I’m an associate staff writer at Wirecutter covering video games and gaming hardware. In addition to gaming chairs, I’ve tested gaming keyboards, gaming laptops, gaming headsets, and more. I’ve been playing video games for my entire life, and between working from home and gaming on my PC, I spend way more time sitting down than I should.

For this guide:

• I interviewed Mark Consolla, the vice president of product management at Humanscale, to learn about ergonomic chair design and proper seating posture.
• I referenced research papers and articles on musculoskeletal strain associated with poor seating.
• I surveyed a panel of paid testers of varying heights, weights, and mobility needs to evaluate each of our final contenders.
• I consulted senior staff writer Melanie Pinola, who extensively researched and wrote Wirecutter’s guide to the best office chairs.
• Like all Wirecutter journalists, I review and test products with complete editorial independence. I’m never made aware of any business implications of my editorial recommendations. Read more about our editorial standards.

Any chair you park at your desk can work for gaming, but a dedicated gaming chair can keep you comfortable while you sit—or lie—in front of your favorite game for hours. In general, gaming chairs differ from traditional office chairs in that they offer taller backrests that go all the way up to the top of your head, as well as lockable recline angles that allow you to lie back with a controller.

If you spend more than six hours a day sitting at your desk, you might consider investing in an ergonomic office chair, which is designed to enforce good posture to prevent long-term damage. But those chairs typically force you to sit upright, and you might end up slouching or bending into strange positions when you want to relax with a controller.

We compiled our list of contenders by first researching what separates a high-quality gaming chair from a lousy one. We combed through reviews from publications such as PC Gamer and IGN to get a general idea of what other gamers like most, and we read research articles related to ergonomics and the musculoskeletal risks associated with poor posture while one is seated. We also spoke to Mark Consolla, the vice president of product management at Humanscale, to learn about what makes a chair’s design ideal for supporting the body.

We used the following criteria to decide which chairs to test:

• Comfort: Finding the perfect gaming chair depends on a number of subjective factors, such as whether you primarily play games with a mouse and keyboard or a controller, how you sit, and your body type. Unfortunately, most gaming chairs sold today have a one-size-fits-all design, though two of our picks are available in multiple sizes. We evaluated each chair’s seat, backrest, armrest, and headrest comfort, and in our testing panel we included paid testers who have above-average heights and weights.

• Adjustability: Proper posture, support, and blood flow while you’re seated are largely dependent on how many components of the chair can adjust to fit your body. When possible, we chose to test chairs that offered adjustable seat height and depth, backrest height, armrest height and width, and lumbar support.

• Recline: Feeling supported while you’re sitting up is important, but a gaming chair should also be comfortable when you want to lie back with a controller. We looked for chairs with lockable recline angles, as well as adjustable tilt tension so that you can rock back easily when you’re seated upright.

• Price: Gaming chairs below $200 tend to be made with cheaper materials, have inferior warranties, and usually allow you to adjust only the chair height and recline angle. If you want a more adjustable chair with a longer warranty, you can expect to pay at least $500. The most comfortable chairs include high-end materials and the most generous scale of adjustments but cost $1,000 and up.

• Warranty: A chair from a less reputable company might be covered for one or two years, but most high-end chairs come with at least a 10-year warranty. We also take into account customer-feedback reports regarding each company’s responsiveness.

• Appearance and materials: Most gaming chairs are modeled to look like race-car seats, but our favorite options offer designs that blend more seamlessly into a standard workspace. We also prioritized models that had breathable materials such as cloth and mesh over vinyl or pleather. In our testing, the more expensive options were also easier to assemble, as they shipped in fewer pieces.

For our first round of testing, we sat in each chair with the above criteria in mind, and we eliminated any that were immediately uncomfortable or had glaring safety issues. We then sat at a desk and worked using a mouse and keyboard for at least two hours, following that with at least one hour of gaming with a controller in a more reclined position. We then scored each chair for its comfort and adjustability using this ergonomic-seating evaluation form from Cornell University.

We then presented the most promising contenders to a panel of eight testers, whom we compensated for their time. We gave the testers 15 to 30 minutes with each chair and asked them to adjust the seat to suit their bodies following the Mayo Clinic’s ergonomic guidelines. They sat in both reclined and upright positions before filling out a survey about their experience with each chair; this feedback from our testers factored heavily into our final pick decisions for this guide. Since then, we’ve sat in each chair for many more hours of work and gaming, and our staff will continue testing the chairs in the coming months to gauge how they hold up over time.

Top pick

Secretlab TITAN Evo

The best gaming chair

With a magnetic memory-foam head pillow, adjustable lumbar support, and 165-degree recline, this chair can keep you comfortable for hours. It comes in three sizes to accommodate a range of body types.

Buying Options

$639 from Amazon

$639 from Secret Lab

Most of our testers, friends, and family liked the Secretlab Titan Evo right away. I sat comfortably in this chair for hours without getting sore in my lower body or back, and you can easily make many adjustments to it while seated. It’s supportive enough for mouse-and-keyboard gaming, and it reclines farther than our other picks for cozy sessions with a controller. We also loved the extra touches that make this chair feel even fancier, such as its cushy memory-foam pillow and adjustable lumbar support.

It’s comfortable to sit in for hours, and it’s available in three sizes. We evaluated all three sizes of the Titan Evo—small, regular, and XL—and nearly all of our testers found a version suitable for their body type. You can plug your height and weight into Secretlab’s sizing calculator to find the size that may work best, or you can see more detailed measurements—such as the seat width and backrest height—in the company’s comparison chart.

You can adjust the lumbar support’s height and shape to match the curvature of your spine. On either side of the backrest are two knobs: One moves the lumbar support up and down, and the other controls how much it protrudes. Some of our testers found it hard to reach the knobs while seated, but ideally it’s an adjustment that you have to make only when you first set up the chair.

It’s easy to recline. To adjust the Titan Evo’s backrest angle, you just pull a lever on the side and lean back, as you would in the front seat of a car. A tilt-tension knob on the bottom controls how much the chair rocks back.

The magnetic memory-foam pillow offers just the right amount of support. Most head pillows that come with gaming chairs feel cheap, force your neck too far forward, and stay in place with a strap that goes all the way around the headrest. But the Titan Evo’s pillow magnetically snaps on to the backrest, conveniently allowing you to adjust the pillow’s height without worrying about its sliding around. The memory foam is soft and supportive, and it conforms comfortably to the back of the head.

Secretlab’s optional armrest add-on is wonderful. By default, the Titan Evo comes with standard plastic armrests that feel fairly unremarkable. However, the tops of the armrests are magnetic and easily swapped for one of Secretlab’s other covers. The PlushCell armrest top has a soft, velour surface that felt a bit too warm, but the Technogel covers made my arms feel virtually weightless. Several of our other testers also raved about the Technogel armrests, and even though they cost $90 extra, we think the additional comfort is worth the investment.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

It isn’t as adjustable as our more expensive picks. The Secretlab Titan Evo is great for the price, but you can’t fine-tune it as much as the Mavix M9 or Herman Miller Aeron. Only the chair height, recline angle, lumbar support, and armrest height are adjustable on the fly. Technically you can change the width of the armrests, but only if you unscrew them from the bottom of the seat.

The cushion is firm, but that could be better for your back in the long run. Many of our testers commented on the firmness of the Titan Evo, which they found less immediately comfortable. But in theory, softer chairs tend to lead to slouching, which can cause back pain and damage to your intervertebral disks. We’ll be keeping an eye on the Secretlab chair to see how the padding holds up after more wear and tear over time.

Budget pick

GTPlayer Ace Pro

The most affordable option

The Ace Pro is the most affordable chair we recommend, and it has built-in Bluetooth speakers and a footrest. But the one-size-fits-all design is not for everyone, and it makes some major trade-offs for the price.

Buying Options

$133 from Amazon

$180 from Walmart

$123 from GTRacing

If you’re looking for a less expensive option, the GTPlayer Ace Pro is your best bet. It’s comfortable enough to sit in for a few hours at a time without getting sore, and the footrest is a nice bonus if you like reclining while you play. But when it comes to an ergonomically supportive chair, you get what you pay for, and the Ace Pro comes with some caveats: It’s the least adjustable chair we recommend, it comes with only a one-year warranty, and certain parts, such as the headrest pillow and footrest mechanism, are noticeably cheap.

It’s the most comfortable chair we tested at this price or lower. Our testers ranked the Ace Pro higher than any other cheap gaming chair we evaluated. The firm backrest has thinner padding in comparison with our other picks, but the seat cushion kept my legs from getting sore longer than some options that cost three times as much. We also liked the padding on the armrests, which offered a comfortable alternative to the hard plastic on many other models.

The built-in Bluetooth speakers sound decent, and they’re easy to pair. If you don’t have dedicated computer speakers, the Ace Pro might sound better than what comes through your monitor or laptop.Two speakers are built into the top of the backrest, and a small receiver box plugs into an auxiliary cable behind the seat. The receiver can recharge via the included USB-C cable, and in our tests it paired easily with my PC and iPhone. Because the speakers are located right behind your ears, they can help make your games feel fun and immersive.

It can recline back to 150 degrees, and it has a footrest. You can lock the Ace Pro at different recline angles using the lever below the seat, and it’s our only pick with a footrest. However, the footrest is a bit of a pain to use: You have to manually pull it out from underneath, and there’s nothing to keep it from sliding too far and popping out of the socket entirely. The footrest feels a little flimsy as a result, but it’s still nice to have the option to prop your feet up. Our 4-foot-10 tester loved the footrest, noting that it’s a “game changer” for shorter people whose feet can’t otherwise reach the floor.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

It isn’t especially adjustable, and its one-size-fits-all design may not fit you. The armrests of the Ace Pro are fixed at one height and width, and some of our testers with wider hips disliked the narrow seat, which measures about 19.5 inches wide. You also can’t adjust the seat depth. Additionally, the lumbar and headrest support consists of only two removable pillows that look and feel cheap. Most of our testers couldn’t find a sweet spot with the head pillow, noting that the chair pushed their necks too far forward with it and not far enough without it.

The only available material is faux leather. The Ace Pro doesn’t offer any fabric options, and its polyurethane leather might be an issue if you tend to run hot. We tested the ivory color, and none of our testers were particularly fond of the hue or the overall design. But we’ve yet to find a better-looking option at this price, and it comes in six different colors, including black, gray, and red (and a particularly off-putting shade of brown).

Upgrade pick

MAVIX M9

A luxurious upgrade

The Mavix M9 is the softest and most adjustable gaming chair we tested, and it’s particularly roomy for those who like to sit cross-legged.

Buying Options

$799 from Amazon

$799 from Mavix

Compared with our top pick, the Mavix M9 is cushier and more adjustable, and it has a premium look that can blend with almost any aesthetic. It isn’t as ergonomic as the Herman Miller Aeron, but with a headrest and full recline, this chair is better for those who switch between a mouse-and-keyboard setup and a controller. The seat is especially wide and deep, making it possible for you to sit cross-legged without hitting the armrests. But it’s expensive, and we can’t yet vouch for how durable or supportive it will remain over the years.

The M9 is more adjustable than any of our other picks. You can move the seat depth forward and back, and you can raise the height of the chair and the backrest independently. You can also adjust the angle of the headrest, as well as the armrest height, width, swivel, and depth. The chair can recline to 127 degrees, and it has a tilt-tension knob that allows you to rock freely. However, two of the levers underneath the seat aren’t clearly labeled, so you may have to watch Mavix’s instructional video to learn all of the functions.

It has the smoothest casters of any chair we tested. The M9 has rubberized FS Wheels, which glided like butter across hardwood floors; they were also less resistant on carpet than the wheels of any other chair we tested. They barely made a sound, and in all the times we pushed the chair around during testing, they never got stuck in place. All of our other picks use standard plastic casters, and several of our testers with above-average weights noted that they had difficulty sliding around in those chairs. Plus, the M9’s wheels should be easier on wood flooring than plastic wheels.

It comes with a 12-year warranty. Mavix covers all of the non-moving metal components of the chair frame for 12 years and any other parts and materials for five years. In comparison, Herman Miller covers all parts and repairs for 12 years, and our top pick comes with only a three-year warranty.

For an extra charge, you can get heating, cooling, and massage built into the lumbar support. Mavix sells a $130 attachment for the M9, called the Elemax, that adds a rechargeable heating and cooling pad into the lumbar support of the chair. It also has a massage function that we found weak, but the heating and cooling felt surprisingly nice—and Mavix sometimes offers sales that waive the price of the Elemax unit with the purchase of the chair.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

We’re not sure how well the M9 will hold up over time, though we plan to test it. A chair this expensive should be an investment, but at this time we can’t speak to its long-term durability. After one month of testing, the seat cushion developed creases revealing the checkerboard outline of the padding inside, and we’re not sure whether the chair will remain supportive over time. Mavix will replace defective parts under warranty, but not if the damage is deemed normal wear and tear. If you’re hesitant to spend this much money on a chair that isn’t tried-and-true, consider the Herman Miller Aeron or one of the other office chairs our staff has been testing for years.

The white color is a stain magnet and difficult to clean. The M9 is available in four color schemes—white, black, white with black, and black with blue—and the white hue is especially unforgiving. We wiped away dirt stains on the seat using warm water and soap as per Mavix’s instructions, but the white fabric still looked less vibrant than it did out of the box. We also tried removing a stain on a second unit using a gentle stain remover, but we were unsuccessful, and Mavix advises against stronger cleaning solutions.

Best for

Herman Miller Aeron Gaming Chair

Best gaming chair for work and play

Though it lacks a headrest and full recline, this breathable office chair is truly the most comfortable and supportive option for those who spend most of their day sitting at a desk.

Buying Options

$1,354 from Herman Miller

The Herman Miller Aeron Gaming Chair is worth the investment if you work from home and play games at your desk afterward. It’s less appropriate for lounging with a controller because it lacks a headrest, and you can’t lock the recline angle. But it’s by far the most ergonomic choice for people who spend more than eight hours a day at their desk, and it’s the only chair in this guide that our staff has tested—and loved—for years.

It’s the same as the regular Aeron but with fewer configuration options. This version of the Aeron comes in one color and configuration, whereas the original version offers different options for the frame, back support, tilt, casters, and armrests. The preselected configuration includes every optional upgrade the Aeron offers, namely the most adjustable backrest, armrests, and tilt. We found this configuration extremely comfortable, but if you select the original Aeron chair with more basic accessories, such as stationary arms and the “basic” tilt, you can save a few hundred dollars.

No other chair made us feel as weightless or supported over long stretches of time. Whenever I felt my back or thighs get sore over the duration of my gaming chair tests, I always switched back to the Aeron for relief. The springy seat suspension made the bottom of my legs feel lighter than on any other chair, and the structured backrest kept me from slouching and straining. The mesh material is also extremely breathable.

You can choose from two sizes and height ranges (but it’s not fully adjustable). You can’t adjust the Aeron Gaming Chair’s backrest height independently or pull the seat base forward or back. But you can control the tilt tension and the forward seat angle, and the armrests can swivel, move up and down, and move forward and back. It’s also available in two sizes and two height ranges. The original Aeron offers an additional small size; you can refer to Herman MIller’s size chart to see if that one could be right for you.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

You can’t lock the recline angle. Unlike with our other picks, you can’t lock the backrest in place when you recline in the Aeron Gaming Chair. However, if you release the tilt tension via the knob under the seat, you can rock back and stay there with little effort. It’s nice to lean all the way back during a meeting or a game’s loading screen, but the chair’s lack of headrest support may cause neck strain if you stay reclined for too long.

The shallow seat can take some time to get used to. When you first sit in the Aeron Gaming Chair, you might notice how much of your thighs hang off the edge of the seat. In an interview, Humanscale’s Mark Consolla told us that such a design can support better blood flow and prevent soreness in your lower body as your weight sinks in the chair over time. This is part of what makes the chair remain so comfortable after many hours of sitting, but you probably won’t be able to cross your legs on the shallow seat.

We tested the Herman Miller Sayl Gaming Chair, a preconfigured gaming version of the Sayl, which is a recommendation in our office chairs guide. It doesn’t have a headrest or a lockable recline, and in comparison with our picks, the backrest is less cushy to lean against for prolonged periods.

The headrest pillow and armrests on the Razer Iskur V2 are less comfortable than those of our top pick, and the chair isn’t as accommodating for as many different heights and weights. It also made my butt and thighs sore more quickly than our picks.

The armrests on the IKEA Styrspel are too wide, and it’s too easy to knock your ankles against the protruding, star-shaped wheelbase. We also disliked the surface material, which looked and felt like the plastic you’d find on a patio chair.

All our panel testers found the wide armrests on the Respawn 110 unusable and said that the seat padding was too thin. It also lacks lumbar support and headrest cushioning, and only the height and recline angle are adjustable.

The N-Gen Gaming Chair has no headrest support and no recline, and the backrest is very short. The armrests are also wide, low, and non-adjustable.

The GTRacing Ergo 13 made my butt and thighs sore after about 20 minutes. It offers adjustable lumbar support, but even at the lowest setting, it was too full to allow my shoulders to touch the backrest without strain. The seat cushion also sank when I sat down, and the chair is too low for people of above-average height.

The GTPlayer Gaming Chair is downright dangerous—if the backrest isn’t locked in an upright position, it falls straight to the ground when someone sits down. We tested this chair a dozen times with two adults each weighing less than 130 pounds, and the backrest fell backward every single time.

I couldn’t lean my head against the BestOffice High-Back Gaming Chair without the hard frame of the chair digging into the back of my skull—which was not only uncomfortable when I was sitting normally but also truly painful if I threw my head back too quickly.

Even at their lowest position, the armrests on the Boulies Master Series Computer Chair were too high to get me close enough to my desk, causing major back strain when I used my mouse and keyboard. The seat also made my butt and thighs sore after a couple of hours.

This article was edited by Arthur Gies and Caitlin McGarry.