Best gaming chair under $100 2023

Looking to save some cash? Here are the best gaming chairs under $100

Table of Contents Table of Contents

The best gaming chair under $100 is a tricky page for us to write, considering many gaming mice, keyboards, and headsets regularly exceed $100, you’re going to have to make some compromises when trying to find a piece of furniture within that same price bracket.

However, all hope is not lost, with some careful consideration you can get something decent for this price and we’re going to help you, so join us as we take a closer look at the best gaming chairs under $100 and sift through the crap to find some diamonds in the rough.

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Best gaming chairs under $100: reviews

With all the groundwork done, we’re now ready to have a look at the contenders, so let’s do that. You might notice that these aren’t all super-gaming-looking. This is an intentional decision as the ones that do have the ‘gaming’ p[refix applied tend be mostly crap.

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MCQ ergonomic gaming chair

Chair type

Office

Materials

Steel, PU Leather

Max load

250lbs

Max recline

125°

How We Review

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Pros

• Very affordable
• Five different color options

Cons

• Very limited ergonomics

The MCQ gaming chair tops our list for sheer affordability. It’s got ‘ergonomic’ in the name, but it’s more focused on low-end affordability, however, there are some redeeming features.

Additionally, the MCQ gaming chair comes in five different colorways, which is impressive for a budget gaming chair. Given that this chair has a 4.5 rating on Amazon with almost 5.000 reviews you can be confident that it’s got some serious bang-for-buck.

Other nice features of the MCQ include the silent casters, which will avoid irritating the parents or roommates during late-night gaming sessions. Additionally, we get a super simple assembly process, which is always a nice bonus.

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Ergonomic Executive Office Chair

Chair type

Office

Materials

Steel, plastic mesh

Max load

300lbs

Max recline

120°

How We Review

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Pros

• The best ergonomics on this list
• Breathable mesh design

Cons

• Boring visual design

The weirdly generically named ‘Ergonomic Executive Office chair’ is our top pick in terms of comfort and ergonomics. Unlike the other chairs on this list, this one makes no pretensions about being some “gaming” chair.

It’s just a really good, really flexible office chair.

While some may worry about the differences between an office chair versus a gaming chair, high-end office chairs have the same goal as gaming chairs. That is to provide a comfortable experience for long periods of time in front of a computer.

If, however, you need a higher weight capacity or want some cool extra features, this may not be the best place to look.

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DualThunder Chair

Chair type

gaming

Materials

Plastic, Faux leather

Max load

330lbs

Max recline

N/A

How We Review

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Pros

• Subtle gamer design
• Easy assembly

Cons

• Boring visual design

Next up is the DualThunder Racing Chair. Right out of the gate we should make it clear that it doesn’t recline, so for those of you who need to stop napping on the job, it’s ideal, for those of you who like to doss, look elsewhere.

However, it does suffer from a few key issues. It’s short and has the least range for height adjustment. This isn’t the worst thing in the world, though, as it does make for a more accessible chair for vertically-challenged people.

It’s also quite expensive and doesn’t support Prime shipping. However, it does actually ship from within the US, meaning you’ll usually get the chair within 3 to 4 days of ordering it.

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Best Choice Executive Racing Office Chair

Color Options

Blue

Weight Capacity

260 lbs

Sitting Height

18’’ to 21’’

How We Review

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Pros

• Good height adjust
• High-quality materials
• Fair price

Cons

• Only comes in blue
• Lower weight capacity
• Poor QC

The Best Choice chair retails for around $80 on most days, and it does so while offering high-quality PU leather. It also adds a lot of padding, designed to ease back pains and allow comfortable lounging.

For the most part, this is a pretty comfortable chair that serves most people well. There are a few problems worth noting, though.

First and foremost, there are no color options. This chair seemingly only comes in blue, and if that doesn’t match the look of your desk, your rig, or your room, it may stick out unpleasantly.

Secondly, this is one of the chairs on this list with a low weight capacity. While it should be fine for someone in the 200-ish pounds range, the closer you get to that 250 number, the less stable and comfortable this chair will feel for you.

Finally, there are a few QC issues.

A lot of chairs are seemingly shipped with issues, as noted by the Amazon reviews. Because of this, you may need to deal with returns…from an overseas company. That’s a pretty big downside.

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How we test the best gaming chairs under $100

Much like gaming keyboards, mice, and headsets, we try our hardest to get the options we recommend in the WePC offices for a proper testing period, whether we buy them ourselves, or get sent review samples by the brands in question. Sometimes this isn’t actually possible for various reasons though.

If this is the case, we use a mixture of product research, intuition, and some consideration of what similar editorial outlets have considered the best. This allows us to get a more well-rounded view of the product in question, despite not having tested it ourselves. After this is done, we collate the options into the list you’re reading right now.

If we can get ahold of the chair, then we have a set list of considerations and tests that we put each chair through. These include, but are not limited to the following:

• Ease of construction
• Material quality
• Comfort
• Ergonomics
• Adjustability
• Design (This one is very subjective, so we do our best to cover all the bases with a mixture of photography and verbal descriptions)

If you’re curious about how we test, a full gaming chair review methodology can be found here.

Is it even possible to get a good gaming chair for $100?

It definitely won’t be fantastic, but you can get a perfectly cromulent chair at this price point if you pay close attention and manage to sidestep the snake oil. We’ve managed to cobble together this list, so yes, it’s possible, just about.

Best gaming chair under $100 – Things to consider

Unfortunately, this price range of gaming chairs means that there are going to be a few downsides you just can’t avoid. Before making a buying decision, we recommend familiarizing yourself with them so you aren’t in for a nasty surprise.

Delivery times will be longer than usual

First thing first, the shipping on these can be pretty bad. Because they’re often based overseas before being ordered, it can take a week or more for you to receive your gaming chair.

A lot of budget options for chairs, monitors, and other products are based outside of the US, and shipping time is a common downside with them if you live stateside.

Best gaming chair under $100 – Build Quality

Next up is a sad reality: you aren’t going to get $500 chair quality and endurance out of a $100 chair. This falls under the category of things that simply don’t happen.

However, you will still be receiving a great budget chair for your money. While many of these do come from overseas, their quality is usually better than what you can expect walking into a retail store and buying a chair at the same price.

Especially as you’ll normally be limited to shopping used at that price point

Because of this, we still recommend them. Just note that they may start showing wear and tear sooner than the truly premium options.

Inevitable compromises

Last but not least, a few inevitable compromises have to be made at this price range. This compromise is usually seen in the following areas:

• Chair weight capacity
• Added features
• Quality of materials

Most of the chairs on this list opt for good materials, except for the one that chooses weight capacity instead. A few of the higher-end ones manage to pull off extra features and quality materials, but still sacrifice weight capacity. Unfortunately, you can’t have it all at this price.

Design

Luckily, visual design has less of an impact on the cost of a gaming chair than the more tangible areas like ergonomics and build quality. This means that you can still find some spiffy-looking chairs for less than $100. Additionally, as they are very cheap to produce, there are often far more available color options than you might find elsewhere.

Weight limit

The weight limit in a chair determines two things: whether or not you can actually use the chair without the worry of breaking it and how sturdy it is.

Ideally, you want to buy a chair with a weight limit that’s well over your own body weight. This means you never have to worry about breaking it and that your seat will always feel sturdy and stable, not wobbly or unreliable. Unfortunately for bigger, heavier folks, a lot of the chairs on this list won’t fit that criterion. Even if you’re under the 250-lb range that most of these chairs recommend, you still won’t have the most sturdy seating experience, and, over time the chair may still get worn down.

Many of the chairs in this price range have a relatively low weight limit. Keep your own weight in mind before purchasing.

Seating height

While the seating height on these chairs is mostly what you’d expect from an office chair, it’s still important to keep an eye on this number. Seating height refers to how far the seat is from the ground and it’s measured in inches.

Most adults will be more than fine with the typical 20-ish-inch seating height, especially with the option to adjust up and down by some inches. However, if you’re particularly tall or short, every inch of height adjustment will count.

Keep in mind the range of seating height when making your purchase. Ideally, you want something that’s around the length of your leg from the knee down.

Other features

Tilt is a really big feature for gaming chairs, tilt refers to the ability for the base and backrest of the chair to rock back together, this is distinct to recline as it includes the base too. We are particularly big fans of tilt function as it makes for more enjoyable relaxation, additionally, it also allows you to tilt and rock back and forth without compromising the ergonomic adjustments. We’ve made sure to include gaming chairs in this list with both tilt and recline capabilities.

Adjustable armrests are a common feature, too, but usually don’t show up in this price range.

Also, keep in mind things, like the materials and build of the chair. PU leather is popular in this range as a comfortable, easy-to-clean material.

How long will gaming chairs last?

Overall, a gaming chair should last at least 2 years. That being said, making sure you purchase from a quality and reliable brand should see that number rise exponentially. Like more premium chairs, the best gaming chairs for under $100 utilize better materials, meaning they should withstand the everyday use they go through much better.

Are gaming chairs good for you back?

One of the main considerations that go into the construction of every decent gaming chair is how they impact your back health. As all good gaming chair manufacturers know, gamers don’t just spend five minutes playing games. No, they spend numerous hours playing their favorite AAA game titles, making back health all the more important. We’ve written a guide to improving your posture whilst gaming in case you’re curious.

Chair manufacturers try to ensure that solid back support is a key factor in their design, aiding in the support of your back, neck, shoulders, head, and hips.

Ergonomics

You’re going to be spending a lot of time in the gaming chair, so it better be healthy right? That’s why we’ve made sure to recommend chairs here with good ergonomics, like lumbar support, a neck pillow, and high-density foam. Additionally, if you already suffer from back pain, our best office chair for back pain page might be of use. We’ve made an infographic below so you can improve your posture.

Lumbar support

Good lumbar support is invaluable when it comes to a decent gaming chair. Lumbar support helps coax your spin into the proper position, this maintains its natural curvature which can reduce strain and promote a healthy posture too. This is one of the most important aspects of ergonomics, and for a gaming chair to have good ergonomics, it must start with lumbar support

Neck pillows

Lumbar support keeps your lower back in check, but let’s not forget the neck either. Many chairs these days come with an adjustable neck pillow that helps keep your neck positioned at the correct angle, good neck pillows combine with lumbar support to create an overall ergonomic design that will help keep you comfortable and healthy for long periods.

High-density foam

We’ve all experienced overly soft foam, right? Initially delightful, but soon becomes as flat as a board with no support, as the foam degrades you get less comfortable. This is a problem that is functionally eliminated with the implementation of good-quality, high-density foam. This ups the chair’s ergonomics, and makes it last far longer, so don’t be forgetting high-density foam in your search for the best gaming chair under $100.

Are gaming chairs worth it?

The short answer to this question is yes. It doesn’t matter if you’re a console gamer or trying to take your competitive esports play to the next level. A gaming chair will ultimately make your life that little bit easier. Not only will they provide good comfort, armrests, and the back support you need for healthy posture. But they’ll also outlive many other cheaper alternatives.

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The best gaming chair under $100: Final word

Ultimately, what chair you go with depends on your budget, sense of aesthetics, and your weight.

My personal choice would actually be the Giantex High Back Chair since I’m a heavier dude. If I do buy it, I would buy it while planning to upgrade to a high-end DX Racer in the future.

The lighter among you may be eyeing the BestOffice High-Back Racing Chair or the HomCom Race Car Style Gaming Chair. Both are fine options, but I’d recommend BestOffice if you’re in the mid-or-high 200 weight range, just so you can have extra sturdiness in your seating experience.

What you go with, though, is ultimately up to you. Comment below and let us know what your favorite pick is! You can also now head on over to our Community hub where you can discuss everything chair related with like-minded individuals.