There are plenty of ‘gaming’ chairs on the market — and there are plenty of chairs that you can sit in. They range from a knock-off hand-me-down chair lying on the side of the road for bugger all, or something furnished from a specialist store that will cost hundreds of dollars.
But what if you’re just looking for an inauspicious chair to put in your lounge room that can double as a throne for gaming?
Gamer chair picture from Shutterstock
Go with a beanbag. There are several reasons why this would be my first choice. Unless you live in an ostentatiously furnished mansion, a beanbag won’t look out of place in your lounge room, so the girlfriend should be happy. They’re also easy to lug around, which means you can sit nice and close to your TV for better immersion.
If you have sufficient space in your cupboard, you can keep it tucked away when not in use which frees up more space in your lounge room. Finally, they’re surprisingly comfortable — especially if you’re willing to spend a bit extra.
Some brands are specifically designed for gamers without drawing undue attention to the fact. You can also get models that double as giant pillows — handy if you’re don’t have a spare guest bedroom and want to invite friends over.
If you’re not a beanbag guy, the factors that determine your choice really aren’t much different to a regular chair — you want something comfortable, not too exxy and with a modest footprint.
If possible, plump for a single-seater with inbuilt side storage so you’re controllers are always close at hand. You might also want to consider sturdy legs if you tend to twist and turn while gaming. Otherwise, just make sure it matches your existing decor and you shouldn’t run into any problems with your better half. Good luck!
This story originally appeared on Lifehacker Australia
Comments
33 responses to “What’s A Good Non-Gamer Chair For Gaming?”
Lying on top of another person.
Or, if you have the resources, a pile of people.
We’re gamers – not slavers.
The word you’re looking for is corpses.
We rest on corpses.
Now I’m picturing Moe calling out to his girlfriend:
“Where you going baby? You going to get some corpses? Renae? Sweetest? Ah, she’s not coming back”
We’ve recently got a couch that reclines, which I have found to be excellent for gaming now.
Why are we getting ask lifehacker ‘articles’ as half baked articles over here?
I use beanbags when sitting in front of the projector, bum in one legs up in another, it’s great. sofa for the front room, lying as far back as humanly possible!
I… sit on my couch… which is in front of my tv…
Am… am I weird??
Is… is this not what i should be using a couch for?
Did the person at the furniature store lie to me??
What else have i been lied to about?
Although, i did get a hilarious image of a PC gamer trying to play while seated on a beanbag…
Except, you know, for PC gamers who don’t want to get close to a TV, have no controllers and need to see the monitor that’s sitting on top of a desk.
Yep, great article…why did I click this.
Same thing: been looking for a replacement chair for my PC, and seeing “beanbag” was… surprising to say the least…
I hate beanbags. Just about impossible to get comfortable on one, annoyingly noisy in trying to do so and even once you do it usually leaves you leaning back having to hold your head up. Better off slouching in a desk chair.
You need one of the giant beanbags linked in the article. I have one and it’s all I game on. The main image of the chick sitting in it – have it a big like that but you get down in it a little more and it supports your back and head quite well.
They’re great… but the cost to fill the dam thing is insane!! lol I swear my beans are disapearing too, every week I seem to have to refill it lol
Wouldn’t have it any other way though 🙂
I’ve used maybe one extra bag of beans over several years. Topped it up maybe 3 times from one bag. Did yours come with the original non squash beans? They wouldn’t ship mine despite shipping Aus wide (yay, Tasmania) so my uncle got it, dumped the beans and flew down with it on his next trip.
I did not know about non-squash beans! That would explain a lot lol I think I’ve paid 4-5 times the price of my bean bag on beans alone lol I got the bean bag on sale thinking I got a bargain not realising how much beans costs! haha worth it though 😛
Did yours not come with the beans?
I have a couch for co-op and an armchair for when I’m playing alone, because I’m not a god damn animal and I like back support
“an inauspicious chair”
That’s a pretty amusing typo when talking about a gaming chair – “Don’t sit in that chair!” “Why not?” “It be cursed, and bring bad luck to all ye who sit in it”
I am guessing the author meant inconspicuous though.
And with that witty retort, you have won my heart, Hon.
we have a chair like that. we call it “Player 2”
Sat in a beanbag for ages while playing consoles, ended up with neck / back problems (not purely from this mind, but it sure felt worse after being in one). For all the “gaming chair” hate, I have a DX Racer and never been happier or more comfortable.
I had a similar experience, except the back aches were caused by a generic office chair. Switched to a high back mesh chair (which was great but fell apart) and then to a DXRacer M-series and haven’t had any back problems since.
I have a rocker/recliner. My wife has a rocker/recliner.
Off to the side there is a couch.
It is a nice couch.
The rocker/recliner with the footrest is the most auspicious, fantabulous, stupendous thing my arse has ever sat in while gaming.
No more back pain, neck pain or any other kind of pain.
Also great for watching movies, generally sitting in and…sleeping…
My Spine!
I sit on a bag of Dorritos and I always make sure to have a case of mountain dew nearby. Pro-tip: make sure you have a mirror close by so you can adjust your fedora and sort out your neckbeard. It’s always been handy for me when I’ve spent the entire day noscoping newbs in my mum’s basement. Amirite fellow gamers?
Eames Lounge. Goddamn I want one for a gaming chair. Have to satisfy myself with an Eames Office Chair knockoff instead.
I thought It looked nice, until I figured out how much it cost! That’s the price of a second hand car there. I might have set my expectations a little closer to checking out the local op shops instead.
Or, while they wont last you as long, and are questionably legal. Even Aldi had knock offs this year.
Check an Australian company called Kloud Sac they maker Gamer bean bags but instead of being a traditional bean bag it’s filled will memory foam they cost $399 they also lay-by https://kloudsac.com.au/shop/foam-filled-sacs/gamer-kloudsac-bean-bag
In this thread: people who have only ever owned shitty beanbags.
How absurd. I would never own such a thing!
I let others make the mistakes for me 😛
A La-Z-Boy recliner or an Eames with an ottoman
http://furnitureco.weebly.com/uploads/1/2/0/7/12075905/s932120647572959234_p1_i1_w640.jpeg
Mine is one of those IKEA recliners. Pretty nice, especially with the sloping footstool.
Went to the Sum Lounge au website, they look pretty good, $199 seems reasonable enough. Put in cart, enter shipping details.. $249 for shipping to Perth, my “can’t even” levels rival the most vapid of teenage girl.