Gaming on a sofa or the floor is bad for your back. Console gaming chairs are an alternative seating solution. They’re portable and fit well in most living rooms. On the downside, they have no ergonomic features and aren’t particularly good for your back. To show what’s popular, this article reviews Amazon’s top-selling console gaming chairs of 2020.
A console is a video game system like the Xbox or PlayStation. Gaming consoles are most often used in living rooms, connected to a television. Instead of gaming on the sofa or floor, console gaming chairs provide an alternative.
On Amazon’s list of best-selling video game chairs, gaming desk chairs are by far the most popular option. Also ranking on that list are three types of console gaming chairs. Popular console chairs are floor rockers, pedestal rockers, and gaming recliners.
Best selling console chairs of 2020
Back in 2018, console gaming chairs were very popular. Floor rockers, pedestal rockers, recliners, and racing seats dominated Amazon best-seller lists. These days, the classic gaming chair dominates the rankings. A handful of console chairs still rank among Amazon’s best-selling video game chairs. Here is a summary:
Best Choice Gaming Floor Chair
Current price: $89.99
In 2020, the Best Choice Gaming Floor chair is the top-selling console chair on Amazon. At a glance, these look ideal for living room gaming.
In reality, these are tiny seats best suited to very casual gaming. If you have a child wanting to play video games 10-15 minutes at a time, these will do the job.
Features
There are five color options. All come padded with soft, breathable fabric covers Unlike other models in this review, these chairs have moving adjustable parts. There is no rocking function, but you can set and lock the backrest at various recline angles. You can also swivel the chair 360°.
That sounds great on paper but in reality, these chairs are tiny. They sit very low to the ground, making them best suited to little kids with short legs.
- Seat width: 22″
- Floor to seat range: 10.5″
- Maximum weight capacity: 300 pounds
These models are rated to support 300 pounds, yet aren’t very sturdy. Unsurprisingly, no warranty information is available.
Buying advice
The Best Choice Gaming Floor Chair is for kids. Each unit weighs 17 pounds and can fold in half to place in storage. Among Amazon reviews, there are positives and negatives.
Negatives include the cheap build quality and poor durability. Positives are that they’re a great fit for small bodies, and kids enjoy using them. It’s possible for adults to use these models, but it won’t be very comfortable.
Birdrock Foam Floor Chair
Current price: $69.96
The second-best-selling console chair on Amazon sits on the floor without a base. It comes in five faux velour fabric styles, with memory foam padding underneath.
Features
Like the Best Choice model, you can adjust the backrest into various recline positions. For storage, you can lay the seat flat and then slide it under a bed. There are no other features.
Dimensions are compact. These are also ideal as chairs for kids under 12.
- Seat width x depth: 22″ (W) x 23″ (D)
- Backrest width x height: 22″ (W) x 22.5″ (H)
- Laid flat length: 41.25″
Buying advice
As a casual glance, the Birdrock Floor chair looks like simple living room seating options ideal for kids. From a health perspective, these seats promote poor posture caused by awkward sitting positions.
Over long periods of gaming or studying, these chairs will encourage kids to develop sloppy posture habits. That’s a problem, given that bad posture is habit-forming.
The Crew Classic Rocker
Current price: $41.00
The Crew Classic is a fixed plywood chair curved into a ‘c’ shape. In 2019, this was the top-ranked video game chair in Amazon. In 2020, it’s fallen a few spots but remains popular.
Sized to fit ages 3-10, the Crew Classic Video Rocker comes in a choice of mesh fabric or faux leather styles. The faux leather versions are easy to clean with a quick wipe of a damp cloth. The mesh versions are more breathable but better cleaned with a conventional vacuum.
Features
These chairs have very basic features. There is a seat, and also a backrest. The ‘c shape’ enables gentle rocking, while an anti-tipping safety makes sure it doesn’t tip all the way back.
Dimensions are (W x D x H): 16″ (W) x 24″ (D) x 32″ (H). No warranty information is available.
Buying advice
When playing video games, the Crew Classic is a better sitting option for kids than sitting on the floor. While gaming, kids can rock the chair and relax against the back support. The downside is that floor rockers curve the spine into a ‘c’ shape. That flattens the lumbar curve, shortens hamstrings, and curves the body into the shape of a boiled shrimp.
The biggest upside is that these chairs sit low to the ground. That makes them a better alternative than sitting on the floor. The downside is that they promote poor posture habits. Do you want your child’s spine to curve inward like a boiled shrimp? Then buy a Crew Classic Rocker.
Homall Gaming Recliner
Current price: $144.99
If you can’t afford $300 for a high-end recliner, the Homall Gaming recliner is an option. Among Amazon’s best-selling video game chairs, this is the top-rated recliner.
Features
The Homall Recliner supports up to 265 pounds. Key features are a retractable footrest and a backrest recline from 90° to 180°. These models also come with fixed neck and lumbar pillows.
Chair dimensions are small enough for kids, but large enough to fit average-sized adults. On the downside, the fixed neck and lumbar support are designed for taller bodies. If those don’t fit your body dimensions, they tend to hurt more than help. For instance, on slaller bodies the lumbar support will jab into the middle of the back, rather than the lower portion. Over time, that will make leaning back painful.
This recliner supports up to 265 pounds. Dimensions:
- Seat: 25.5″(W) x 29.1″(D)
- Backrest: 20.9″(W) x 29.1″(H)
Other features include a side pouch for storing your stuff plus non-marking pads to protect your floors.
Buying advice
This recliner gets mixed reviews on Amazon. Postitive reviews point out the comfort of these chairs. Negatives are the awkward lumbar support and poor durability. Homall Recliners only come with a 1-year warranty. Reported durability issues include frayed stitching, a flimsy built, and a seat that sinks after a few months of use.
This model weighs 63 pounds and doesn’t fold away for easy storage. It’s too big for small bedrooms. That means it would have to become a permanent part of your living room.
Keep in mind that this is a compact recliner. Choose this model if you don’t mind having a kid-sized recliner as the centerpiece of your living room.
Respawn-900 Racing Recliner
Current price: $347.16
At a first glance, the Respawn 900 looks like an advanced console gaming chair from the future. In reality, it’s a basic chair with a unique retractable footrest and deep recline, but no rocking functionality.
The retractable footrest is the star feature. It goes up and down as a single padded unit, theoretically to provide more legroom. On the downside, sitting in shorts with the recliner up can get sticky. Except sweat to pool under both legs when sitting long periods in hot weather.
Features
The upper backrest works like a conventional PC gaming chair. Padded wings support the shoulders, while a neck pillow supports your head. Backrest recline goes down to 135°. That’s the optimal angle for watching movies or reading, but not deep enough for a nap.
Moving down from the backrest, the Respawn-900 morphs into a footrest recliner. Armrests have thick padding and a drink holder on the left side.
Moving under the seat, the Respawn-900 morphs yet again into a pedestal rocker. The chair attaches to a flat base with 360° swivel. Summary of features:
- Build: the chair and footrest provide a continuous surface to support the legs.
- Recline: backrest recline to 135°; backrest and footrest operate independently.
- Base: supports 275 pounds plus 360° swivel.
- Warranty: Respawn limited lifetime warranty (details).
The base is not height adjustable. That’s ok for console or mobile gaming, but it might be a problem if you want to use this model with a desk.
Dimensions are suitable for slim adults up to 5’10”:
- Chair height: 44.88″
- Interior arm width: 18.9″
- Total weight: 48.5 pounds
Buying advice
The Respawn 900 has an innovative design that should appeal to most console gamers. Although it doesn’t have rolling casters, the chair isn’t hard to move from room to room when needed. Reviews on Amazon are good for the most part. Negative reviews point out the poor quality of the upholstery.
Respawn claims to offer a lifetime warranty, but that’s not realistic for a chair of this quality. With part-time use, we estimate this product can last for up to one year. After that, expect the padding to flatten out. With flattened padding, sitting for more than a few minutes at a time will get uncomfortable.
Respawn-900 Recliner on Amazon $347.16
To learn more about Respawn chairs, check out our detailed Respawn gaming chair brand review.
X Rocker Pro 2.1 Pedestal Rocker
Current price: $269.99
The X Rocker Pro 2.1 Pedestal Rocker has been a top-selling console chair for a few years. It’s fallen from the top of the rankings, but remains popular, even though the design looks dated.
Like the other X Rocker music chairs, it comes with a wireless receiver and built-in speakers. The “Pro” aspect of this model is the addition of vibration motors. These sync with the vibrating sub-woofer to rumble in time with the game’s audio.
Features
This chair comes with a rocking function and 360° swivel. It also has a fixed neck and lumbar support. When done gaming, you can fold this model in half for easy storage.
- Upholstery: foam padding, PU leather cover
- Ergonomics: padded seat & backrest; tilt and swivel base.
- Music: built-in speakers with headphone jack and wireless receiver.
- Compatibility: Xbox, PlayStation, Gameboy, MP3/CD/DVD, home theater systems.
Chair dimensions
This is a compact chair that stands 42″ off the ground with the base attach. The seat is a slim-fitting 21.1″ wide and the chair supports up to 275 pounds.
- Seat width: 21″
- Chair height: 42″
- Weight support: up to 275 pounds
Buying advice
The X Rocker Pro 2.1 pedestal rocker used to be one of the world’s most popular console gaming chairs. These days, it has dated looks and underwhelming features. You can rock the chair or swivel it. The fixed lumbar support isn’t much use if it doesn’t fit your body type. As well, the warranty is very basic. X Rocker only accepts returns within 30 days of purchase. “Unless the product is defective, the customer is responsible for all shipping fees.”
Better options than console gaming chairs
None of the best-selling console gaming chairs emphasize healthy sitting as a feature. They are “gaming chairs” in the sense that you play video games while using them. But they don’t qualify as gaming chairs in the context of this website.
On ChairsFX, we review ergonomic chairs that promote health, wellness and productivity. Console gaming chairs don’t support good sitting posture. The following are much healthier video game seating options to consider.
Ergonomic chairs for kids aged 4-12
Many of the best-selling console gaming chairs are designed for kids. Those models are like sugary cereals — fun, but detrimental to health. Ages 4-12 is when children develop the posture habits that will stay with them through life. Good posture ingrained as a habit yields confidence, health, and vigor.
In contrast, chronic bad posture causes lethargy, depression, and spinal damage. Which is these chairs will help a child develop habits for future success?
Ergonomic chairs differ from console gaming chairs. They are designed to teach healthy desk-based sitting habits to children from 4-12. One key feature is a footplate that provides support, even when raised high off the ground. That makes these chairs usable with adult-sized desks. Another is the healthy posture support. A third are adjustable features that grow in dimensions as the child does.
These chairs are light enough to carry from room-to-room. That makes them an excellent choice for kids to play console games in the living room. They sit low to the ground to provide an optimal view of the TV while gaming. They also teach children superb sitting habits at a very young age. That forges strong posture habits that can last a lifetime.
Footrest gaming chairs
Another class of gaming chairs ranking high on Amazon’s best-selling list is the footrest gaming chair. Most of these models are living room-friendly models with compact dimensions. You can lower the seat on these chairs to ensure a good view of a low-set living room TV. All models also come with a retractable footrest and deep-reclining backrest. On top of that, these are full-fledged PC gaming chairs that you can use at a desk.
The top-selling footrest chair ranks among the top-5 most popular video game chairs on Amazon. That is the Respawn 110 chair. It resembles the Respawn 900, but also works as a desk chair. One limitation with this style of model is the fixed padded armrests. They work well when in recline mode, but are lacking when used at a desk.
Another popular class of footrest gaming chair comes with adjustable armrests. These models range in price from $119 to $250.
All come with standard ergonomic features that support good posture. Neck and lumbar pillows are adjustable to fit the curves of your spine. You can recline and lock the backrest at various angles. These features make them a solid option for office work at a desk.
When it’s time to relax, kick up the footrest to enjoy some console gaming. When you need a nap, put the backrestinto as deep recline and enjoy a peaceful floating sensation.
PC gaming desk chairs
Hands-down the best option to support a healthy posture over long periods is a PC gaming chair. These are desk chairs that support good posture and movement while sitting for long periods.
Xbox or PlayStation gaming at a desk needs a gaming chair, a desk, and a monitor. Playing console games this way yields several advantages. First, console gaming with an HD gaming monitor provides smoother gameplay without lag.
Second, console gaming at a desk lets you use a mouse and keyboard instead of a gaming controller. For first-person-shooter games, that gives you more shooting options and greater precision. The third big benefit is that unlike console chairs, PC gaming chairs are good for your back.
The best gaming chairs for video game players are pro esports chairs. Themed video game chairs are another interesting option. Top brands like Secretlab and Noblechairs have themed chairs for many popular video games. Secretlab has League of Legends, Overwatch, Dota 2, and Cyberpunk chairs. Noblechairs has themed chairs for DOOM and Fallout.
Conclusion
The best-selling console chairs are better for your back than sitting on the sofa or floor. But they don’t compare to the back support you get by using a PC gaming chair. The main attraction of console chairs is that they are easy to use a living room.
Luckily, PC gaming chairs are a nice alternative. When the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 debut, living room gaming will hit an exciting new level. With a good 4K TV and adjustable TV stand, a PC gaming chair becomes the ultimate living room seating option.
At a desk, connecting your console to a gaming monitor will deliver the best visual experience. For seating, nothing at a desk beats the ergonomic support of a PC gaming chair.
For more ideas about optimal console living room or desk setups, check out this feature:
