfortable materials
• Wide seat base
• Good lumbar support

Cons:

• Rigid neck cushion placement
• 2D armrests

If you’re in the market for a midrange gaming chair, then look no further than the Corsair TC100 Relaxed. It’s got just about everything you could want from a gaming chair and packs levels of comfort you’d find in premium competitors.

Reasons to buy include a 160-degree recline as well as high-quality leather and fabric upholsteries. It doesn’t slack when it comes to sitting up straight either, with robust lumbar support and a comfortable memory foam neck pillow. It does have some minor shortcomings, like its 2D armrests, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a gaming chair that offers the same level of value at this price point.

And how comfortable would you really be, regardless of how good a chair is, if you’ve spent all your life savings on it? Not very. This is a great chair anyway, and with a two-year warranty, you don’t need to worry about it falling apart and you becoming chairless in the near future.

Read our Corsair TC100 Relaxed review.

 

4. NeueChair

The best office chair for gaming is the NeueChair. Expect to pay around $919 / £534.

Neue Chair specs:

Pros

• Secretlab quality
• Breathable material
• Up to 12-year warranty

Cons

• High price

Can you keep a secret? The NeueChair is actually a Secretlabs chair in disguise. Alright, we’ll quit the brand puns now, but this office chair embodies the same level of craftsmanship as its parent company, and it ditches all those gamer tropes associated with most seats targeted at PC enthusiasts.

NeueChair describes its solution as the “ultimate modern computer chair,” and it certainly looks like something that belongs in 2023. Its aluminum frame and three-layer mesh are a visual treat, with both contributing to the chair’s incredible build quality and comfortable form factor. In addition, adjustability helps make it one of the most versatile seats out there, accommodating a selection of preferences.

You’d expect the NeueChair to last, as prices start at a whopping $649.00 USD. That’s significantly more than our top gaming char pick by Secretlab, so it’s a good job it comes with a 12-year warranty. The company says “NeueChair is an investment, not an expense,” and the included lengthy guarantee really hammers that sentiment home.

If anything, we’d argue that NeueChair is a bit too professional. It almost feels like a Secretlab’s chair grew up and started working a nine-to-five job instead of playing in a grunge band – a scenario that feels a bit too close to home. Of course, that’s not remotely a bad thing, and we’d only suggest looking elsewhere if you’re not really into plain and subtle furniture with a futuristic finish.

 

5. Mavix M9

The best ergonomic gaming chair is the Mavix M9. Expect to pay around $1,000.

Mavix M9 gaming chair specs:

Pros

• The best lumbar support around bar none
• Lockable rubber wheels
• Can be upgraded with Elemax attachment

Cons

• Undeniably pricey
• Rattly arms
• Bland design

When it comes to lumbar support, the Mavix M9 understands the assignment, and if your back could talk, it’d probably agree. It’s a ridiculously expensive option for those who want to experience egregious levels of comfort, even if that means arguably trading away fancy aesthetics.

The Mavix M9 has a bit more visual going on than the NeueChair mentioned above, but lumbar support is at the top of the chair’s agenda. Its incredible dedication to comfort is accompanied by an array of adjustable settings, as you’ll be able to tweak the headrest, back height, and armrests until they feel just right.

We feel the Mavix’s M-Wheels deserve a shoutout too, as they glide like butter across hard floors. In a way, it almost feels like this chair is wearing a pair of rollerblades, but you can lock them into place if you’d rather not Jet Set Radio away from your desk by accident. The setup will probably change the way you feel about traditional caster wheels, especially if you’ve damaged an expensive hard floor in the past by rolling your seat around.

Admittedly, there are more solid-feeling gaming chair options on this list, and many of them feature an aesthetic edge. Yet when the Mavix M9 gets it right, it whacks it out of the park and into outer space. Its strengths outshine any gripes we have with the getup overall, but it also feels like an appropriate match for its lofty MSRP.

6. Razer Enki Pro

The best premium option is the Razer Enki Pro. Expect to pay around $999 / £999.

Razer Enki Pro specs:

Pros

• Magnetic memory foam head cushion
• Robust cushioning
• High-quality materials

Cons

• Costs as much as a mid-range gaming PC
• Finicky construction

The Razer Enki Pro is an outrageous gaming chair in many ways, and it completely delivers on the comfort front. Pleasing your toosh isn’t its only superpower, as it’s built like a tank and embraces expensive materials, but it’s hard to pay attention to all that when it feels so damn good to kick back on.

Gaming chairs often emulate sports motor interiors, but the Razer Enki Pro is clad with the exact same materials. Upholstered with Alcantara leather, the Enki Pro is comfier than an actual car seat, and it feels more like something that belongs in a vehicle than a piece of office furniture. That said, it comes with lumbar support abilities and adjustability that you won’t find in the priciest of briefs, so don’t get any ideas about repurposing something from the scrapyard.

The Enki Pro is a heavy beast, and it should have what it takes to outlive Razer’s included three-year warranty. That might not be surprising given it costs nearly $1,000, but it offers better build quality than the Mavix M9 for ever so slightly less. That’s a quality worth shouting about in our book, particularly if you prioritize style and comfort over ergonomic dedication.

If you’re looking for an ultra-comfy chair that’ll potentially outlive your current gaming PC, the Razer Enki Pro is up to the task. There are flashier-looking thrones out there, but rivals will need to cook up something spectacular to challenge Razer for the comfort crown.

Read the Razer Enki Pro review.

7. Noblechairs Legend

The most versatile gaming chair is the Noblechairs Legend. Expect to pay around $669 / £429.

Noblechairs Legends specs:

Pros

• Subtle, sleek design
• Comfortable
• Robust

Cons

• Pillow feels redundant

The Noblechairs Legend is a standout contender in the top gaming chair race, as it offers a blend of versatility, comfort, and style that’ll fit in with any setup. It ditches flamboyancy for functionality in a way that’ll win over anyone opposed to gamer tropes, all while still embodying everything that makes products designed for PC gaming worthwhile.

At $689 (£459.95) the Noblechairs Legend is far from cheap, but it offers a lot for a chunk less than our other premium picks. A concoction of high-quality leather, aluminum, and plastics helps the latest Legend wields an unassuming aesthetic on one hand, robust build quality on the other, and respectable levels of comfort stowed on its hip for good measure. In other words, it’s armed to the teeth with everything you’d want from a premium seat, catering to everyone rather than a select few.

Just like many of our top chairs, the Legend includes reliable lumbar support, but we’re not too thrilled about its included head pillow. The cushion seemingly doesn’t contribute anything to the overall experience, and it skips on the magnificent benefits of magnets. Nevertheless, it does come with a pillow as an extra, and you might get more use out of it than us.

Noblechairs puts up a great fight against its competition with the Legend Series 2022, and it wins a few fights using the power of versatile subtly. If you’d rather dodge the Henry Ford “long as it’s black,” approach to design, you can grab either a white version or one that looks like Spider-Gwen without having to spend extra pennies.

Read the Noblechairs Legend 2022 series review.

 How we chose the best gaming chairs

There are hundreds of gaming chairs to choose from.

• Pricing: We wanted to ensure that we had included options to accommodate readers on different budgets
• Ergonomics: We didn’t want to recommend anything that’s going to cause chronic pain for the rest of your life, which ruled out a lot of them
• Upholstery: What’s it made of? Everyone likes their chairs to feel a bit different, so we included a variety of chairs upholstered in different ways
• Aesthetics: You want something that’s going to fit in with your gaming space, not something that’s ugly and brings the mood down

FAQ

What is the difference between a gaming chair and an office chair?

The main differences between a gaming chair and an office chair are the materials that are used, and the shape of the chair. Both will have height and angle adjustment for the chair itself and ways to adjust the armrests. Gaming chairs will often be made from leather or faux leather materials and have a much harder padding on the seat and back. Office chairs are known for having mesh materials that are softer, more breathable, and mold to the shape of the person who is sitting.

Why do gaming chairs cost so much?

If you compare the cost of high-end gaming chairs and office chairs, there can be quite the gap. Gaming chairs use more expensive materials and undergo a more rigorous manufacturing process. The advantages of this are that you can replace individual parts if they get damaged or start to wear, rather than buying a whole new chair. Gaming chairs often come with a longer warranty to that helps offer a piece of mind when it comes to longevity.

Read our how we test page for more information about how we put buyer’s guides together.

Already sitting comfortably? Why not check out the best gaming desk picks in 2023 and spruce up your setup with a brand-new surface?