For many computer users, a gaming chair is the most important part of their ergonomic workstation. The chair on its own will give your workspace a huge upgrade. Adding accessories can enhance the experience. This article looks at the best accessories to enhance your gaming chair-powered battle station.
Most problems that users experience with their gaming chairs have easy solutions. For example, users with short legs may be unable to plant their feet on the floor while sitting. The simple solution is to add an ergonomic footrest.
Many users also complain that their padded gaming chair seats are too stiff. After a full day of sitting, their butts feel sore! Luckily, a good-quality seat cushion provides an easy and super-comfy fix.
Is your gaming chair sitting experience less than you hoped for? If yes, check out the best accessories that can help.
Best Gaming Chair Accessories
Some gaming chair accessories solve specific problems. Others enhance comfort or aesthetics. Here are our picks as the most useful:
- Ergonomic footrest: sit taller; add leg movement; reduce thigh pressure.
- Armrest pads: Protect elbows against hard armrest caps.
- Gamechanger Seat Cushion: Solve seat discomfort issues.
- Memory foam lumbar pillow: easy-to-use-back support upgrade.
- Slipcover: extend your chair’s life once the upholstery degrades.
- Gaming chair floor mat: enhance workstation aesthetics; keep your feet warm.
- Standalone footstool: turn your gaming chair into a recliner.
Ergonomic Footrest
Gaming chairs support good posture and movement while sitting. The more money you pay gets you more adjustability, plus a slick seat-angle tilt-lock.
Beyond gaming chairs, high-end task chairs like the Herman Miller Aeron come with a fancy synchro-tilt functionality. As you lean back, the seat tilts up.
In comparison to these (expensive) features, a simple footrest can add powerful posture support and dynamic sitting enhancements.
A big problem with fancy chair tilt features is that typing requires a static position. As a result, fancy chair movement functionality only works when you are sitting passively — not while typing.
Ergonomic Footrest Benefits
A cheap ergonomic footrest adds dynamic properties and several other benefits:
- Sit taller at a desk: for people under 5’9″, most desks are set too high. As a result, short users need to raise their seat to align forearms with the desk surface. That leaves feet dangling off the ground, removing a key pillar of support. Adding a footrest fixes this problem.
- Enhanced neutral sitting: neutral sitting places the least amount of stress on the back, hips, and legs. Using a footrest removes power absorption by the seat, sending it into the lower back instead. That curls through the hips and sends more pressure into your lumbar area. With proper lumbar support, that makes it very easy to sit up straight.
- Dynamic movement while sitting: instead of using chair movement features, you can easily use a footrest to greater effect. While sitting in an upright position, work out your calves and ankles. This keeps circulation robust, resulting in an energizing effect while sitting.
Learn more about footrest posture and wellness benefits in our detailed ergonomic footrest feature article. Below are two footrests recommended in that article:
Mind Reader Footrest
Amazon price: $27.99
I use this product while working on ChairsFX. It’s a hard plastic footrest with a pebbled, height-adjustable surface.
The feet balance atop the pebbled surface, with freedom to tilt the ankles forward or back. Unit specs:
- Length x width: 4.4″ (L) x 18.4″ (W)
- Height: 1 inch (lowest); 4.7″ (middle); 6″ (highest setting)
The Mind Reader footrest is very easy to use. It comes pre-assembled. Simply pull it out of the box, set the height to your preference, then start using it. Run your feet along the pebbled surface for quick stimulation. To get the blood flowing, rock the surface forward and back. That makes it easy to work your ankles and calves while sitting.
My only complaint with this device is the synthetic feel of the plastic surface. Over long periods of sitting, it gets warm and clammy, especially when used with bare feet. The solution: wear socks while using this product.
Mind Reader Footrest on Amazon $27.99
Everlasting Comfort Footrest
Amazon price: $32.95
If the plastic cover of the Mind Reader seems off-putting, this model replaces it with a singular slab of memory foam. Over the top is a removable, machine-washable velour cover.
This unit lacks the tilting platform and pebbled surface of the Mind Reader footrest. However, its soft velour cover absorbs heat, while the memory foam underneath molds to the nuances of your feet. Specs:
- Length x width: 4.75″ (L) x 17″ (W)
- Height: 9.5 inches
Choosing between this model and the Mind Reader depends on your priorities. The Mind Reader has better movement features, plus a height-adjustable surface. On the other hand, the Everlasting Comfort footrest is softer and more comfortable to the touch.
Everlasting Comfort Footrest on Amazon $32.95
Learn more about footrest health and wellness benefits in this feature article.
Armrest Pads
A human arm weighs around 6% of total body weight. That means the average 170-pound person’s arms weigh 10 pounds each. Without armrest support, it’s left to your spine to hold your arms up against gravity.
Most people find standard gaming chair armrests just fine. But those with sensitive elbows may find the hard armrests uncomfortable. If they sit for many hours each day in a gaming chair, their arms may start to get sore. Armrest pads are a popular solution to this problem.
Aloudy Armrest pads
Price: $18.99
Aloudy Armrest Pads contain 100% memory foam padding. This contours to your elbow to relieve pressure points. Finished in soft polyester velvet, these snug armrest pad covers are ultra-comfortable.
Aloudy armrest pads are easy to remove and machine washable. Pad size 9.5” x 4.5” x 1.5”; fits chair arms from 6″ to 11″.
Milliard Amrrest Pads
Price: $13.99
Turn hard armrests into soft, plush, luxurious ones. These popular armrest pads measure 9″ x 4.25″ x 1.50″. They’re easy to slip on, easy to remove, and will fit most gaming chair armrests.
The thick memory foam padding cradles the arms and forearms. Two armrest pads come in a pack with zippered, easy-to-remove machine washable covers.
Gamechanger Purple Seat Cushion
Gaming chairs are made with steel frames covered in varying qualities of foam padding. Most cheaper chairs have softer padding. In comparison, most premium gaming chairs come with very firm padding.
Firmer padding delivers the stability you need to sit with good posture. But compared to a cheap office chair, high-end gaming chair padding feels like a rock! Most people adjust after a few days of use, but some never do.
If your gaming chair seat feels too stiff, a Purple Gamechanger Seat Cushion lives up to its name as the ultimate solution. The Gamechanger is an 18 x 22 x 2.5″ (LxWxH) slab made from Hyper-Elastic Polymer.
This proprietary blend is ultra-durable and specially designed to support long periods of sitting. As you sit, the grid cradles your tailbone while providing cushioning for the rest of the seat. The material is infused with air channels, ensuring temperature-neutral support.
The removable cover is machine-washable. To clean the grid itself, give it a good scrub with water and soap. On Amazon, there are dozens of copycat models selling for under $40. Don’t be fooled.
The brand’s name is “Purple” and its flagship product is called the “Gamechanger”. To solve discomfort issues with your gaming chair, this product is the best that money can buy.
Memory Foam Lumbar Pillow
Many first-time gaming chair users struggle to get their lumbar support configured properly. Adjusting it too low will curl your hips forward. Setting it too high will cause your upper body to slouch.
In contrast, setting it to the right height fill your lower back curve with the pressure it needs. Then, sitting up straight becomes easy.
If struggling with your gaming chair’s lumbar support, you don’t need to replace the chair! Instead, upgrade to a memory foam lumbar pillow.
Conventional lumbar pillows on Amazon tend to be very fat and thick. As a result, they push users away from the backrest, leaving their upper body exposed.
Secretlab Memory Foam Lumbar Pillow
Secretlab’s Omega Memory Foam Lumbar Pillow is the best option I’ve tried. Unlike Amazon pillows, it compresses enough for your spine to touch the backrest. It’s also easy to use. Instead of adjusting the height, simply chuck it behind, position it roughly, and lean back.
Its 11.4″ x 11.4″ size will then hit your lumbar curve with room to spare. As you lean back, the pillow compresses. That provides perfect support to fill your lower back curve.
The pillow comes with a black machine-washable cover with a choice of color accents. I’ve had mine for around a year.
I use it as an upgrade with DXRacer, Anda Seat, GTRacing, and many other chairs. In all of them, the Omega’s pillow performs best.
Secretlab Omega Lumbar Pillow $59
Available from Secretlab in North America, the EU and UK, Oceania, Singapore, and Malaysia.
Upholstery Slipcover
My first gaming chair was a DXRacer Formula Series. It came with a 2-year warranty. After 2.5 years, the leather started peeling. So I got rid of the chair.
Had I known about gaming chair slipcovers, I could have gotten a few more years out of my chair. Slipcovers are also a great way to protect your gaming chair from pets or young children.
Deisy Dee Gaming Chair Slipcovers
Price: $15.99
Deisy Dee Slipcovers fit most gamingchairs with adjustable armrests. Made from 85% polyester, 15% Spandex fabric, they are easy to put on so that they maintain a snug fit.
Note that the cover material is very thin. As protection against heat buildup, it doesn’t help much. The main appeal of these slipcovers is protection and aesthetics.
Deisy Dee Slipcovers on Amazon on Amazon $15.99
LJNGG Gaming Chair Slipcovers
Price: $28.59
LJNGG Slipcovers are a good alternative to Deisy Dee covers. Made from spandex, LJNGG covers are slip-proof, dustproof, and machine-washable.
Dimensions should fit most gaming chairs:
- Backrest height: fits 31.50″ to 34.65″
- Backrest width: 22.05″ to 25.20″
- Seat width: 20.08″ to 23.62″
- Seat depth: 15.75″-20.47″
Gaming Chair Floor Mat
Adding a floor mat to your workstation has a few benefits. First, chair mats protect hard floors. Over carpets, they make it easier to move your chair around. They also prevent static buildup, while keeping your feet warm.
Another benefit is the framing aspect. Framing is a feature of the human brain that adds context to objects. For instance, laying a floor mat under your gaming chair can mark out your “zone of productivity”.
AKRacing Floor Mat
One of the top-rated (and cheapest) floor mats available come from AKRacing. AKRacing floor mats come in blue, red or black colors. The top layer is made of thick, easy-cleaning polyester.
The bottom has a grippy rubber coating to keep the mat in place. The AKRacing Mat has a diameter of 39″. That should fit around the base of all gaming chair sizes, with extra room on the sides.
AKRacing Floor Mat from AKRacing.com for $39.99
Cooler Master FM510 floor mat
The Cooler Master FM510 floor mat has a striking design. On the top is deep purple artwork depicting the Cooler Master Mystery Gamer. The surface is splash-proof — if you spill a drink, it won’t seep in.
On the bottom is a rubber underside that grips well on both hard floors and carpets. Around the edges is reinforced anti-fray stitching. Machine wash in cold water and hang dry.
Cooler Master Mat on Amazon $59.99
Other floor mats
Buying a gaming chair floor mat isn’t necessary, but a nice luxury. With a good mat under your gaming chair, you’re covered. You never have to worry about scratching the floor, spilling a drink, or resting your feet on a cold floor.
Other floor mat options include a liquid-encased model that produces dazzling visual effects. The rest are standard mats with plain or artistic covers and rubber undersides that grip well over hard floors or carpets. All
Standalone Gaming Chair Foot Stool
Most gaming chairs with built-in footrests are cheap models with basic features. Rather than binding yourself to a footrest gaming chair, pair a standalone footrest with any gaming chair. As a bonus, when not using it, these work well as a temporary seat for guests.
AKRacing Footstool
AKRacing price: $129
This AKRacing footstool features high-density cold foam padding and quality PU leather upholstery. The first key feature is the adjustable height. The second is a lockable wheel setting, which ensures that the footstool stays in place.
Buy this stool from AKRacing for $129
You can also buy the AKRacing footstool on Amazon for $175.99.
Neochairs Marvel-themed footstools
Price: $89.98
Neochairs is an American company with an exclusive license to make Marvel-themed gaming furniture. On ChairsFX, Neochairs Marvel editions rank among the best gaming chairs with footrests. Neochairs also makes an affordable line of big and tall gaming chairs. Complementing those chairs are a range of Marvel-themed gaming stools. Choose a design featuring Captain America, Black Panther, Iron Man, or Spiderman.
All models come with 360° swivel and a height adjustment range of 16.5″ to 19.5″. The stool top is 22″ wide x 19″ deep. With a maximum weight capacity of 330 pounds, they can also serve as a temporary seat for big and tall sizes.
Computing Desk Options
After a chair, the most important part of a computer workstation is the desk. Most standard desks for adults are between 28-30 inches high. That’s a good fit for average sizes between 5’8″ and 5’10” (172-177cm). Shorter users will likely suffer a poor fit.
Hunting around for a desk with a lower height range is one option. However, there are only a few such models on the market. The simple solution for shorter users is to add an ergonomic footrest. That will allow a shorter person to sit taller at a full-sized desk.
As a result, when desk shopping, most people can make do with a desk having a standard height. Thus, the main spec to look out for is the dimensions of the work surface.
The most important dimension is the width. That will determine how many external monitors you can stack into your workstation:
- Small desks: 48″ (121 cm) wide; suitable for a single-monitor setup. You could also add dual monitors with a desk mounted monitor stand.
- Medium desks: 55″ (140 cm) wide; suitable for a dual-monitor setup.
- Large desks: 60″ (152 cm) wide; suitable for a triple-monitor setup.
- Extra-large desks: 70″ (177 cm) wide; suitable for three monitors and a PC or gaming console.
Here are four types of desk that stack well with a gaming chair:
Cheap Amazon Desk
Unless you have specific preferences, a cheap, basic desk can do everything you need it to. For example, the CubiCubi has reigned as Amazon’s runaway top-selling for a few years.
It comes with a particle-board surface in a range of dark and natural wood colors. Specs: 29.5″ high, 19.7″ surface depth. The surface width is flexible: choose a compact 32″ wide version, or supersize up by 40,47,55, or 63 inches.
Once assembled, the desk weighs less than five pounds. Even so, it has a sturdy build with a generous 220-pound weight capacity.
The CubiCubi is solidly built, decently attractive, and cheap. To browse similar options, check Amazon’s best-selling desk rankings.
Gaming Desk
Gaming desks give you a fancier look than standard desks, but (in most cases) few other buying incentives. Most are more expensive than standard desks, and also more wobbly!
As a result, these haven’t caught on as gaming chairs have. Consider these as specialty items for hard-core gamers who prioritize aesthetics.
Expect flashy looks, cup and headphone holders, and some cable management extras. Secretlab’s Magnus Desk is our top-rated model. It comes in two versions: the 47″ Magnus costs $449; the 59″ version is $499 (buy from Secretlab).
It’s specially designed to address cable management. Thus you can create an ultra-clean, professional workspace that will make people swoon.
Another popular option is the Arozzi Arena gaming desk ($324.32 on Amazon). It has a 3-inch height-adjustable range (27.9″ to 31.9″ high) and a huge work surface (62″ wide x 31″ deep). Pn the downside, it feels too wobbly to safely hold a gaming rig.
Both options will surely sweeten the aesthetics of any workstation. Even so, beyond the flash, both do the same job as a $69.99 CubiCubi desk!
Height-Adjustable Sit-Stand Desk
These desks have motorized legs that lift or lower at the push of a button. That lets users switch between sitting or standing throughout a workday. While definitely a cool concept, there’s a big problem.
There aren’t any proven benefits gained by switching from sitting to standing while working! None! For example, standing all day will only burn around a carrot’s worth of extra calories. Cornell ergonomic advice: “Simply standing is insufficient. Movement is important to get blood circulation through the muscles.”
Thus, beyond height-adjustability, sit-stand functionality isn’t very useful. For better results, take a walking break every 20 minutes or so.
So what’s the point of a sit-stand desk? If you’re taller than 6’2″, these will let you raise your desk surface to a comfortable height. If that’s what you need, see this review:
Ergonomic office accessories
With your gaming chair maxed out, the final frontier to supreme ergonomics is your desk space. Complete your setup with these best-selling ergonomic add-ons.
Gimars Soft Gel Ergonomic Mouse Pad
Price: $17.98
If you spend long hours gaming or working at a desk, your arms and wrists may start feeling funny. Even when you have the best chair and desk, you may still have to add a few touches to make everything perfect.
The Gimars Soft Gel Memory Foam wrist support kit comes with a large mouse pad and 17″ keyboard wrist pad. Combined, these pieces improve hand and wrist posture. This helps you to avoid joint and wrist problems. Release pressure in your elbows and shoulders to long periods of hard-core computing.
Perixx Wireless Ergonomic Split Keyboard
Price: $65.99
If you want to get serious about ergonomics, the Perixx Periboard-612 split keyboard will take some getting used to.
That’s because of the split-key 3-D design, which breaks from keyboard tradition. This encourages straight posture, rather than bending wrists to the side while typing. Then, the integrated Palm rest supports the wrists in a comfortable position.
This model is compatible with both Windows and Mac computers.
Logitech M570 Wireless Trackball Mouse
Price: $69.79
The Logitech M570 is one of the top-selling ergonomic mouse devices on Amazon. Its sculpted shape supports the hand. The trackball cursor lets you control the mouse without needing to move your arm.
What’s more, easy to reach back and forward buttons make navigation a breeze. One battery lasts for 18 months. Plug a tiny wireless receiver into your laptop or PC, turn on the mouse and let the fun begin.
This is great for your mousing hand because it never has to move. It’s also perfect for small desk spaces. Since you don’t have to move the mouse around, you don’t need much space.
Conclusion
When shopping for gaming chair accessories, we suggest that you avoid buying everything at once. Start with a gaming chair. Spend a week or so focusing on using your chair the right way. Once used to sitting with a healthy posture, it’s likely that the chair on its own will do everything you need.
If you’re adamant about supercharging your workspace, these following accessories are among the most useful:
- Ergonomic footrest: sit taller; add leg movement; reduce thigh pressure.
- Armrest pads: Protect elbows against hard armrest caps.
- Gamechanger Seat Cushion: Solve seat discomfort issues.
- Memory foam lumbar pillow: easy-to-use-back support upgrade.
- Slipcover: extend your chair’s life once the upholstery degrades.
- Gaming chair floor mat: enhance workstation aesthetics; keep your feet warm.
- Standalone footstool: turn your gaming chair into a recliner.
To browse more accessories beyond the gaming chair (monitors, TV stands, etc), check out our dedicated Accessories section:
