10 Best Chairs for Home Recording Studios
You may not realize it, but chairs for home recording studios are some of the most important yet overlooked items producers and musicians forget about. Most of us probably think about what equipment we need to get in order to record and make music, rather than what to sit on. Think about it though: you don’t want to be hunched over with a sore back after hours of sitting in front of a computer in your studio.
Here are the 10 best studio chairs that are extremely well suited for a home recording studios. Although they are also great for music studios, they can also be used in many other situations, such as office chairs and any activity that requires you to sit for a long period of time while remaining good posture.
Here are the best 10 chairs for music producers to use in their home or professional recording studio:
Herman Miller - Aeron
Herman Miller chairs seem to be a staple for anyone who makes music, whether it be in a professional studio or a home studio.
The Aeron is the grandfather of chairs from this company. Coming in three different sizes, the Aeron has an ergonomic design, a sleek look with a comfortable yet sturdy mesh seat and back, and customizable features.
Upon ordering from the Herman Miller website, you can choose different features and customize your chair exactly how you’d like it. They offer a variety of options, from leather armrest pads to an adjustable, tilting back.
This chair is well worth the money and takes all the pain out of sitting in front of a computer all day.
The best thing about the Aeron chairs is that they are fully adjustable. Everything, from the back support of the chair to the armrest height, is adjustable.
The chair height itself can be raised or lowered over a span of around five inches. This is great because you can adjust the chair to the height of your desk or microphone (Some artists, especially hip hop artists, prefer to record sitting down). The armrests and back support can be raised or lowered to your liking, as well as the tilt of the chair for those of you who like to be sitting fully upright, fully reclined, or something in between.
The newly remastered version features a completely new redesigned tilt mechanism and a new PostureFit SL and 8Z pellicle suspension. According to Herman Miller's website, the newly refined version performs smarter than ever before.
Coming in at $1,300 at most, without a doubt, this chair’s biggest disadvantage is the price. For a home recording studio, you might not want to pay over a thousand dollars for a chair. However, with great quality comes a large price tag, and this is a chair that you won’t regret buying.
The Herman Miller Aeron can be found on Amazon in different models and colors.
Humanscale - Freedom
The Freedom chair by Humanscale is another great high-end option for those of you who spend hours in front of a computer in the studio.
Declared the “gold standard” of seating by the New York Times, this chair allows the user to move freely by adapting to his or her posture as it changes.
This chair gets rid of all cumbersome levers and dials to give it a sleek, modern look and accentuate the ergonomic design.
The Freedom features an articulating headrest, self-adjusting recline, and synchronous armrests for maximum comfort while seated. Humanscale offers the same model with different color options if you don’t want to spend hours on details, or you can customize the chair to your liking in regards to material, colors, and finish.
The reason I chose this chair is that it’s got a sleeker design and a modern look to it, which is definitely a big advantage over a lot of other chairs.
Some people don’t want a bulky chair like the Aeron, they want something that looks like it would belong in an awesome home studio rather than an office. Humanscale has found a great balance between something ergonomic and something that definitely looks like the chair equivalent of a high fashion outfit.
With the customizability, for example, you can choose leather as the chair material and titanium trim with an aluminum frame. There are some really modern options that definitely won’t let you down here.
Again, like the Aeron, the biggest downfall of the Freedom chair is the price, starting at $1199 on the Quick Buy models. If it’s for a home studio, you might not feel like this chair is worth purchasing considering it’s so expensive.
The Humanscale Freedom can be purchased online from Amazon.
Steelcase - Leap
The Steelcase Leap is yet another great option for those of you who want a comfortable, stylish, yet ergonomic chair for your home studio.
Steelcase boasts that this chair has patented technology that is proven to help increase productivity.
The Leap mimics the movement of the spine thanks to its LiveBack™ technology, and its armrests move in response to the movement of your arms as well.
It has several knobs to control the seat height, armrest positions, as well as a special Natural Glide System™ which allows the user to recline comfortably while still staying aligned with their work.
Aside from the light gray frame of the Leap, Steelcase offers many different colors for the chair cushions and armrests so you can customize it so that it matches with your studio.
Another great pro of this chair is that it is recyclable. The Leap is up to 94% recyclable by weight and up to 35% recyclable by content. If you want an option that is made with the environment in mind, this is a great chair.
Once again, the only real con of this chair is that it’s a bit expensive, although considerably less than the aforementioned ones.
Argomax - Ergonomic Mesh Office Chair
The Ergonomic Mesh Office Chair from Argomax is like the budget-friendly version of the Aeron chair. If you’re looking for something that’s not super cheap but also not wildly expensive, this is a good choice. You can find it on Amazon for $240.
This chair has an adjustable headrest, armrests, an adjustable tilt back, tilt tension, and seat height.
Like the Steelcase Leap, it also mimics the movement of your spine to promote movement and prevent back pain. It’s made out of sturdy mesh material that allows for breathability and comfort, similar to the Aeron.
What's great about this chair is that it has an adjustable neck rest that you can tilt back and forth.
It is made of industrial-strength nylon with breathable glass fiber and can support up to 330 pounds of weight.
The breathable, high-density cloth and mesh ensure a very cool, comfortable experience. It is also mold-resistant and washable. This makes it a fantastic chair for summertime.
The design is also quite sleek; the armrests are a lot less bulky than those of the previous chairs on this list.
Pros of this chair include the waterfall seat which angles downward to prevent strain on your legs, as well as its breathability provided by the mesh seat and back.
The only real disadvantage of this chair is that it’s not as adjustable as the others. If you’re looking for something that’s really responsive in terms of movement, this might not be it due to its limited positions. While it does have a lot of mobility, the armrests aren’t as adjustable as one might like them to be.
I was surprised to see how many good reviews the Ergonomic Mesh Office Chair has on Amazon.
Flokk - HÅG H05 5600
The HÅG H05 5600 from Flokk is one of the more stylish options on this list. It incorporates functionality and doesn’t compromise on ease of movement and comfort. If you’d like to cop this chair, it starts at $835.
This chair features a high back, a headrest with responsive tilt, and a back tilt that follows the movement of the body. The armrests, headrest, seat height, seat depth, backrest height, and tilt resistance are all adjustable. The HÅG comes in several different colors and materials as well.
Unlike the aforementioned chairs, this one actually has armrests that swivel back. They’re adjustable to the point where you can push them back away from you, which is beneficial in the case of recording guitar or another instrument where armrests would get in the way. This chair is also suited for taller users, considering how high the back is, although the back height can be adjusted.
The HÅG H05 5600 isn’t made with mesh material, which makes it less breathable, but its fully upholstered high back provide a ton of back support, although not as much as a chair that has a specific adjustable support for lower back.
This Flokk chair can be purchased for their website, link here
HomCom - Deluxe Ergonomic High-Back Mesh Desk Chair
The Deluxe Ergonomic High-Back Mesh Desk Chair by HomCom is another good middle of the road option for your home studio. At $152, it definitely won’t put a giant dent in your bank account.
This chair features a comfortable mesh seat, lumbar support for your lower back, it can be tilted back up to 30% and then locked at an arbitrary angle, and the seat and wheels can all rotate a full 360°.
The armrests do move; the height can be adjusted over almost two feet, and the armrests can be moved slightly left and right. The chair comes in either black or orange.
Seat rotation is something the other previous chairs don’t have, so that does give this one an advantage over the others, providing an easy way to spin around to a different side of your mixing desk if need be.
Additionally, the locking mechanism for the back of the seat is also useful if you don’t plan on moving around too much from that position.
As the name states, The Deluxe Ergonomic High-Back Mesh Desk Chair doesn’t have a headrest, so if your neck gets tired quickly, this might not be a good chair for you.
At the time of writing this, the HomCom Deluxe chair gets a 4 star rating on Amazon.
BestOffice - Ergonomic PU Leather High Back Executive Office Chair
If you’re not too picky about chairs and just want something that you can sit in and be comfortable using, this is the one for you.
This one from BestOffice sells for around $80 depending on where you get it, and for this price, you can’t go wrong.
This BestOffice chair is probably the type of chair that pops into your head when you think of an office chair. It’s made from leather and is heavily padded on the seat, as well as the back.
It offers a standard high back, and the cushions on the backrest are positioned so that you still get a good amount of support. The seat is big and bulky, but the curved armrests are on the sleeker side.
The height of this chair is adjustable, and it offers 360° rotation like your typical bulky office chair.
The leather is both a pro and a con. It’s a classic and looks great, it’s easy to clean if you happen to bring a drink into the studio and spill it on the chair, it’s padded enough to be comfortable sitting on, but it’s not really breathable and absorbs a lot of body heat (or air temperature if you’re not sitting in it).
It can get a bit sticky from humidity as well.
BestOffice are selling this chair on their Amazon store.
König & Meyer - 14044 Stool
I know what you’re thinking, a stool is an odd choice for a studio chair. But just think about it: no armrests, no bulkiness. The 14044 Stool by König & Meyer is a great option for maximum mobility and recording.
The 14044 has a durable cushion that is covered in fabric and the seat can be adjusted to any angle.
The height of the stool can be adjusted over a span of 12 inches, and it also features a footrest at the front of the stool that can also be adjusted.
The feet of the stool have rubber end caps that prevent the feet from slipping on hard floors, so you’ll always have enough security and safety.
It also features an adjustable end cap so that your stool has enough grip. The seat also had an adjustable title mechanism that allows you to tilt the direction of the seat in many directions. The seat is also height adjustable and features triangle structures to make sure it is completely stable and secure.
Don't let the odd look put you off, this chair has been ergonomically designed to be as comfortable as possible while retaining the user to keep good posture.
Not only is this stool extremely sturdy, but it also folds up and can be transported anywhere you go.
The clear disadvantage of this stools is that it doesn’t have a backrest. That being said, it still offers the proper support to your back due to its ergonomic shape. The K&M website does offer an attachable backrest if you prefer a stool with a backrest.
This stool is available to buy on their website.
Uncaged Ergonomics - Wobble Stool
I had to include this one; it looks like a ton of fun for a stool. The Wobble Stool by Uncaged Ergonomics promotes activity and increased blood flow through active sitting and comes in at $130.
Instead of legs, the Wobble Stool sits on a weighted base that allows the user to rock back and forth while staying seated.
It is extremely ergonomic and promotes core strength and proper posture. It provides ultimate movement and the seat height is adjustable so you can use it with your legs at different angles.
There are two different seat shapes to choose from: a circular style seat for more comfort, or a bicycle-style seat for more balance and control.
Pros of this seat include the promotion of proper posture as well as a fun, more unconventional way to sit. The weighted base always returns upright when not in use, and the bottom of the base does not skid or leave marks on hard floors.
The seat itself, however, is a bit firm, which can take some getting used to and might require that you get up and walk around a bit if you’re sitting for long periods of time. The stool also has no backrest (a backrest would defeat the purpose of this chair though).
There's more information about this wobble stool by uncaged ergonomics on their website, link here.
Relax the Back - Ergonomic Kneeling Chair with Memory Foam
Taking the last spot on this list is the Ergonomic Kneeling Chair from Relax the Back.
This chair takes the posture to a whole new level and provides the user with a very open type of posture at around 110° rather than the traditional 90° or less than a normal office chair provides. You can get this chair for $300.
The Ergonomic Kneeling Chair slants forward, which takes the pressure off the lumbar region of the back and helps to align your spine.
It also has a knee rest so you sit in a kneeling position. This ensures proper posture without having a backrest. Both the seat and the knee rest are made with memory foam for maximum comfort.
This chair was designed by medical professionals, so obviously this is a great chair for relieving back pain and promoting good posture.
However, it has been noted that the fabric of the chair is a bit slippery and may cause the user to slide down and forward a bit too much, depending on the material of the clothes they’re wearing.
Despite being height adjustable, this is also not an ideal chair for tall people or someone with knee problems. This chair would probably be best as a secondary chair if you’re looking to get a break from your normal office chair.
More information about this chair (including the price and more detailed specifications) can be found on their website.
