racing gaming chair

The Best Racing Gaming Chair 2020

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Looking for the best racing gaming chair? Immersion is what we as gamers want. We buy massive curved screens. We buy the best surround sound or headphones. We even put down some major cash so that we can use virtual reality to play our favorite games.

But there is no category that benefits from immersion than racing simulation.

You want to feel every curve and all the acceleration deep in your bones.

But, unless you have thousand upon thousands of dollars to spend on a massive hydraulic rig, you’re stuck with a headset and your gaming chair.

Which brings us to the racing gaming chair.

The next best thing to a hydraulics rig is a great racing gaming chair.

Most people probably use some sort of desk chair for their gaming setup. And this is fine.

There are a lot of great office chairs out there. They can be comfortable, ergonomic, and of generally good quality.

But they don’t fee like a racing cockpit.

Especially if you’re using a headset to race, you want to actually feel like you’re in the game as much as you can. And a regular desk or office chair just won’t cut it.

The only thing that will give you that real racing car cockpit feel is an actual racing chair.

Here we’re going to review two chairs. One over $200 and one under $200 for those of us who’ve already spent a ton on our precious gaming rig.

Why Use Gaming Chairs

As we said, most gamers still just use an executive chair from Office Depot or the old chair they found outside their dorm dumpster at the start of Freshman year.

While you will probably be fine using these options, you should consider the pros of using a gaming chair.

Health

If you’re using anything but an ergonomic desk chair, your health could be at risk.

The average gamer spends 22 hours a week playing video games. (A lot of us play more, but we don’t sleep.)

And couple that with the amount of time you probably spend sitting at work or on the couch, and you’re sitting a lot.

Your back isn’t going to appreciate this very much unless you put it in the right position.

This doesn’t typically include any kind of slouching. So, a camp chair or a loose office chair won’t cut it. You need something designed to put your back in the prime position to handle sitting for long hours.

Performance

You may not realize it, but your posture affects your concentration.

If you’re at all serious about digital racing, you want your whole attention on the experience.

If you’re slouching in a lounger, your concentration will eventually lapse.

When you lay back or slouch, you’re signaling your body it’s time to relax. But racing is all about reflexes and timely maneuvers.

If your mind drifts for a second, you could lose your place in the race or even slide out and crash.

A racing gaming chair will mitigate both these risks for you even if you aren’t competitive with your racing.

You’re probably still going to be sitting for hours on end taking those laps and shortening your times.

The DXRacer Racing Gaming Chair

DXRacer has been around for about 11 years now. And they make some pretty rocking race gaming related topics.

They also sponsor pro gaming tournaments and are really involved in the digital racing world.

So, it would make sense that this company would be the ones to make the best racing gaming chair on the market.

Check the price right now on Amazon: DXRacer Racing Series Newedge Edition chair

But you’re getting a lot for your money in this chair.

Not all the dimensions are the same for each DXRacer chair, so you should go check out their buying guide at their Amazon page to choose the right racing chair for you.

Each series fits better with a different frame, and this will, of course, affect your price.

What Are The DXRacer’s Standout Features?

You probably want to know what makes the DXRacer so awesome. Here are a few of the best things about it.

4D Armrests

DXRacer, of course, uses the term 4D loosely. But they move every way you could possibly want so that you can set your arms where you need them.

This is especially important with VR setups to give that 1-1 feel.

Support Cushions

They come with a great lumbar pillow that’s adjustable. And the headrest pillow is very comfy.

Angle Adjuster

A lot of office chairs only have 2 settings. Relaxed or rigid.

The backrest on this actually changes angles, so it essentially has a ton of settings all they way to the recliner mode.

Integrated Headrest

You really do need to support that neck.

It will get tired during a race. The integrated headrest will help with this.

A Tough Frame

The DXRacer racing gaming chair is made from tubular steel and a metal base. It’s highly durable and will last you years of racing.

It comes with a lifetime warranty as well. The fact that DX Racer is willing to go with this kind of warranty tells us that they stand by their product.

Any company that won’t give you at least a few years in a warranty probably don’t think much about their product.

Cold Cure Foam

You want something under your butt and back to keep you comfortable.

Many desk chairs only have thin, weak foam in the cushions. Cold cure foam is a tougher and more comfortable material that will cradle your behind and back for the ultimate comfort.

A Large Backrest

Again, that support that is necessary to stay seated and comfortable for long hours requires a large backrest. This chair has that.

It’s Physical Therapy For Your Back

Some of the reviews out there have claimed this chair has helped with their overall posture.

While we can’t speak to that, it really does help support your back better than most gaming chairs out there.

There is just something about the design of this chair that fits just right.

The maximum weight for the gamer in this chair depends on the series you’re buying.

The tank series can hold someone up to 450lbs and the origin, formula and racing series all have a rating of 200 lbs or less.

And they offer a professional assembly option for $80 dollars more. But this really isn’t worth the money as an assembly on things like this aren’t that difficult.

The Merax Fantasy Series Racing Gaming Chair

This is in our under $200 range category. But it really does deserve to be in a higher category.

But that’s great for us gamers, right?

But what else besides prices makes it a great gaming chair?

The Benefits Of The Merax Fantasy Series Racing Chair

Just like the DXRacer, the backrest is completely adjustable in its angle on the Merax Fantasy Series.

You can make it lay all the way back if you need some shut eye or make it into a sloucher.

The padded armrests are extremely comfortable for. But they aren’t as adjustable as the DXRacer’s armrests.

They can be adjusted up and down and left and right. But that’s about it. If you need to remove them, they’re removable.

The wheels on this baby actually look pretty cool. They have rims and they roll quietly and smoothly across a hard floor.

And lastly, the support pillow is highly adjustable. So if you’re tall, you can slide it up to fit your lumbar.

The support pillow is also fully removable. So if you don’t need that support or find support pillows obnoxious, you don’t have to have it there.

Other Things About The Merax

There are several color options with the Merax.

Silver, blue, red, green, white, orange, or pink. So you can match it to your rig coolant lights if you want.

It’s really a great bargain for a supreme racing chair.

The Merax weight limit is 225 lbs and the dimensions are a little bit slim.

It takes about twenty minutes to set up this chair, which isn’t bad for a racing chair.

While this is a great chair, it’s obvious that it isn’t as amazing in its construction as the DXRacer.

For one the arm rests wobble a bit. And the arm rests in the DXRacer are fairly solid.

This is probably due to the thin tubing that supports the armrest on this model.

But really, if you’re looking for a racing chair under $200, you’re getting a pretty awesome setup here.

How Much Are You Willing To Spend?

Which chair you pick really comes down to how much you’re willing to spend.

If you can afford the DXRacer, we say go for it. It’s of superior build to the Merax and it will probably last you a long time.

But if you don’t have that kind of money to spend (we understand, most of the money goes into the machine) then the Merax will serve you just fine.

Have you tried either the Merax or the DXRacer? Let us know in the comments below.