Ultimate Gaming Chair Sizing Guide: For S, M, & XL Sizes

Inaccurate Cheap Chair Size Ratings

Most gaming chairs come with on-paper size ratings. But in practice, we’ve found some are inflated. For example, the GTRacing Pro Series is rated to fit sizes 4’9″ to 5’9″. That makes it (on paper) suitable for short to average sizes 4’9″ and up.

We tested it with a 5’8″ model: she found the seat’s depth perfect for her size. But we can also see clearly that the seat is much too deep for a person sized 4’9″.

Short sizes who’ve never used a gaming chair before might not even notice the poor fit — until lower back pain sets in. Then, they’re likely to trash their gaming chairs and start shopping for another one. That’s a mistake.

According to Doctor William Duncan, willy-nilly chair shopping to address pain is a fool’s errand:

To avoid such hassles, start off with a strong foundation. That begins by choosing a gaming chair that’s appropriate for your size.

Aeron S, M, XL Office Chair Template

Most ergonomic office chairs have depth-adjustable seats. That lets users customize chairs to fit various sizes. In contrast, the Herman Miller Aeron has a fixed, non-depth-adjustable seat. It caters to different body types by serving up three different sizes:

Summary of Aeron small, medium, and XL chair dimensions:

Verdict: Optimistic; Different Than Gaming Chairs

I’ve tested the medium Aeron Size B (rated for sizes 5’2″ to 6’6″). I noticed three things. First, the Aeron comes lined with a hard plastic edge. If your seat is too deep, that edge will dig painfully into the back of your knees!

Second, office chair seat dimensions have a different impact than gaming chairs. For instance, the Aeron Size B has a 16.75″ seat depth; the medium Titan’s is 19.3″. Even so, both leave a similar gap between the back of my knees and the seat’s edge:

This is because the Aeron’s entire seat depth is usable. In contrast, padding and lumbar support push bodies away from the backrest in a Titan chair by around 3″. As a result, both seats — despite the different depths — fits my 5’9″ frame similarly.

The third thing I noticed: the Aeron Size B’s size rating seems too optimistic. It’s rated for sizes 5’2″ to 6’6″. However, notice how little space there is between the back of my knees and the seat edge:

Given the limited space, for my 5’9″ size, people sized 5’2″ are likely to suffer hard seat edges digging into the back of their knees! Therefore, if you’re shorter than 5’6″, I recommend choosing the Aeron Size A without question!

Fully-loaded Aeron From Herman Miller $1750

Learn more: Hands-on Aeron Remastered Ergonomic Office Chair Review

Sizing Tips For Average Sizes

Average sizes include men 6’0″ and 183 pounds or smaller, or women 5’7″ and 159 pounds or less. Average-sized men have the luxury of fitting in small, medium, and XL gaming chairs. For instance, here’s my 5’9″ 165-pound frame in all three sizes:

At a glance, each chair appears to be a pretty good fit. But look closer to spot key differences:

• Average size in small gaming chair: shorter backrest & headrest range; larger gap between the seat lip and the back of one’s knees.
• In a medium gaming chair: good headrest fit; sufficient gap between the seat lip and the back of one’s knees.
• In an XL gaming chair: cavernous backrest; good headrest fit; tiny gap between the seat lip and the back of my knees.

Chair Benchmarks For Average Sizes

Secretlab’s medium-sized Titan provides a superb fit for slim, average sizes. If shopping for other chairs, you can still use these numbers as benchmarks for your size:

Sizing Tips For Tall Sizes

Tall men (6’1″+) and women (5’7″+) develop larger bones to compensate for their height. However, develop longer but not wider spines.

Longer spines without added thickness must work harder to hold tall-bodied torsos upright. As a result, tall people are more prone to slouching than average sizes.

Another problem for tall people is varicose veins. Scientists speculate this may be gravity-related⁽¹⁾.

Best Ergonomic Seating For Tall People

Based on their needs, ergonomic office chairs are best for tall people. One with excellent lumbar support will soothe long but weak spines. Synchronous tilt functionality will promote movement to ease varicose veins.

Finally, support for crisp, neutral sitting postures will help forge healthy posture habits. Check out the best ergonomic chairs for tall people.

Sizing Tips For Short, Heavy Sizes

This section includes tips for short-to-average-sized overweight and obese people.

Fitting Tips For Overweight People

Men shorter than 6’1″ and women under 5’7″ with a BMI over 25 are overweight. For instance, an overweight 5’7″ woman would weigh at least 159 pounds. People in the overweight class tend to have bigger bottoms or thicker thighs.

For overweight short-to-average sizes, office chairs and gaming chairs are both great options. In either case, thick figures should make sure the seat has flat edges, rather than bladed ones.

Find your fit: see Best Chairs For Overweight Sizes.

Fitting Tips For Obese People

Once their BMI reaches 30+, a person is considered obese. For instance, an obese 5’7″ woman would weigh at least 192 pounds.

Obese people suffer from weaker joint strength, chronic musculoskeletal pain, foot problems, lethargy, and worse. The problem with mid-back ergonomic office chairs is that they force users to sit upright at all times.

This can be a struggle for a weak musculoskeletal system lugging around excess weight. In contrast, a full-back gaming chair gives heavy bodies the option of easing into good posture habits.

If sitting straight is too difficult, simply deepen the recline and let gravity do the work. Over time, your back muscles will get stronger. Then, you ease your body into healthy sitting habits instead of forcing it.

Best Chairs For Short & Heavy People

Overweight people shorter than 6’1″ can find a decent fit in any average-sized gaming chair. However, for best results, look for a seat with flat edges instead of restrictive bladed ones.

Obese sizes of average or shorter height will find a greater variety of budget and premium options among gaming chairs. Beyond more variety, gaming chairs offer obese sizes a gentler entry into healthy sitting habits.

Check out the Best Ergonomic Seating Options For Obese People

Sizing Tips For Big And Tall Sizes

A ‘big and tall’ man would stand 6’2″ and weigh at least 195 pounds. Once he reaches 234 pounds, he’d be classified as obese.

Between gaming chairs and ergonomic office chairs, the latter provides a lot more options. You can find a solid collection of both cheap and premium XL gaming chairs that support tall bodies and up to 400 pounds.

In contrast, the only ergonomic office chairs that cater to big and tall sizes are cheap models priced under $350.

Best For Big & Tall: Gaming Chairs

Full-back chairs are best for big & tall people, especially obese ones. Heavier bodies have weaker spines. Over long periods of sitting, it’s hard to hold heavy torsos upright.

Gaming chairs give big bodies the option of easing into good posture habits. What’s more, there’s a greater variety of gaming chairs on the market for big sizes than office chairs.

Proper Desk Height

Most adult-sized desks are 28-30″ high. For people shorter than 6’1″, this will result in improper workstation sync. On the flip-side, taller sizes using a work surface too low will also suffer problems.

In all cases, the ideal desk height should let you bend your elbows at a 90° angle, parallel to the floor.

Here are size recommendations from BlitzResults⁽²⁾. “Chair height” refers to the distance from the floor to the seat. “Armrest height” measures the distance from the seat to the armrests.

For Short People: Ergonomic Footrest

People 5’7″ and shorter (170 cm) using a standard 28-30 inch desk might suffer from pain in the shoulders, wrists, and lower back. Raising the height of the chair can help. However, for people under 170 cm, that might raise their feet off the floor.

That’s a problem — feet planted on the floor provide essential support for the back while sitting. The simple solution for anyone with short legs is to add a footrest. For instance, most ergonomic chairs for kids aged 4-12 come with removable footrests. Raising the height of the chair while using a footrest makes it possible for kids to use adult-sized desks.

For adults, the concept works the same. Short people using a desk too high can solve the issue with two steps. First, raise the height of the chair’s seat. Second, use a footrest that supports the feet even when raised off the floor.

Beyond raising your sitting height, adding an ergonomic footrest yields several advantages. For one thing, it reduces pressure on the lower thighs.

Instead, power from the legs bypasses the thighs and presses into the lower back. With lumbar support in place, that makes it easier to sit up straight.

For another thing, ergonomic footrests let you move while you sit. Rocking back and forth works your ankles and thighs while getting the blood flowing.

Sit Taller And More Dynamically With An Ergonomic Footrest

Related: Secretlab Professional Footrest Review For Dynamic Postures

For EVERYONE: Height-adjustable Desks

A person taller than 5’10” (177 cm) might find their desk set too low. Then, the neck bends and shoulders hunch. That places excessive stress on the wrists.

Conversely, short people often find desks too high for their stubby little legs. Meanwhile, text neck problems caused by sloppy mobile computing postures are skyrocketing. On top of it all, excessive sedentary computing times keep growing.

A sit-to-stand desk solves all of these problems in a single shot. Small, medium, and tall sizes can all make use of one to customize the height of their work surface.

Mobile users can also make use of one to support healthy computing postures — while sitting or standing! On top of it all, using a sit-to-stand desk will supercharge movement.

Each time you shift from a sitting to standing position (or vice versa) replicates a squat. That works your legs, hips, and back muscles for a quick, circulation-boosting jolt of refreshment.

Multi-Device Ergonomics: Why You Need A Sit-Stand Desk

Related: Secretlab Magnus Pro Standing Desk Review: Impressions After 6 Months