Yes, you can buy a decent gaming chair for under £100 in the UK. The best options cost between £50 and £90, and they give you a steel frame, a reclining backrest, lumbar and headrest cushions, and a Class 3 gas lift. What they do not give you is real ergonomics for eight hour sessions, adjustable armrests, or breathable fabric. Check the weight limit first, and a sub £100 chair is a genuine upgrade from a dining chair.
The best budget gaming chairs under £100 at a glance
These chairs hold up best on published specifications and verified UK owner feedback. Prices were checked on 9 November 2026 and change often, so treat them as a guide rather than a promise.
| Chair | Price checked 9 Nov 2026 | Weight limit | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| bigzzia Ergonomic Gaming Chair | £49.99 | 120 kg | The cheapest usable seat |
| Racingreat Ergonomic Gaming Chair | £54.99 | 120 kg | Best budget pick |
| Vfalcon XTREME Gaming Chair | £59.49 | 120 kg | Best overall under £100 |
| T-THREE Ergonomic Gaming Chair | £66.99 | 150 kg | Heavier users on a budget |
| TRIUMPHKEY Gaming Chair | £83.20 | 150 kg | Massage lumbar support |
| SONGMICS Ergonomic Gaming Chair | £89.99 | 150 kg | Folding armrests and desk tucking |
The Vfalcon XTREME is the strongest all rounder here. It adds linkage armrests that stay with you when you recline, a footrest and a Class 3 gas lift for £59.49. The Racingreat at £54.99 is the best pure budget buy. If you need a higher weight limit, the T-THREE, TRIUMPHKEY and SONGMICS are rated to 150 kg.
What £100 actually buys you
A sub £100 gaming chair is built around the same racing style formula as chairs costing three times as much. You get a high backrest, winged side bolsters, a recline of 135 to 155 degrees, a five star base with castors, and detachable lumbar and neck cushions. Most models in this bracket use a steel frame and a Class 3 gas lift, which is the minimum standard you should accept.
What changes as the price falls is everything you cannot see in a product photo. The foam is standard cold cure polyurethane, so it compresses over months of daily use. The upholstery is PU leather on almost every chair under £100, which wipes clean easily but runs warm in summer and can peel after a couple of years. The armrests are usually fixed, and the lumbar support is a strap on cushion rather than built in support. None of that makes these chairs bad. It makes them honest trade offs: a £55 chair that lasts two or three years of evening gaming is good value, but it is not a chair for a 40 hour gaming week.
The 5 checks that matter before you buy
1. Weight limit, with headroom
Check the listed weight capacity before anything else. Many budget chairs cap out at 120 kg, including the Racingreat, Vfalcon and one bigzzia model. Others, such as the T-THREE, TRIUMPHKEY and SONGMICS, are rated to 150 kg. Buy with headroom above your own weight, because a chair used near its maximum rating wears faster and feels less stable.
2. Height and hip fit
Budget gaming chairs suit most adults between roughly 160 cm and 185 cm tall. If you are taller, check the backrest height and the seat to floor range before ordering. If you are broader in the hip, watch out for the raised side bolsters on the seat. They look racy, but they can dig in on wider frames, and this is the most common complaint in owner reviews of budget racing chairs.
3. Armrests
Armrests are where budget chairs cut costs hardest. Fixed armrests are the norm under £100, and they are the biggest ergonomic weakness of the whole category. Armrest height is one of the main ways you manage shoulder and neck tension during long sessions. If you game for more than a couple of hours a day, a chair with height adjustable armrests is worth stretching for. The SONGMICS folds its armrests away so the chair tucks under a desk, which is useful for small rooms.
4. Gas lift class
Look for a Class 3 gas lift at minimum. It means the cylinder has been tested to the relevant safety standards for pneumatic seating. Class 2 lifts have a shorter service life and a worse safety record. Every chair in the table above uses a Class 3 lift, and any chair that does not state its gas lift class is a chair to avoid.
5. Material: PU leather versus fabric
Every chair in this price band uses PU leather, and that is fine for most buyers. It is easy to clean and it looks the part, but it traps heat, so long summer sessions get sweaty. Fabric chairs breathe better, yet the cheapest fabric options under £100 tend to be thin and hard to clean. If you run hot or game in a warm room, consider stretching just past £100 for a fabric chair such as the GTPLAYER.
Gaming chair versus office chair under £100
This is the question most buyers skip, and it matters. A racing style gaming chair gives you a recline, a footrest on some models, and a look that matches a gaming setup. A mesh back office chair at the same price gives you better airflow, a flatter seat without bolsters, and often better lumbar support for long work sessions. If your chair is mainly for gaming sessions of two to three hours, the gaming chair wins. If you sit in the same chair for a full working day plus evening gaming, a mesh office chair is the healthier buy. Either way, pair it with the rest of your setup: our guide on how to choose your first gaming PC walks through the full beginner build, and our best budget mechanical keyboard guide shows where else you can save without losing quality.
Assembly and first week tips
Budget chairs arrive flat packed and assembly takes 20 to 40 minutes. Tighten every bolt firmly, then re tighten them after the first week of use. Set the seat height so your feet sit flat on the floor with your thighs roughly parallel to the ground, and position the lumbar cushion at the small of your back. Keep the receipt and the box for the first two weeks, because that is when faults such as a sinking gas lift show up.
Frequently asked questions
Are cheap gaming chairs worth it?
Yes, for sessions of two to three hours a day. A £50 to £90 chair is a real upgrade from a dining chair, with a recline, lumbar cushion and height adjustment. It is not an all day work chair, because fixed armrests and thin foam become uncomfortable over eight hours.
What weight limit should I look for in a budget gaming chair?
Look for at least 120 kg, and buy with headroom above your own weight. Chairs rated to 150 kg, such as the T-THREE, TRIUMPHKEY and SONGMICS, are the safer pick for heavier users.
Is PU leather or fabric better on a budget gaming chair?
PU leather is the standard under £100. It is easy to clean and it looks good, but it runs warm in summer. Fabric breathes better, but genuinely good fabric chairs usually cost just over £100.
How long does a budget gaming chair last?
Expect two to three years of regular evening use. The foam compresses first, then the PU leather can peel. A steel frame and a Class 3 gas lift help the chair last longer, so check for both before you buy.
The bottom line
A budget gaming chair under £100 is a good buy when you match the chair to your body and your sessions. Check the weight limit with headroom, check your height and hip fit against the bolsters, accept fixed armrests or pay a little more for adjustable ones, and insist on a Class 3 gas lift. The Vfalcon XTREME at £59.49 and the Racingreat at £54.99 get the most right for the least money.
About the Author
