Best budget gaming chair 2024: Up your game with these affordable gaming chairs
Want to play the best you can? Get comfortable with the best budget gaming chairs of 2024
Whether you’re a keen PC gamer or want to bring some added comfort to your home office, a gaming chair can be an invaluable purchase. Once considered exclusively high-end, gaming chairs now cover a wide range of prices, making them a legitimate piece of office furniture whatever your budget. In this guide you will find our favourite budget gaming chairs of 2024.
Best budget gaming chairs: At a glance
- Best gaming chair for overall price: ADX Race19 | £119
- Best budget gaming chair: Play haha. | £60
- Best gaming chair for comfort: GT Omega Pro Series | £200
How to choose the best budget gaming chair for you
Before diving into our list of the best budget gaming chairs, it’s worth knowing a bit more about what you’re buying. What makes a chair a ‘gaming’ chair? What features will you miss out on compared to more expensive chairs? How do you know what chair is right for your body type?
What makes a chair gaming-specific?
Gaming chairs have a few key differences to regular office chairs. First of all, from a quick glance you will see they all have striking designs that will perfectly match that brand-new RGB rug you just bought.
Gaming chairs tend to have dedicated cushions for lumbar and neck support. Thirdly, they’re usually fairly adjustable, with armrests that rotate and can be raised or lowered to best suit your play sessions. Most notably, they’re also sturdier and by virtue, heavier than office chairs. Oftentimes, gaming chairs can take some getting used to seeing as this sturdy build quality makes them a bit firmer. Rest assured though, that’s the case for a reason; sturdier chairs are loads better for your posture, especially if you spend a lot of your time in one.
What makes these chairs ‘budget’?
As we’re sure you’ve discovered by now, gaming chairs can be very expensive. What with gaming becoming a pricier hobby these days, getting a chair that’s right for you while staying on budget is super important. You may be worried that these chairs being ‘budget’ might mean they’re missing a lot, but don’t worry.
The main difference with these chairs compared to the ones found in our list of the best gaming chairs, is that they’re generally made of cheaper materials. Where more expensive ones will have metal feet, these may have plastic ones, for example. Additionally, chairs on this list might not boast the big brand names that you might have heard of. Regardless, these chairs are not to be sniffed at. All of them would serve as a great ‘first’ gaming chair, as they’re all a nice half-way house between office chairs and gaming chairs.
How will I know what chair is right for me?
Some things to consider before punching that “buy now” button are the shape of the chair and the shape of your body. How do you usually sit? Will the chair you like accommodate that position? Some gaming chairs have more rounded shoulder positions, and others have straighter backs.
What height is the desk you sit at? Will the chair fit in whatever room you’re planning to play in? For clear measurements and dimensions, keep an eye on the key details at the bottom of each product listing.
How we test budget gaming chairs
Each gaming chair featured in this roundup has undergone the same testing process, which is divided into two main parts. First, we assemble the chair, noting the time it takes, the clarity of the assembly instructions, and whether we need an additional person to help. We then put the chair to daily use for a minimum of one week.
Whenever possible, we invite colleagues/family to try the chair to gather insights from individuals with different heights and weights. During the testing, we thoroughly explore the full range of adjustability options to evaluate the chair’s ergonomic qualities, taking note of how easily it can be adjusted, swivelled and rolled while using it.
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The best budget gaming chairs you can buy in 2024
1. ADX Firebase Entry 21: Best budget gaming chair
Price when reviewed: £119 | Check price at Currys
The Firebase 21, formerly the AChair19 is one of the cheapest gaming chairs you can buy in 2023, and comes from ADX, Currys’ own in-house brand. Quick and relatively easy to assemble, the Firebase features a PVC, black and grey colour scheme with eye-catching neon orange piping – and it comes with fixed armrests too.
At £120 it’s big on value but still offers decent performance; the padding is robust and long-lasting – though not too breathable – and while there’s no lumbar support the Firebase is both height and angle adjustable. A great entry into the world of gaming chairs.
The ADX comes with a one-year warranty and because it’s from Currys, you have the option to visit a physical store should anything be amiss.
2. ADX Race19: Best budget gaming chair for racing fans
Price when reviewed: £179 | Check price at Currys
Curry’s ADX brand also produces the Race19 and, despite costing just £150, it packs in some serious features. Priced £60 more than the AChair19, the Race19 adds a funky-looking racing-style seat, and pairs it with a snazzy grey, black and neon orange colour scheme in synthetic PU leather. The Race19 is also available with the orange swapped out for hot pink.
However, most useful is the Race19’s adjustable armrests and lumbar supporting cushions, which both add an extra layer of comfort. Pair that with height and angle adjustability, and the ADX Race19 should provide comfortable gaming for hours on end.
Most report that the Race19 is fairly easy to assemble, though at 22kg it can be a little heavier to push around than other chairs on this list. Still, that’s the price you pay for impressive build quality and extra comfort.
3. GTPLAYER: Best modern looking budget gaming chair
Price when reviewed: £110 | Check price at Amazon
Priced from £116, the GTPLAYER gaming chair is ideal for those on a budget, but its looks don’t betray its bargain price. Covered in a bright camouflage pattern, the GTPLAYER is available in white, red or slime green colours – but all offer the same mix of features.
Two extra pillows support the base of your back and the top of your neck, while armrests along with height and tilt controls ensure that you’re able to customize the GTPLAYER to your exact comfort requirements.
Buyers report that putting the GTPLAYER together can take anything from 30-60 minutes, and all components are labelled to speed the process along. Customers also praised the GTPLAYER for its sturdiness – thanks to a metal base – as well as its ability to comfortably seat those over 6ft.
A solid purchase for those looking for a more modern-looking gaming chair.
4. Play haha. Gaming Chair: Best budget gaming chair for value
Price when reviewed: £60 | Check price at Amazon
The rather unimaginatively-named Play haha. is the best-selling gaming chair on Amazon, and for good reason. Originally priced at £100, the price has dropped over time. It’s supremely cheap but does just enough to make it a solid step into the world of gaming chairs.
Available in electric blue, red, purple and black the Play haha understandably doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of some other chairs on this list – but it does have a handful of solid, useful features. A relatively sturdy frame and PU wheels mean it’s sturdy in use, while fixed armrests and a rather plush integrated headrest mean it offers some comfort when typing or gaming.
There are no cushions here, but the Play haha does use breathable mesh – a life saver if you’re gaming for long periods – and features around 10cm of height adjustability. Another plus point? At 14.5kg it’s also extremely light and easy to move around.
5. GT Omega Pro Series: Best budget gaming chair for comfort
Price when reviewed: £200 | Check price at Amazon
GT Omega is an increasingly popular name in the gaming space, and a lot of that good reputation is thanks to its impressive Pro Series. Featuring some useful features, such as extensive recline, a locking tilting mechanism and strong build quality throughout – the Pro series is competitive, but still only costs £200.
Like all good gaming chairs, the GT Omega Pro Series is certainly eye-catching, and comes in seven possible colours. It features one of the largest possible recline functions we’ve seen on a gaming chair in 2023, and that means you’re able to work, relax or even sleep. Like other chairs on this list, the Pro Series has adjustable armrests, but unlike others here they’re also adjustable in four directions. That means you can adjust them up and down as well as left and right.
Throw in a solid steel frame, extra support cushions and slick caster wheels, and the Pro Series has the build quality to match its bulging spec list.
