Best Gaming Chair Under $300 2023
Everything you need to know about the best gaming chairs under $300
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Trying to find the best gaming chair under $300 wasn’t an easy task, but we think we managed to produce some great options in this price range for this article. Keep going and find your next great gaming chair.
After searching through dozens of lists and reviews, we’ve dug out the five best candidates for the best gaming chair under $300. They all serve different needs and different price ranges, and by the end of this article, you should have found the one best suited to your needs.
Best gaming chairs under $300: products at a glance
Vertagear S-Line SL2000
Color Options
White with Green, Blue, Black, Red, Black with Red, White, Pink ,Green, Blue
Weight Capacity
330 lbs
Height Capacity
At Least 6’1
DXRacer Formula Series
Color Options
Green, Blue, Coffee, Indigo, Orange, Pink, Red, White, Yellow, Black, Grey
Weight Capacity
200 lbs
Height Capacity
5’10
DXRacer Formula Series
Color Options
Red
Weight Capacity
200 lbs
Height Capacity
5’10
OPSEAT Master Series PC Gaming Chair
Color Options
Blue. Green, Grey, Orange, Pink, Purple, Red, White, Yellow
Weight Capacity
300 lbs
Height Capacity
At Least 6’4
HON Basyx Task Chair
Color Options
Black
Weight Capacity
250 lbs
Height Capacity
At Least 6’1
Best gaming chairs under $300: reviews
Vertagear S-Line SL2000
Color Options
White with Green, Blue, Black, Red, Black with Red, White, Pink ,Green, Blue
Weight Capacity
330 lbs
Height Capacity
At Least 6’1
- Durable Street Frame
- Easy to Assemble
- Elegant Design
- High Quality PVC Leather Material
- Cheaper Than Premium Racing Chairs
- Lumbar Support Might Be Too Firm
Vertagear is slowly making a name in the gaming chair industry and the S-Line SL2000 is no exception. The Vertagear S-Line SL2000 offers the same premium feel of DXRacer, AKRacing, and Maxnomic chairs but at a cheaper price.
Build and feel is just like the rest of the popular racing gaming chairs – lumbar support, and reclining mechanism features. However, they are somewhat harder and that might cause a problem for some.
Another cool thing about the SL2000 is the fact that the adjustments are ergonomically placed under the armrest for every user’s convenience. The base also lets you glide easily and functions smoothly like the adjustments under the armrest.
Spilling water or beer all over the chair isn’t an issue with the SL2000 since this is made of stain- and water-resistant PVC leather.
DXRacer Formula Series
Color Options
Green, Blue, Coffee, Indigo, Orange, Pink, Red, White, Yellow, Black, Grey
Weight Capacity
200 lbs
Height Capacity
5’10
- Superb build quality and comfort
- Included cushions for headrest and lumbar support
- Plenty of back and height adjustments
- Full back support
- Adjustable armrests
- A wide variety of color options to choose from
- High price
- Low weight capacity
The DXRacer Formula NE, meanwhile, offers mostly the same experience. The same downside I outlined previously still applies here. The low weight capacity means that heavier folk won’t be able to enjoy this chair.
However, we shouldn’t speak all the negatives. The fact is, the DXRacer line offers some of the best overall comfort and build quality you can get out of a gaming chair. There’s a reason that this brand is among the most highly recommended, after all.
In addition to superb comfort and build quality, the DXRacer Formula NE offers a variety of color options. The color options for this chair mean that it can fit with just about any gaming setup.
Either of the DXRacer chairs is a great pick if you meet the requirements, but if we had to pick one it would definitely be this one. The extra customization goes a long way.
DXRacer Formula Series
Color Options
Red
Weight Capacity
200 lbs
Height Capacity
5’10
- Superb build quality and comfort
- Included cushions for headrest and lumbar support
- Plenty of back and height adjustments
- Full back support
- Adjustable armrests
- High price
- Low weight capacity
- No other color options
If you’ve done any research into this area, chances are you’ve already seen a couple of dozen DXRacer recommendations, because by all reports they seem to be the best at gaming chairs.
Are they the best in this range? Not necessarily.
The main two problems that ail the Formula NR is a lack of color options and a low weight capacity.
The lack of color options can be a problem for those of us who want everything in our gaming setup to match a certain aesthetic. If this doesn’t matter much to you, and everything else about the chair is fine, you may as well opt for this chair.
That is, however, if you fit into the low weight capacity. At only 200 lbs of capacity, the DXRacer Formula NR pretty much locks out any heavier gamers from having any hope of properly utilizing the chair.
If you aren’t 175 lbs or under, you probably should opt for a different chair.
OPSEAT Master Series PC Gaming Chair
Color Options
Blue. Green, Grey, Orange, Pink, Purple, Red, White, Yellow
Weight Capacity
300 lbs
Height Capacity
At Least 6’4
- Good weight capacity
- Great height capacity with full back support
- Included cushioning for headrest and lumbar support
- Full reclining function
- Adjustable seat height and armrest positioning
- A whole lot of color options
- Highest price
The OPSEAT Master Series straddles the $200 line but does so while being the most fully-featured chair on this list.
First up, it has good weight capacity and great height capacity, offering full back support to people of up to 6’4. It offers quality materials and included cushioning for the headrest and lumbar cushion support as well.
Ultimately, this will provide probably the best comfort out of any of the other chairs on this list. That’s what matters most when shopping for gaming chairs- long-term comfort and support, throughout even the most intensive gaming sessions.
In addition to superior comfort, it offers full reclining mechanism functionality. This is great for extended hours of gaming, working, or simply relaxing at your desk.
Finally, there are a whole lot of color options to choose from. This chair has by far the most color options out of any of the other options on this list.
With great comfort, recline function, general build quality, and a wide variety of chair colors, the OPSEAT Master Series is our top pick for the best gaming chair under $200.
HON Basyx Task Chair
Color Options
Black
Weight Capacity
250 lbs
Height Capacity
At Least 6’1
- Mesh back and great cushioning for maximum comfort
- Ability to adjust lumbar support
- Ability to adjust seat width, height, position, and recline level
- Great overall build quality
- Good budget option
- No cushioning for headrest or lumbar
- No full back support
The HON Basyx Task Chair, or the basyx by HON, as stylized by them, is yet another budget gaming chair under $300. At just around $220 on most days, the Basyx is an interesting pick.
It’s technically the lowest-rated option on this list, but it’s still a fine one. Let’s jump into why it’s good.
First and foremost, its level of adjustment is pretty admirable. With adjustable lumbar support, seat width, seat height, seat positioning and recline adjustments, the Basyx is much more customizable than your typical gaming or office chair.
Additionally, its mesh backing offers some flexibility, which is a trait that many prefer in their chairs when they can’t or don’t get chairs with full back support. Thanks to this, combined with the adjustments, this should be a pretty comfortable chair as long as you fall within the weight and height limits.
Ultimately, though, due to a lack of full back support and cushioning for the headrest / lumbar, we think you’d be better suited going with one of the racing chairs in this roundup. If you prefer a more compact seat, though, this may be the option for you.
Things to consider
Even shopping around the best gaming chairs under $300, you should still keep some things in mind as $300 is a lot of money to spend, so here’s what you need to think about when considering your next chair.
Max load
Max load refers to the amount of weight the chair is rated for. It’s a safety regulation to prevent the end user from overloading it and causing damage to the chair and themselves.
Most gaming chairs are rated for a minimum of 250lbs or more. This covers most people in and around the average weight. However, if you’re a bigger person, it’s worth paying a little more to ensure you don’t accidentally crush your chair.
Ergonomic design
Unless you’re one of those infuriatingly productive fitness-focused people, you probably spend more time in your chair than you should, meaning that you’re more prone to short and long-term ergonomic strain.
This usually manifests in the lower back or the neck. This is why the most common ergonomic features included on gaming chairs are lumbar support pillows and neck cushions.
These additions help coax the spine into the natural S shape that it forms when stood up straight. Of course, it’s never going to mirror that shape exactly, due to some physiological things that we don’t have the time to get into, but you can get pretty close.
If you have to pick between the two, we’d recommend lumbar support as back pain is more common side effect of sitting for long periods of time, especially when sitting in a badly-designed chair.
Comfort
It’s all well and good being good for your back and neck, but if the chair isn’t comfortable, you won’t be able to take advantage of any of their ergonomic benefits. What we’re looking for here is high-density foam in the seat base and the backrest. This both supports the user, provides comfort, and the density prevents it from flattening out too rapidly and not lasting the long haul.
A good amount of padding and additions to the design make the difference. Having a high back will give you support all the way, along with a lumbar pillow to keep your posture in check. So with a steel frame to keep it up, the upholstery will also affect it. Having fabric is nicer on the skin on warm and long days, but pu leather or synthetic leather is easier to clean and might last longer. Also adding a footrest will improve the comfort in general too.
Adjustability
This influences both comfort and ergonomics, so it’s arguably more important than either of them, sort of. Anyway, everyone is different weights, heights, and proportions, so the more you can adjust the various comfort and ergonomic features, the better.
At minimum, we need height adjustability, lest the vertically challenged among you be left with legs dangling, Winnie the Pooh trying to sit on a stool or something. Luckily, at this price point, height adjustability is a given, so cease your worrying, dear reader, and turn your attention to more important matters.
Usually, the aforementioned neck pillows are held onto the chair with a strap, which allows for adjustability in and of itself. Very fancy chairs like the Secretlab Titan Evo have magnetic pillows, but that’s out of our price range for today. Many chairs these days come with lumbar support cushions, and these are adjusted one of two ways, straps, or passively.
Memory foam is a good way of allowing the cushion to naturally mold to the user’s back, with a bit of extra resistance to prevent it from flattening out and becoming ineffective. Lower cost chairs opt for a more solid cushion but are mounted on vertical straps that allow you to position it higher or lower as you see fit.
The tilt and tilt lock will let you adjust the angle of how well you can sit and adjust the metal frame you’re sitting on. Along with a 360-degree swivel, you can truly sit any way you want in your racing style gaming chair.
Durability
When it comes to assessing the durability of a gaming chair you need to consider a aspects such as construction and Materials. Look out for chairs made with high-quality materials such as steel frames and durable upholstery such as leather. Our recommended picks for the best gaming chair under $300 have been chosen by our team of experts so you can be safe in the knowledge that durability of the chairs are top rated.
Warranty
All manufacturers offer a minimum of 12 months warranty and a lot of brands offer a lot more so you can be rest assured that if you discover any defective parts then you are covered.
Final Word
Ultimately, what makes the best gaming chair under $300 is entirely up to you. Our top pick for this range, however, is the Vertagear. This may surprise some who always expect the DXRacers to come out on top, but unfortunately, their sub-$300 options aren’t as competitive as they should be with other options.
If you’d like to save some money, another great option would be OPSEAT Master Series. The Master Series offers most of the great features expected of a high-end gaming chair but saves a full $100 off the price tag of our Vertagear champion.
FAQs
Can you get a good gaming chair under $300?
Some gaming chairs might ask quite a lot these days, but there are still plenty of options for under $300. Like a Vertagear, DXRacer, or HON you can still get that gamer look or comfort and supportive chair.
What is a good price for a gaming chair?
For lower-budget options, under $200 is a good price point for a gaming chair. Under $300 you get a midpoint selection, whilst top-end choices are more likely to stretch up to $500.
