Mesh Chair vs Gaming Chair [7 Differences Explained]

Choosing between a mesh chair and a gaming chair should be easy, right? How we wish we could say, yes. But the reality is different.

The moment you are inside the shop and need to make a decision is when the trauma begins. Now, we wouldn’t want that for you. That’s why we came up with this comparison between Mesh Chair vs Gaming Chair.

Mesh chairs and gaming chairs can differ hugely based on your requirements. A mesh chair can provide better lumbar support and comes in a compact size. So, it is easy to move around the office. On the other hand, the gaming chairs are famous for providing better upper back support with adjustable arm-rests. And, that’s just a small portion of their main dissimilarities.

Keep reading this article to find a more detailed comparison between these two chairs along with our recommendation for you.

So, if you feel interested, let’s get started.

Mesh Chair vs Gaming Chair: 7 Differences

We will look at how both of these chairs rank as we keep moving from one factor to another. The discussion will be very elaborated, so buckle up.

A little short on time? check out our quick preview of the detailed comparison below.

Quick Comparison Table

Point of Comparison	Gaming Chair	Mesh Chair
Headrest	Available (with padded cushion)	Not available
Neck-rest	Available (with detachable pillow or cushion)	Not available
Armrest	3D (softly padded)	2D only (little to no pad)
Backrest Shape	Wing shape	Non-winged back-rest
Seat Edge	“lip” shape (higher edge)	Flat
Recline	Up to 180 degrees	Up to 110 degrees
Color range	Flashy and bold colors that give a “racing” vine	Subtle and mute

1. Structure

• Whenever we talk about gaming chairs, we picture a long headrest with cushions or pillow, adjustable bucket type seat, ergonomic and movable. The structure of a mesh chair is slightly different than this one. It doesn’t have a head or neck pillow. In fact, it doesn’t even have a head-rest or neck-rest. You can find a detachable lumbar pillow if you want, but that’s not very common.

• The gaming chair’s edge is slightly tilted or in the ‘lip” shape. It makes you feel like you are inside a bucket. That’s the whole point here. You don’t need to add stress to the lower back or your legs. This chair provides even support from all angles.

On the other hand, the mesh chair has a flat edge. We can’t even call it an edge. Because there is no lining to separate it from the actual seat. It provides a more straight-up posture rather than an “in a bucket” feel. Both types have their unique reasoning. So, we can’t favor either of them.

2. Upholstery Fabric

The most common upholstery fabric for mesh chairs is polyester and vinyl. Besides, you will even find knitted or woven material, leather, etc. Some manufacturers don’t attach any fabric to the backrest at all. It’s all plastic.

The benefit you get from such material choices is that they are low cost. That’s the reason, why the price range starts so low for the mesh chairs. As you keep increasing the price, the fabric becomes better and more breathable. The highest quality mesh chairs come with a leather upholstery cover. It is pricey and feels super comfy.

On the other hand, there is not much option for fabrics when it comes to gaming chairs. Most of them come with plain leather upholstery. That’s the reason why the cheapest chair from this category can’t go below $100. You have to pay for what you get, right?

3. Ergonomic Feature

The ergonomic feature means better lumbar and back support. How much you can adjust the seat according to your posture is what we mean by ergonomic flexibility.

Gaming chairs provide a superior ergonomic feature. If you already suffer from tight muscles due to poor posture, it might feel a bit uncomfortable at first. But, as you learn to relax and expand your muscles, you will notice a significant change in your body.

Nowadays, many office chairs are also ergonomic. And, these are the most popular by the way. Office workers are becoming aware of their muscle pains. You will easily find an ergonomic option for your favorite mesh chair.

We suppose it is a tie between both parties.

4. Aesthetics

It might not affect your decision at first. But, once people start commenting on how the bulky gaming chair is what they notice first after entering the office, you might start doubting your decision.

We all design our office to speak our personality and values. It would be wrong to let a chair steal people’s attention from your beautiful décor. That’s why we highly recommend going for some mute or subtle colored office chairs.

Since most gaming chairs are designed after racing chairs and tend to give sporty vibes, it doesn’t align with most office interiors. Unless you want a cool gaming zone, the mesh chairs are better for the overall aesthetic.

Most gaming ergonomic chairs come in dark or bold colors. While the mesh colors are mostly mute. Mesh chairs are specially designed to not catch visitors’ attention and blend perfectly with the surrounding.

5. Back Support

• Gaming chairs are better at providing upper back, shoulder, and neck support. This straight column carries around 40 to 90% of our weight when we sit. Our aim should be to lessen the stress on this vertebral column. Although you can sit up straight to do that, we all know that’s not possible in the long term. When you are focusing on the work, you are more likely to forget about the posture.

But, research shows that you can still decrease the pressure on your back by choosing a reclining chair. A chair that provides full coverage and enough place to shift around is the best for your spinal health. That’s what the gaming chair does as well. No doubt, many ergonomists prefer low-quality gaming chairs even if they don’t play games at all.

• Once again, the gaming chairs win the game when it comes to lumbar support. Lumbar support means that there is no space between your back and the inward curve on the backrest after you sit. The more gap it creates, the higher level of strain your spine would feel.

 It ruins the posture overall. With gaming chairs, this issue hardly arises. It leaves little to no gap between the lumber and the backrest.

• That being said, you can still choose a mesh chair with lumbar support. Or, make sure it has detachable pillows for you to adjust. Plus, the “wingless” backrest assures you more place to wiggle.

6. Arm-Rest

The gaming chairs also win in this department. Although both chairs come with armrests, the gaming chairs add something extra to them. It comes with a 3D padded arm-rest. The padding is deep and dips down when your elbow puts pressure on it. Then, why don’t the office chairs have this feature?

Most office chairs are equipped with a 2D arm-rest with little to no padding. The reason is that office workers don’t put their arms on rest that frequently. It is not a necessity for them. You are most likely to type on the computer or do some paperwork. That keeps the hand on the table for most of the time. and, the little interaction between the arm-rest and your elbows is not worth including 3D padding.

But, the case is different if you game and chill on your chair. You would put the elbows on the armrest more often while playing through the controller.

Both have their unique reasons for including or skipping this feature. But, if we were to give points for this, we would choose the gaming chair for sure.

7. Price Range

The price range for mesh chairs starts from $40 to $50. Yes, you don’t get the premium quality for this much money. But, that’s still worth it, if you are under budget. On the other hand, you can’t expect to go lower than $100 to $150 for an average quality gaming chair.

That being said, as you keep adding some bucks, the features significantly improve. For example, you can add a leather cover, thick structure, easy maneuverability.

So, the mesh chairs are getting the points here. but, after a certain point, the game changes. You see, for a premium or luxurious mesh chair, you have to spend between $250 to $1000. The upper range is too big. On the other hand, you can bring a high-quality gaming chair for at least half of that price.

What we want to say is, as you cross the “cheap” segment and start looking for premium quality, the gaming chairs will be more budget-friendly.

Should You Buy A Mesh Chair Or A Gaming Chair?

So, we are done with the comparison of different aspects of a mesh chair and a gaming chair. Now, the ultimate question is, which one should you buy? Because isn’t that why you are here in the first place?

To answer that we will need some factors. Because the decision might change based on which factor you want to give priority. So, without wasting any more time, let’s find out.

Purpose

Why are you buying a chair in the first place? Do you have to sit in front of the office desk for hours? Or, does your work not involve much table work at all?

• If the second case sounds familiar to you, then you can easily pick a cheap $50-$70 mesh chair without any hassle. Make sure it has caster wheels and ergonomic features. In that way, you can save some bucks and still enjoy a rolling office chair.

However, if your job demands long hours at the desk, you would want something different. Longer work sessions can put a strain on your neck and back. That’s why you will find the utmost comfort in the gaming chair’s high back-rest and neck pillow.

• Plus, the 3D arm-rests are designed to move up and down according to the amount of hand pressure. You can say, the main purpose of an ergonomic gaming chair is to provide you with a better posture while working. Most of the back pain patients confirm sitting in the wrong posture for hours. And, it is more chronic for the older generation.

But, you won’t have to worry about that with a reclining gaming chair. These chairs can recline up to 180 degrees effortlessly. That’s the thing you want while taking a quick nap in the office. Sleeping in a sitting position without any back or neck support can put you in an awkward shape after waking up. Chance is that you won’t be able to tilt your neck without feeling pain.

• The high back of a gaming chair will cover your back fully no matter what size you are. That means the entire column including neck, shoulder, and spine is at rest. But that’s not the case with a mesh chair. You see, most of these chairs come with little to no neck support. It only supports the hip and lower back resulting in an uncomfortable posture.

Place

Are you planning to place the chair in your home office? Or, do you have a little gaming corner for yourself?

You see, the location can affect your decision. If you want a chair for office work, then it should align with the office interior too. Normally, a big and bulky gaming chair can ruin the whole aesthetic of such a place. Because the gaming chairs come in bold colors. It will be hard to not notice it first as you enter the room.

 For many people, it doesn’t matter much. In that case, you can go ahead and buy a gaming chair for better comfort.

However, if you are on the second team, you wouldn’t want to ruin the expensive office décor. In that case, we recommend you go for a mesh chair with subtle color. You can easily get the same level of comfort and flexibility by going on a higher price range. Once you cross the $250 range, the mesh chairs can offer better aesthetics and features for your everyday need.

Now, let’s switch the scenario. You have a little gaming corner and you want to buy a chair for that. Both the options will tie here. You can pick whichever you want. But, if you want the chair to give some “cool” vibe, go for a funky gaming chair.

Quality

• Quality of the both chairs differ in the different price ranges. As we already said, you get better quality for the gaming chairs without leaving the “cheap” segment. So, if you are under budget and still want to purchase something super comfy, a gaming chair is the right one. You can start below $100 and the price will increase as more features and convenience adds up.

• On the contrary, the cheaper mesh chairs are not a great value for your money. The material is not thick enough and the structure tends to become flimsy after a while. Even though the price starts from $40, the quality won’t be up to the mark.

We will have to go back to the purpose again. If you don’t spend a significant amount of time on the desk, you probably won’t mind a cheaper mesh chair. But, assuring the quality is crucial if your work pattern is mostly doing computer stuff. We recommend, going for a gaming chair or a pricey mesh chair.

On the other hand, if you are a pro gamer looking for budget-friendly chairs, there is no way around the gaming chair. For the same level of comfort and backrest, you have to spend more on the corporate chairs.

 But, you can easily get away with a bucket system under the range of $150. Not to mention, it includes a padded seat, full back coverage, foamy arm-rests, and reclining features. That’s like a total win, isn’t it?

Tips To Choose The Perfect Gaming Or Mesh Chair

We have already discussed the important parts of this article. But, before we finish, we want to give you some more tips. Just keep those tips in mind while shopping for the chair. Hopefully, you will come back with the perfect gaming or office buddy with you.

Gaming Chair

• The gaming chair must have a lot of upper back and neck support. Make sure the seat is high and curved.
• It should have a tilt lock system. That way, you can adjust it to different postures. Without it, you will face a rocking motion as you try to shift the weight of your body.
• Choosing a leather material will go a long way. After all, we sit on this material for several hours straight. Some materials tend to become hot and sweaty. Make sure you choose something breathable.
• If you end up getting a leather chair, you have to condition it periodically. Leathers tend to dry up and lose all the moisture within some months. To avoid a flaky leather cover, apply moisturizer on it from time to time.
• It will be even better if the seat height is adjustable. That way, you can use the same chair for different purposes. You can use it in front of a high desktop or a gaming laptop etc.

Mesh Chair

• It is important to check the seat depth. Most seats are a little hard. It is not comfortable if you sit on it the whole day. You will need to move and shift your body frequently. Make sure it has sufficient width for that.
• Choose an ergonomic chair rather than a static one. It will enable you to reach out for things within the desk without standing up. Plus, it offers better support for different postures. You can never go wrong with more padding. Make sure the seat adjustment mechanism is easy.
• Having lumbar support is a must. We would recommend spending a little extra money to ensure lumbar support when you sit.
• Select a chair that blends with the office decor. It shouldn’t grab people’s attention unnecessarily. The color should be subtle. It is good to avoid any print on the cover.

Wrapping Up

We believe that knowing the differences between these chairs can enhance your shopping experience to a whole new level. Most of the time, we struggle because we don’t get the functions of each of the chairs.

That’s why in this article we tried to explain the key dissimilarities between a mesh chair and a gaming chair. As you see, there are more similarities than differences. Both can provide adjustable back support, rolling casters, padded seat with exotic looks. The difference is their availability at different price segments.

So, that was our take on the Mesh Chair vs Gaming Chairargument. Hope you enjoyed it. Happy shopping!