allow for users to find the best fit for their posture. With better posture comes better focus and performance, according to studies done on the matter.
Almost every gaming chair is designed with a tilting function controlled by a forward tilt knob. This is so users can adjust the angle of their chair for different uses, such as going from gaming to lounging or working.
If your gaming chair is leaning forward further than you’d like, the tilt knob might be malfunctioning. This can be the result of a loose, stuck, or broken tilt knob. To fix this problem, you can either tighten the knob, clean the knob with WD-40, or replace the tilt mechanism entirely, depending on the issue.
In this article, I’ll discuss these issues in further detail and explain how you can go about fixing them.
What is a Forward Tilt Knob?
The forward tilt knob is the large knob sticking out of the bottom of your seat. It’s about half the size of a soda can and is almost always found on the front half of the bottom of your seat.
Twisting this knob clockwise drops the front of the seat towards the ground. Twisting the knob counterclockwise does the reverse, raising the front of your seat upwards instead.
Forward tilt knobs typically have a wide range of angle adjustments, so you should be able to find the perfect angle for your legs easily.
To find your forward tilt knob, get underneath your chair and take a look at the base of the seat. You should be able to see the knob right in front of the stem that connects your seat to the base of the chair.
How to Stop a Gaming Chair from Leaning Forward
If your gaming chair is leaning forward despite fiddling with the forward tilt knob, it’s likely that your knob is malfunctioning. Luckily, this is a relatively easy fix, and I’ll go over a few different solutions in this section.
Fixing a Loose Tilt Knob
Step 1: Remove Seat from Base
This may sound like an obvious solution, but a lot of times the problem is that your tilt knob is far too loose to begin with. If you’ve twisted the knob clockwise for what feels like far too long and the seat angle has not changed, it might not necessarily be broken.
Before trying any of these other solutions, try twisting the forward tilt knob clockwise for 30 seconds. If your knob was just too loose rather than broken, you should feel resistance as it gets closer to fully tightened.
Step 2: Test It Out
When you’ve tightened it fully, try sitting in the chair to get a feel for the angle. A recommended forward tilt angle for most people is 0-4 degrees, though this varies depending on the length of your legs and torso.
You don’t want to feel like you’re leaning forward, but you want to put a little pressure on your legs to alleviate pressure points in your back.
If tightening the knob for 30 seconds didn’t work and it still feels loose or dislodged, try one of these other two solutions.
Fixing a Stuck Tilt Knob
If your forward tilt knob doesn’t turn at all when you try to adjust, the tilt mechanism itself could be dirty or rusted. To fix this, you’ll need to partially disassemble the chair to access the mechanism’s housing.
Step 1: Remove Seat from Base
First, you’ll want to remove the seat of your chair. If you assembled the chair yourself, this should be a relatively easy step. If you have doubts, however, consult the manual that came with the chair or find it on the manufacturer’s website.
Step 2: Remove Housing Cover
Once you have the seat off, you should be able to see the housing for all the seat adjustments. You’ll need to remove the cover to the housing; most require a screwdriver to pry the cover off, though some are removable by hand.
Step 3: Spray Mechanism with Grease Remover/Lubricant
After removing the cover to the housing, you should be able to see all the various knob and lever connections. Find the one connected to the forward tilt knob, as this is the one you’ll need to clean.
These mechanisms accumulate a lot of grease and dust over time, which you can get rid of using WD-40 or other grease-destroying lubricants. Spray the grease-remover on the mechanism, wipe clean, and reassemble.
Step 4: Reassemble Chair and Test
Once you have the chair back together, you should be able to twist the knob easily. Twist clockwise until you find the right tilt angle, and if it ever sticks again, repeat this process.
Fixing a Broken Tilt Knob
If neither of the prior two solutions did the trick and your tilt knob is still loose, it’s likely either dislodged or broken. To address this, you’ll need to gain access to the mechanism’s housing again.
Step 1: Remove Seat from Base
Remove the seat, pry off the housing cover, and find the tilt mechanism again. If the pin that connects the mechanism to the knob is dislodged, it will be visible.
Step 2: Reposition Pin
To fix a dislodged pin, simply place it back in its designated slots, and reassemble the chair. If you’re worried about the pin dislodging again in the near future, you can either glue or clamp the pin back into place before reassembling.
Step 3: Repair Pin
If the pin is snapped or otherwise broken, you’ll need to do one of two things.
While not recommended, some consider themselves handy and would like to try and fix things on their own. If this is you, you can try to glue or otherwise join the pin back together.
If you do this, understand that a poorly reconstructed pin could cause further damage to your chair, which lands you in a deeper hole than you began in. For this reason, I recommend you follow the second step instead.
Step 4: Replace Pin
The safer option is to order a new pin, which is covered under some chairs’ warranties. You can find the specific part in the chair’s manual or by searching online.
You can also contact the chair’s manufacturer directly to get the new pin, and some chair companies offer maintenance services as well. This way, a professional will fix your chair for you to avoid any unnecessary difficulties.
Related Questions
Is My Gaming Chair Supposed to Lean Forward?
Gaming chairs are not supposed to exclusively lean forward, but almost every gaming chair on the market is designed to have the ability to lean both forward and backward.
The forward tilt function was implemented to allow users a complete range of options to suit everybody’s unique posture preferences. With longer legs, it helps to have your chair tilted further backward, and vice versa for shorter legs.
Posture affects your gaming performance and comfort; if you are gaming with a large monitor or a low desk, make sure your tilt angle supplements your natural posture rather than working against it.
What’s the Difference Between a Gaming Chair and an Office Chair?
This question is the same as asking if you can use a regular PC for gaming, rather than a gaming PC; they both do the same thing but are better than each other in different ways.
There are not many important differences between gaming chairs and office chairs. Both are designed with ergonomic comfort in mind, but this manifests differently in each type of chair.
The main difference is the number of styles and options that gaming chairs offer, which is primarily for aesthetic appeal. You also get premium features with some gaming chairs, like built-in speakers or LED lighting.
What Should I Do if My Chair is Still Leaning Forward?
Gaming chairs are supposed to lean forward to an extent, and only as much as you allow it to use the forward tilt knob. This tilt function allows you to find the perfect angle to match your posture to maximize focus and performance, as well as reduce aches and pains.
If your gaming chair is leaning forward further than you’d like it to, your tilt knob is likely the culprit. You should be able to fix the problem using one of the solutions above but, if none of those work, you’ll need to get in touch with the chair’s manufacturer.
If your chair is still leaning forward after trying all of these solutions, the problem could extend beyond your tilt knob.
If this is the case, you should contact the chair manufacturer’s customer service department and explain the problem to them. It might be a relatively easy fix that they’ll be able to walk you through, or else it might not be fixable, in which case you’ll likely need to purchase a new chair.
