The Best Gaming Chairs for Under $300 (That Don't Look Bad, Either)

Put down the headset, my jabroni, and look around: Is this truly the best gaming grotto you could imagine for yourself? How can you aspire to perform your Call of Duty, achieve Mario Kart enlightenment, finally get good at Warzone (do people still play Warzone?), or lock down a girlfriend in the market of Old School Runescape if you keep playing the game from a chair built for babies? No more. Today, we’re going to find gaming chairs that will support your ambitions (and back), without breaking the bank, so you can blow more of your money on Razer headsets or Elden Ring stuff. 

Now, for those of us who aren’t into video games, gaming chairs might seem like an unnecessary (and possibly even garish) purchase. Thankfully, these days, not all gaming chairs look like the abs of the aliens in Men In Black II—which is a look that we’re often into, for the record. But if you’re in the market for a chair that fits the whole Young Professional vibe you’ve got going on, we’ve got those too. Plus, gaming chairs are literally made with support and comfort in mind, since lots of gamers tend to put in some serious hours in them.

It’s time to ditch the IKEA-adjacent spinny chair you’re currently rocking—your spine will thank you. 

… Or work, or play, or contemplate your meager existence. This model from Vertagear features surface-layer Ultra Premium High Resiliency (UPHR) foam, which responds and contours as you sit. It also has an industrial-grade class-4 gas lift, which sounds sick.

This sleek and simple gaming chair by Inbox Zero is an excellent choice if you need a professional accent piece to offset the large pile of unfolded laundry on your bed in the background of your Zoom meetings. It features integrated steel frame technology, padded armrests, and a 360° swivel. 

Are you having flashbacks? We’re reminded of the Cool Kid’s house—you know, the one who had older brothers and a Game Cube, and was inexplicably good at Smash? (It must have been the chair.) Plus, who needs wheels and a stand? 

Which will help head off any gaming-induced back sweats. Your clothes—and chair—will thank you.

The answer is no, but yes. (For legal reasons: NO.) That being said, this chair has over 18,000 reviews on Amazon praising its 46.4 mile caster durability, 300-pound drop test, and 100,000-times-tested tilt mechanism strength. It sits on you. And you like it. 

Well. Knowing that this chair exists feels, somehow, a lot like watching someone play air guitar at a dinner party. Or waking up from a nightmare that you married the dude who claps when the plane lands. Really, though, we’re just jealous. This is all the drama of Chuck E. Cheese, Back to the Future, and “exit the plan in the event of an emergency” funneled into one piece of petroleum-derived material. (Of course it also has a massaging lumbar pillow.)

After all, they could use one. This gaming chair features a retractable footrest, so you can kick back and relax while you’re supposed to be working.

See you at Level 5.

The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story. VICE may receive a small commission if you buy through the links on our site.