Streamers help market new games and maintain player retention on existing titles. Hence, many AAA game publishers partner with top streamers. Some big chair brands do the same. Other steamers buy their own chairs. The commonality is that they all use high-end ergonomic chairs. This article focuses on the gaming chairs used by the top Twitch and Youtube streamers of 2021.
Recently, Limelight Networks published State of Online Gaming 2020. Among its findings was that video gamers play an average of six hours and twenty minutes per week. As well, in some countries, more people watch streamers online than traditional sports.
One reason that streaming appeals to gamers is that it’s a lot more relaxing than playing. For example, top first-person-shooter (FPS) games like CS:GO demand as many as 400 actions per minute. That means a brain-taxing blur of fast decisions and clicks.
In contrast, streaming lets gamers unwind by watching other skilled players. But instead of a TV-like experience, it’s interactive. On both Youtube and Twitch streams, live chat is a key part of the action. You can comment on the stream. When the streamer comments back, you become part of the show.
It’s a relaxing, interactive party based around games people are interested in. Between 2018 and the Q3 2020, Twitch had an average viewership of 2.15 million people at any given time. In comparison, the 2019 Wimbledon tennis finals garnered an average viewership of 877,000 people.
Chairs used by top Youtube streamers
Youtube and Twitch now both offer streaming services, with some differences. Twitch is mainly focused on live game streaming. In comparison, Youtube streams are often about non-gaming-related content. Among the top gaming streamers on Youtube, many don’t use specific chairs. As a result, this section looks at three top Youtube streamers who do use particular chairs.
PewDiePie: Clutch Throttle Series
Subscribers: 109 million
Channel: Youtube
Felix Kjellberg is known online as PewDiePie. He is Youtube’s biggest star, with over 109 million subscribers. Back in 2019, he switched his gaming streams to rival platform Dlive.
In May 2020, he switched back to streaming his gameplay exclusively on Youtube. In most of his gaming streams, he plays Minecraft.
Clutch Chairs Throttle Series
Since 2017, PewDiePie has been using a custom-designed Clutch Chairz Throttle Series. The PewDiePie Edition Throttle Series comes in black, Dura-Soft leather with brilliant red accents. PewDiePie’s fist logo is also emblazoned on the front of the backrest.
The PewDiePie Throttle Series supports up to 330 pounds. It has roomy dimensions, even for larger bodies. Features are pro-level:
- Functionality: 4D adjustable armrests; recline to 180°; 12° tilt-lock.
- Comfort: high-density cold cure foam padding; neck and lumbar pillows.
- Warranty: 3-year warranty on parts, lifetime warranty on the steel frame.
PewDiePie Throttle Series on Amazon $429.99
Lean more about this model in our detailed Clutch Chairz Throttle Series review.
Jacksepticeye: Herman Miller Embody
Subscribers: 26.4 million
Channel: Youtube
Irish YouTuber Sean William McLoughlin is known online as Jacksepticeye. He is one of Youtube’s top gaming influencers and the top-subscribed Irish channel.
His channel mixes up live-action, comedy, and gameplay videos. Recently, he has been streaming Among Us, Resident Evil, and a bunch of other titles.
Herman Miller Embody
Until mid-2019, Jacksepticeye used a DXRacer Sentinel Series gaming chair. In March 2019, he Tweeted: “I’ve been using my gaming chair for a few years now and get all the support I need out of it.” Soon after, he switched to a Herman Miller Embody, Tweeting: “My DXRacer was giving me problems.” He shows off his current setup in this Dec. 2020 video.
The Herman Miller Embody is the luxurious flagship of the Herman Miller collection. Its standout feature is an ultra-adaptive, ‘Pixelated’ backrest. It has a flexible center spine with protruding ‘ribs’ laid against a flexible plastic backrest.
Summary of Embody chair features:
- Synchro-tilt: seat pan angle 3° to 15°; backrest 94° to 120°
- Pixelated back support: the backrest has a central spine with flexible ribs. Each rib adjusts when you lean back to support the natural curve of your spine.
- BackFit angle adjustment: this lets you position the back of the chair to fit the curvature of your back.
- Seat adjustments: adjust the seat’s height and depth.
- Armrests: 2D-adjustable
- Backrest: adjust recline tension; 3-position tilt-lock; synchro-tilt
Learn more about the Embody in our review of the top-5 Herman Miller ergonomic chairs.
If you prefer a more ‘gamified’ style, check out the Herman Miller gaming collection. It includes a desk, a monitor mount, and a choice of Embody, Aeron, or Sayle gaming chairs.
Embody from Herman Miller $1695
The Embody is available from Herman Miller for buyers in the United Stes and Canada. The Embody Gaming edition is also available for $1495.
DanTDM: GTOmega Pro
Subscribers: 24.6 million
Channel: Youtube
UK native Daniel Middleton is better known online as DanTDM. His channel covers many games including Minecraft, Among Us, and Rust.
In a recent video, he showed off his $10,000 streaming setup. Since February 2019, he has been using a custom Pro XL Series provided by UK-based brand GT Omega Racing.
GT Omega Pro
DanTDM’s GT Omega Pro Series is a custom design. The in-store models come in all-black or with a choice of colored trim.
All Pro edition models come with 4D armrests, standard tilt, and a 3-year warranty.
Chairs used by top Twitch streamers
2020 was a wild year in the streaming world for two top stars. When Microsoft’s Mixer streaming service closed down, mega-streamers Ninja and Shroud both became free agents. In 2020, both Ninja and Shroud returned to Twitch.
Ninja is the most popular English-speaking streamer on Twitch based on followers. Shroud ranks #3. Below, we look at those two plus other top streamers who use specific ergonomic chairs in their broadcasts.
Ninja: Maxnomic Pro
Twitch followers: 16,711,026
Channel: Twitch
Richard “Ninja” Blevins is an American gamer. He was the most followed person on Twitch (15 million followers). He broke with Twitch and joined Mixer in late 2019. In June 2020, Mixer shut down, leaving Ninja as a free agent without a streaming platform. He has since returned to Twitch and has resumed streaming.
These days on his channel, he usually streams while playing Valorant, League of Legends, or Fortnite. He also runs a popular ‘just chatting’ category.
Maxnomic Pro Gaming Chair
For several years, Ninja has been using a custom Maxnomic Pro gaming chair. The Maxnomic Pro is a racing-style chair with bladed edges on the seat for a slim fit.
Features are high-end across the board. Notable standouts include an 85° backrest incline and finger imprinted 4D armrests.
- Functionality: 4D adjustable armrests; backrest adjusts from 83°(forward tilt) to 139°; 12° tilt-lock.
- Comfort: high-density cold cure foam padding; neck and lumbar pillows.
- Warranty: 2-year warranty.
Ninja is Maxnomic’s highest-profile ambassador. But many other popular streamers also use Maxnomic chairs. Maxnomic’s streaming ambassadors also include Tfue, Kaypea, and Towelliee.
A big reason is that Maxnomic is the only high-end gaming chair brand that sells custom chair designs. For an extra fee, you can choose your color scheme and also get embroidered logos on the front and back of your chair.
Maxnomic Pro from NEEDFORSeat for $399-$429
Lean more about this model in our detailed Maxnomic gaming chair brand review.
Tfue: Herman Miller Embody
Twitch followers: 9,993,091
Channel: Twitch
Tfue is a former pro player with FaZe Clan and one of the highest-earning “Fortnite” players of all-time. In his career, he won over $500,000 playing the game. When Ninja left Twitch, Tfue temporarily became the streamer with the most followers. Now that Ninja has returned, Tfue drops back to become the second-most-followed streamer on Twitch.
Unlike many streamers, Tfue tends to run a cluttered gaming station without much attention to aesthetics. That works well with his casual, ‘hanging out with friends’ dynamic. For several years, he had used a custom Maxnomic OFC chair. He also has a DXRacer Drifting Series in his collection.
Recently, he’s cleaned up his cable management and refined his production values. He also switched to streaming from a black Herman Miller Embody chair.
Herman Miller Embody
When buying an Embody chair from the Herman Miller website, you have two frame options. The standard option is a black Graphite frame. For $145 more, you can upgrade to a white frame instead. At the same time, you can also customize the color of your chair’s upholstery.
In Tfue’s case, he chose the standard black frame with a black fabric cover. To learn more about this model, check out this Herman Miller Embody chair review.
Embody from Herman Miller $1695
The Embody is available from Herman Miller for buyers in the United Stes and Canada. The Embody Gaming edition is also available for $1495.
Shroud: Embody gaming chair
Twitch followers: 8,959,669
Channel: Twitch
Michael “Shroud” Grzesiek is the third most-followed streamer on Twitch. Like Ninja, he switched over to the Mixer platform in late 2019. When Mixer closed, Shroud returned to Twitch in August 2020. These days, he often streams Valorant, Rainbow Six Siege, Rust, and Warcraft Shadlowlands.
During his stint on Mixer, Shroud used a Herman Miller Aeron chair. Soon after returning to Twitch, he partnered with Logitech G on a line of Shroud-branded peripherals. As a result, he now uses a Herman Miller X Logitech G Embody gaming chair while streaming.
Showing off his Shroud-branded Logitech gear with a Herman Miller Aeron and Eames Lounge Chair in the background.
His current setup shows a clear fondness for Herman Miller products. His old Aeron chair sits on standby in the background. Also in the background is an Eames Lounge chair and Ottoman ($6,495 from Herman Miller).
Herman Miller Embody gaming chair
Released in mid-2020, the new Embody gaming chair is a collaboration between Herman Miller and Logitech. It has the same features as the classic Embody chair, with a few tweaks.
First is a multi-layered seat suited to the more active posture style of pro esports players. It includes two spring layers, a mat layer, and a foam layer. The foam contains copper-fused cooling technology, helping the seat to stay cool at all times.
Over the foam layer is a new dark fabric skin with a grooved surface and Logitech G logo on the front of the backrest. On the back of the chair is a blue plastic backrest with black ‘ribs’ and a central spine. The whole unit adapts to micro-movements. That ensures consistent support no matter what position the user moves into.
Also noteworthy are the blue color accents. Those reflect the color of the Logitech G logo. To learn more, check out our detailed Embody gaming chair review. Alternatively, check our review of the entire Herman Miller gaming collection.
Embody gaming chair from Herman Miller $1495
The Embody classic is also available from Herman Miller for $1695. Both models are available for buyers in Canada and the United States.
xQcOW: Herman Miller Embody
Twitch followers: 7,618,923
Channel: Twitch
Félix Lengyel is a French-Canadian known online as xQcOW, or xQc. He is a former pro player for the Dallas Fuel in the Overwatch League. He also represented Team Canada in the 2017, 2018, and 2019 Overwatch World Cups.
These days, he Twitch streams a variety of games including GTA, Valorant, Rust, and a bit of chess. XQC currently uses a Herman Miller Embody chair. His model has the standard black graphite frame and ‘Blue Grotto’ fabric upholstery.
Herman Miller didn’t provide him with this chair — he bought it himself. We know that because he has Tweeted to Logitech to gift him a new Embody gaming chair.
Herman Miller Embody classic
The Embody chair is the flagship of the Herman Miller office chair collection. Its standout feature is a flexible ‘Pixelated’ backrest and seat. Both respond to micromovements as users shift position. That results in even weight distribution and gentle support to keep users sitting upright.
Like few other chairs on the market, this adaptive technology creates a sensation of weightlessness. Eventually, you can expect to forget that you are sitting. If you close your eyes in this chair, it’s easy to feel like you’re floating on air.
Embody from Herman Miller $1695
The Embody is available from Herman Miller for buyers in North America. To learn more, check our review of the top-5 Herman Miller office chairs.
Myth: Embody gaming chair
Twitch followers: 7,283,448
Channel: Twitch
In late 2017, Ali Kabbani (aka Myth) used his Fortnite skills to explode on the pro gaming scene. In January 2018, he signed with Team SoloMid (TSM) and quickly became team captain. For a while, he was known as “TSM Myth”.
However, his performance in top esports tournaments was mediocre. In March 2019, he announced that Fornite would no longer be his main game. That was the end of his competitive esports career.
When he switched to focused Twitch streaming, he began to add a more personable element to his content. That led to record viewership numbers. As a result, he is now the fifth most-followed streamer on Twitch. Recently, he’s been streaming a lot of Valorant gameplay and chess.
Herman Miller Embody gaming chair
The Embody Gaming Chair arrived while Myth was still a member of Team SoloMid. Previously, the team was partnered with Vertagear. After the team signed a partnership with Herman Miller, all TSM members received Herman Miller Embody gaming chairs. After his Embody chair had arrived, Myth continued to use his Vertagear Triigger 350 for a while.
These days, he uses his Embody gaming chair during streams. The Triigger 350 is on standby in the background.
The “Herman Miller X Logitech G Embody” gaming chair is a souped-up classic Embody chair upholstered in black polyester fabric. It has the same features as the original Embody, plus a unique skin and extra seat padding and. Priced at $1495, it’s an elite chair for big spenders.
To learn more, check out our review of the entire Herman Miller gaming collection.
Embody gaming chair from Herman Miller $1495
The Embody classic is also available from Herman Miller for $1695. Both models are available for buyers in Canada and the United States.
Pokimane: Noblechairs EPIC
Twitch followers: 7,257,285
Channel: Twitch
Imane Anys is a Moroccan-Canadian streamer known online as Pokimane. She made her mark streaming League of Legends and Fortnite. She is also a member of OfflineTV, an online social Youtuber collective.
She checks in as the 6th most-followed English-speaking Twitch streamers. In doing so, she breaks two conventions. First, she is the first woman to appear among the top streamers of 2021.
Second, she is the only one who gave up using an Embody chair, in favor of a Noblechairs EPIC gaming chair. Check out this 2019 video where she raves about her Embody chair:
Curiously, in most of her streams since that time, she consistently uses a Noblechairs EPIC gaming chair.
Noblechairs EPIC chair
The Noblechairs EPIC is our fourth-ranked pro esports chair for small sizes. Pokimane stands 5’4″, while the EPIC is rated to support users from 5’5″ to 6’2″.
It comes in both back and white variants, with a suite of pro features. Those include 4D armrests, a multifunction tilt-lock, deep recline, and a 2-year warranty. The main reason these chairs don’t rank higher is that they are very often out of stock. To learn more about these chairs, check out our Noblechairs EPIC review.
Other pro chair user cases
Out of nine top streamers of 2021, five of them use Herman Miller Embody chairs. Four others use racing-style gaming chairs.
Beyond Twitch and Youtube streaming, what chairs do pros use in other sectors? Below, we cover chairs used by relevant pro esports players, stock traders, and major league sports stars.
Chairs used by top all-time top esports teams
Global video game revenue in 2020 was $179 billion. That surpasses the combined revenue of the global movie and North American sports industries. Like top streamers, pro esports teams are a key driver of video game popularity.
In 2020, global esports revenues topped $1.1 billion. 75% of that revenue is from media rights and sponsorships. The rest comes from tournament prize winnings.
The more successful esports teams perform in tournaments, the more money they make on the side. Over time, the top-earning teams of all time are among the most famous in esports. These are the best-developed teams who perform at consistently high levels year after year.
Among the ten all-time great teams we looked at, seven use Secretlab gaming chairs. Secretlab partners include elite squads like Team Liquid, OG, Evil Geniuses, and Team Secret. DXRacer, Anda Seat, and Vertagear also make appearances. Check out the article to learn more:
Chairs used by the top teams of 2020
Secretlab has a strong grip on partnerships among the best esports teams of all time. To get a more varied look at chair partners, we also looked at chairs used by the top-earning teams of 2020.
Last year, the esports industry had to adjust to pandemic realities. As a result, some big tournaments were canceled, including the International 2020. That Dota 2 tourney offers the single-largest prize pool of any event. In 2019, the pool reached $34 million. In 2020, it would have paid out even more.
As a result of such cancellations, a few smaller squads were among the top-10-earning teams of the year. For example, Spacestation Gaming is a 4-year-old team based out of Utah.
Winning the 2020 Rainbow Six Siege Invitational landing them fifth overall in yearly winnings. The team promoted their partnership with AKRacing using a quirky promo featuring their accountant Sabrina.
Among the top-10, Secretlab is partnered with three teams; Heman Miller with two. AKRacing, Zipchair, and Respawn also make appearances.
Ergo chairs used by pro stock traders
These days, some pro stock traders operate from Wall Street. Others trade stocks from home. Recently, a GameStop stock battle occurred between Wall Street hedge funds and home-based traders. In the story, key players on the hedge funds side all use Herman Miller ergonomic chairs.
On the opposing side, the Reddit user Keith Gill (aka DeepF*ckingValue) developed the thesis that sparked the GameStop frenzy. He uses a Secretlab House Lannister chair.
Like a stereotypical ‘internet troll’, he operates out of his basement. There, he trades stocks, runs a Youtube channel, and eats chicken tenders (‘tendies’) to celebrate gains.
As the GameStop story broke, many media outlets reached out to Jordan Belfort (the Wolf of Wall Street). He sided with the little guys, but warned that their luck would likely be curtailed.
Belfort now runs a Beverly Hills investment firm. In most media appearances, he uses a genuine leather Secretlab Titan chair.
After looking at key stock trader chairs in the story, the article also explores day-trading workstation setups. Essentials are a good desk, chair, and multi-monitor setup.
Gaming chairs used by pro athletes
Many pro athletes are also passionate gamers. As an example, football superstar Neymar is one of the highest-profile athletes who streams on Twitch. His chair of choice is a DXRacer Racing PRO Series chair. As another example, UFC featherweight Max Holloway uses a custom DXRacer Monster Energy edition chair.
Josh Hart is one of the NBA’s most avid gamers. He uses a Mavix ergonomic chair. Meanwhile, Dele Alli of the Tottenham Hotspurs uses a Secretlab Titan Stealth edition. To learn the gaming chairs of other pro athletes, check out this feature:
Conclusion
Among the top-Twitch and Youtube gaming streamers of 2021, the Herman Miller Embody dominates. Out of the nine streamers chairs we covered, five use Herman Miller Embody chairs. In contrast, among the top esports teams of all time, Secretlab is the dominant brand.
The Titan is Secretlab’s flagship gaming chair. It has a 5-year warranty and costs $419-$489. The Embody Herman Miller’s flagship ergonomic task chair. It has a 12-year warranty and costs $1695.
Comparing a Titan vs Embody is like comparing a BMW with a Lamborghini. Both provide luxurious posture support for long periods of sitting. The former is around a quarter of the price of the latter and is guaranteed to last around half as long.
In comparison, the Embody boasts a higher-quality build and a deeper level of ergonomic complexity. For a full drilldown of the two chair types, check out this feature:
