This is a question that is asked all over the internet but no definitive answer is given. The main reason is that most of the time, not everyone has the opportunity to try a more than 1 brand long enough to be able to give a good and accurate review. At Chairs4Gaming, we have the chance to try a lot of brands and models. Please keep in mind that we will only talk about facts when comparing these brands. If you are curious about our thought on the best gaming chair brand, you can jump to the conclusion by clicking here.
Before going ahead with the comparison, we want to specify a few things. As the #1 gaming chair reseller in the US, Chairs4Gaming aims to only sell premium and quality products. We built our brand around quality and 5-star customer service. We will not sell a chair or brand that we know is low quality and/or will break after a few months. We want to only sell products that we are confident are up to our high standard. We want to keep our 5-star reviews high and to do so, we need to filter our products.
Now that we got that out of the way, let's get into it!
Comparison table
DXRacer |
NeedForSeat |
EBlue |
Cougar |
AKRacing* |
Vertagear |
Clutch Chairz |
|
Available models | +130 | +30 | 7 | 1 | 16 | 25 | +75 |
Lowest price | $239 | $329 | $198 | $249 | $299.99 | $299.99 | $329.99 |
Highest price | $799 | $589 | $468 | $249 | $469.99 | $439.99 | $469.99 |
Cover type | Faux-leather (PU), Fabric, Leather | Faux-leather (PU) | Faux-leather (PU) | Faux-leather (PU) | Faux-leather (PU) | Faux-leather (PVC) | Faux-leather (PU) |
Armrests | Fixed and Adjustable | Adjustable | Adjustable | Adjustable | Adjustable | Adjustable | Adjustable |
Adjustable backseat | Yes (135°) | Yes (N/A) | Yes (118°) | Yes (180°) | Yes (N/A*) | Yes (N/A) | Yes (135°) |
Included cushions | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Recommended weight limit | 425 lbs | 370 lbs | 260 lbs | 180 lbs | 330 lbs | 250 lbs | 275 lbs |
Recommended height limit | 6'6" | 6'9" | 6'1" | 5'11" | N/A | 6'4" | 6'3" |
Frame warranty | Lifetime | 2 years | 1 year | 1 year | Lifetime | 10 years | Lifetime |
Parts warranty | 2 years | 2 years | 1 year | 1 year | 2 years | 2 years | 3 years |
Restocking fees | 10% (Unused) - 20% (Used) | 0% (Unused) to 20% (Used) | 20% | 10% | N/A* | 25% | 20% |
LED | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No |
Sold by Chairs4Gaming | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
*AKRacing doesn't have an official US website. This is why some information are not available at the moment.
Overview
As shown in the comparison table, some features, such as the adjustable armrests, adjustable backseat and cover types are similar among these brands. Since these became standard features to include on a gaming chair, we can't use them to differentiate these brands. However, we still wanted to include these in the comparison table to make sure that everyone is aware that they are included.
This being said, the major differences are the number of models, price ranges, suggested weight limit and warranty. We will now discuss each features and which brand "wins" each category.
Available models
As you shown above, DXRacer offers over 130 different models. That is insane compared to the second position, Clutch Chairz, who only has 75 models. This means that there is a high variety of colors, design and style that you can choose from compared to the other brands.
However, less models available doesn't mean less quality. The best example is Cougar. Although they only have 1 model available, the quality and design deserves to be recognized. Cougar Gaming doesn't specialize on gaming chairs. Their main product line is around pc component (case, mouse, keyboards etc.). They were still able to offer their own gaming chair at an affordable price to compete with the biggest brands.
For this category, the clear winner is DXRacer. With over 130 models, 12 different series and a wide variety of colors and design, it's hard to not find a chair that fits you or that you like.
Lowest price - Highest price
The lowest price for a gaming chair is $198 sold by E-Blue. This is their latest model that you can check out by clicking here.
The highest price for a gaming is $799 sold by DXRacer. The main reason for that high price is the cover type: full grain leather. DXRacer is the only brand selling a gaming chair with real leather. Please note that only 2 models have full grain leather. The other DXRacer models have PU (Faux-leather) covers.
If you have a limited budget, the E-Blue Cobra Ergo is a good option to consider. E-Blue is known for its unique design and it's the only gaming chair in the market with a mesh backseat. This offers an excellent air flow even in hot climate.
If you don't like that design or you exceed the suggested height and weight for this model, DXRacer is in second place. Between $239 and $299, you can find some interesting models that are slightly taller than the E-Blue model. Click here to view the list of the cheapest gaming chair available.
Cover type - Armrests - Adjustable backseat - Included cushions
We regrouped the cover type, armrests and adjustable backseat into the same category since there is not a lot to talk about. These features are almost the same across all brands we're comparing in this post.
The cover type that is the most common is PU (Faux-leather). PU feels and looks similar to leather. It can also last a long time if well maintained. In the past, PVC, another faux-leather type, was more durable but nowadays, they are both similar.
Armrests are also similar in all brands. They offer 3 or 4 directions adjustments. That can be useful depending on your setup and your preferred sitting position.
Adjustable backseat is also one of the key feature of a gaming chair. That is why you can almost lay down flat on any giving gaming chair. Some brands have models that can lay up to 180° such as Cougar. However, from experience, no one goes that far back. The main reason is that there is no real reason to do so unless you plan to sleep on your chair. 120° to 140° is more than enough for most users. Here is an example of a chair going as far back as 135°.
All gaming chairs come with a set of 2 cushions. One lumbar and one headrest/neck pillow. The only exception is E-Blue. E-Blue doesn't come with any cushions since the headrest pillow is integrated to the backseat of their chairs.
Although DXRacer has 2 type of headrest pillow (depending on the model you order), here is an example of pillows that usually come with gaming chairs.
Recommended weight and height limit
At the moment, the recommended weight and height limit change a lot depending on the brand you buy. The suggest weight limit can vary from 180 lbs to 425 lbs. This is an important thing to note since a lot of new buyers don't take the time to check if the chair they buy will fit their body type. Going with a chair that is lower price is not a good idea if you know that you exceed the weight or height limit. It's better to pay a little more for a product that will fit your body and last years instead of buying a chair that you will not feel comfortable in. After all, this is a long-term investment. It would be a waste to have a chair that you can't use because it's too small or too large. Like a mattress, we need to make sure that we choose the right chair for us that we can use for a few years without any issues.
We consider DXRacer to be the winner in that category since they have models for taller and broader users compared to the other brands. Because of the wide selections of models offered, DXRacer has models that fit users under 160 lbs and up to 425 lbs. If you are a tall/large person, the DXRacer Tank series is the best option available in the market.
Frame and parts warranty
As a reseller, this is probably one of the features that we feel is underrated. When shopping for a gaming chair, we need to keep in mind a few key points: the price, the size and the durability. The durability is hard to know before making a purchase. Reviews can help a lot but it all depends on how well we take care of our chair. If well taken care of, a gaming chair can easily last 5+ years. In the office, we have a chair that has been used daily (8h to 12h per day) for the past 3 years and it still feels and looks brand new. If you want to read about it, click here for the article.
Because of the lifetime warranty on frame and 2-year warranty on parts, DXRacer and AKRacing have the best warranties in the market. Since we don't sell AKRacing, we can't comment on the warranty claim process under the warranty. We tried to find more information about their warranty claim process but unfortunately, at the time of this article, they don't have an official US or Canadian website. This doesn't necessarily mean anything, but warranty claims may take a few weeks to get processed if the replacement parts are sent from overseas since they don't have a location in the US.
For DXRacer chairs, in case there is an issue, we are able to process warranty claims within 1 to 2 days for parts and up to 7 business days for the frame.
Restocking fees
Restocking fees can be a hassle if you don't like what you just purchased. Because of the large size and weight of a gaming chair box, it's possible that there is a restocking fee if you plan to return your gaming chair.
NeedForSeat offers the best restocking fee compared to the other brands. They offer to pay for shipping back and charge no restocking fee if the chair has not been assembled. If you already assembled the chair and want to return it, a 20% restocking fee applies, like with the other brands. This being said, returning a 70 lbs chair can be time consuming. We recommend that you read the product's description of the chair you want to purchase to make sure that it fits you. This way, you are sure to not have to go through the trouble of disassembling the chair and return it. You can click here to check our quick guide showing which chair is recommended depending on your weight.
LED
Seriously? Yes seriously! Some gaming chairs have now LEDs to match the glorious RGB of your gaming setup. At the moment, only DXRacer and E-Blue are offering LEDs models. You can find the full list by clicking here.
This is only aesthetics and doesn't change anything to the comfort. The LEDs are located on the backseat so you can't see them while you're sitting. Only the person behind you can.
Conclusion
Now that you read about these brands, you can better compare them and make the right choice that fits your needs. As mentioned at the beginning of this post, we wanted to discuss facts only so we can help you better understand the differences between these brands.
From here, we will share our thoughts and experiences we had with these brands.
We think that the best brand to consider is DXRacer:
- Brand with the highest number of models available (+130)- One of the lowest price starting at $239
- Offers the same features or more as the other brands
- Height suggested weight limit at 425 lbs
- Lifetime warranty on frame and 2-year warranty on parts
- Easy warranty claim process through Chairs4Gaming and other official resellers
- Has been making gaming chairs for +10 years
Although the restocking fee (10% for unused chair) can seem a lot, we put enough information on our product's page and shopping guide to help you find the best chair for you to avoid any bad surprises at delivery (chair too small, too large etc.). You can click here to check our shopping guide.
If you still have some questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us via live chat (bottom right corner) or our contact page here.