What Is The Average Cost Of A Sim Racing Seat?

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Sim racing is truly an esport that demands excellence and immersion, and therefore high quality seats. And with an increase in popularity comes an increased range of products, making it difficult to know what to look for and what cost you should expect for a sim racing seat.

Sim racing seats can cost anywhere from around $150 to more than $1,000, with many factors affecting the price. Entry-level sim racing seats typically cost between $150 and $300, mid-range seats can be bought in the $300-$500 range, and premium seats and rigs go for $500 to $1,000 and beyond.

Below, you can find out how far your money can go and see what type of quality you can get your hands on for what kind of price when it comes to sim racing seats. First, let’s start with entry level seats.

Best Entry-Level Seat
Best Mid-Range Seat
Best Premium Racing Seat
Best Entry-Level Seat
  • • Very budget friendly
  • • Comfortable and practical
  • • Foldable for easy storage
Best Mid-Range Seat
  • • Great solid setup with a seat
  • • Mounts for wheel, pedals and shifter
  • • Excellent value for money
Best Premium Racing Seat
  • • Excellent build quality
  • • Very comfortable racing seat
  • • Expandable setup

How Much Do Entry-Level Sim Racing Seats Cost?

Entry-level sim racing seats typically cost around $150 to $300, and they come in many different shapes and sizes. For this price, you normally just get the seat itself, although many options come with mounts for wheels, pedals, and sometimes even gear shifters.

This is the first rung on our ladder, the dip-your-toe-in level. If you are unsure whether sim racing is something you want to be spending a lot of your time or money on, then this area is where you should be looking to make purchases.

Entry-Level Sim Racing Seat Features

Here are the typical features of an entry-level seat:

  • Weight capacity: 220-330 lbs (100-150 kg)
  • Adjustability: Limited
  • Wheel/pedal stands: Less likely to have them and often of lower quality
  • Seat size: Small to average
  • Covering material: fabric or PU leather

For entry-level seats, you can expect to pay between $150 and $300. Typically made from a cheaper fabric or synthetic leather, with frames made from steel alloys, they often sacrifice in a few areas to try and compete in others.

Build Quality, Accessories, & Issues

At the entry-level, it tends to be build-quality that suffers, meaning issues with wobble, longevity, or comfort often come up, but even for this price range, you can get chairs that are of good value.

A lot of the seats nowadays will come with stands to attach any other accessories that you may already own or want to purchase, though this may be less likely at the entry-level. They are also often very lightweight, which means easy to move and store, which in many cases is a huge plus.

The biggest issue when it comes to chairs at this level, though, is their lack of flexibility. Often stands can’t be moved, seats can’t be reclined or adjusted, and for sim racers that are big and tall, driving position, wheel and pedal position, and overall driving comfort can really be affected.

At this range, there are a lot of great-looking options as well. Designers know that offering a little customization when it comes to color or design makes the quality jump up, and expect to have some options in that regard.

The Best Entry-Level Sim Racing Seat

The best entry-level sim racing seat is the Playseat Challenge. Not only is this a super comfortable, budget friendly choice, but it’s also foldable. This makes it ideal for beginner sim racers that don’t yet have a dedicated sim racing space and need to be able to easily put their rig away when they’re not using it. It also comes with mounts for your pedals and wheel too.

How Much Do Mid-Range Sim Racing Seats Cost?

Mid-range sim racing seats tend to cost anywhere from about $300 to $500. These seats usually offer a more premium feel than entry-level racing chairs, and they tend to offer more functionality as well.

This is probably where most of the more well-known companies have their products, and because of that, the items tend to be of better value at this level. Typically, mid-range chairs will be at the $300 to $500 mark. This range is where you start to see brands such as Next Level Racing, GTR, and Openwheeler.

Here are the typical features of a mid-range sim racing seat:

  • Weight capacity: 220-330 lbs (100-150 kg)
  • Adjustability: Complete
  • Wheel/pedal stands: Should have them, good quality
  • Seat size: Small to large
  • Covering material: Fabric or PU leather

Build Quality, Adjustability, Ergonomics, & Design

With the extra cost, you can expect much better-quality materials. Better fabric and normally faux leather are available, with some companies giving you various choices. More padding and ergonomic designs mean the players often sit in greater comfort. Frames are normally made with better quality steel and, compared to the entry-level options, are easier to put together and last longer.

With regard to the comfort, most of these chairs come completely adjustable and can be changed to suit almost any sim racing style. Adjustable stands, retractable seats, and ergonomic designs mean that players can adjust to whatever position suits them.

This also puts less stress on your body which is by far the most important point to make. You only get one body, so making sure that you are comfortable and not going to cause yourself any damage while sitting in an awkward position is a price worth paying if you are unsure whether anything at entry level will suit you.

Again, at this level, expect even more options when it comes to design and customization. Huge ranges of colors, brands, and even fabrics are available, so if there is something specific you are after look-wise, then look no further than the mid-range level.

The Best Mid-Range Sim Racing Seat

The best mid-range sim racing seat is the F-GT from Next Level Racing. This is an all-in-one cockpit, meaning you get a comfortable seat, mounts for your wheel, pedals, and shifter, and all in an adjustable frame. This is a great choice for beginners and even more advanced racers too.

Best Mid-Range Seat
Next Level Racing F-GT Simulator Cockpit
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How Much Do Premium Sim Racing Seats Cost?

Premium sim racing seats tend to cost between $500 and $1,000, but with the top of the range racing simulators, then they can go into the tens of thousands. These are often sold as full, all-in-one rigs rather than just being seats.

You will still see offerings from the usual brands such as Playseat, GTR, and Openwheeler. This category is also where specialized brands such as Sim Lab, RSEAT, and SimCraft operate. Sparco also makes lots of standalone seats in this category. They may not all be over $500, but given it can be $300 for a seat alone, they’re definitely still premium.

Here are the typical features of a premium sim racing seat:

  • Weight capacity: 220-330 lbs (100-150 kg)
  • Adjustability: Complete
  • Wheel/pedal stands: High-quality, often with a complete rig frame
  • Seat size: Small to large
  • Covering material: Real leather or race fabric

Build Quality, Adjustability, & Customizability

Of course, with a premium price bracket comes better quality materials, typically leather or fabric that you would find in actual race cars. The frame will also be more likely to be made from steel or aluminum to offer greater durability.

Also like the mid-range level, expect to have complete adjustability with regard to driving position, along with specially designed foam and padding to make sure you can drive for long periods in complete comfort.

With all these extra features comes greater size and weight, which means that you may need a specific space in your home to accommodate these chairs because their practicality is often lacking. Complete customization is also expected within this price range. Whatever design or color you can think of, expect it to be available at a price.

The Best Premium Sim Racing Seat

The best premium sim racing seat is the P1-X cockpit from Sim Lab. This is a full, all-in-one racing cockpit complete with mounts and seat, and all of it is built using a durable aluminum extrusion frame. This means it’s strong enough to handle direct drive wheels without flexing, and it’s upgradeable too with things like shifter mounts and triple monitor stands.

Sim Lab P1-X Sim Racing Cockpit
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Finding The Right Balance Between Price & Features

Generally, the sweet spot should be around the mid-range ($300-$500) price category, but if you are willing to put in the time for research, then often lesser-known brands can offer better value. They will try to separate themselves from the competition by offering a better product, but be wary because quality control isn’t the same as with the big brands, so sometimes it can fall short.

The mid-range level often has everything most sim racers need to game in comfort and style, so if you are looking in this range, there can be $100 differences in price with not so much difference in features.

Keep in mind that a lot of purpose-designed racing seats don’t translate well as practical working chairs, so if that is something you need from a seat, consider checking out the best desk chairs for sim racing.

Value For Your Money

Finally, if you search for a chair in the premium bracket, make sure you are getting value for your money. A lot of the most important features can be found at lower levels, and the premium level offers improvements mostly in style and materials. However, these often come in the form of full rig setups, which will future proof your setup and could save you money in the long run.

Must-Haves On A Sim Racing Seat

Adjustability

Number one and without compromise is adjustability. This goes into comfort as well. Adjustability means that you can change the ride height and seat position as well as wheel height and pedal angle. It is hugely important to be comfortable when gaming not only to play consistently but also to make sure your back and neck are looked after and will not be affected later on in your life.

Build Quality

Also, take into consideration build quality. None of these chairs are super cheap, and to have something that will last longer than one Christmas holiday period is really important. There is more value in buying something once for a larger price than one cheaper thing many times over.

Final Thoughts

The average cost of a sim racing seat varies depending on what you’re looking for. If you want something cheaper but lower quality, then expect it to cost between $150-$300. If you want something mid-range, then expect it to cost $300-$500. For a premium seat, expect between $500-$1,000.