Poker might be more attractive than many other desk jobs out there, but it still forces you to spend a lot of your time sitting. While some players might experiment with standing desks or even a treadmill to try to counteract that, most poker enthusiasts accept the fact that sitting is pretty much a part of a job description. That being said, making sure that you're comfortable during the long poker session and you're not sabotaging your health is really important. In this article, we'll talk about picking an ergonomic, comfortable chair that will allow you to keep your back straight and your winnings high - let's pick the best gaming chair for poker!
What Features Should You be Looking for in a Gaming Chair?
- Below is a small checklist of important features and characteristics that every chair that's suitable for poker should meet. Seat height adjustment - Almost every modern office chair is equipped with a pneumatic adjustment lever, allowing you to easily change the seat height.
- Anchor your game room with your gaming table of choice: a pool table with low hanging lighting, a poker table with matching chairs and recessed drink holders, or an air hockey table sporting the logo of your favorite sports team. Then install your bar furniture on one end, and build out from there.
Herman Miller Aeron – #1 Best Office Chair for Big and Tall Ergonomic (Under 300 Lb and 6’6″ in Height). The Herman Miller Aeron is the best office chair I tested, thanks to its ergonomic design. The PostureFit SL backrest means the back follows your natural spine curvature from your neck to under your buttocks.
- Seat height adjustment - Almost every modern office chair is equipped with a pneumatic adjustment lever, allowing you to easily change the seat height. This is crucial when it comes to assuming the proper position in front of your desk. Your feet should stay flat on the ground, you should keep a 90 degree bent in the knee joint and make sure your hands can rest comfortably on the desk without putting too much strain on your elbow nerves.
- Seat width and depth - When it comes to the width of the chair, anything between 40 and 50 cm should be comfortable for most people. As for the depth make sure that your back can stay comfortably in contact with the backrest and the back of your knee isn't touching the chair when you're sitting in it.
- Lumbar support - The health of your lower back is extremely important. If you sit for long hours in a chair that doesn't support the natural inward curve of your lower spine, it might lead to 'slouching' which in turn leads to the flattening of the aforementioned curve. This is not a desirable outcome since it can severely decrease the health of your lower back and affect your well-being in a major way!
- Backrest - While the higher portion of your spine is arguably less important, the chair should allow you to position your entire back in a healthy comfortable manner. Backrests with adjustable height and angle that can follow the natural curve of your spine should go a long way when it comes to both your comfort and health during your long poker sessions.
- Seat material - If you live in a hot climate and or you like to play longer sessions, consider buying a chair that has a cloth fabric instead of leather. Remember that chairs should have enough padding to provide you with a comfortable experience.
- Armrest - This feature can help with keeping your shoulders relaxed which is very important since that's another part of your body, after the spine and knee joint that gets strained easily. Remember that your hands shouldn't stay on armrests while typing and the armrest itself shouldn't be compressing the nerves running from your elbow joint to your fingers through your forearm and wrists.
- Swivel - You should be able to rotate the chair without the need of getting up from it. This can make your workflow much more comfortable and hustle free.
Recommended Chairs for Poker
Comfort Ergo
This is your best value option. It's not the most beautiful, or functional chair out there but it's good enough, especially for the price. Fabric style material combined with curved foam goes a long way when it comes to comfort and you can make all of the necessary adjustments.
GT Omega Pro
Perfect for fans of a more aggressive design. This chair has it all and unless you live in a very hot climate, you should feel comfortable using it even during long poker sessions.
Ikea Markus
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A no compromise option that won't cost you an arm and a leg. Perfect for warmer climates and those that endure long sessions, as the mesh material on the backrest allows your back some air circulation.Herman Miller Aeron
This is an extremely comfortable chair and an art piece in one item. Literally. The New York Museum of Modern Art has an Aeron in its permanent collection. While the price is obviously inflated due to the status of this chair if you're looking for the best of the best and don't mind spending a lot of money Aeron might be exactly what you're looking for! Hopefully this article will aid you someway in your search for the best gaming chair for poker.
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BestOffice Chairs Under $200Windows Central2020
When you start shopping for a new office chair, the prices of high-end models can be shocking. While they do provide an unbelievable level of comfort and will keep your back from turning into a question mark, there are chairs out there that can do almost the same, but without draining your bank account.
Standard height: AmazonBasic Mid-Back Mesh
Editor's choiceThis mid-back mesh chair has a pneumatic lift for perfect height adjustment, and there's a controllable tilt function that can be set to any tension. The mesh backing has lumbar support and won't leave you sweaty on a hot day, and the thick padding on the seat won't hurt your behind.
$63 at AmazonHigh headrest: IKEA Markus
Staff pickIKEA's Markus chair is tall, perfect for those of us with a height advantage, and a pneumatic lift and tilt function lets you get an ideal position. A padded headrest is comfy when leaning back, and built-in lumbar support keeps your spine at attention. A mesh backrest helps deal with airflow during hot summer days.
From $199 at IKEAA different posture: DRAGONN Ergonomic Kneeling
Sitting for long periods is not great for posture, which is where the kneeling chair comes into play. You still rest your rear on a well-padded seat, but there's a second padded platform on which your knees rest. The angle keeps you from hunching over, and it's all adjustable for an ideal fit. Note that there is a maximum 250-pound weight limit.
$120 at AmazonTall mesh back: Lorell Executive High-Back
This mesh-back chair is ideal for anyone who likes support up to their shoulders without a headrest to get in the way. Armrests can be tweaked for height and width, there are three handles on the side to adjust seat tilt and height, and built-in lumbar support ensures you keep a natural curve.
From $173 at AmazonUpholstered padding: AmazonBasics Mid-Back
This mid-back chair keeps things compact while offering a more executive look thanks to a PU leather finish available in brown, black, or white colors. There's plenty of padding on the bottom, back, and armrests, plus you can control tilt and height with a handle.
$68 at AmazonAggressive design: Furmax Office and Gaming
Furmax has here a PU-leather-covered racing chair with a high back, headrest, plenty of padding, and aggressive design. It comes with a headrest pillow and a lumbar pillow, and you have handles to adjust height and recline. Choose from a couple of different colors to match your style and battle station.
From $110 at AmazonBonded leather: Staples Westcliffe
Available in brown or black bonded leather options, this Westcliffe managers chair from Staples will fit right in with an executive's decor. There's plenty of padding on the seat and back, and contoured lumbar support keeps your back from aching if you sit for long periods.
$180 at StaplesBest Office Chairs For Sale
Truly budget: Boss Steno
It might not be the most comfortable option on the list, but this Steno chair from Boss is genuinely cheap. It has a padded bottom and back, a handle to adjust the height, and it rests on five casters with a weight limit of up to about 150 pounds. If you need a cheap chair for basic purposes, this is it.
$39 at AmazonFor standing desks: Modway Attainment
If you often work at a standing or drafting desk, swapping between chairs or adjusting desk height can be a pain. Modway's Attainment is tall enough to work with high desks, and its fold-up arms make it easy to get in close to the action. It rests on five sturdy casters, a footrest ring keeps your legs from dangling, and ergonomic seat design offers lumbar support and ample padding.
From $134 at AmazonIf we're making some suggestions
All of the above options can be had for a price that won't come close to the upper-end office chairs, but if we're making some recommendations, have a look at the AmazonBasics Mid-Back Mesh chair. It costs far less than the budget limit, but it still brings plenty of adjustments, including height and tilt. You get lumbar support thanks to a curved mesh back, and there's relatively thick padding on the seat to stay comfortable. If you don't like the idea of always having something behind your head — the chair's back stops about halfway up — this is a great, cost-effective choice.
If you're on the other side of the debate and prefer to have full back support from your office chair, IKEA's Markus is a stellar pick. A few people here at Windows Central use the Markus every day, and it's proven to be a long-lasting, affordable chair with lumbar support, a mesh back, a headrest, and lots of padding where it counts the most. The arms are removable for a bit of versatility, and you can adjust for height and tilt to get a comfy position.
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