Last updated: September 18th, 2023
You’ve probably arrived here because the office chair vs gaming chair debate has left you confused. What are the differences between a standard office chair and a gaming chair? Are the differences important?
Which chair is best for WFH?
I’m here to help you make the right decision.
Office Chair vs Gaming Chair: The Quick Answer.
Office chairs in mid-market ($500-$1000) and high-end price segments ($1000+) provide superior levels of comfort and ergonomics by including features like:
- Adjustable lumbar support
- Waterfall seat edges with depth control
- Breathable mesh construction
- Synchro–tilt or weight-sensitive mechanisms
Gaming chairs are superior to office chairs across those dimensions at the budget end of the market (sub $500).
- If your budget is limited to $500 or less, gaming chairs give you more bang for your buck – but stay away from the cheapest models as they’ll fall apart quickly.
- If you can stretch your budget above $500, get a good ergonomic office chair instead.
(Related: Best Shops To Buy An Office Chair In Sydney and Melbourne).
Key Differences Between Office Chairs And Gaming Chairs?
Comparing gaming chairs vs office chairs begins with a high-level overview of features – because who doesn’t love a good table?
| Feature | Office Chairs | Gaming Chairs |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Productivity | Comfort |
| Feeling | Supportive | Cossetting |
| Seat Design | Contoured | Racing Bucket |
| Seat Edges | Wingless | Winged |
| Front Edge | Waterfall / Flat | Raised |
| Construction | Mesh / Fabric | Faux Leather |
| Backrest | Mid-Back / Full | Full |
| Headrest | Adjustable / None | Fixed |
| Comfort | Moderate | High |
| Frame | Minimalist | Bulky |
| Cushioning | Taut | Soft |
| Design | Boring / Stylish | In Your Face |
| Colours | Subdued | Loud |
| Adjustability | Precise | Fast |
| Recline | Up To 135 Degrees | Up To 180 Degrees |
While gaming seats were initially designed for people who play video games, they’ve become quite popular among professionals who work from home.
- Gaming chairs are quite distinctive, as they prioritise comfort and a racing car aesthetic, achieved through high recline ranges, softer cushioning and distinctive bucket seat design.
- Office chair designs prioritise adjustability and a minimalist aesthetic.
Office Chairs vs Gaming Chairs: Which Is Best?
There’s a lot of overlap between the features of office chairs and gaming chairs. Let’s unpack the most important features in detail and pick the winner in each category.
(Related: Are Gaming Chairs Bad For Your Back?)
A. Ergonomic Features.
Ergonomics is the science of ensuring that your body’s biomechanics are harmonious with your environment.
It’s a complex topic, but in the context of choosing the perfect chair, the most important factors are:
(Related: How Much Should You Pay For An Office Chair?)
1. Adjustable Lumbar Support And Adjustable Armrests.
Instrumental for keeping your shoulders relaxed and your spine in a neutral position by letting you fine-tune the support your back and arms receive, these features are a must-have.
Thankfully, most gaming and office chairs on the Australian market offer some level of both.
Expert Tip.
Look for models 3D and 4D armrests plus height and tension adjustable lumbar support.
2. Adjustable Seat Depth With Waterfall Edge.
Racing-style gaming chairs fail miserably here, as they have fixed seat bases with raised lips.
Flat or waterfall seats that you typically see on office chairs encourage a healthier seating position as it allows you to dial in the correct amount of under-thigh support.
- This prevents your feet from falling asleep due to lack of circulation.
3. Posture Control.
The debate of office chair vs gaming chair ergonomics gets more complex when you take the realities of people’s postures.
- Theoretically, the deep recline functionality of most gaming chairs enables users to kick back and relax.
- In reality, it often encourages users’ postures to degrade into an ugly, hunched slide that can lead to back issues (which office chairs are best for bad backs?)
Most people don’t have the discipline, willpower or muscle strength to maintain good posture habits – especially when the chair doesn’t encourage them.
WINNER: Office Chair.
While budget gaming chairs offer comprehensive adjustment controls, budget office chairs are usually limited to basic height and recline functions only. (I don’t recommend buying these). Fully-featured ergonomic office chairs start at about $500, and this is where the situation reverses.
Shown above: never buy a chair like this as your office chair. It’s not designed for prolonged sitting.
B. Comfort Levels.
You tend to sit in gaming chairs while you tend to sit on office chairs. The following factors combine to determine your comfort levels.
1. Padding.
Gaming chairs are designed for extended periods of use, which is why they often employ thicker cushioning, winged backrests and spongy padding materials that people find comfortable.
- Office chairs, meanwhile, keep you feeling focused, supported and alert.
Sending you to sleep with excessive cushioning would be counter-productive, so they aim to keep you comfortable but not cosseted.
2. Breathability.
Because office chairs tend to be built from breathable materials like mesh and/or fabric, I find them much more effective at preventing sweaty backsides.
Expert Tip.
I hate the feeling of being too hot in my chair, which is why I always use all-mesh office chairs in my home office. Leather office chairs typically feel hotter, but you can counter that by choosing one made from top-tier leather (not synthetic leatherette).
3. Recline Function.
Last but not least, you must consider the recline mechanism.
- Gaming chairs typically feature knee tilt mechanisms.
Pivoting on a joint just behind your knees, they give you a distinct recline feeling that’s very similar to kicking back in an armchair.
Office chairs, meanwhile, offer horrendous centre-tilt mechanisms on budget models (avoid!) and synchro-tilt or weight-sensitive mechanisms on high-end models. These offer remarkably pleasant and useable rocking motion.
WINNER: Office Chair.
Cheap office chairs tend to be horrendously uncomfortable, while cheap gaming chairs are surprisingly cushy. The situation levels out once you spend more than $600 and reverses in favour of office chairs when you spend above $1,000.
Shown above: the Herman Miller Cosm is one of the prettiest office chairs on the market.
Aesthetics.
One of the biggest questions in the gaming chair vs office chair debate is, “which will look best in my home?”
A typical gaming chair will not be aesthetically pleasing to most people (especially if it’s one of those bright racing-style gaming chair designs).
A tip directly from me: if you’re male and older than 25, stay away from gaming chairs.
WINNER: Office Chair.
Most office chairs are either eye-catchingly stylish or painfully boring, but it is rare to find one that brazenly screams for attention. Gaming chairs, meanwhile, are the opposite – subtlety is rare, while loud colours are the norm. I picked office chair as a winner because I don’t believe that anyone over 25 years of age should be seen in a gaming chair.
Price.
Entry-level office chairs are much cheaper, with some cheap models costing less than $100. In contrast, the cheapest gaming chairs start at about $200-$300.
That said, most gaming chairs top out at around $1,000, while office chairs are almost infinitely expensive, with some models costing upwards of $3,000.
WINNER: Office Chair.
Office chairs offer a lower entry price point than gaming chairs, but that point is moot because I don’t recommend buying a chair that costs less than $400. (It will cost you more long-term in back issues, discomfort and lost productivity). In the $400-600 range, you can get more bang for your buck with a gaming chair. Beyond $600, things get more subjective because you begin to pay for brand image and aesthetics.
Can You Use A Gaming Chair For Work?
Yes. But then again, you sit on just about anything. The question you should ask instead is – how much gaming vs work do you intend to do in your gaming chair?
- Standard office chairs are usually not comfortable enough to sit in for more than three hours at a time. They encourage you to stand up, take a break and stretch.
- Before viewing this as a flaw, consider that movement is important for long-term longevity.
Staying immobile for hours at a time is sub-optimal, so I recommend that you invest in a mid to high-end ergonomic office chair instead.
(Related: Ergonomic Chairs vs Gaming Chairs: Which Is Best?)
Can You Use An Office Chair For Gaming?
Yes, and you probably should. Whatever you do – don’t buy a budget office chair and spend 3+ hours per day in it playing games.
Office Chair vs Gaming Chair: My Verdict.
There’s a lot to consider when choosing an office chair vs. a gaming chair.
This debate has raged on for years and probably won’t calm down soon.
I aimed to give you a level-headed perspective, oriented to helping you maintain a high-performance lifestyle.
Steven
Cody says:
Hi,
Do you know 9am HOME standing desks?
I want to know how about their desk.
Steven McConnell says:
Hi Cody, I’ve never seen them before but I took a quick look for you and I’m 90% certain it’s another Jiecang desk. You can tell by the design of the feet and the lowest height (60cm). Desky, Omnidesk, Stand Desk are all pretty much the same.
Cody says:
Which one do you mean? Pesk or Robin series? I am interested in their Robin series, it looks unique and beautiful. I can’t find anyone like it in Desky.
Steven McConnell says:
I was talking about the Pesk Series. Robin series does look attractive and unusual, but I’m usually not a fan of tubular legs as they tend to be more prone to wobble. I can’t say whether this is the case in this instance, as I haven’t physically tested the desk myself. The 10 year warranty is reassuring, however. I wish they offered a risk-free trial to let you test out the legs!
Cody says:
Thank you very much, Steven; I will take your comments into consideration.
Erin says:
Do you know much about Kangadesks? There are Australian as well.
Steven McConnell says:
Hi Erin, its another Jiecang standing desk. Same as Desky, Omni, Stand Desk etc. The design of the feet and 60-125cm height range gives it away. The desk appears to currently be currently on sale for $299, which is an absolute steal and I’m wondering why they’re selling their stock at 1/3 of RRP. Regardless, even if they’re about to go bust, I’d still buy one at that price.
EDIT: Be careful. Fakespot showed these warnings while browsing their website: “Multiple eCommerce scam experiences detected, Poor customer service”
Suzy says:
Hi – given all the desks are so similar, is it possible to mix a desk from one brand with a drawer accessory from another? I don’t like the UpDown desk metal drawer (hangs very low so likely to impede leg space) but don’t mind the Desky one – can these be mixed and matched?
Thank you for the reviews! Super helpful.
Steven McConnell says:
Yes, it’s possible to play switcheroo. But you may want to consider that UpDown design is curved, so it will hurt less if you do jam your thighs into it. Desky’s meanwhile, is quite angular. Pro tip: you can also find a bunch of inexpensive slimline desk drawers on Amazon.
jason says:
I’ve spent far, far too much time agonising over which desk to get haha, definitely more than a week. Very happy that you’ve added the omni-desk to your catalogue. That was the one I was considering the most untill you came you with a review saying that it was more wobbly!
Anyways, do you have an opinion on the new updown desk KLIK Series? Its advertises to be significanlty ligher while having better (on paper) specs
Thanks!
Evelyn says:
Hi Steven, great blog post – thank you! I’m also wondering whether you have any opinion or insights on the new UpDown Desk KLIK series…they come at $100 more expensive (for the same size/table top) but seem to be ‘better’ according to the UpDown website.
Cheers!
Steven McConnell says:
Hi Evelyn, thanks! I will have a full review of the KLIK up around February 2025. It’s not necessarily a better standing desk – but it is lighter, less bulky and promises easier assembly.
Ben Clements says:
Hi. I’m interested to know more about whether I actually could fit the Desky cable management system in the Omnidesk? I’ve had a look at the omnidesks in person at the showroom and it looks like their cable management trays screw on (vs the clip in at the edges of the desk with the Desky tray). The desky system also has the power plugs that snap into place in the tray.
So I’m curious to know if you have you tried it, and if so how did you do it please? Or is your thinking that you’d just buy the power boards and plugs from Desky and rest them in the Omnidesk tray?
I’m stuck, because I prefer the Omnidesks but I really love the idea of a single power lead!
Thanks
Steven McConnell says:
I just had a new Omnidesk delivered to my house. Give me about two weeks to assemble it, test it out and report back.
Sunni says:
Thanks for your very helpful (and funny) review. I used the information to to buy a Desky standing desk in record time – no consumer agonising for weeks, as is my usual practice. It has a pneumatic up/down mechanism, so lets see how that goes.
Steven McConnell says:
Ha! You’re welcome, Sunni. Glad I helped you cut down on the agonising. The pneumatic mechanism is an interest choice – let me know what you think of it?
Amber says:
Hi Steven,
Really great and insightful review. It was refreshing to see something that wasn’t filled with ChatGPT affiliate link garbage!
I’m curious about your opinion on L-shaped standing desks? I know that Desky, UpDown and a few other retailers offer these types of desks and I would assume they are more strong and stable, but I’m not an expert and I can also imagine the opposite being true due to the irregular shape. I’ve been looking at these types of desks because I think their shape suits my space the best. Do you have any knowledge on this or do you only have experience with regular rectangular shaped desks?
Steven McConnell says:
Thanks, Amber. Did you know that I have a L-shaped standing desk review? Search for “arielle best corner standing desks” and you’ll find it.
Melissa says:
Hi Steven great article thank you!
I’ve spent way to much time on this, and I’m now leaning towards the Artiss thanks to your review.
I’m wondering if you have any insight into ergonomic chairs for the home office also?
Steven McConnell says:
Hi Melissa, thanks! The Artiss is a great budget pick. I’ve written numerous ergonomic chair reviews – Google “arielle best ergonomic office chairs” to find them 🙂
tania says:
hey are there any other manual desks apart from the ikea ones you don’t recommend, that you would recommend? I prefer the idea of not needing electricity to move between stand up and sit down but maybe that doesn’t really exist?
Steven McConnell says:
Hey Tania, all of the premium brands (UpDown, Desky, etc) offer a manual crank model. Definitely the way to go if you want to avoid electronics. But TBH I suggest you reconsider. Electronics are very reliable these days – and hand-cranking your standing desk is more annoying than you’d expect.
Adam says:
Hi, do you know much about the UpDown Klik vs Pro system?
Steven McConnell says:
The company has shipped their new Klik standing desk to me yesterday. Stay tuned!
Scott Long says:
You mention in your review of the Up Down Pro that you would get the cable holes and grommets done, but it looks like your (very pretty) Messmate desk doesn’t have them. Is your recommendation a hindsight reflection, or did you choose not to spoil the look of the desk with the grommets? Without the grommets can you can still run the cables behind the desk and into the cable management tray? Cheers!
Steven McConnell says:
Scott, I said in the review that grommets and holes are a great idea, not that I have them. They’re less important if your standing desk faces a wall. But if you have an open-plan style home office like mine, they’ll make your workspace look much cleaner. PS You can still run cables into the tray without the holes and grommets – the cables will simply run behind the desk.
Isaac Jenkinson says:
Hello,
Have you had a chance to try the new UpDown Lyft model? Curious about its stability vs the pro.
Steven McConnell says:
Isaac,
Not yet. On first glance, it looks like a budget alternative to the “big brothers”. It’s probably pretty good (UpDown has a reputation to maintain), but I’m of the opinion that buying cheap means you pay more in the long term. I’d save up another few hundred bucks and get the Pro. You can often get a melamine or bamboo-topped model on sale for around $900.
David says:
This is a great site and will help me decide on which desk to buy. Have you heard any good/bad reviews about the Blacklyte Atlas Lite or Ergo-Rise II from BDO furniture?
Steven McConnell says:
David, thanks for the kind words. Never heard of the Atlas Lite until you mentioned it. Looks like a decent gaming desk that borrows heavily from Secretlab Magnus – but why not just buy a real Magnus instead?
As for the Ergo-Rise – looks like a decent desk, but its height controller is outdated. The best standing desk brands have upgraded to OLED controllers.
Ben says:
Thank you for writing this review Steven; really helpful to break through the BS.
By any chance have you used or hold an opinion on Vertilift desks?
Steven McConnell says:
You’re welcome. God, I haven’t even heard of them – but thanks for the heads-up. There are too many standing desks on the Australian market. Obviously I haven’t used these in person, but I’m almost certain they’re yet another Jiecang variant (i.e., frames are identical to Desky). You can tell by the identical max and min heights, as well as the design of the foot.
Eloise says:
Hey Steven, I was recommended the Alwyn or Octavia (Living Fusion) 140cm sit and stand desks from Temple and Webster which don’t even get a mention in your review. Would you bother with any of their brands ? (I may have dodged a bullet by finding your review!)
Steven McConnell says:
Hi Louise, I haven’t had first-hand experience with the T&W standing desk (must add one to my list!).
However, I had a look through the specs for you.
It doesn’t look too bad, actually – considering the price. If you can’t stretch your budget to ~$950 for an entry-level UpDown or Desky, this could be a good option.
Jordan says:
Hi Steven, Thanks for the review! I am starting out with a home office set up and need a new chair and sit stand desk. I’m a student but I prefer to buy things I know will last, but I don’t have too much experience with sit stand desks. I initially thought to buy the Artiss but have considered buying the Acacia UpDown Pro+ so I know it lasts and I don’t have to buy another desk in a couple of years. Is it worth the price jump for me? Thanks!
Steven McConnell says:
Hi Jordan, the Artiss and the UpDown desks sell at two very different price points. If you have the budget, I suggest you stretch to the UpDown standing desk – you won’t regret it.
jason says:
I know you’ve disqualified the flexispot e7 pro so the e7 max plus would probably also be disqualified, but a quad motor 4 column desk frame at a prices competitive with UpDown desk is incredibly tempting. Plus 15 year warrenty (if the company lasts that long)
Have you had a chance to take a look? Its like half the price of the desky quad!
Steven McConnell says:
Hey Jason, great observation. I haven’t included quad standing desks here because they’ve traditionally attracted a niche consumer – someone who needs to place a tonne of gear on the desktop and doesn’t mind paying 2X the usual price. But Flexispot’s sharp pricing on their quad desk certainly changes things. I haven’t seen one in the wild yet – but the specs look promising.
Steven