I’ve had my current gaming chair for about 6 years now, and I love it to bits. It’s the most hideous poo-maroon coloured office chair, with a tear or two in the fabric and slightly wobbly arm rests. It’s been with me every step of the way through my recent gaming history – it actual feels like part of the furniture. Oh wait…

I got it at an auction of old office furniture, for the princely sum of R150. There was nothing wrong with it, apart from the hideous colour, and I couldn’t pass it up. It has a high back, real wood arm rests, wheels, and the ability to recline and adjust its height. An all rounder really, but there’s just one problem – it’s now broken.

Well not really broken in the sense that something snapped and it’s unusable; it has just reached the point where I’m no longer comfortable in the chair after years of abuse. The cushioning has been worn down flat, the material is getting a bit thin, the arm rests have each broken twice, and the wheels tend to stick when I try to roll around.

Ol' Faithful, my home gaming chair

I could go all DIY by replacing the padding, fitting new arm rests and covering the chair in more poo-maroon; along with some oil for the wheels and height adjustment, but that doesn’t feel right. I’m taking the heart and soul out of my long time companion and replacing them with lifeless materials that have no character. I might as well buy a new chair.

With the goal of replacing Ol’ Faithful firmly planted, I set out prowling around for something similar to the chair I use at the office. It’s a high back executive office chair covered in enough leather to drown a Peta rally, with quality wooden arm rests and a classy gloss finish; this is really the peak of office furniture. Did I mention it’s incredibly comfortable? The only problem with a chair like this is the price – R5,000+ for one is a lot of money, more than I’d care to spend.

My office throne

Browsing through the likes of Game and Makro left me disappointed. You need to spend at least  R1,000 for a nice looking but mediocre quality high back office chair, which will probably break within the first two months knowing how animated I become when I’m gaming. Browsing through the higher end office range of smaller companies made me feel incredibly poor, so that idea is out of the window too.

Auctions are also an idea; after all it’s where I found Ol’ Faithful. Apparently things have changed in the last few years though, and now office chairs are in demand – even the poo-maroon coloured ones. There goes the chances of finding a bargain, and if I’m honest, I’d rather spend my time playing games than visiting another auction.

S 65 AMG interior - I'd game on that.

I’ve often toyed with the idea of finding an old car seat at a scrap yard, slapping that onto a base with wheels and enjoying a game in comfort and style. Surely there must be a beyond repair S-class that I can yank a front seat from for a couple of bob? Slap that on a base stand and I’ll be the envy of all three of my online friends! The scrap yard failing, a cheap bucket seat commonly found in every second boy racer’s Golf is also an idea, though they come in pairs so I’d have to flog the second seat.

I guess I could always go for one of the various “gaming” chairs on the market, but these often look hideous, are less comfortable than Ol’ Faithful, and feature cheaply built-in sound systems reminiscent of an early 80’s stereo. A rubbish one. They also cost more than the high back office chairs from Game and Makro, which is about six times more than what I’m prepared to spend on that junk.

Looks comfy? It's a trap!

Through all my shopping, I began to wonder why I’ve had never thought of my gaming chair until it was too late. I’ve realised that gamers don’t pay enough attention to what they sit on when they game, even though they really should.

If you sit at home and game for hours on end, you might as well have a nice comfortable chair to sit in – shouldn’t you? Something that improves your posture can’t hurt either. The chair affects your gaming comfort at least as much as an aircon would, or a set of comfortable headphones, or even a high resolution screen at the optimal viewing distance.

Look at what you’re sitting on, is it comfortable? Have you ever considered how many hours a month you spend on your chair? You’re probably as overdue for an upgrade as I am.

If like me your eyes have opened up to the truth, you’ll want to rush out and get a new chair. There is a fair bit of research involved, and it may take you hours. I suggest holding out for the top 5 local gaming chair feature that’s on its way – right after I reupholster Ol’ Faithful.