Most gaming chairs have two holes high up in the backrest. This has always given rise to the wildest speculations about their purpose and many users are wondering rightly what the holes in gaming chairs are for.
What Are the Holes in the Backrest of a Gaming Chair for?
To answer the actual question right from the start, the holes in the backrest of a gaming chair are actually of no use. If you look at all the chairs on the market, there are a plethora of gaming chairs with and without holes. If the holes were so important then all the chairs without holes would be less usable.
And what about all the regular office chairs, they have no holes. Still, office working people spend a third of their lives in them. So they can’t be that important. So, how to go about it? There are so many myths revolving around gaming chairs with holes.
Myth Why Gaming Chairs Have Holes in Them?
First of all, a few of the most common myths. When you think about them, they don’t really make a lot of sense…
Better Structure?
Why do gamers invest in gaming chairs? That’s because they need comfort and string durable better structure. Holes in the backrest of the gaming chair provide support and better shape to the back.
Whether the holes so far up in the chair, where actually no high loads occur, improve the structure of the chair is quite questionable. Yes, it is correct that honeycomb structures or struts lead to reinforcement and increase load limits. But seen in this way, chairs that have no holes would have to be less robust and less structurally stable.
Ventilation of Air?
Gamers spend hours and hours on their gaming chair. Little do they realize that sitting on gaming chairs for long hours may lead to overheating, resulting in heat rashes and skin irritation. The backrest of the gaming chair is a little higher that may block the airflows. However, gaming chairs with holes provide ample air ventilation. Due to the presence of holes, air can easily pass through.
When you look where the holes actually really are, you notice that they are over your shoulder. How are you supposed to provide ventilation for your back?
Comfort and Flexibility?
Comfort and flexibility are what gamers crave. However, if it becomes too flexible, it can cost you both game and comfort. Getting the right gaming chair with adequate flexibility will help you enjoy the game to the fullest. Hence, a gaming chair with holes will help you have a more relaxed seating position.
Same contra again, the holes are over your shoulders. How are they supposed to have anything to do with sitting comfortably and leaning comfortably on the backrest?
Part Of The Ergonomic Design
Good gaming experiment boils down to the right gaming chair as it’s one of the essentials you will be spending much of your time on.
If you are not comfortable and fit, it would hamper the quality of your gameplay. Hence, choosing the right gaming chair that provides ergonomic support can be the answer to your woes.
It doesn’t seem to me that the holes in the backrest contribute anything to the ergonomic design of the chair. What about all the ergonomic office chairs that are not equipped with this feature that is so typical for racing seats.
Benefits of Having Gaming Chairs with Holes
Here are a few points that make perfect sense, what the holes in gaming chairs can be good for.
Correct Placement of Pillows
Sitting and playing games for long hours can wreak havoc on your neck and shoulder muscles. It’s obvious you won’t be playing without support cushions and pillows as they provide more comfort.
But, if they aren’t placed correctly, they won’t be of much help. That’s where holes in the gaming chair come to the rescue.
With holes in the gaming chair, you can easily place the pillows in the right places. This, in turn, will provide you with support and prevent early fatigue while playing.
Good Posture
A good sitting posture which is promoted by a well-placed support pillow for the head and a lumbar support pillow leaves little arguing that this can benefit comfort. If the holes in the chair contribute to this then they have at least served one purpose.
Enhances Productivity
Those who sit more comfortably can concentrate longer and do not tire so quickly. Comfort is what determines the productivity level.
Improved Well-Being
The last two points make sense, what is beneficial for well-being is good. So at least we have a few good arguments as to what the holes in gaming chairs are good for.
The Takeaway
If you put all of these ideas and myths together, the only thing left is the design issue. We all know that the typical gaming chairs are inspired by racing car seats. They look cool and flash and the holes in the backrest are simply part of a racing seat.
But what are the holes in the racing car seat for? Obviously, normal seat belts as found in everyday vehicles are not sufficient for racing cars. After all, racing car drivers are exposed to extreme g- forces when cornering or when accelerating and braking.
Racers want to sit safely in their seat without sliding, hence the typical side wings of the bucket seats and a 4 or 5 point safety harness system that keeps the driver firmly in his seat. The holes are necessary for the safety harness to work properly. They are a kind of guide so that the shoulder belts are guided over the driver’s shoulder close to the body and thus provide optimal support.
Now, as we are not buckled up in a gaming chair, the holes are actually useless. However, they have a small practical use, you can put the straps through for the popular lumbar pillows. In my opinion, besides the perhaps important design aspect, this is the only other purpose that the holes in the gaming chair are good for.
So are gaming chairs with holes worth it? Whether gaming chairs with or without holes are better, everyone has to decide for themselves, it’s a matter of taste. With holes, they might look a bit more racing-like, but in those, without holes, you sit just as well.
