Have you ever stopped to think…
How many hours you spend every week, sitting in your studio?
A lot, huh?
And while you may not care much at first, eventually you come to realize…
That all those hours can be either be spent sitting comfortably…
or NOT.
If right now, your room is somewhat lacking in the chair department…
In today’s post, I share what are in my opinion, the 6 of the best seating options for home studios.
First up…
1. A High-End Studio Chair
Chances are, 90% of your studio time is spent at sitting your desk, correct?
Well it makes sense then, that the majority of your “chair budget” be spent where you sit most often.
So the first chair I’ll show you is the coolest, most high-tech chair of the last 20 years: the Herman Miller Aeron.
If you don’t know it already, it was the fad chair popularized by internet start-up companies of the “dot com” era.
But unlike many of those companies who quickly went bankrupt…the Aeron has since thrived, solidifying its title as the “Holy Grail of Office Chairs“.
Not only is it cool-looking and insanely comfortable…
The positioning options are virtually endless, meaning you can easily align your head to that perfect “sweet spot” right between your studio monitors.
So if you only want the best, the Herman Miller Aeron is the obvious choice.
- Click to see prices – (Amazon)
Besides the Aeron, Herman Miller makes a few other high-end chairs which you might also like. So check these out as well:
If you prefer something cheaper, here’s your next best alternative:
2. A Budget Studio Chair
It’s tough to deny that Herman Miller makes a damn fine product.
But unless you CHOOSE to…
You don’t need to drop $1000 for a decent chair.
There are several great options in the $100-$200 range that any studio would be more than happy with.
But there are many duds in that range as well. And since it’s not practical to try them all first-hand…
It makes sense that in this case, the smartest option would be to trust the reviews.
Among the hundreds of chairs available on Amazon, these 4 have the largest number of positive reviews from satisfied customers:
- Boss Black LeatherPlus Executive – (Amazon)
- High Back Executive PU Leather – (Amazon)
- Office Star Space Professional – (Amazon)
- Flash Furniture Mesh Chair – (Amazon)
Once you’ve found a suitable chair for YOURSELF…Next let’s explore some options for YOUR MUSICIANS.
Starting first with…
3. Bar Stools
For tracking, a good chair is less about comfort, and more about function.
Because if you’ve ever tried recording guitar while sitting in an office chair…
You know it doesn’t work.
The arm rests get in the way, and even if you remove them, the hinges and padding on the chair are noisy as hell.
That is why, for recording…
Simple chairs with NO moving parts such as bar stools work much better.
And while any old stool works fine, here are the ones I recommend if you want something REALLY cool:
- Fender stool – (Amazon/Thomann)
- Gibson stool – (Amazon/Thomann)
- Gretsch stool – (Amazon)
- Zildjian stool – (Amazon)
Up next…
4. Drum Thrones
Not just for drummers…
Drum thrones can be an all-around useful chair for recording in general.
- They’re small
- They’re collapsible
- They super sturdy
- They’re super easy to adjust
- They swivel
- They promote good posture
Some multi-instruments might call them the ideal chairs for recording. Except there’s one BIG problem…
The cheaper ones can be squeaky as hell.
- On acoustic drums it doesn’t matter, because the squeaks are inaudible next to the roar of a drum kit.
- On electronic drums it doesn’t matter either, because there’s no microphones.
But on quieter instruments, like acoustic guitar, every sound rings loud and clear.
Fortunately for us…the REALLY good ones stay whisper quiet, as long as you periodically tighten the bolts under the seat.
Among the top-models, these are the 4 I recommend:
- Roc N Soc – (Amazon)
- Pork Pie – (Amazon)
- Tama Ergo Rider – (Amazon/B&H/Thomann)
- DW Heavy Duty Air Lift – (Amazon/B&H/Thomann)
Up next…
5. The Pick n Glider Musician’s Chair
Easily the most unique chair on this list…
The Pick n Glider Musicians’ Chair is one of the only chairs in existence designed SPECIFICALLY for guitar playing.
With its solid back support, lack of armrests, and slow steady rocking mechanism…
This chair is quickly becoming a favorite among many home studio musicians.
I wouldn’t use it for tracking, because the rocker would undo all your careful mic positioning…
But for practicing, songwriting, or simply relaxing after a tough session…this chair could be a great addition to your studio.
Here are the different color options:
Note: It seems the Pick n Glider isn’t available anymore but feel free to check back later, the manufacturer might have it back in stock at some point.
Up next…
6. Giant Bean Bag Chairs
For the last pick on the list, I’m gonna stick my neck out…
And recommend a chair that most studios have never used…
And probably never even considered.
Ever heard of the LoveSac? It’s an enormous bean bag chair that’s quite possibly the most comfortable thing ever invented.
But rather than using those plastic “beans”, these bags are filled with a dense material similar to acoustic foam.
For studios, this means that the chair effectively DOUBLES as a giant bass trap. If your singer wants to relax in the chair with his favorite condenser mic, he can do it having 2-3 feet of absorption right behind his head.
Assuming you like the idea, here’s what I recommend:
While LoveSac is the top brand, they’re usually sold in retail stores, and are WAY overpriced.
So instead, here are some cheaper versions I recommend that are just as good:
- Comfort Research 4 FT LRG – (Amazon)
- Comfort Research 6 FT XL – (Amazon)
- Comfort Research 7 FT XXL – (Amazon)
See Anything You Like?
Well there you go folks, that’s the list. To quickly recap, I’ve shown you:
- Studio Chairs for MIXING
- Studio Chairs for TRACKING
- Studio Chairs for RELAXING
Among them, I’m sure there’s at least ONE option that works well with YOUR particular setup.