Depends on the person IMO. Like an executive chair with a wide seat might be appealing until you realize you have to be 350 pounds to ergonomically rest your arms and use a keyboard/mouse while seated. Then there's regular cloth, microfiber, vs leather vs faux leather. Microfiber is great but it needs to be cleaned regularly and will probably accumulate black grime regardless. Leather is good except it will stick to you if you ever get too hot. If you have animals, hair will get on the microfiber and just one claw tear will shred the leather. Lumbar support, recliner, headrest, seat height and height adjust... Heavy or light, etc. You pretty much need to just try out a bunch of them. If you're not sure, lumbar support and seat height are the only parts that matter. You can just get an extra cushion or whatnot if you have to. I have one a bit more upscale than this: http://www.onewayfurniture.com/boss-office-chair-b8901.html?SSAID=332695 I know, I know.. Like a baws =P Honestly though, it sits very high and is really wide. I'd recommend something that you just sit in and 100% agree with ergonomically.
Here is an alternative, and much more "industrial" choice. If you want to be done buying chairs, here is your choice. This chair blows your budget by 20 - 40 bucks, but its a true office chair. Its the kind of chair that a large office complex buys hundreds of at the same time. It also happens to be one of the most highly rated chairs for the price that I could find. I did a bunch of research a while back on office chairs and the version up from this on is what I landed on. Its spectacular. Its built like a tank and has a lifetime/no limits warranty. Its damned supportive and comfortable. It also weighs a TON. Its all metal. Definitely not a "gaming chair." But, for your budget, you arent going to find a 8hr+ use "gaming chair" with any level of long term comfort and reliability- and speakers, bass vibration, and other immersive crap like that. This is the office Depot selection. Not as customized a selection, but more affordable. And this is where you can go to really go wild. search "ignition" to find my chair. http://www.sitcorrect.com/product/HON-IWM3
Its all about the Steelcase Leap Work Lounger. http://www.steelcase.com/en/products/category/seating/task/leap-work-lounge/pages/overview.aspx But seriously - if you don't want to drop $1500 on a chair, look for something that has adjustable arms (height, and width), tilt back as well as rock, seat pan tilt, and back support adjustment both vertical and front to back, and a supportive seat cushion. Lumbar support and height adjustment are NOT the only important features in a chair if you are using it for more then 4hrs a day. Long term sitting is a massive contributor to many muscular skeletal injuries, so much so we have a department here dedicated to assessing your work space and making sure you have the right chair and desk set up and purchase the right equipment. Buying a gaming chair is like buying a bed to me - if I am going to spend 30hrs + a week in it, there is no sense not getting something that won't lead you with long term back problems. $300 is probably a good starting range. The one Blackice suggested lacks a lot of features to make it comfortable. Remember a chair needs to be adjusted to fit you, but also you should be adjusting your chair through out your gaming sessions to prevent long term injury - ie, locking the back, unlocking the back, tilting it forward, backwards, moving keyboard in and out etc. I like the one mwhays posted, seems affordable - the Leap though is the mack daddy of comfortable chairs.
i use an old circa 1999 Aeron chair these beasts were symbols of the .com bubble and ans still sell for over 1,200 USD I worked for one of those .coms back in the tay and when they folded they let me have my Chair, Desk and Workstation Nothing like Parking your ass in history it reminds me of the good old days of playing ping pong and Foosball and the office and being payed for it.
Nice pick! but I did a little more research and... Take a look at the hardware that is allowing that chair to function so well.... look familiar? it should! The chair I posted is basically the commercial version of that same chair. Hon designed and builds the hardware that makes a lot of high end chairs function properly. All told, the two chairs should function identically. My selection just does it with less ostentatious design choices. And dont worry about cushion comfort and support in my selection. It'll do just fine for 8 hour gaming sessions. Its what the chair was built to do, after all.- hold asses for an 8 hour day and not cost your company money in disability and insurance.
nice!! Major envy for you lucky guys and your high end chairs. My buddy, actually the one I built a few computers including XBMC setup for mentioned in other threads, has an original genuine Eames Lounge Set form the same manufacturer as that Aeron (Herman Miller, to be exact. - for all of you keeping score at home) with a very simlar story to this... .com company goes bust and he gets to keep some of the furniture in the office. He ran for the phone to borrow my truck to steal this piece!!!!! and yes, its not as good as it looks. Its better.