Table of Contents
Introduction
Most of you might have heard of the legend known as “Shroud”. Well, if you haven’t then let us bless you with the knowledge. Shroud is a professional Counter Strike Global offensive player and a more recent streamer. He is known for his talent in-game and is surely one of the best as he knows his craft. Now, being a professional player and longtime streamer might get difficult at times as you have to sit in the same position for hours on end. So, a streamer would need a comfortable chair to sit in.
Well Shroud’s chair is surely one of the greatest out there and was the talk of the week in his streams ever since he got it. It has helped Shroud stream for longer hours and has helped cushion his skills as well. You might be wondering what sort of magical throne is this and is it even available. No need to worry, as we will tell you everything you have to know about Shroud and his amazing chair – along with some alternatives if his isn’t your cup of tea.
Who is Shroud and What Makes Him Special?
Shroud or Michael Grzesiek is a professional Esports player. He was born on June 2, 1994 in Ontario, Canada and is known in the gaming industry for his aiming skills. He has played games such as PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Apex Legends, Valorant, Escape from Tarkov, and he is currently invested in playing the famous Call of Duty Warzone.
Shroud is a twitch streamer since the start of his Esports career and since then he has uploaded clips of his stream on his YouTube channel as well. He recently left his Twitch partnership to pursue a career in Mixer as a partnered streamer. But when Mixer was purchased by Facebook, he made his return back to Twitch only after 7 months of his Mixer career.
Currently, his Twitch channel has more than 7.8 million followers, whereas his YouTube channel has more than 6.5 million subscribers. All of Shroud’s streams have an audience of 30,000-50,000 viewers, which is quite impressive for a streamer.
Dr. DisRespect, who is another famous streamer, had this to say about Shroud, “Shroud gets 30,000 – 50,000 people; the reason he has 50,000 subscribed to him is because he’s the best PC gamer that I’ve ever seen. He’s literally the best at everything he plays because he was born on a mouse and keyboard. He showcases something very special that no one else has”. That “something special” is his aiming skills and arguably his charisma and passion for what he does.
He rose to fame just by streaming his out-worldly skills and talent in game, after which an Esports team known as Manajuma teamed up with him. After his days in this team, he was acquired by compLexity Gaming as a stand-in player for one of their major players. After Cloud9 acquired compLexity Gaming, Shroud was signed as a permanent player for their team.
Ever since then, Shroud has competed and won numerous Esports titles and sponsorship and has taken away thousands of dollars in winnings as return. He later left Cloud9 in 2018 and retired as a professional player altogether and has since dedicated his time and energy into his streams and content. He is undoubtedly one of the best in the trade and is a great content creator as well.
What Chair Does Shroud Use?
Shroud streams go on for hours on end and sometimes that could become uncomfortable. A comfortable seating situation can make a lot of difference in productivity along with providing comfort. Shroud previously used a Maxnomic 9 pro chair, which was okay but nothing spectacular as Shroud started looking for better alternatives. He found the perfect match from the famous company known as Herman Miller. He chose the Aeron chair by Herman Miller in the black variant.
This chair is known as being one of the flagship models in the Herman Miller range and has a high demand amongst both gamers and office workers. Herman Miller is a company that is based in America and its main focus is health. They produce office furniture and equipment, as well as home furnishings. Their products might seem quite expensive to the average user but hold high praise from people who sit for several hours a day without a break.
Everything from the shape of their chairs to the build quality is top notch and is designed to reduce strain and provide long lasting health benefits. The Aeron chair by Herman Miller is surely worth the money. When it comes to comfort, this chair has one of the best ergonomic support and comfort features for any person who has to sit for multiple hours, especially for Shroud as most of his time is spent competing and streaming.
This chair offers a huge array of features that are fully customizable by the buyer according to their needs and requirements. It comes in three different sizes for any height, making it a great fit for almost anyone. The chair offers world class back support that ranges from the standard basic back support to the adjustable lumbar support, which adds that layer of comfort that you would need.
You can level up that comfort by opting for the adjustable Posturefit SL back support, which is truly an engineering marvel courtesy of Herman Miller as it suits every person’s best posture. Their signature back support reduces back pain and helps in increasing productivity. There are two options for tilt: one is the standard tilt that goes from upfront to a leaning position when weight is applied, the other is the tilt limiter and seat angle which makes the person more stable and comfortable as well.
Another customizable feature is the arms of the chair. The options are the height-adjustable arms (which is pretty self-explanatory), the other is the fully adjustable arms, and the last option you can opt for are the stationary arms. You can also chose the material of the arm pad of the chair from the selection of leather and the standard material.
If you are already overwhelmed by the level of customization of the chair, then sit back and be amazed as there is also the option of opting for different castors, specifically the multi-surface caster with quiet roll. The Aeron Chair has sold over 7 million units, making this one of the most admired and recognized work chair which has truly set a benchmark for comfort and ergonomics ever since its launch 20 years ago.
Features
- Breathable seat and back
- Inclusive design with 3 distinct sizes
- 12-year warranty
- Made in a 100% green-energy facility
- Pellicle 8Z® provides 8 zones of varying tension for support
- Fully adjustable arms (angle, depth, and height)
- Superior back support
- Adjustable tilt and seat angle
Pros
- Website allows complete customization to your liking
- Provides unmatched back support for long hours of continuous usage
- 3 different sizes for any height makes it a universal match
- Has one of the most comfortable arm rests out there
- Has a breathable material, which makes it perfect for any environment and weather condition
Cons
- Comes with a hefty price tag which might not be affordable for the majority
- All the things that make this chair special come as extras
Alternatives to Shroud Gaming Chair
Herman Miller Mirra 2
Key Features
- Loop Spine allows you to move and stretch with ease
- Harmonic 2 tilt gives a more fluid reclining experience
- Butterfly back option provides suspension membrane
- TriFlex back option is also available for different applications
- PostureFit sacral support to keep your spine properly aligned
This is another great chair from the famous brand known as Herman Miller. The Herman Miller Mirra 2 is not as popular as the Aeron but it is still a very good option. It is basically a washed down version of the Aeron chair; however, that doesn’t mean that it lacks in any sort of way. It is actually a bit cheaper than the Aeron chair as well. As this chair is produced by Herman Miller, they have focused on the comfort and ergonomics instead of trying to cut corners and keeping the price low.
This chair adapts to the person’s posture as soon as they sit on this cushion of happiness. It has a flexible yet supportive design that allows your body to move and adjust naturally. The iconic Mirra 2’s Loop Spine provides that torsional flex which allows you to move around with ease. The added feature of the Harmonic 2 tilt adds to the reclining experience as it adds a more smooth and balanced feel.
The Mirra 2 comes with two options for the back for a variety of people and applications. The first option is the Butterfly back combines a fabric layer with polymer veins making a hybrid design that acts as a suspension membrane. This membrane increases the comfort and usability of the chairs. The other option is the TriFlex, which eliminates the need for a fabric layer and adds a more therapeutic experience with the polymer veins.
These two back options for the Mirra 2 by Herman Miller allow the extra option of adding a PostureFit sacral support which is a great option from Herman Miller. This exclusive properly aligns your spine so that sit comfortably without any back strains. This chair comes in four different colors to match any aesthetic environment without being too intrusive.
A phrase by Herman Miller “Form celebrates function” is a true embodiment of the chair and describes that every part and every screw in the chair has a purpose and is specially designed and engineered in order to provide you with the maximum comfort, quality, and ergonomics that you could ask for.
Humanscale Diffrient World
Key Features
- Tri-Panel Mesh Technology
- Weight sensitive, self-locking recline mechanism
- 3-way adjustable arms
- Pneumatic seat height adjustment
- Seat depth adjustment
Humanscale is one of the frontrunners in ergonomic office seating since many years. But since 2009, they have started to produce high quality full mesh chairs as well. This chair known as Diffrient World and was designed by Neils Diffrient. It follows all the design principles of the previous Humanscale office chairs and provides a simple, minimalistic, and attractive design.
This chair might seem very simple and straightforward but every little component is expertly designed and engineered for maximum comfort and ergonomics and aesthetic appeal as well. The invisible recline mechanism is one of its main features. It harnesses the user’s body weight and automatically provides the optimum level of recline for each person. This design leverages two parts of the chair to provide the automatic balanced support without the need for standout external parts that may fail after some time.
The Humanscale Diffrient World has an extremely responsive bracket which supports the patented Form Sensing Mesh technology. This perfectly adjusts according to the user’s posture without the need for an external lumbar support that may require manual adjustment.
This is a really lightweight chair which replaces the standard cushion with a non-stretch, low-abrasion mesh. In order to feel comfort in a maximum level, Humanscale has also made the decision to remov the chair’s front edge, solving the age old problem with your knees due to the pressure caused by the hard edges, as well as the stress caused by contact behind your thighs. This will ensure long term comfort and support. This is a great option if you want something different.
Nightingale CXO
Key Features
- Mesh backrest with ABLEX patterned weave
- Adjustable lumbar support with ENERSORB foam (up/down, in/out)
- Multi-Functional armrests (up/down, in/out, forward/backward)
- Five star aluminum base with anti-slip threads
- Synchronous knee-tilt mechanism with slow seat and back release
Nightingale is a company that deals in chairs and seating and claims to prioritize purpose over profit. The Nightingale CXO is also a mesh-back chair but has a lot of different things to offer when compared to the Aeron. The CXO has outstanding build quality, which is rated quite high by users and also comes almost completely assembled. This will surely add to your convenience.
When compared to other mesh chairs in the market and Shroud’s chair, this doesn’t come with a mesh seat but instead the CXO has a thick padded seat in ENERSORB™ memory foam. The seating comfort is rated higher than the Aeron chair and it is because of the thick padded seat. The comfy seat provides a great experience and doesn’t fall flat like other padded cushion seats in the market.
The Nightingale CXO is available with an adjustable headrest option which is an added bonus. The headrest comes with height adjustment and can tilt which provides an extra layer of comfort and personalization. Along with the adjustments, the headrest comes padded in the same upholstery that you choose for the seat. This means that the headrest is very soft and comfy just like the cushion.
This chair offers more adjustments when compared to the Herman Miller Aeron. The CXO comes with 4-way adjustable arms that can be adjusted to any user’s liking and requirements. It also has a seat slider and depth adjustable lumbar support. These additional adjustments give you a better ability to fine-tune the chair to your liking and add that level of personalization as well.
Final Words
If want to go with Shroud’s decision of getting the Aeron chair by Herman Miller, then by all means go for it without a second thought. That chair is a true masterpiece and will help you immensely in terms of health and overall productivity. If you have a comfortable chair, you will be willing to sit around for longer, which would mean that you would get more work done.
An expensive chair might seem like a waste of money for some people but what they don’t know is why that chair is so expensive. An expensive brand like Herman Miller tries to give their customers the ultimate comfort and ergonomics without cutting any corners. Their attention to detail and quality justify their hefty price tag.
If you don’t want to go with Shroud’s chair, then the alternatives we have provided you with will not disappoint you one bit. All the chairs deliver the ultimate level of comfort and will also provide a great minimalistic and aesthetic appeal. Hopefully our list and information has helped you into narrowing down your options and helped you in making an informed decision.
Just note that if you decide to compromise on comfort, ergonomics, quality, and design due to price, then you might end up paying for that in the future. A chair is one of the most important but most overlooked pieces of furniture. Be sure not to be the one to overlook it.
Although any of the above-mentioned chairs will be a great option, we would advise you to choose one only after you have evaluated your needs and preferences, since the end decision is yours.
