A question that is often asked by venue operators looking to purchase new casino chairs is….“should I have armrests on my gaming stools?”
There is no universal correct answer. Armrests can add a significant level of comfort, but they also introduce disadvantages that become increasingly important in a commercial gaming environment, including additional weight, reduced maneuverability, greater width, potential damage and higher purchase costs. The right decision depends on how your gaming area is used, the available space, the type of machines or tables, and the priorities of your venue.
Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages.
Why armrests on gaming stools are a GOOD idea
1. Armrests can improve patron comfort
The biggest advantage of armrests is simple: they can make a gaming stool more comfortable. As discussed by Casino Style Magazine, if your chairs are more comfortable, the length of time an average patron spends in your venue may increase which can lead to higher revenue. Good Gaming room ergonomics considers the relationship between the stool, gaming machine and surrounding environment rather than looking at the chair in isolation.
A casino chair that is easy to move, has a big comfortable seat, a supportive backrest, and comes with gas height adjustment, will usually be a ‘winner’ with your patrons. Comfort is the key because you don’t want your patrons leaving your venue because they find your stools uncomfortable. Will you improve player comfort by having armrests on your gaming stools? The simple answer is….yes, for some patrons, but not everyone.
The comfort of any chair, whether it is an office chair, dining chair, car seat or gaming stool, is extremely subjective and depends on the individual. Some people will find a specific chair very comfortable, while others will think the exact opposite.
2. They can provide additional upper-body support
Armrests can provide a convenient place to rest the forearms between interactions with the gaming machine. For some players, this can create a more relaxed sitting experience, particularly where the armrests are correctly positioned relative to the gaming console.
The important qualification is correct positioning.
If the armrests are too high, too low, too far apart or too close together, they can actually interfere with comfortable posture. This is one reason adjustable armrests are common on ergonomic office chairs but less practical on commercial gaming stools.
The gaming machine itself also has a major influence on posture. If the player cannot sit close enough to the console, they may still end up leaning forward or reaching regardless of whether the stool has armrests.
When it comes to chairs and stools, there is no one-size fits all.
Armrests may certainly improve the comfort of the chair for some players, but not everyone.
Why armrests on gaming stools are a BAD idea
1. Armrests make the stool heavier
Because they need to withstand heavy 24/7 use, gaming stools are designed to be tough. Components are “beefed up” to ensure the chairs last in such a demanding environment. This results in casino chairs that are heavy, a typical stool weighing in the region of 18-20kg. If you add armrests to a chair, it’s weight can easily increase by 5kg or more. Regardless of the stool base, a very heavy chair is less maneuverable and top-heavy, which can result in potential OH&S issues for both staff and patrons.
2. Armrests can reduce maneuverability
Staff and patrons need to be able move the chairs to allow them to access the machine, align the stools, move them away during maintenance, etc. Armrests can make these movements more difficult.
The problem becomes more noticeable when the gaming floor is tightly configured. A stool with armrests generally occupies more physical space than an equivalent stool without. For a venue with generous spacing, this may not matter, but for a crowded gaming room, it can become a consideration.
3. Armrests make stools wider
This is perhaps one of the most overlooked disadvantages. While the actual seat width of a gaming stool may not change, adding armrests increases its overall footprint. That extra width can affect the distance between adjacent players which may result in:
– patrons bumping into each other and adjacent stools
– getting in and out becoming more difficult
– staff having less room to move
– access to machines for cleaning and maintenance becoming more restricted.
4. Potential breakage and associated risk
Unfortunately, there will always be a small percentage of patrons that will abuse your furniture. If your gaming stools have armrests fitted to the seats, you can be sure that someone, at some stage, will sit on the armrests.
Unless the armrests are securely attached to the seat and reinforced with steel plates (which increases the weight of the chair), there is a good chance that anyone sitting on an armrest will cause it to break away from the seat. Not only will this damage the chair and armrest, but more importantly, there is a high risk of injury to the patron and anyone else in the immediate vicinity. Should this occur, the possibility of litigation cannot be excluded.
5. Cost of armrests for gaming stools
Gaming stools can be expensive, and adding armrests might exceed your budget. Depending on the stool design and other options like the base, a good casino chair fitted with armrests can be expensive. Factors that influence the price of gaming stools.
6. Armrests can make the stool more difficult to use with some gaming machines
Gaming machines vary considerably in their design. The position of the console, controls and screen affects how the patron sits and how close they need to be to the machine. A well-designed gaming stool should allow the player to position themselves comfortably relative to the machine. Armrests can sometimes interfere with this.
For example, a patron may want to move closer to the machine or rotate slightly while playing. The armrests may restrict their movement or come into contact with the machine or neighbouring stool. This is why the stool should be evaluated together with the gaming machine, rather than selected independently.
Armrests versus no armrests: a practical comparison
| Consideration | With Armrests | Without Armrests |
|---|---|---|
| Comfort | Potentially greater | Potentially lower |
| Freedom of movement | Restricted | Greater |
| Maneuverability | Reduced | Better |
| Overall width | Greater | Less |
| Weight | Higher | Lower |
| Price | Higher | Lower |
| Cleaning & maintenance | More difficult | Simpler |
| Machine clearance | Potentially more difficult | Usually easier |
Conclusion
Armrests can make a casino gaming stool more comfortable, but they are not automatically better. For the patron, they provide an additional point of support and can create a more comfortable, premium seating experience. For the venue operator however, they also mean more weight, greater width, reduced maneuverability, additional components, potentially greater maintenance requirements, and a higher purchase price.
The decision is therefore a trade-off. If your gaming room has plenty of space and your priority is premium patron comfort, armrests can be a worthwhile investment. Conversely, if your gaming floor is tightly packed and stools need to be moved regularly, an armless design may be the more practical choice.
Above all, don’t select a gaming stool based on armrests alone. Look at the complete seating system that includes the chair, machine, spacing, patron profile, cleaning requirements and expected usage.
To address the individual needs of all players, an optimum solution could be a mix of different gaming stools so that each player can select their preferred seat. For example:
- a selection of gaming stools with and without armrests
- some with gas height adjustment and others at a fixed height, and finally
- different styles or ranges of casino chairs.
Such a mix of chairs will of course result in a non-uniform gaming floor. However, it will address the individual comfort needs of each patron by allowing them to select the chair which they find the most comfortable.