If you spend a lot of time at your desk gaming or otherwise then you will know the importance of remaining comfortable. Gaming chairs are often recommended as more comfortable chairs that come with a higher price tag than you'd typically spend on a chair.

However, there are many reasons why you should not buy a gaming chair that should be considered before you make a purchase.

1. Gaming Chairs Lack Design Variation

Gaming chair products on the Newegg website

There is a distinct lack of variation in the design of gaming chairs, which can be a problem if you don't like the typical design these products have.

Gaming chairs are often made by the same few manufacturers and are simply rebranded to represent whichever company you're purchasing from. Even when they are made by different manufacturers, they tend to have almost identical designs.

Chairs perhaps don't have as much room for design variation as other products, but you'd expect a little more variation than what they have. One of the draws to buying a gaming chair might be that you want something that looks and feels different from a regular chair, so the near-ubiquitous appearance of them may put you off.

2. Gaming Chairs Can Be Very Expensive

A US dollar sitting on top of a cheque

You have likely heard of the price disparity between a regular office chair and a gaming chair. It's no joke: gaming chairs are often very expensive, setting you back a couple of hundred dollars with each purchase.

There's nothing wrong with spending a little extra to ensure a chair is high-quality and won't break as quickly, but you may feel that gaming chair companies push the boat out with what they charge. The pricing difference is likely the novelty, gaming chairs being a fairly new market compared to office chairs.

Spending $40 on a chair for it to break in six months is one thing, spending $200 on a gaming chair for it to break in nine is much worse. Before purchasing a gaming chair you should really consider whether you'd get enough longevity in it to justify the higher price tag, particularly if you're on the larger side and have difficulties with chairs not lasting long.

Having a gaming hobby can quickly rack up your spending. Using game discount sites to buy video games for cheap can be a great way of saving money, which helps when considering purchases such as a gaming chair or gaming headset.

3. Ergonomic Is Just a Buzzword

A woman sat down on a chair with back pain

It seems like "ergonomic" is just a marketing buzzword in the chair industry. It's important that you have an ergonomic chair, which means an efficient and comfortable one, but you may not find that with a gaming chair product.

Gaming chairs typically have no lumbar support due to their straight-back designs, which don't reflect the natural way you sit. Gaming chairs also tend to have "bucket seats" and uncomfortable head support, which is not ideal if you spend a lot of time sitting down during the day.

Even if you don't intend to spend much time on your gaming chair daily, why spend extra for an uncomfortable design? It's really easy for the companies selling these gaming chairs to slap the word "ergonomic" in the product's title or description and call it a day, but you'll often find that review videos of the particular product on YouTube tell a much different story.

On the other hand, there are multiple proven ways that ergonomic keyboards can boost your health and productivity, without the eye-watering price tags attached to them.

4. Ugly and Uncomfortable Design

A chair in front of a desk with a monitor saying Keep Moving

It's not all about looks when it comes to chairs, what's most important is that you can sit on them and be comfortable. However, having a chair that feels comfortable and looks nice is the best of both worlds, which you're unlikely to find with a gaming chair.

Gaming chairs tend to have ugly, narrow head designs that don't really resemble the typical dimensions of your head. The arms are the same, often being extremely narrow and short resulting in them not functioning as armrests as you'd expect.

The narrow design doesn't really make much sense apart from making gaming chairs stand out against office chairs.

5. Gaming Chairs Can Start to Peel Quickly

A gaming chair in front of a curved monitor on a desk

It's a well-known issue that gaming chairs tend to peel sooner rather than later, often sooner. Peeling happens due to gaming chairs often being manufactured with cheaper leather, and it makes them look awful.

You run the risk of staining your gaming chair more easily when it's peeled, as well as the chair being more seriously damaged. Since peeling happens quite quickly, it's worth considering this when eyeing up an expensive product.

6. Designed for Smaller, Slender Builds

A narrow designed chair in front of a desk

Gaming chairs tend to be designed for smaller and slender builds, which can make finding one for you difficult if you're on the bulkier or taller side. It's worth considering the dimensions when you're shopping for any piece of furniture, but what's annoying about the gaming chair market is the lack of variety in its designs and dimensions.

You can definitely find gaming chairs that suit your frame, but it may involve a little more searching than you initially expected. Since the gaming chair market tends to be overpriced with a lack of design variation, you may have to deal with extra costs if you search specifically for gaming chairs for larger people. Be careful not to overpay simply because your required dimensions aren't the standard.

Buy the Best Chair for You

As a modern consumer, you have many resources for weighing up your options when considering a purchase. While it isn't a fact that office chairs are better than gaming chairs, it doesn't mean that gaming chairs don't have their faults that should be considered.

Do as much research as you can, maybe check out reviews of the specific product you're considering, and try to avoid overpaying for a shoddily-designed gaming chair. With a decent enough office chair and a conscious effort to maintain good posture, you may not even need a gaming chair.