Gaming Chairs vs Ergonomic Chairs: A Buying Guide

The Ergo Score applies the same formula to every task chair, whether it is sold for home office work, management, drafting or gaming. Its adjustability lines cover armrests, seat height, seat depth, lumbar adjustment, recline, tilt lock, tilt tension and advanced tilt, and its support lines cover lumbar support, upper back support, headrest, cushion, seat edge and breathable back.

That makes the comparison simple: look at which of those lines a listing actually states, whatever the chair is called.

Gaming sessions and desk days can both run for hours. OSHA's workstation checklist says prolonged sitting should be avoided and suggests micro-breaks, and its keyboard guidance puts a five-minute break from computer tasks at every hour.

Whatever the chair, the recommended habits stay the same, and the chair's job is to make shifting position easy.

OSHA's chair guidance describes lumbar support that adjusts in height, a backrest that reclines and locks or has tension adjustment, a padded seat pan with a rounded edge, and armrests that adjust. Cornell University adds that reclining around 100 to 110 degrees is more sustainable than sitting fully upright.

The long hours list admits any task chair with an Ergo Score of at least 36 and a mesh or knit back or a memory, high-density or molded foam seat, from any category.

Pick the three or four lines that matter most to you, such as headrest, recline depth or armrest adjustment, and read what each shortlisted listing says about them. Style and brand preferences are legitimate, but they sit outside what the score measures.

• Headrest: the Comfort Index gives 10 points for a present headrest, and the Ergo Score gives 2 points for adjustment in height or angle.
• Recline depth: the Comfort Index gives points at 105, 120 and 135 degrees or more, and the Ergo Score gives 2 points for recline to 100 degrees or more.
• Armrests: up to 10 adjustability points depending on how many directions they move.
• Cushion: the Ergo Score credits memory, high-density or molded foam and mesh seats, while the Comfort Index also scores other foam and sponge and adds points for thicker cushions.
• Lumbar support: 8 points for presence and 4 more for a stated mechanism or adjustment.

1. Pick the features you care about and write them down before browsing.
2. Check each shortlisted listing for those features, and note any it does not state.
3. When the chair arrives, set seat height, depth and lumbar support first.
4. Set recline and tilt tension for the way you sit most of the time.
5. Adjust armrests and headrest last, then re-check after a week.
6. Take a five-minute break every hour, as OSHA recommends, whichever chair you chose.