How To Make a Gaming Chair More Comfortable (7 Tips)

When you look at the design of a gaming chair, they look pretty comfortable. However, they aren’t always as comfortable as they appear, especially when you spend a lot of time sitting in them. So, we have some solutions for you to ensure your gaming chair is comfortable. 

Here’s how to make a gaming chair more comfortable:

1. Ensure your chair is the correct height. 
2. Check that your display is eye-level. 
3. Consider a footrest to ensure your legs aren’t dangling. 
4. Make sure that you have plenty of lower back support. 
5. Add a cushion for more comfortable sitting. 
6. A padded armrest can add some comfort. 
7. Practice good posture when sitting for extended periods. 

Let’s take a closer look at these tips for making your gaming chair more comfortable. 

1. Ensure Your Chair Is the Correct Height

Sitting in a chair is not ever going to be a normal position for humans. In fact, our normal positions are standing and squatting. So, we can’t debate which way sitting in a gaming chair is more normal because it is not normal at all.

So, we have to figure out how to sit that allows us the most possible comfort, although it may not be normal or natural. 

Achieving the correct height in your gaming chair is vital for comfort and posture. The ideal position of your chair would have your back flat against the chair, your knees at a ninety-degree angle, and your feet flat on the floor. 

This allows the chair to effectively support your body with the correct posture. 

Having your chair too high or low can cause stress in certain parts of your body. Your neck and back will strain to attempt to account for the incorrect posture. This is where a lot of aches and soreness come from after hours of gaming so it is best to correct it. 

The chair height may take a little time to get right according to your comfort level, but it is important to keep it consistent. The correct chair height can help keep you from slouching too much in your chair. 

2. Check That Your Display Is Eye-Level

Having the right setup is vital for being comfortable and keeping your body healthy. 

Where your computer sits compared to your eye level is no different. In fact, having your monitor too high can cause many issues with neck and back strain, as well as leaning too often to see more clearly. 

The correct setup will allow you to see the entire screen without looking up at all. 

The idea is to not have any part of your monitor above eye level, only below. The top of your screen should be eye level, and the rest of the screen should be visible by looking down only. This will help you keep the correct posture when gaming. 

Another important part of displaying your monitor is how far away it is from you. You never want to be closer than 20” (50.8 cm) from your monitor. Beyond 20” (50.8 cm), you want to ensure that you are as far away from your monitor as it measures in inches. For example, a 36” (91.44 cm) monitor means that you should be 36” (91.44 cm) from the screen for optimal view. 

Remember that looking up at your monitor and having it too close or too far away can be bad for your eyes and cause headaches or migraines. So, keep the correct distance between you and the screen to be able to see clearly and avoid discomfort and headaches. 

3. Consider a Footrest To Ensure Your Legs Aren’t Dangling

Allowing your legs to dangle without your feet touching the floor can harm your spine and cause neck and back pain. So, it is best to always have your feet on the floor when gaming for extended periods of time. 

If you can’t get your gaming chair at the proper height with your desk to allow your feet to be firmly on the floor, then a footrest may be the best option for you. Not only will a footrest be comfortable, but it can help correct your posture as well. 

A footrest will encourage you to sit up straight and correctly in the chair. Without one, you may be more likely to slouch, swing your legs, or position yourself uncomfortably. 

So, try a footrest for the best chance for good posture. 

There are a few different types of footrests to choose from that each can help you achieve different things. The traditional stationary footrest can help your posture and overall aches and pains, but more is for those who deal with other issues while sitting for extended periods. 

For example, you can get footrests that can swing and even massage your feet. 

If you deal with circulation problems, then massaging may be a great way to ensure you are comfortable. Swinging footrests can help gamers who tend to fidget when they stay still for too long. They are also a great way to keep your body active while you are gaming. 

Or, you could buy a portable footrest, such as this Guide Gear Camp Chair Foot Stool from Amazon.com. While it is made for camping, you can use it wherever you game or work. You can also take it to the office to place it under your desk, as it is at the same height as the seat of most office chairs.

The stool is foldable, but it is sturdy enough for large cats to sleep on it.

4. Make Sure That You Have Plenty of Lower Back Support

Many gaming chairs come with lower back support, but it is not a one-size-fits-all approach to comfort. Different heights, weights, and body types need different approaches when it comes to lower back support. 

So, not every gaming chair is going to be right for your body. 

The key to comfort is to ensure your lower back is kept against the chair. So, try not to lean forward or slouch, which forces your back to be curved uncomfortably while you play. To keep your lower back against the chair and be comfortable, your chair may need some extra lower back support. 

Thankfully, there are plenty of options for extra lower back support for your gaming chair. If the chair doesn’t allow you to sit back comfortably, try looking for an additional attachment for your chair that can give your lower back the support it needs. 

If you’re looking for something that can help keep your lower back aligned correctly, try this Everlasting Comfort Lumbar Support Pillow. Available on Amazon.com for a reasonable price, this support pillow is adjustable and can fit on your gaming chair to help support your lower back. 

Remember, the goal with lower back support is always to have your lower back comfortably positioned against the chair or attachment. Without doing this, you are risking a sore back and neck. 

5. Add a Cushion for More Comfortable Sitting

Not only will a cushion provide more comfort when sitting in your gaming chair, but it also helps with getting the height of your chair correct. 

As discussed above, the correct height of your gaming chair has your feet on the ground and your back flat against the chair. A seat cushion can help you achieve this easier without feeling like you are sitting too low. 

While many gaming chairs focus on how cool they look or back and neck support, sometimes the seat cushion is disregarded. A bad seat cushion can mean that your body is not able to be comfortable in the chair. This can cause you to move around a lot in the chair because you are uncomfortable. 

So, getting a cushion for your gaming chair can help. 

There are many different types of seat cushions you can get, but one of the best options for ensuring maximum comfort is memory foam. Memory foam will reduce the pressure caused on your bum and spine by sitting for extended periods of time in a gaming chair. 

It will not be flat like other cushions. Rather it forms in your body, reducing pressure. 

Because it reduces pressure, a memory foam seat cushion will also allow your body to achieve better circulation. This will reduce any swelling, soreness, lack of energy, and possible blood clots. 

So, consider a memory foam seat cushion to make your gaming chair a lot more comfortable and improve circulation. 

6. A Padded Armrest Can Add Some Comfort

The goal of an armrest is to hold your arms at a ninety-degree angle comfortably. This means that your shoulders and neck should be relaxed while your arms are resting. Having armrests too low or too high can encourage a slouch, leading to back and neck pain. 

Not all gaming chairs come with comfortable armrests, and some aren’t even adjustable. 

Sometimes it is necessary to get armrest padding to ensure you are sitting correctly and comfortably. The key is to ensure you can sit upright comfortably with your arms resting and without slouching. 

Sometimes this can be done with the armrest you already have on your chair, but bodies of all shapes and sizes cannot conform to one chair size. Like we discussed above, one size does not fit all when it comes to gaming chairs, and armrests are no different. 

It’s important to adjust and even add on to your armchair to ensure it is the right size and comfort level for you. You should be able to rest your arms at a ninety-degree angle comfortably in the chair while the rest of your body maintains the correct posture we described above. 

If you have added a seat cushion, then the armrests on your gaming chair may not be high enough to fit comfortably. So, adding a padded armrest may help make your chair more comfortable and allow you to sit properly despite the seat cushion. 

7. Practice Good Posture When Sitting for Extended Periods

We have discussed some of the important parts of good posture above. So, let’s bring them all together and talk about why they are so important for gaming. 

Use Your Headrest

The best way to protect your neck and ensure you don’t have to deal with soreness is to make sure your head is comfortably against the headrest. Make sure your ears are aligned with your shoulders, so your head is not leaning back at all but resting in an upright position. 

Make sure when you sit down that your shoulders are back, so they sit comfortably rather than being slumped. 

Check the Position Of Your Shoulders

Often, we tend to sit with our shoulders forward which makes our back curve, but this is not ideal for a healthy neck and spine. You may have to retrain your body to stay in this position as you will sometimes want to recline. 

Keep Your Lower Back Against the Chair

It is also important to keep your lower back against the chair to maintain proper positioning. This is easier to do with a nice chair or a support pillow like we discussed above, but your comfort needs to keep your lower back against the chair or pillow while you play. Not only will this help with your posture, but it will help with maintaining a healthy neck and spine. 

Keep Your Feet On the Floor

Make sure when you are gaming for long hours, you keep your feet comfortably on the floor. It can be a habit to lift your legs on the seat with you or to swing them as you play, but it is important to avoid this. 

Your back and neck can be affected by not having your feet on the floor or on a footrest. So, make sure you keep them firmly placed to avoid improper posture. 

Set a Timer

It can be difficult to train your body to sit in this position for extended periods, as we tend to move around. When you are first getting started with ensuring you keep your posture, set a timer to remind yourself every so often to check your posture. 

This will keep you honest and remind you to check on yourself. 

Though it may be difficult at first to keep proper posture, soon enough, your body will get used to the position. Getting things like a support pillow and a footrest can help expedite the process as well. 

So, try each day to make an effort to sit correctly, and you’ll feel the difference right away. 

Final Thoughts

There are many ways to make your gaming chair more comfortable, and most of them focus on correctly positioning your body to avoid aches and pains. Sometimes, gaming chairs are not made perfectly for your body, and that’s when other additions come in handy. 

So, try to make these changes and see how much more comfortable you are for extended gaming sessions.