Reviewing budget chairs preferably under the $200 price tag always gets me excited. You either walk away being impressed by a hidden gem or in utter disdain being disappointed by what the chair has to offer.
The chair i.e GTRacing GT099 that is being reviewed today has gained immense popularity for being a great budget offering. It ranked as being a top seller on amazon but is the hype warranted or is it just a fad?
That is what we are going to find out in our thorough review of this GTRacing gaming chair. We will cover all the aspects of the chair and then see who is it for and who isn’t it for.
GTRacing GT099 Gaming Chair
Bottom line:
This is no ordinary budget gaming chair with a crappy build. To my surprise, the GTRacing GT099 is a neat little offering under the $200 price tag that doesn’t feel like half complete. This chair does the key aspects like comfort, adjustability, and build so well that you forget that you are in a chair that costs as low as $170.
4.5/5
Editor’s Rating
Design and Overview
When you get your hands on the chair the initial experience can be a little disappointing especially you are a novice because of its complex assembly.
Make sure you have an extra hand on offer because assembling this chair alone can be a bit of a chore. Past that you get to see why this chair is so popular and adored by the community.
The GTRacing GT099 ergonomic gaming chair like the name suggests is styled like a proper racing chair with a lot of aggressive design patterns and bolstering.
The chair is also available in six colors, so you can pick the one that is most suited for the theme or color of your setup and match it with the rest of your peripherals.
Straight of the bat, your eyes meet the specs of the chair. I have to say on the surface the chair is well specced for the price but that is not necessarily the case.
You see, this chair has a rated weight limit of 275 lbs, a seat width of 20 inches. In reality, due to the aggressive bolstering, the useable seat width is only 15 inches hence larger size people will find the seat quite narrow.
Therefore, this chair is suited for people under 230lbs due to its narrow width. The main seat area is not wide enough to accommodate people over 230lbs roughly.
If you are a big guy which would be rather uncomfortable for you regardless of what the company claims.
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Build Quality and Materials
In terms of the build quality to be quite honest, this is among the few budget gaming chairs that I don’t feel already breaking down the moment you sit in them.
Therefore, the construction of the chair is very good and better than most gaming chairs in the same price segment.
The main important components are made from metal with plastic being used in some less important parts. The chair is stable and has a good balance in all situations.
The only gripe with the build quality is the squeaking noise that is generated from the base of the chair when making adjustments or when exiting the chair.
The GTRacing GT099 uses leather padding. The leather padding however is not the thickest having a thickness of only 3.1 inches despite the industry standard being 4 inches.
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Adjustability
This chair has tons of adjustability to perfectly tailor the experience according to your need.
For starters, the chair has a decent amount of height adjustment. The lowest height from the ground to the seat is 16.9 inches while the highest height is 20.9 inches.
Accordingly, users in the 5.4” to 6.1 height range will find the height of this chair to be optimal. Users taller than 6.1” will struggle with their leg placement.
The back of this chair features a 170° inclination angle meaning that you can almost tilt the chair in a fully horizontal position. This sharp recline angle makes this chair suited for all types of tasks from competitive gaming with an upright position to a more chill approach with the laid-out flat position.
A very good aspect of the chair I really like is that the lumbar and the neck rest pillows are not attached to anything and hence can be moved freely. This is very handy when you tilt the chair back and now want to align the pillows according to your new position.
The chair also has hosts 3D adjustable armrests. This complements the recline nicely since the armrests can be pointed outwards and move inwards depending on the user.
While the armrests have good adjustment we find them to be on the thinner side as far as padding is concerned.
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Comfort and Ergonomic Support
Still, the chair is very supportive for your whole body even for long sitting sessions. This can partly be attributed to the fact that this chair features aggressive bolstering that keeps you locked in place.
The aggressive bolstering when combined with an already ergonomic seating position makes for a great experience. Due to the adjustable lumbar and neck rest pillows getting into an upright seating posture is a non-issue.
I however will still believe that the padding here falls on the verge of being not ample enough for a larger person above approximately 250 lbs. Hence if you fall in that category then the comfort and the ergonomic aspect of this chair will be the complete opposite for you.
Another aspect that plays into the comfort of the chair is that it has some give in the back part. The backrest is not super stiff and hence you can rock a little back on forth.
According to research, having slight movement in the upper back and the lower back of your body stimulates blood flow better hence you end up with less backache issues.
If you however are not onboard with this feature and want a stiff backrest, then you can do so with the knob found underneath the seat.
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Value
If I cannot fault one thing then that is the value proposition of the GTRacing GT099 gaming chair. Like common guys, this chair is $170 and for that, there aren’t many chairs providing this good of an experience.
Notice that I used the word experience because there will be chairs will more features or adjustability but they don’t match the refinement and the sophistication of the GTRacing GT099. Therefore, I believe this chair to be a steal for the price you are getting at.
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GTRacing Gaming Chair Review – GT099
Verdict
4.5/5
Editor’s Rating
I know most of you all love yourself a solid verdict don’t know? Well, let’s see what we can make out from the detailed review above.
The GTRacing GT099 is undeniably fantastic and a titan of the budget gaming chair under the $200 realm. This is a chair that does not feel like a budget compromise and that high praise for ultimately a generic gaming chair of amazon with quite amazing to achieve.
The GTRacing GT099 earns these remarks because it has everything you need and more. The pillows here are adjustable, armrests have 3D movement, and when needed the chair can also recline 170.
On top of that, the padding here is quite supportive and the ergonomics of the chair are in check. This chair keeps your body posture pretty much upright the whole time you sit in it.
With this chair, you won’t complain about not having features or adjustability but that doesn’t mean this chair is for everyone.
Why You Should Buy This Chair
- The GTRacing GT099 is your best bet for a comfortable and reliable gaming chair at a budget
- This chair offers the most adjustability you are going to get in a chair under $200
Why You Should Not Buy This Chair
- This chair has a squeaking has a very narrow seat design hence won’t be favorable for large people
- The GTRacing GT099 supports a maximum weight capacity of 250lbs which is on the lower side.
Overall, you cannot go wrong with the GTRacing GT099. This chair is dominating the budget gaming chair space for a reason. Granted to have the right build for the chair it is very comfortable, reliable, and adjustable.
