Best GTRacing Gaming Chairs 2023: Pro Series Vs Ace S1
When you buy something using an affiliate link in this post, ChairsFX may receive a small commission, at no additional expense to you. This has no influence on our editorial content. See our Affiliate Disclosure for details.
GTRacing is one of the OG cheap gaming chair brands, in business since 2013. In 2023, the company’s original Pro Series chair is still its most popular. It’s a cheap racing-style chair built for short sizes. The Ace S1 has also gained acclaim as an upgraded luxury version. ChairsFX found both solid — with a catch. Both have seats that are too deep for short legs! Luckily, a third Music Footrest Series chair replicates the Pro Series with smaller dimensions. Based on our tests, ChairsFX reviews the best GTRacing gaming chairs of 2023.
The Pro Series (left) and Ace S1 stand out as the best GTRacing gaming chairs of 2023.
Since 2014, GTRacing has reigned as one of the world’s most popular makers of cheap gaming chairs. But it’s a chaotic brand. Every year, different models get phased in and out of production.
The only constant has been its original GTRacing Pro Series. In 2023, it remains one of Amazon’s best-selling gaming chairs. In 2020, GTRacing released the Ace as an upgraded version with 4D arms + extra goodies. It was an instant hit.
The Ace S1 is a smaller chair than the Pro Series with sharper seat bolsters and a strapless lumbar pillow.
But Ace S1 chairs went out of stock in 2022. Now they’re back — but stripped down to 2D arms and hazier warranty extension terms.
The Ace S1 and Pro Series chairs both support good posture with the same trio of adjustable functions.
Both have the same features. The height-adjustable lumbar pillow aligns the seated spine. 2D Adjustable arms provide extra bracing to hold the torso upright. The reclining backrest lets you move while customizing angles.
Combined, these features make it easy for beginners to master neutral postures. For instance, our 5’8″ (172 cm) model had never used a gaming chair before.
Inexperienced ergo users in an Embody chair vs simple GTRacing Pro Series and Ace S1 gaming chairs.
Withoutergonomic experience, users will have no reference to manage its complex settings. That’s the appeal of GTRacing chairs in a nutshell: as solid starter ergo chairs.
GTRacing chairs are easy to master; pricey ergo chairs with complex settings are better used with experience.
Both models are cheap, easy to use, and good for your back — but only if they fit. That’s the catch.
Functionality Is The Same
The 2020 version of the Ace chair included 4D armrest and a 5-year warranty extension option. The 2023 edition regresses with 2D arms and hazier 5-year warranty extension terms.
The Pro Series and Ace S1 chairs share similar adjustable features.
This means that the 2023 version of Pro Series and Ace S1 chairs are functionally the same. Both come equipped with a height-adjustable lumbar pillow, 2D arms, and a 90-160° recline.
The only functional difference is the lumbar pillow delivery style. The Pro Series version attaches to the backrest with straps. In comparison, the strapless memory foam Ace version needs to be manually positioned every time you sit down.
Aim your Pro Series (on straps) or Ace (strapless) lumbar pillow slightly above your beltline for best results.
Both should be aimed slightly above your beltline for optimal results. As references, our model’s Pro Series pillow height could go an inch higher. Meanwhile, her Ace S1 example shows the pillow set too low.
The textbook lumbar support target is just above the beltline around 4 cm (1.5 inches) deep.
That completely misses her lower back curve. A lumbar in that position will curl the user’s hips forward and flatten their lower back curve. Aim it above the beltline for best results. Learn more:
The Ace S1 differs with slightly firmer padding (55 kg/m³) than the squishier 50 kg/m³ Pro Series foam density. Our model reported it as noticeably firmer and ‘not as comfortable’. That was expected.
Furniture industry padding density examples.
Many first-time ergo chair users consider soft, fluffy sofas as the height of luxury. The problem: soft padding delivers inconsistent support. Over long periods, that causes muscle imbalances that lead to musculoskeletal stress.
The Ace S1 (left) has firmer padding, better PU upholstery, and sharper side bolsters than the Pro Series.
As muscles tire, poor postures and back pain can emerge. In contrast, firmer padding provides better stability. Over long periods, that makes it easier for users to negate discomfort by maintaining healthy postures.
GTRacing rates the Pro Series for sizes 4’9″ to 5’9″; the Ace S1 for sizes 5’3″ to 5’11”. Based on our tests with a 5’8″ (172 cm) 155-pound model, both ratings are exaggerated.
A 5’8″ model showing off the fit in Ace S1 and Pro Series (right) chairs.
At a glance, the Ace chair’s sharper seat side bolsters provide a tighter squeeze for our model’s thighs. We can also see that the Ace chair’s seat depth leaves less room between the seat edge and the back of her knees.
Short user in overly deep seat= arm strain, flattened lower back, hips curled forward.
The problem with an excessive seat depth is that it curls the hips forward. That flattens the lower back curve. As the result, a short user in a seat too deep will suffer from distorted posture.
A closer look at our model’s fit shows an excessive seat depth problematic in both chairs. On paper, the Pro Series seat is deeper. However, its fatter lumbar pillow pushes our model’s spine further away from the backrest.
Our 5’8″ model found the Ace S1’s sharp seat bolsters and seat depth quite snug for her size.
In comparison, the Pro Series memory foam pillow is more compressive. That sank our user deeper into the chair. As a result, there was almost no space left between the back of her knees and the seat lip.
Sizing Specs: Ace S1 Vs Pro Series
People much shorter or thicker than our 5’8″ 155-pound model will find an impossible fit in an Ace S1. Meanwhile, those shorter than 5’6″ will likely find the Pro Series chair’s seat too deep.
Our 5’8″ 155-pound female model and a 5’9″ 190-pound male both found decent fits in the Pro Series chair.
As another height reference, the 5’9″ 190-pound office chair peddler on the right hates gaming chairs. He hates the Pro Series so much he even made a rage video about it. His 5’9″ height shows the upper possible limit for either chair.
Given these observations, we’re revised GTRacing’s size ratings to more realistic ranges:
Bottom line: both chairs will realistically fit a very small percentage of users. If you fit within the ChairsFX recommended size ratings, consider buying either chair. But if you don’t fit, browse other cheap chairs for other sizing options:
Despite their low prices and basic features, cheap gaming chairs have the features you need to support good posture. On that front, the Ace S1 and Pro Series both make excellent starter models for first-time ergo chair users.
Follow simple steps to achieve healthy neutral postures in a Pro Series gaming chair.
Basic, uncomplicated features make racing-style chairs beginner-friendly.
Step 1: Configure Your Chair’s Settings
Make three adjustments before you sit down:
Adjust the seat height to place hips higher than knees.
Adjust the lumbar pillow to fit slightly above your beltline.
Set the recline to between 100-110°.
Aim to set your lumbar pillow slightly higher than your beltline. Set too low will curl your hips forward; set too high will curl your upper spine forward.
Adjust your lumbar pillow slightly above your beltline to get the most effective lower back support.
Setting it above the beltline will properly support your lower back. As a result, maintaining upright postures for longer periods becomes easier.
Aim your Pro Series lumbar pillow slightly above your beltline for best results.
Step 2: Sit Down In Your Chair
Make sure to tuck your hips deep into the seat and keep your feet planted. This provides the primary power to hold your torso upright while sitting.
In any type of ergonomic chair, tuck your hips and plant your feet for the best results.
Follow these steps:
Tuck your hips deep into the seat.
Plant your feet firmly on the floor.
Use the armrests to prop your torso up against gravity.
After a few days of practice, your muscles will adapt to sitting in neutral postures. After several days, muscle memory should kick in to make upright sitting a subconscious habit.
Healthy neutral postures compared: GTRacing Pro Series vs a $1700+ Herman Miller Aeron.
For a deeper dive into neutral sitting tactics, see this:
The GTRacing Pro Series is one of the OG cheap gaming chairs, on the market for a decade (since 2013). Circa 2023, it remains the prototype for other cheap gaming chairs priced under $200.
Most cheap gaming chairs support good posture with the same adjustable feature trio.
Like the Pro Series, most cheap models (including the Ace S1) are easy to use, comfortable, and (potentially) good for your back. The biggest obvious downside is durability.
Like most cheap gaming chairs, the Pro Series and Ace are both guaranteed for one year. Given its denser padding and (seemingly) higher-quality upholstery, the Ace S1 feels like it could last for two.
Left: my DXRacer Formula Series after 2.5 years of full-time use.
The Pro Series and Ace S1 chairs are marketed towards short people. Indeed, both have narrow seats designed to fit slim, tiny bottoms. But they also have deep seats designed for tall sizes. This odd combo severely limits the fit to a small range of users.
Deep Seats For Tall LegsNarrow Seats For Slim Butts
Despite being billed as suitable for short people, both the Ace S1 and the Pro Series have excessively deep seats. As a result, our 5’8″ model barely found enough room between the back of her knees and each model’s seat lip.
The Pro Series seat’s depth perfectly fits our 5’8″ model; the Ace version fits her too deep.
On paper, the Pro Series seat (22.8″) is deeper than the Ace chair’s (21.5″) by 1.3″. In practice, the Pro Series pillow pushes the users further away from the backrest.
The Ace pillow does the opposite by sinking the user deeper into the seat. As a result, despite being shorter, its seat depth felt too tight for our 5’8″ model.
Meanwhile, the Pro Series seat depth fit her perfectly. However, we can also see that people much shorter than her will also find the seat too deep.
The Pro Series has splayed side bolsters that provide more legroom; the Ace Series has a narrower width with sharper, more restrictive bolsters.
A 5’8″ model posing in Ace S1 (right) and Pro Series chairs.
Our 5’8″ model (155 pounds) found the Pro Series seat depth suitable, but the Ace S1 version too tight. Meanwhile, a 5’9″ 190-pound office chair peddler looks to be the max width for the pro Series.
Revised Size Ratings
Given the results of our tests, revised size ratings are necessary. Buyers within our revised ratings are assured of a good fit. Those outside of that range will find otherwise.
Buy from GTRacing.com: buy the Pro Series directly from GTRacing for $149.99; Ace S1 chairs are $169.99.
Verdict: Pro Series Beats Ace S1
Our model had never used a gaming chair before. That made her perfect to test out ‘starter’ gaming chairs. She found both easy to achieve and maintain neutral postures in.
Our model preferred the Pro Series (left) over the Ace for three reasons.
But she preferred the Pro Series over the Ace S1, giving three reasons:
Good seat depth and width for her size.
Softer padding than the ‘rock hard’ Ace version.
The pillow on straps is less annoying than the strapless Ace version.
These are typical preferences for first-time ergo chair users. Many are standard office chair refugees accustomed to ultra-cheap, super-squishy padding.
Music Footrest Series = Compact Alternative
The pillow on straps is also a lot more convenient for first-timers. Most importantly, the Pro Series has more versatile sizing than the Ace. People 5’6″ to 5’9″ and up to 200 pounds will fit.
The Music Footrest chair’s 20.07″ seat depth is a better fit for shorter legs than the Pro Series seat.
Those outside of this range (based on our tests) will not. Shorter sizes should look to the Footrest Music Series (with speakers and footrest). It has a shorter seat depth than the Pro Series that’s suitable for sizes 5’5″ and up.
In 2023, the Pro Series and Ace S1 are the onlyconventional desk chairs in the GTRacing collection. The rest are footrest gaming chair variations (most with built-in Bluetooth speakers).
The 2023 GTRacing collection features many footrest gaming chairs with built-in Bluetooth speakers.
However, many are out of stock on both the GTRacing website and the GTRacing Amazon Store, except for the following:
Footrest Music Series
GTRacing price: $129.99
This model has slightly different dimensions than the Pro Series and some extras. These include Bluetooth speakers housed in the rear of the backrest and a retractable footrest.
Bluetooth speaker gaming chairs offer surround sound through the backrest.
You need to run a USB from the backrest to your computer to charge the speakers. A 3-hour charge will get you 5-6 hours of music time within a 5-meter range of your PC. For this to work, your computer needs to have a built-in Bluetooth connection.
Music Series Functionality
Besides the built-in Bluetooth speakers, this model also comes with a retractable footrest. Combined, these extras give this chair a more ‘fun’ playground feel that will likely first-time ergo chair users.
Here’s how the Music Series chair functions compare with the Pro Series and Ace S1:
The Music Series has a shorter seat depth than the Ace and Pro Series chairs. That makes it slightly more usable for shorter sizes. Its 18.8″ inner seat width is also generous, buttressed by very mild side bolsters.
Spec
Music Footrest Series
Ace S1
Pro Series
Seat size
18.8″ (inner Width) x 20.7″ (D)
22″ (outer W) x 21.5″ (D)
21.3″ (outer W) x 22.8″ (D)
Seat height
18.11″ to 22.44″
18.11″ to 22.44″
16.92″ to 20.86″
Backrest
21.65″ (W) x 33.46″ (D)
21.25″ (W) x 32.67″ (D)
20.8″ (W) x 32.2″ (D)
GTRacing size rating
4’9″ to 5’9″; 300 pounds
5’3″ to 5’11”; 330 pounds
4’9″ to 5’9″; 330 pounds
ChairsFX size rating
5’5″ to 5’9″; 200 pounds
5’8″ to 5’9″; 150 pounds
5’6″ to 5’9″; 200 pounds
Music Footrest Series Verdict
The Music Series collection stacks fun speaker and footrest addons to a Pro Series-style chair. More significantly, its seat side has a more reasonable depth for short people than the Pro Series.
The GT890M is a Classic model with added Bluetooth speakers.
Based on this review’s calculations, semi-chunky people 5’5″ to 5’9″ should enjoy a decent fit in this chair. Given its extras, that makes the Music Series more appealing for a wider range of users than the Pro Series.
GTRacing’s (apparent) featured product this year is the GTPlayer Dragon Series Footrest Bluetooth gaming chair. As the gaudy name implies, it’s layered with multiple ‘gamer’ gimmicks.
The GTPlayer Dragon Series has non-adjustable arms, a retractable footrest, and built-in speakers.
These include a retractable footrest, built-in Bluetooth speakers, flashy upholstery colors, and fancy embroidery. Stripped of the gimmicks, the Dragon Series resembles the Elecwish chair.
GTPlayer Vs Elecwish Features
The Elecwish footrest gaming chair is one of the OGs in the footrest chair genre. It’s also still one of the most popular cheap models on the market. Elecwish vs GTPlayer Dragon Series gaming chairs with footrests.
Is it worth paying a bit more for the GTPlayer’s luxury extras? Based on our case studies so far, that depends on the sizing. Here are the dimensions and size ratings for both models:
Like other GTRacing chairs, the dimensions of the GTPlayer chair are odd. The seat depth suits very short legs; the narrow width is ultra-slim fit.
Based on our model’s fit, the Elecwish indeed supports sizes 5’5″ to 5’11” as advertised.
To gauge the Elecwish chair’s fit (5’5″ to 5’11” rating), we used a 6’1″, heavyset model. Given his fit, the Elecwish chair’s size rating looks to be spot-on — as it should be!
A 2021 Taiwanese study sought to prove why gaming chairs are bad for your back. Researchers compared three types of seats by measuring objective joint angles plus subjective comfort reports.
This study measured comfort using a gaming chair that doesn’t fit the user.
However, they skewed the results by seating the user in a gaming chair too large for his size. This shows us clearly what happens when your gaming chair’s seat is too deep for your legs:
A seat too deep pulls the knees forward.
Knees pulled forward flattens the lower back curve.
A flattened lower back curve rounds the upper spine and neck.
These findings are very relevant to prospective GTRacing chair buyers. Based on our tests, GTRacing chair dimensions suit a smaller range of users than what’s advertised.
ChairsFX revised size ratings for GTRacing Footrest, Pro Series, and Ace S1 gaming chairs.
Final Verdict: Best GTRacing Chairs 2023
GTRacing makes three excellent cheap gaming chairs for first-time ergo chair users. The first trick is to ensure that your chair fits your size.
Fitness + healthy computing postures supercharges the performance of many esports legends.
Best GTRacing chairs 2023 L-R: Footrest Music Series; Pro Series; Ace S1.
Given all factors, here are our top-rated GTRacing gaming chairs of 2023 — with revised size ratings. Stick within the recommended size ratings and follow best practices to ensure full benefits.
