How Long Do Gaming Chairs Last?

I did some research and also based on my experience I am going tell exactly what is the lifespan of the most gaming chairs.

So, how long do gaming chairs last? In general, a gaming chair should last 2 years at least. That being said, most people should be able to keep their chair for 3 to 5 years easily. 

However, many factors can extend or shorten their lifespan: the build quality, the usage, and how much the user takes care of his chair. Let take a look at these factors, to see what you can do about it.

What can influence the lifespan of a gaming chair

The first factor to consider is the usage. I know, this is pretty obvious, but no matter what you do, the more you sit on your chair, the shorter the lifespan will be. There is nothing you can do about it.

The good news is that most gaming chairs are designed to be used intensely. If you choose to get a premium chair (more than $200) you will be good. However, cheaper chairs tend to be made with less expensive material. Which bring me to the second point.

The build quality is the most important factor. Having a sturdy build will ensure you that it will last for a long time.

Typically there are 6 components that can break over time :

• The metal frame
• The armrest
• The base
• The wheels
• The gas lift
• The cover material

Off the 6, the metal frame is probably the less susceptible to break.

On the other hand, I’ve seen many gas lift cylinder failures over time both on gaming chairs and office chairs. There are several causes to these failures but the most common is an overcharge. That is why you must always check the maximum capacity of a gaming chair.

The base can break for the same reason.

The armrest, however, it just depends on their quality. If you see that the armrest has a lot of wiggles this isn’t a good sign.

The cover material is probably the first thing to degrade over time. Poor PU leather can crack easily after several years, and tissue can become very dirty over time. Try to select a brand with high-quality PU leathers because they are thicker and more durable. Also, real leather can last much longer than PU leather. But real leather is very expensive, especially for gaming chairs.

The foam is generally speaking O.K even after several years. But it depends on the type of foam the manufacturer used. High-density foams will keep his shape even after several years of intense usage. Whereas low-quality foam that you can find on low-cost gaming chair will be flattened over time.

All of this is great, but how can we know how long a gaming chair will last? The most reliable way to do that is to take a look at the warranty period at the manufacturer.

The minimal lifespan of gaming chairs

The most reliable and accurate way to know how long a gaming chair should last is to take a look at the warranty period of manufacturers. The way these companies calculate the warranty period is based on the number of return they expect to see in this period. You see all these companies want to minimize the number return because it cost them money.

So, they do some stats to determine during which period, the chair has the least chance to break, and to be returned.

In average, gaming chair manufacturers have a 2 years warranty period. This is why I told you earlier that a gaming chair should at least last two years.

Here is the warranty period of most gaming chair brands:

• DXRacer: 2 years
• AKRacing: 2 years
• Vertagear: 2 years*
• Noblechairs: 2 years
• Secretlab: 2 years
• Maxnomic: 2 years
• E-win: 2 years*

But the most interesting thing is some manufacturers have a different warranty period for each part of the chairs.

As you can see this is the case for E-win, but also for Vertagear. What is the most interesting is the fact that you can see which parts are the most vulnerable. Everything is covered for 2 years, except the base, and the metal frame.

On the other hand, most of the brands have a warranty for the whole chairs. To be honest, this doesn’t really matter because if one of these components fails, you probably will have to send it back.

How to extend the lifespan of a gaming chair?

The first thing to do is to take a chair that is sturdy and well built.  What I mean by that is, if you weight around 210 lb and the chair has a maximum weight capacity of 220 lbs you are playing a dangerous game. I can assure you that within 1 or 2 years, the gas-lift will fail, and collapse on you while you play Fortnite.

You have to have a good margin to be safe. Usually, a manufacturer gives an optimal weight range for each of their product.

The second thing you can do is to be careful with the chair. If you want your gaming chair to last 5 years, you will have to put a little bit of effort into cleaning and maintenance.

Nothing crazy, but this can make a huge difference. For instance, if your chair starts to make a squeaking noise you can take some time to grease some part of the mechanism of the chair. This extends the lifespan of the mechanism and thus makes your chair last longer.

Also be aware that animals with claws (like cats) can tear apart easily the cover material.

How long cheap gaming chairs last?

From what I have seen, most cheap gaming chair brands have a warranty for only 1 year. This basically means that they expect their products to last at least 12 months before it starts to break.

This is two times less than the average warranty period of premium brands (DXRacer, AKRacing, Vertagear etc.).

The main reason is that they use less expensive material. That being said, even a cheap gaming chair can last 3 or 4 years if you are lucky. There is an undeniable luck factor when it comes to how long you can keep these chairs.

Some people are able to get away with these products for years.

Do expensive gaming chair last longer?

The primary factor that will determine how long your gaming chair will last is the quality of the material. In that case, it is safe to assume that expensive gaming chairs, will last longer than cheap ones.

The other thing to consider is the warranty policy. With a more reputable brand, you have a more solid warranty policy, and a true client support. So if something happened to your chair, you will have much fewer troubles with brands like DXRacer or AKRacing, than with cheap “brand” Amazon.

The final note

In the end, if you take a good gaming chair and you choose it correctly, there is no reason for it to not last at least 3 years in my opinion.

And if you are willing to replace some part like the gas-lift, than you can keep the same chairs for more than 5 years.