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Did you know that experts estimate that up to 80% of the population will experience back pain at some time in their lives? What’s more, the number of people with this problem had increased by about 54% between 1994 and 2015 (according to the ACA) and you can be assured that this trend isn’t on the decline. Much of the problems with our postures and especially our backs stem from bad sitting or standing positions. And considering how many people, young and old, now belong to the student population, a healthy seated posture while you’re studying is of great consequence. And investing in a chair that supports and bolsters your body’s natural curvature is becoming more and more essential as our lifestyles take a turn to be more sedentary than ever before. So with all that in mind, are gaming chairs good for studying?
Yes, gaming chairs are great for studying. They’re designed to be comfortable and ergonomic so being seated in one for long durations should be a more comfortable experience than what you might expect from any kind of non-ergonomic chair.
Table of Contents
Are gaming chairs good for studying?
Now let’s look at what gaming chairs have that make them so favorable for studying purposes.
Ergonomics
This is arguably the single strongest card that gaming chairs have to play. Since gaming chairs are designed for being seated in for long durations of time and providing comfort while doing so, they have to be designed ergonomically and with the body’s natural posture in mind.
This helps in providing the user with the most comfortable and healthy seating position possible.
Gaming chairs have done some great things with regards to consumer specificity and customization. So it’s much easier to find a good fit with a more customizable gaming chair than with a normal chair which-far from being ergonomic-don’t always purport to support the natural body posture of a seated person.
We’re going to talk about customizability separately and as for ergonomics, gaming chairs are supposed to be built to provide a natural and healthy seated posture. Since gamers can spend a lot of time in front of their PCs, gaming chairs are designed so that the person doesn’t feel uneasy in their chair even after hours and hours of studying. That’s what they got a comfortable gaming chair to get rid of in the first place.
Gaming chairs have back-rest that aren’t plank-straight but have a curvature to them that’s commensurate with the body’s own curvature. Our spine is nowhere near a straight column. It has curves here and there and gaming chair manufacturers keep that in mind.
Combined with the already curved back-rest that gaming chairs have, the neck and lumbar pillows that are such a common sight among gaming chairs help provide the user with a seated posture that’s supposed to help develop and maintain a nice and healthy posture. Even if you have bad posture, a gaming chair can not only accommodate your body so that it’s comfortable but it might even help correct bad posture to some degree.
A degenerated posture can be a dangerously harmful thing that can be hard to recover from completely. It takes a while to set in and also a while to get out. And as per the ACA (or American Chiropractic Association), a recent global survey of health conditions identified back pain as the “single most disabling condition worldwide.” And “It is also the second most common reason for visits to the doctor’s office, outnumbered only by upper-respiratory infections.”
Professionals recommend exercising and maintaining a workstation set-up that not only helps you keep comfortable in the short term but also sets you up to be able to avoid back problems in the long run. That’s becoming so much more important keeping in mind the developing trend of people with back problems especially since all age groups are prone to this epidemic. It’s also one of the reasons behind the opioid epidemic that has plighted the United States in recent times since the treatment for back problems has involved the use of pain relief medication.
That gives you some perspective of how serious a problem back pain can be and thus how valuable a healthy and ergonomic seating position-that a gaming chair can provide-can be.
Customizability
The other card that gaming chairs bring to the table is customizability. There are a plethora of different types and qualities of gaming chairs around and each of them can come at different price ranges with different features. And something that a typically good gaming chair can provide is a set of customizable user-friendly options to customize your chair just the way you feel best.
Seating height
A lot of gaming chairs come with an adjustable seat height so you can be assured as long as you’re in the manufacturer’s recommended height range, that you’re going to be well accommodated by your gaming chair in terms of how far up your knees will be from the grounds, how bent your legs will be and how easily you can sit with your legs curled up in the chair.
Armrests
Another area where gaming chairs capitalize on customizability is the armrests. A lot of gaming chairs these days come with 4D armrests. Meaning that these type of armrests can move in 4 different planes i.e.
- Up and down
- Back and forth
- Left and right
- Rotate inwards and outwards (typically up to 10°)
These aren’t the only type prevalent in gaming chairs but are usually seen on the higher end. Other armrests such as 3D and 2D armrests tone down on the freedom of movement but still give you more space to adjust as compared to a normal office chair.
Armrests on good gaming chairs are pretty wide so you should be well accommodated whether your forearm resembles the hulks’ or a figure less swole. Compared to some other types of chairs, the armrests on gaming chairs are either padded or designed so that they don’t constrict blood flow if you let your arms just lie around. And since the armrests can rotate inwards or outwards, they also help to accommodate people that would prefer sitting in their chairs with their legs curled up during or after a long study session.
Seat and back-rest
As for the most important part of a chair, the seat and the back-rests of good quality gaming chairs should be more than satisfactory for users. Good gaming chairs often feature wide seats with bolsters on the side so that you may be able to feel tucked into the chair combined with the curved design of the back-rest. You can sit in a gaming chair with your legs crossed up in the seat if you’re studying a book or writing on something that’s in your lap, although the armrests themselves are wide enough on some chairs for that purpose.
Gaming chairs often feature lumbar pillows and some also feature neck pillows. Both of these may be customizable depending on the chair you buy via straps or other mechanisms. Chairs like the Razer Iskur even have lumbar pieces that open up- yeah, they actually open up like a door- and accommodate your lower back in a way that’s best suited to your individual posture. And even besides that, if you make sure that you’re comfortably in the height range recommended by the manufacturer, you should be able to reap the comforts of a customizable seating position that accommodates your own needs specifically.
Recline, tilt, and swivel
Gaming chairs besides having flashy exteriors also pack features that you might not see in other types of typical chairs. A lot of gaming chairs allow the user to recline up to almost a horizontal position and though you may not feel the need to go that far down (unless you don’t have the luxury of a comfortable bed), you can definitely use it to recline to a comfortable position during or after a relatively strenuous study session and have a little nap before you go on again. A reliable gaming chair isn’t likely to lose balance easily so you can rest assured.
Gaming chairs also often have a base that allows swivelling (or going round and round) and tilting (kind of like rocking in the chair) which add flavor and functionality to the chair and make it more enjoyable than you might think of a chair.
Great quality and durability (if you choose right)
As with the other areas, gaming chairs can have a difference in their build qualities and overall durability at different price points. But a typically good gaming chair can have great foam that is both comfortable and durable owing to its resistance to degeneration which a lot of us that have had some experience with mattresses, maybe too familiar with.
Premium gaming chairs can have firm as well as soft seating material that not only provides comfort but also supports your posture rather than letting you sink into the foam too far like what might happen with memory foam. You should, however, give a second look-over to any gaming chair that interests you and make sure that it feels just right. Not too firm and not too soft.
As for the skin, gaming chairs often feature PU Leather and sometimes even real leather (although that will probably cost you more) and the color range isn’t monotonous either. If leather isn’t your style, you can go with a more cloth-like feel as you might get from something like SecretLab’s trademarked SoftWeave skins. So the texture and the feel of the material can go from premium and warm to breathable and comfy.
Be sure to look for something that has class, brand, and good reviews behind it before you buy it. A good gaming chair can be a great investment but it might be an investment nonetheless so do your research, capitalize on what you’re looking for, go with good quality if you can and hopefully, you’ll be enjoying the comforts of having chosen a good, durable gaming chair for some time to come.
Conclusion
So as far as the question of “Are gaming chairs good for studying?” is concerned… Gaming chairs are a great choice for a good, comfortable, and healthy seating position to study for some long hours. They’re super customizable, designed ergonomically, and provide a great solution to the problems relating to bad backs and postures that are developed due to poor seating positions.
Some gaming chairs are definitely an investment but they’re also definitely going to pay-off as long as you keep in mind what you’re looking for, not compromising on quality, and going with a brand that’s recognized for the quality of its products.
If everything goes right, getting a gaming chair should add a blissful flavor to your studying hours especially if you’re coming from a typical, hard, plank-straight back-rest chair. And the benefits go beyond studying… you can lounge around in your comfy gaming chair anytime you want. Watch movies, have a snack!
Overall, getting a gaming chair for studying should have great outcomes including more comfortable studying sessions and increased productivity.
