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From casual to hardcore professionals, gamers like to be comfortable, so, when you are logging in for a lengthy session of Call of Duty or Fortnite, you are going to want a gaming chair that satisfies. This can be a daunting product market to sift through. Gaming chairs can cost thousands of dollars, but they don’t have to. If your budget is tight after buying a next-gen console or graphics card off the secondary market, then the best gaming chairs under $100 might be for you. Gaming chairs, even the ones under $100, serve a purpose. Like most mid-range office chairs, gaming chairs focus on ergonomics and posture. They are built to provide total body comfort while gaming. Even the cheaper-end models put some emphasis on these factors. Other than that, there are slight variances from chair to chair. Finding the best gaming chairs under $100 isn’t about budget; it’s about the little things like headrests and speakers. Even a cheaper gaming chair is better than sitting on a milk crate. 

How we chose the best gaming chairs under $100

We’ve got gamers on staff who have been gaming since the Super Nintendo was the hot next-gen console, and installing a PC game involved swapping floppy disks. For this and many other reasons, we know what it’s like to covet comfort and seek optimized equipment. So, now that we’re obsessing over the latest PS5 accessories or gaming laptops or ultrawide monitors all day long, we’re even more aware of our desire to settle in style. We combined personal experience, peer recommendations, critical reviews, and user impressions to narrow down our options for best gaming chairs under $100, then compared specs and anecdotes to determine our top picks.

The best gaming chairs under $100: Reviews & Recommendations  

The trick to finding a competent and affordable gaming chair is accepting that this chair will not be a forever chair. A gaming chair for under $100 will be used until you can buy a better one. That’s not to say that all gaming chairs under $100 are hunks of plastic waiting to be thrown out, however. Plenty of solid buys will either fill a pertinent need or be a perfect chair for the kids to use. Here are our top picks.

Best overall: VITESSE Ergonomic Gaming Chair

Vitesse gaming chairs under $100 product image

Vitesse

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Why it made the cut: The VITESSE Ergonomic Gaming Chair is a well-rounded chair that accommodates larger-bodied gamers, all for a fair price.

Specs

  • Three available colors
  • Lumbar support
  • High weight limit

Pros

  • Ergonomically sound
  • Good customer service
  • Adjustable headrest & lumbar

Cons

  • Spotty welding
  • Armrests can quickly degrade
  • Color can fade

The VITESSE Ergonomic Gaming Chair regularly sells for $129.99, but at the time of this writing, it was on sale for $100. While that price might not hold, it’s a small variance to pay for a chair with a weight limit of 330 pounds. Some of us need a bigger, stronger chair for longer gaming sessions. This is that chair. 

Additionally, the Amazon description says it was designed “with human-oriented ergonomic structure.” That’s good because we don’t want to accidentally purchase a gaming chair that was designed for small varmints, spider-aliens, or the monster from The Thing. There’s a rocking function; it can spin around as you’d expect from a chair on wheels, and it’s easy to assemble. The VITESSE Ergonomic Gaming Chair is a solid buy for the money.

Best with footrest: GTPLAYER Gaming Chair

ANSUIT gaming chairs under $100 product image

ANSUIT

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Why it made the cut: The GTPLAYER Gaming Chair is a rarity in the gaming chair world because it has an attached footrest and more for under $100.

Specs

  • Eight colors
  • Has a footrest
  • Dual pillows

Pros

  • Head & neck pillows
  • Multiple colors
  • Metal frame

Cons

  • Not great for tall gamers
  • Seat is a bit hard
  • Curved armrests

The GTPLAYER Gaming Chair does have its issues with overall comfort due to metal bracing within the frame. Since it’s a gaming chair that can be purchased for $99, there is an acceptable compromise in the overall structure. That’s not to say it’s not a strong chair, it appears to be, but the metal frame can cause it to ride a bit stiff. If you like a solid sitting surface, then this might be the chair for you.

It comes with lumbar and neck pillows, which help to offset the overall stiffness of the chair. It has the standard tilt and swing feature of modern gaming chairs. There are also straight armrests, which help with wrist ergonomics. The selling point of the GTPLAYER Gaming Chair, though, is the attached footrest. Now you can take a nap while gaming. Or just put your feet up to keep them from tapping incessantly against your PC. 

Best for kids: Toszn DT580 Gaming Computer Chair

Toszn DT580 Video Game Chair best for kids

Toszn

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Why it made the cut: The Toszn Gaming Computer Chair is a perfectly sized chair for smaller gamers. It also comes in a wide selection of colors.

Specs

  • Two colors
  • 30-degree recline
  • Breathable mesh

Pros

  • PU Leather & mesh comfort
  • High weight limit
  • Openings for wires

Cons

  • Armrests don’t move
  • Built for smaller gamers

This chair is perfectly sized for kids. It’s not as tall as most gaming chairs, even though it has the standard adjustable height. The back is made of breathable mesh, while the seat is PU leather (basically vinyl that feels like leather). 

Being waterproof and easy to clean adds value to the feature set if you purchase this sub-$100 chair for kids. It also has two openings in the back so you can easily string headphone or mic cables so they don’t get tangled in the armrests. The Toszn Gaming Computer Chair is a great starter chair for budding gamers.

Best ergonomic: Homall Gaming Chair

Homall gaming chairs under $100 product image

Homall

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Why it made the cut: The Homall Gaming Chair offers a sleek design paired with comfortable ergonomics. Style and function all in one. 

Specs

  • Comes in nine colors
  • Race Car-style wheels
  • Back & Headrest

Pros

  • Good suspension
  • Flat armrests
  • Adjustable head & back support

Cons

  • Faux-leather gets hot
  • Top-heavy

While the armrests aren’t fully adjustable on the Homall Gaming Chair, it’s not bad for a $100 gaming chair as it pertains to ergonomics. It has a headrest positioned where it should be, a tall back, and a lumbar cushion. Sitting up straight is easy in a chair like this, it is built to support good posture. The trick is finding the best placement for that lumbar cushion. Some users might find the lumbar cushion a bit confusing due to its perfect placement. 

The chair is a bit top-heavy due to the angle at which it can recline versus physics. You might end up on the floor if leaning too far back without balancing properly. The seat is a soft, shaping sponge material that bounces back after sitting and will take some time to wear down. For a gaming chair, that’s not too shabby for a seat. Often, the seats on gaming chairs are either too stiff or too shabby. The Homall Gaming Chair carries an exciting design (the pink/white one is the best) and solid ergonomics for $100.

Best lumbar support: ECOTOUGE PC Gaming Chair

ECOTOUGE gaming chairs under $100 product image

ECOTOUGE

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Why it made the cut: The ECOTOUGE PC Gaming Chair has a built-in vibrating massager and a footrest, all for under $100.

Specs

  • Comes in three colors
  • Massaging lumbar support
  • Optional footrest

Pros

  • Vibrating massager
  • USB Connectivity
  • Footrest

Cons

  • Noisy chair
  • Not great seat padding
  • Fixed armrests

The ECOTOUGE PC Gaming Chair isn’t the most well-reviewed chair in the way of its overall construction … but reviews can be subjective. For under $100, your expectations should meet the price point somewhere in the middle. After all, it does come with a vibrating lumbar massager, and those alone can run you the price of the chair. Aside from that, there is an optional footrest that can be added on, still keeping the price under $100. 

There is also a head pillow attached to the top of the chair, with openings so you can run your headphone cables through. It has traditional engineering armrests, which are better than curved ones in keeping your hands and wrists straight. This style is better suited for PC gaming. There is also something called an angle regulator, which appears to be fancy terminology for the recline function. Are there better chairs on the market than the ECOTOUGE PC Gaming Chair? Sure, but not for under $100 with a built-in vibrating massager. 

Best speaker-enabled: X Rocker 2.1 Sound V Rocker

X Rocker gaming chairs under $100 product image

X Rocker

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Why it made the cut: A classic rocker, the X Rocker 2.1 Sound V Rocker ups the game with embedded speakers.

Specs

  • Built-in speakers
  • Audio outputs
  • Rocker

Pros

  • Built-in speakers
  • Foldable
  • Rocks

Cons

  • It’s on the floor
  • Cover is stapled on

You’d be hard-pressed to find a gaming chair with built-in speakers for under $100 unless you’re cool with sitting on the floor on the X Rocker 2.1 Sound V Rocker. This classic rocking gaming chair is made for gaming low to the ground. It’s great for kids but not too shabby for adults, either. Some of us graduated from the classic rocker to rockers that had sound features, similar to this one. There are speakers behind the headrest, with an additional audio panel for plugging in headphones.

It also folds for easy storage. This is a nice feature if you’ve got limited space, but also affects the overall lasting quality of the chair; chairs under $100 that fold in half generally don’t last as long as ones that don’t. Regardless, for a floor rocker with built-in speakers, the X Rocker 2.1 Sound V Rocker is the perfect gift for younger console gamers who haven’t devolved into PC gamers yet. 

Best budget: CREW FURNITURE Classic Video Rocker

Crew Furniture gaming chairs under $100 product image

Crew Furniture

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Why it made the cut: The CREW FURNITURE Classic Video Rocker chair is perfect for small kids who just want to jam on the Nintendo 64.

Specs

  • Comes in a few colors
  • Rocks
  • It’s on the floor

Pros

  • Cheap
  • Perfect for floor-sitting

Cons

  • Cheap
  • No legs
  • Requires sitting on the floor

If you are a gamer of a certain age, you once had the CREW FURNITURE Classic Video Rocker chair. Or at least something like it. These floor rocker chairs were all the rage in the late ’80s/early ’90s. Nothing was better than dragging one of these out from the corner, facing the massive 19-inch TV, and slapping on some Donkey Kong Jr. on the SNES. Naturally, if you are of that certain age, you don’t want to be scrunching to the floor to sit on one of these now.

These are chairs best suited for children. There are many varieties for under $100 and this one happens to be under $50. Some have RGB lighting or speakers, some just have better construction. This is the most basic of chairs but your kids don’t care. They just want to rock back and forth as they play Mortal Kombat 11 on the Xbox Series X in front of an 85-inch OLED TV. Times sure have changed, but the existence of the CREW FURNITURE Classic Video Rocker chair proves that not everything has.

Things to consider before buying the best gaming chairs under $100

These days, most of our shopping is done online. We’re still adapting to buying furniture we haven’t sat in. Regardless, this selection of chairs is only available through the mail, so you won’t be able to judge that sweet butt feel until you get it unboxed. There are still a few factors that can be considered even when buying online. It may seem a bit like picky minutiae, but there isn’t much more we can consider since we can’t sit in them. 

Size

Before you buy, you’ll want to ensure that the chair you are looking at will accommodate your size. While most have a general weight/height sweet spot, some gaming chairs are made for children, while some are made for adults of a larger variety. Usually, the product description outlines this, but checking the actual product dimensions can’t hurt. Your gaming chair is for comfort while gaming, so you’ll want to make sure you choose the right size chair for you.

Wheels or no wheels

Gaming chairs these days can come in a few different physical styles. Most of them have wheels on them, which is to be expected. However, some styles of gaming chairs have a single stand. This is great for PC gamers, especially those who tend to do weird things with their legs, constantly pushing their chairs back. Other styles don’t have either wheels or a stand, sitting directly on the ground. These chairs are best for console gamers, usually children, who don’t mind effectively sitting on the floor.

Color

If there is one product that comes in all the colors of the rainbow, it’s gaming chairs. Unlike office chairs that default to black, gaming chairs default to bright. Red, green, and blue are some of the most popular colors. Gaming chairs can be found in almost any color you can think of. However, with gaming chairs under $100, those options might be limited. Even so, you shouldn’t have any problem finding a sharply colored chair to add some pop to your gaming setup.  

Ergonomics

Comfort is subjective. Some gamers are cool with sitting in a disheveled pile of pillows on the floor. Others are after the ergonomic sweet spot. If you fall in the second group, you’ll want to find a chair with some ergonomic options (and maybe match them with an ergonomic desk). These would be things like armrests that adjust, lumbar support, and head & neck support. While not all gaming chairs under $100 will offer all this, most have at least the minimum requirement to be considered ergonomic.

FAQs

Q: How do I choose a gaming chair?

Choosing a gaming chair comes down to money and aesthetics. One could say it comes down to comfort, but since we purchase everything online these days, that won’t be a factor until after the purchase. While it would be nice to sit in every chair before buying, that’s just not as easy anymore. So your choices are limited to how much you want to spend, how awesome the chair looks, and what’s included. Does it have lumbar support? Ergonomic features? Built-in speakers or a footrest? You know how you like to game, so purchasing a chair that meets your needs turns up your gaming sessions.

Q: What is the best gaming chair for the money?

The best gaming chair for the money is not one on this list … unless your money taps out at $100. The best gaming chair for your money meets your needs as a gamer, checks all the feature boxes, and delivers comfort. This can be totally subjective. Some people like hard chairs, and some like soft cushions. Some gamers prefer the recline; some prefer a straight posture. Finding the right gaming chair for you might include a few returns, but you’ll know when the chair is right.

Q: How much does a good gaming chair cost?

A good gaming chair, on average, can run you about $250 to $300. While the ones on this list are under $100, that doesn’t mean they aren’t good. Again, totally subjective. These are great starter chairs, but they certainly aren’t the best on the market. But if you are looking for something with more lasting features and adjustments, then you’ll want to start in the higher range. Then, when you become an esports champion, you can get a professional gaming chair, which can cost in the thousands.

Q: What gaming chair do most YouTubers use?

According to Top Gaming Chair dot com, the most popular gaming chair among YouTubers, according to a 2019 survey, is the Secretlab Titan chair. Though many YouTubers don’t even use gaming chairs, some are hitting up Herman Miller for luxury office chairs. Overall, more than 50% of YouTubers either use a Herman Miller chair, DXRacer chair, or the Secretlab Titan.

Final thoughts on the best gaming chairs under $100

Buying a gaming chair doesn’t have to be stressful. Sure, gaming chairs under $100 can be a tough category to find a good chair, but you can find a passable chair, and if it’s for a child, you can even find a great chair. While ergonomics, lumbar support, and footrests are important to some of us who need extra help with our bodies as we sit all day, some people are just fine. There are better chairs on the market, of course, but you might not need one of those chairs. Perhaps you only game for an hour or two a night. Do you really need to invest more than $100 in a gaming chair? If you want to buy a gaming chair for under $100, you have plenty of options that will hold up until you’ve leveled up to whatever the professionals are using.

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

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