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No gaming setup is complete without a good chair. Settling into a seat that’s made specifically for gaming feels like you’ve just leveled up over the competition, with everything in reach that you’ll need for the adventure ahead.
But these days, the best gaming chairs take it a step further by including a footrest, which will help keep you comfortable whether you’re in for an all-night session or just playing for a few hours.
What Are the Best Gaming Chairs With Footrest?
Even if you’re not a gamer but still spend a significant amount of time in front of a screen, for work or play, the best gaming chairs with footrest adjust for all sorts of ergonomic combinations to let you find your best position and be productive in whatever you’re doing. Here are a few points we recommend considering when searching for your next footrest-equipped gaming chair.
Comfort: A good gaming chair is built to hold up for lengthy sessions, so these should be comfortable to sit in without starting to hurt after a while. A foot rest makes a huge difference, but other attributes help too, like neck support, padded armrests, lumbar back support, reclining up to about 170º – just far enough back that you can still comfortably view your screen without having to awkwardly crane your neck upwards.
A lock mechanism also lets you set the chair to your preferred angle, so you won’t need to find it again each time you sit back down, and same goes for your preferred height and even armrest settings. Having a retractable footrest lets you kick your feet up, or tuck it away when you want to get closer to the desk.
Material: What’s inside counts too – a chair may be soft and pillowy when you first sit down, but compresses fast and you’ll be feeling the hard metal parts against your back and tailbone. Real leather looks and feels great, but don’t count out other offshoot materials like faux leather and carbon fiber leather. These can sill handle the stretching, flexing and friction that a durable chair should be able to take, and are also easy to clean.
Aesthetic:While it’s true that function and comfort are more important than looks, these can still add to the overall aesthetic of your gaming setup. There’s lots of sleek color combos to choose from that will match the rest of your battle-station, but it’s hard to go wrong with just classic black too.
Assembly: It’s worth considering how the chair is designed even before it’s ready for you to sit in. These are probably going to arrive in multiple parts and require basic assembly, though some are more complex than others (especially these ones with a footrest), and that can make a big difference when you want to get back to gaming. Clear and detailed instructions, either through an included diagram or a YouTube video, are your best guide to putting everything together correctly, and it’s advised to have someone else around to help if possible, since you’ll often need to hold heavy parts in place while inserting screws or attaching the base to the chair section. Plus the total weight can exceed 50 pounds.
Extras: Things like a built-in massage pillow for your back are a nice bonus, and 360º swivel lets you easily glide around when manning different monitors. It all depends on what your current setup and gaming needs look like.
