Trust me, get a good desk or gaming chair this Prime Day

Today is the second and final day of Amazon’s Prime Day event. While many buyers are focused on big-ticket items like televisions, smartphones, and laptops, there are plenty of deals outside the usual suspects. In fact, this is a great time to pick up a good office or gaming chair on the cheap. I know many users will just pick up the cheapest chair possible, but now is the time to splurge a bit as many chairs are $40-$80 off right now. Don’t think a good gaming or office chair is worth the investment? Think again.

My 10-year experience with big-box retailer chairs taught me these things are built to die

As a lifelong PC gamer, I’ve always had an office or gaming chair, but I’ve never given them much thought and have often just gone for whatever is the cheapest. Since age 15, I’ve gone through over a dozen chairs. The frequency of replacements increased significantly in my mid-20s after my wife and I had our first child. I’ve likely owned about a dozen cheap chairs, costing between $40 and $90, spending around $1,200 to $1,500 over two decades. These chairs were comfortable enough and got the job done, but they were basic and didn’t last long. Here’s why most ended up in the graveyard:

• The fabric ripped and tore progressively, losing stuffing and comfort.
• The adjustment mechanisms broke, or parts poked through the chair, making it uncomfortable.
• The arms broke or fell off due to cheap parts.

Basically, you get what you pay for. Before having kids, I could make an office chair last about four years. After kids, that lifespan dropped to about a year or less. Yes, kids are destructive.

The Secret Lab Titan showed me what I was missing by skimping on my chair

In 2020, I upgraded to a Titan for my office and an Omega for our family computer desk. Both chairs have held up beautifully despite normal use and kids climbing on them (even on the armrests!). By now, I would have replaced a cheap chair at least two or three times and spent at least $200 to $300.

My Titan, which has been used for 10 or more hours daily for work and gaming, only has two tiny spots where the stitching started to come loose, as you can see in the pictures. Both are fixable and something I’m looking into as my wife is good with a needle and thread. The chair is in perfect condition otherwise and will likely last for many years to come. For someone without hyperactive kids, these chairs could easily last a decade or more.

While a cheap chair doesn’t cost much initially, replacing it multiple times adds up. A good gaming chair with higher-end materials runs around $200-$500, depending on the brand. The investment in a more expensive chair will clearly pay for itself in time. It’s not just durability, though. While durability drew me in, there are many reasons why a more expensive chair is a better investment:

• Comfort: My Titan has an attachable head pillow, while the Omega includes that and a backrest. Even chairs in the $150-$250 range are made with nicer materials than sub-$100 chairs.
• Customizable adjustments: Cheap chairs typically let you recline and move them up and down. Chairs like the Titan have individually adjustable arms, can change the angle of the armrest, and more.
• Appearance: A nice gaming or office chair will stand out much more in your office or den. The materials last longer, and cheap chairs often start peeling fabric within the first six months. My Titan is just now showing visible wear after three years.

TL;DR: Buy a more expensive gaming chair; it’ll pay for itself over time

If you don’t have kids and are careful with your possessions, a cheap chair may last you longer. Even so, a more expensive chair’s build materials, better adjustments, and quality construction make for a much more comfortable experience. If you use your office chair for more than an hour or two a day, we recommend spending at least $150 to $200. If money is no object, I highly recommend a Secret Labs chair. The Titan Evo Lite starts at around $500, but there’s a $100 coupon now that sweetens the deal.

For a budget-friendly alternative, consider the Noblerocker Mars, a Secret Labs Titan clone with 4D armrest adjustment and more. It’s currently about $80 off for Prime Day, bringing the total price down to $230. Looking to spend a little less? The Homall Gaming Chair gets decent reviews and is currently just $95, about $40 off the normal price. Alternatively, the AtHope Office Chair is a great fit if you want something that’s a little less flashy, currently just $140, versus its normal $220 listing price.