A chair is a chair, right? Wrong. When it comes to gaming, the right chair is, apparently, crucial. You could say the same for your office work. It’s not just about having the right padded cushion or a breathable backrest; spending too long in the wrong position, aided by a bad chair, can have long-term impact on your body.
Pick the wrong chair, whether it is for gaming or office work, and you might end up with back problems.
This is among the many things I never really considered before the pandemic. The office chair was just there. Ergonomics was for someone else to worry about and sort out. Then came the lockdowns, and suddenly we were fighting for space at the kitchen table or staking out a spot on the sofa.
Regardless of whether your chair is for extended sessions of Call of Duty or a long day’s work, you will need something that is comfortable to sit on, relatively ergonomic and gives you support where you need it. And a gaming chair can do for both work and play.
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You can spend a lot on a good chair. More than you thought possible for what you might consider a posh office chair, and one without any of the extras you can get in other gaming chairs, such as built-in speakers.
The Trust GXT Ruya gaming chair is a good compromise. It isn’t cheap at €250, but it also isn’t anywhere near what you could spend on the higher-end seats. And it has the essential features – adjustable arm rests, a decent tilt that can be locked in place and durable materials, with a mixture of PU leather and fabric, so it is easy to clean and breathable. The PU leather over natural leather is a good option here, as it won’t require as much care to keep it in tip-top condition.
The version reviewed here is the plain black, but if you want something more eye-catching, you could opt for blue, red or another accent colours
The Ruya arrives in a large box, but isn’t assembled, so settle in for a bit of DIY. In an ideal world, you could put this together solo, but it will speed up the process if you can draft in an extra pair of hands. It didn’t take too long to put together – 40 minutes in total.
Once assembled, the Ruya looks fairly standard for a gaming chair. It has a racer look to it, with a supportive cushion that, although not the most luxurious, will certainly provide good support throughout the day. The version reviewed here is the plain black, but if you want something more eye-catching, you could opt for blue, red or another accent colours.
The Ruya is a good all-rounder, with a 40cm width and a gas lift mechanism that is tested to a maximum weight of 150kg so you can adjust the height quickly and easily. The lumbar support is separate, and adjustable, fixed in place with elasticated straps so you can move it up and down to fit different body types and shapes.
Like all good gaming chairs, the seat tilts too, between 90 degrees and 180 degrees, and can lock in place so you don’t have to keep pushing back to get the perfect position or take pressure off your back. How this works for you will depend on height and comfort; at 5ft-nothing, tilting the car back means I no longer have the support of the headrest, but a taller person would not have this issue.
The included arm rests are 3D, which is an important thing to consider. If you thought arm rests simply adjusted up and down, you would be wrong. There are 2D, 3D and 4D rests. The 2D rests go up and down, and slide backwards and forwards; 3D will add rotation in and out on their axis, while 4D will also move in and away from your body at the touch of a button.
For the Ruya, if you need to widen the span of the arm rests, you will have to crack out the included Allen key from your initial build. This is a small inconvenience, however, and definitely not a deal breaker.
Overall, the Ruya is comfortable, even after several hours of work. The adjustable lumbar support does its job, although it is worth noting that a chair will only do so much, and regular breaks are still a good idea.
Good
Not too difficult to put together, with clear instructions that guide you through the process without a misstep. In all, it took me about 40 minutes to get the chair assembled, although it’s probably better to have a second person on hand to help with some awkward manoeuvres.
Once assembled, the chair it solid and, most importantly, comfortable. You could easily put in a decent gaming session without feeling the pressure, and its fully adjustable backrest angle and the 3D arm rests mean you will get as much support as you need.
Bad
If there was a minor quibble, it is that, for the price, I would have expected 4D arm rests. The only way to adjust the angle towards and away from your body is by loosening screws, rather than at the touch of a button.
Also, while the cushion is firm, a bit of extra padding would be nice.
Everything else
The lumbar support is on adjustable straps so you can move it up and down the back rest. One tip: put the straps through before you tighten every screw up, or you might find it a bit difficult to feed the straps through the seat.
Verdict
A solid gaming chair with decent quality that won’t break the bank.
