Big Gaming Chair Industry Price Increases: From 2021 to 2022
Furniture prices are rising around the world. Skyrocketing shipping and material costs are the reason. Over the past six months, ergonomic seating prices have also gone up. In the gaming chair industry, most (but not all) leading brands have hiked prices by 10% or more. Many leading ergonomic office chairs are also now more expensive. Here we report the recent price increases across the gaming chair industry.
Gaming chairs are getting more expensive. In early 2022, most models industry-wide are at least 10% pricier versus late 2021 prices.
This article covers the price hikes of leading brands. As a bonus, it also takes a broader look at gaming chair prices over time: from 2015 to the present.
2021-2022 Gaming Chair Price Increases
Here’s a look at recent price hikes from four leading chair brands:
- AKRacing: a Master Series Pro cost $629; today it costs $679. 7.9% price increase.
- Secretlab: a Titan Evo 2022 cost $449; today it costs $549. 22% price increase.
- IKEA: an Utepselare gaming chair went from $129 to $149. 15% increase.
- Herman Miller Aeron: was $995-$1895; now costs $1195-2195. 20.5% price increase.
Below, each brand gives similar reasons for the increases. Across the board, higher shipping rates and materials costs are the cause.
AKRacing
We first reported on gaming chair price increases in July 2021. That was when AKRacing became the first major brand to sound the alarm.
For a few weeks, they posted a message on the AKRacing.com homepage. Skyrocketing shipping costs had left them with no other option:
“Unfortunately, businesses have no other choice but to raise prices… or cut corners… We have tried to hold the line, but unfortunately, this means that we will have to raise prices on our entire product line very soon.”
At the time, its flagship Master Series Pro cost $629 in the AKRacing store(1). Today, the Master Pro sells in the AKRacing shop for $679.
2021-2022 increase: the Master Series Pro is 7.9% more expensive.
Secretlab
In September 2021, Secretlab sent out a newsletter with a similar message.
Shipping freight rates have skyrocketed more than 600% since 2019, and prices of aluminum and steel — major components in our chairs — have also increased by over 60%.
Around that time, small and medium Titan 2022 Series chairs cost $449(2). By December 2021, the price went up to $499(3). In Feb. 2022, small and medium Titan chairs sell for $549.
2021-2022 increase: Titan 2022 chairs went up from $449 to $549 — a 22% increase.
IKEA
IKEA is the world’s largest furniture retailer, with 446 stores in 52 countries. In Dec., the company sent out a press release announcing a 9% average price increase across markets(4). The message echoed what Secretlab had sent out earlier:
“… since higher costs have begun to affect the global economy, we have to pass parts of those increased costs onto our customers”
In the new year, the release predicted “significant transport and raw material constraints driving up costs” with no anticipated break. Ominously, it also warned that disruptions will continue “far into 2022”.
As an example, IKEA released a trio of gaming chairs in October 2021. In that collection:
2021-2022 increase: the Utepselare gaming chair went from $129(5) to $149 (15% more).
Herman Miller
Several days after the IKEA announcement, Herman Miller followed suit. In November 2021, the company sent out its own price increase alert(6). Like IKEA, shipping and materials costs had left them no other choice:
“In response to the rapidly rising commodity, labour and freight costs globally effective January 4th, 2022, Herman Miller Inc and their subsidiaries are implementing a price adjustment. The increase varies by product line with an average increase of 10%…
In July 2021, the price of an Aeron Remastered chair was $995-$1895(7). In 2022, the Aeron costs $1195-2195 (depending on your configuration). At the low end, that’s a 20% price increase. At the high end, it’s a 21% increase.
2021-2022 increase: since July 2021, the Aeron Remastered chair price has gone up by 20.5%.
Holdouts: No Price Increases
According to our records, two premium brands have managed to hold the line. Both DXRacer and Noblechairs have not increased prices since Sept. 2021.
In September 2021, the Noblechairs Hero cost $459. It comes with 4D arms, an integrated lumbar, and a 2-year warranty.
At the same time, a DXRacer Master Series cost $499. It has similar features as the HERO and also comes with a 2-year warranty.
Back then, we rated those as pricier-than-normal, given the short 2-year warranties. However, under the modern pricing landscape, both are suddenly bargains!
Brand Reviews: Best DXRacer Chairs | Best Noblechairs of 2022
Gaming Chair Market Set To Slump
In 2022, PC hardware is set to increase in price. Gaming chair prices have also gone up. At the same time, the amount of people playing video games is expected to decline.
As a result, we expect demand for gaming chairs to slump in 2022. Here are the reasons:
Gaming Furniture Gets More Expensive
Several factors are driving price increases across the furniture industry(8). A shortage of raw materials has surged prices. As well, production and port slowdowns have hampered production. As a result of those slowdowns, shipping costs have skyrocketed. Notable facts:
- Global steel prices now average around US$1220 per tonne. That’s 60% higher than in 2019(9).
- In 2019, a container shipped from Asia to Western Canada cost $1,800. Today, it costs $20,000 per container(10). That’s a 1011% increase.
- China’s zero-Covid policy has forced extended lockdowns in major port cities. In early 2022, Ningbo, Tianjin and Shenzhen are all locked down(11).
Pandemic Video Game Boom Fades
Prediction: locking down with a gaming rig and Uber Eats will become passe in 2022 for a few reasons. First, both fast food and gaming are getting more expensive. Second, as the world re-opens, esports popularity will wane. Key points:
- USA fast food prices increased 8% since last year. That’s the biggest jump in 20 years(12).
- PC CPU and GPU prices are set to increase by more than 20% in 2022(13).
- Excessive hardware prices and game delays are expected to stifle video game industry growth and shrink the console market(14).
A return to normalcy will also impact the gaming industry. Once stay-at-home circumstances have ended, many avid gamers will return to being non-gamers. Experts also predict that a re-opened world will compel consumers to spend money on non-gaming pursuits.
Conclusion
ChairsFX has been covering the gaming chair industry since 2018. Because of the pandemic, the industry peaked between 2020-2021. Then, global lockdowns and a mass shift to working from home caused a surge of interest in ergonomic furniture.
During that period, Secretlab, Killabee, AKRacing, and Herman Miller all broke sales records. Moving into 2022, we expect a flattening of interest for a few reasons.
First, gaming chair prices are poised to keep rising. Second, gaming hardware will also get more expensive. Third, as the world re-opens, people will have less reason to lock down for marathon gaming sessions. Predictions:
- Premium gaming chairs will cost more than $700 by the summer of 2022.
- Most cheap gaming chairs will cost more than $200 at around the same time.
- Many popular gaming chair brands will be out of stock for long periods.
- Gaming chair demand will shrink for the first time since the pandemic.
- There will be very few significant gaming chair product releases in 2022.
In short, look for an end to the gaming chair frenzy of the past few years. Instead of getting beguiled by fancy new styles, rising prices will force consumers to seek value-for-money as the first priority.
Footnotes
- Web archive ‘AKRacing Master Series Pro’. 31 May. 2021, https://archive.ph/Ffqef, (accessed 24 Feb. 2022).
- Web archive ‘Secretlab Titan 2022 Series’. 25 August 2021, https://archive.ph/wip/ixlhC, (accessed 24 Feb. 2022).
- Web archive ‘Secretlab Titan 2022 Series’. 20 December 2021, https://archive.ph/wip/Hxr5a, (accessed 24 Feb. 2022).
- ‘Ingka Group looking ahead to the opportunities and challenges of retailing in 2022’, Ingka Group, 30 Dec. 2021, Press Release, (accessed 3 Feb. 2022).
- Web archive ‘Ikea Utespelare’. 16 Nov 2021, https://archive.ph/wip/JzXZT, (accessed 24 Feb. 2022).
- ‘Herman Miller Price Increase’. Workplace Resource, 29 Nov. 2021, https://www.wrcanada.com/news/2021/herman-miller-price-increase, (accessed 3 Feb. 2022).
- Web archive ‘Herman Miller Aeron’. 2 July 2021, https://archive.ph/wip/JzXZT, (accessed 24 Feb. 2022).
- Amy Frearson. ‘Furniture brands raise prices due to “excessive rise” in cost of materials and transport’, Dezeen, 13 Dec. 2021, https://www.dezeen.com/2021/12/13/furniture-brands-price-increase-supply-chain-issues/, (accessed 3 Feb. 2022).
- MEPS, ‘Global steel prices forecast to remain elevated in 2022’, Commodity News, Dec. 29, 2021, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5099353/, (accessed 3 Feb. 2022).
- CBC News, ‘Furniture prices soar due to supply chain issues, increased cost of materials’, Jan. 14, 2022, https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/furniture-prices-soar-supply-chain-issues-1.6314733, (accessed 3 Feb. 2022).
- Ana Swanson, ‘Supply chain snags continued to drive up prices in December’, Jan. 12, 2022, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/12/business/inflation-supply-chain.html, (accessed 3 Feb. 2022).
- Molly Harris. ‘Fast Food Prices Are Predicted To Increase Even More In 2022’, Jan. 27, 2022, https://www.tastingtable.com/749500/fast-food-prices-are-predicted-to-increase-even-more-in-2022/, (accessed 3 Feb. 2022).
- Monica Chen. ‘PC processor prices poised to rise in 2022’, Jan. 18, 2022, https://www.digitimes.com/news/a20220118PD200.html, (accessed 3 Feb. 2022).
- Wallace Witkowski. ‘The pandemic boom in videogames is expected to disappear in 2022’, Jan. 1, 2022, https://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-pandemic-boom-in-videogames-is-expected-to-disappear-in-2022-11640820086, (accessed 3 Feb. 2022).
