7 Best Guitar Chairs And Stools For Comfort 2024 (With Back Support While Playing)

There are many factors that can affect your practice routine.

Comfort is an often overlooked but important aspect of practice. After all, if you don’t feel comfortable while practicing, you’re probably going to spend less time doing it. The more time you spend practicing, the more you’ll improve as a player. So, if you can extend your practice time without feeling fatigued, you’ll improve faster.

You can practice using any chair you can find around the house. And, if you feel you can use it for several hours without feeling tired, it might work fine for your purposes.

But you might also want to explore the many musician chair or thrones available. They can offer a level of comfort or support simply not available with other, ordinary chairs.

Here are several guitar chairs that can help you achieve more comfort while practicing, recording, or performing.

ADJUSTRITE Musicians’ Chair By Vivo USA

When you think of a sturdy “chair”, this is probably more so what comes to mind.

The ADJUSTRITE comes with a padded back, is adjustable, folds up neatly and easily, and is comfortable.

Of any product mentioned in this article, the ADJUSTRITE has the best reviews by far. Some say the chair is a little heavy, and others have noted how it wouldn’t be the best chair to use on a hardwood floor (because of the feet), but otherwise the Vivo USA chair is worth a look.

Gator Frameworks Combination Guitar Performance Seat And Single Guitar Stand (GFW-GTR-SEAT) – For Guitarists With Bad Back

Here’s a unique offering via Gator Frameworks. The GFW-GTR-SEAT has a built-in guitar stand and can hold any type of guitar – acoustic, electric, and bass. It is compact and collapsible, durable, and can hold up to 300 lbs. of weight.

The reviews for this product are reasonably good, most wiht bad back saying they've found this a good choice. That said, a few customers have not found this chair to be all that comfortable, and some have found that the height of the chair isn’t quite right for them.

It'll depend on your personal needed. If you’re looking for a chair that can save you space and double as a stand, you’ll want to check out the Gator Frameworks.

Odyssey DJCHAIR Adjustable Dj Chair

More of a “DJ chair” than a guitar chair, but not unlike the others already on this list. The Odyssey DJCHAIR is portable, height adjustable, and comes with a padded removable top.

For the price, this is a reasonably good chair. Customer sentiment is positive, but it’s not without its flaws. Some customers have said it doesn’t fold up all that well, and others have experienced some frustration with assembly.

The Odyssey is still a decent pick if you’re looking for a reasonably priced practice chair.

Pyle PKST70 Durable Portable Adjustable Musician And Performer Chair Seat Stool, With Lumbar Support

The PKST70 comes with a padded seat and backrest, is sturdy, foldable and portable, is height adjustable, and is designed for on stage and in-studio use.

The customer reviews are somewhat mixed for the Pyle. Some didn’t have the best experience with customer service, others say it’s not the most comfortable chair. Naturally, comfort is a personal thing, so it’s going to depend on what feels right to you. If you need additional lumbar support this could be a good option as you can adjust the backrest to your lower back.

Still, it’s worth looking at the Pyle if none of the above options seem right to you.

Quik Lok DX749 Deluxe Seat, Black

The Quick Lok DX749 is height adjustable and comes with an adjustable foot rest and back.

It only weighs 27.6 pounds, and though it might look slight, it is quite sturdy.

Customer sentiment is somewhat mixed, so it’s fair to say this isn’t a perfect chair by any means. Some have had issues with it tilting forward, while others say it’s too high even at its lowest setting.

This isn’t something you can know unless you give it a try for yourself. Give the Quik Lok a look for yourself to find out if it’s right for you.

Rockville RDS40 Portable DJ/Guitar/Drum/Keyboard Padded Throne/Chair Adjustable

Here’s a product that positions itself in the market as a multipurpose chair for DJs, guitarists, drummers, and keyboardists. The Rockville RDS40 is lightweight but made of sturdy steel, so it can hold up to 300lbs. It comes with five adjustable heights and has a removable back rest.

Another advantage of the RDS40 is that it’s small enough that it can easily hide behind your rig.

Most customers have been at least moderately satisfied with the chair, but some note it isn’t the most comfortable chair they’ve ever sat on, and others have had issues with assembly.

At the end of the day, it just depends on what your needs are. Give the Rockville a look and try comparing it against other options you find.

On Stage DT8500 Guitar/Keyboard Throne With Backrest

The On Stage DT8500 throne comes with dual tension adjustment knobs to adjust the padded backrest, a 12.5” padded seat, and easy height adjustment.

As with other thrones on this list, customer sentiment is somewhat mixed. Some say it’s not as adjustable as it claims to be, and others have noted that it’s far from the most comfortable chair in existence.

But more options are always better than fewer. Check out the On-Stage and see how it fares against the competition.

What Should I Look For In A Guitar Chair?

With something as simple as a chair, you wouldn’t necessarily think there would be a lot of factors to think about. A chair is a chair is a chair, right?

Well, not so fast. Some chairs are built more around features than functionality. Some are perfect for people of a certain height but not others.

Here are a few things I would look at if I were buying a guitar chair.

Comfort

Comfort tops the list in terms of importance.

If you can’t at least sit on it for a few hours without feeling discomfort, then it might not be the right chair for you.

This isn’t something you can know without testing out different chairs for yourself. You might consider renting a few to get a feel for what’s right for you.

Discomfort in the practice room is one thing. Discomfort at a show or in the studio is quite another, where every note you play counts.

So, I would encourage you to find the right fit.

Portability

This mostly comes down to how the chair is going to be used.

Will you be using it for practice, recording sessions, performances, or all the above?

You shouldn’t require a collapsible, portable chair if it’s going to be staying in the same room most of the time. But if you’re going to be taking the chair from gig to gig, then it should be reasonably sized and weighted.

Weight is an important consideration here, because the more sturdy and comfortable the chair, the less portable it tends to be. You’ll end up needing to make sacrifices somewhere.

Durability

If you’re careful with your chair, generally, it shouldn’t break on you.

But the wear and tear of tour can take a toll on the best gear.

If the chair lasts for a long time before breaking down, and you didn’t need to spend more than $80 on it, then you can probably say it was worth it.

Meanwhile, if you buy a chair that costs $200 and only lasts a couple of gigs, that would be a little frustrating.

Based on the materials they’re made of, you shouldn’t encounter too much trouble with any of the chairs mentioned here, but you’ll still want to be careful with the seat and the back support.

If you’re going to be packing it into the tour van, take extra care with where you place it.

Adjustability

Most chairs claim to be height adjustable. That doesn’t mean they’ll adjust to your height perfectly, however.

Everybody has different needs based on their height and weight. What feels comfortable to one may not feel comfortable to another.

So, look for a chair that adjusts how you need it to adjust.

Extras

Extras shouldn’t factor into your decision too heavily. The previously mentioned GFW-GTR-SEAT doubles as a guitar stand, and while that may be handy, it could mean sacrificing some comfort for the extra functionality.

But if you see an offer you just can’t refuse, then go for it. Give it a try and see if it works out for you.

Can I Use A “Musician Chair” As Opposed To A Guitar Chair?

Some of the chairs mentioned on this list are closer to musician chairs than guitar chairs. Essentially, they are the same thing.

Where you might see a little difference is with products like the GFW-GTR-SEAT via Gator Frameworks, which doubles as a guitar stand. Clearly, this is a product tailor made for guitarists.

When it comes to comfort, it’s better not to compromise. So, if you happen to find something you like more in an office supply store or furniture store, there’s nothing wrong with that.

You might still need to think about portability, especially if you’re planning to take the chair with you everywhere you go, but the extra comfort you gain might make the extra trouble worthwhile.

There aren’t any rules when it comes to chair selection. Use something that feels right to you.

Is It Better To Play Sitting Or Standing?

There isn’t necessarily a right or wrong answer here.

Many guitarists practice sitting down. This means when they go on stage to perform, they’ll notice a bit of difference between playing sitting down and playing standing up. You can’t see your fretboard quite as well, and since your guitar “hangs” off you, it can be challenging to hold it at the angle you want it to be.

If you know you’re going to be performing standing up most of the time, then it’s a good idea to at least play a few rehearsals standing up.

By contrast, sitting down to play can feel more comfortable and give you easier access to your fretboard. You can hold your guitar exactly how you want it, and your overall performance can improve.

You should also know that playing standing up can be hard on your back. When you’re playing guitar, you’re holding a weight you wouldn’t normally be carrying, so it can put a bit of pressure on your body. Playing with a bad posture sitting down isn’t exactly good either, though, and sitting for long hours has also been linked to various health challenges.

You’ll probably want to establish a balance. You shouldn’t be sitting down to play all the time, and you shouldn’t be standing all the time either, whether in practice, in the studio, or on stage (though we all know you can stand on a stage with a guitar for a few hours without any major repercussionss).

Do I Need A Guitar Chair Or Stool?

Whether you’re a solo artist or you play in a band, venues generally have chairs and stools you can use. And when it comes right down to it, you might choose to stand instead.

There is one downside to this thinking, however. It can be hard finding a good, comfortable chair at a venue. If you’re always using the same throne, you’ll know exactly what to expect. But if you go from venue to venue using their chairs, it’s going to be a different experience every time.

Even in your practice room, you’re free to use whatever chair you like. Again, if it supports your practice habit, it can’t be all bad.

You may need a guitar chair, you may not. Ultimately, only you know the answer.

7 Best Guitar Chairs And Stools For Comfort (With Back Support While Playing) Conclusion

A guitar chair can be a handy tool to have.

You just never know where you might be going or where you’ll be playing. It could be at the lake, at a camp, on the street, in a coffeehouse, or a myriad of other environments. If you have your chair with you, you’ll at least have the assurance that you have a piece of gear you can count on. That can help you maintain consistency in your performance.

As with any product purchase, do your research and find the best fit for you.