There are several stringed instruments that can be played from a standing position. But a cello isn’t one of them.
Playing cello in an upright position is not only fatiguing but also very uncomfortable. This stems from the fact that cellos are bulky and heavy.
So if you’re planning to start playing the cello, you’ll want to invest in the best cello chairs first. The good thing is, there’s no shortage of musical chairs on the market. It’s just a matter of finding one that offers the most comfort. Here’s an overview of the top-rated cello chairs that are worth checking out.
The 5 Best Cello Chairs
Wondering what type of cello chair to get? Here are 5 great choices to consider:
1. ADJUSTRITE Folding Musician's Chair
Have you been searching for the best cello chair? Well, you’ll be hard-pressed to find anything better than the Adjustrite Folding Musician’s Chair.
One thing that makes this cello chair stand out is its versatility. It can be used by a variety of musicians- whether you’re a cellist, guitarist just to mention a few.
Even better is the fact that the height of the Adjustrite Chair is adjustable. You’ll find buttons on its legs, enabling you to make 1-inch increments to its normal sitting height.
With this cello chair, you can practice your skills for hours without getting fatigued. This is made possible by the fact that it has a padded back that provides ample lumbar support. As you might have guessed from its name, this cello chair also has a folding mechanism.
This feature makes it the perfect cello chair for a musician living in a small space. It also makes it easy to carry around. Its portability is further enhanced by the fact that it weighs a measly 18 pounds.
However, just because this cello chair is lightweight doesn’t compromise its sturdiness. In fact, it has a robust construction designed to accommodate a maximum load capacity of 250 pounds.
Pros
Cons
Playing cello requires you to sit in a unique playing position, which cannot be achieved using standard chairs.
Thankfully, the Wenger Cellist Chair is designed with these specific musicians in mind.
It allows cello players to take up a lean-forward position that automatically balances and comfortably supports the correct posture.
Wenger prides itself on having decades' worth of experience in building music chairs, a factor that’s very evident in the craftsmanship of this cello chair. Thus, it’s not too surprising that the Wenger Cellist Chair is a favorite.
As you can expect from a brand of its caliber, this chair boasts a sturdy build. It’s made of a solid 16-gauge steel frame and then finished with a powder coating.
The use of steel guarantees optimal durability while the powder coat prevents the cello chair from corrosion and rust.
Also important to note is that this is a fully cushioned seat. Both the sitting area and back are cushioned in polyfoam, resulting in optimal comfort. If you intend to sit for extended periods at a time, then you'll want to invest in a comfortable seat, and this cello chair certainly fits the description.
To add to this, Wenger designed this chair to be non-slip.
Another thing you might be interested in knowing is the chair’s height. Well, the height between the seat and the floor is 18.5 inches. If this doesn’t work for you, you can always contact the manufacturer and request them to make a custom cello/ bench chair.
Pros
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If you’re looking for a folding cello chair that’s more affordable than the Adjustrite Folding Musician’s Chair, consider the Juvale unit.
There’s a lot to love about this cello chair, but one particular area where it shines is in providing comfort.
For one, the Juvale folding chair is a foam-filled seat. Foam is the same material often incorporated in armchairs and couches to provide excellent resilience and comfort.
Secondly, the Juvale cello chair has a padded back. This ensures that even if you spend a lot of time sitting, you won’t feel fatigued.
This chair is also specially designed with a non-slip design on the seating area. This is to make sure that when you sit in a lean-forward position, you won’t end up sliding out of your chair.
Boasting a stainless steel frame, the Juvale folding chair promises maximum durability. This also allows it to support weights of up to 220 pounds.
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The Wenger NOTA Music Chair is revered for its versatility.
Equipped with user-friendly features, this seat is designed to accommodate an array of sitting positions and musical instruments like cello and saxophone.
Its biggest selling point, however, is the fact that it has two seating zones. There’s a rear zone -also known as the engaged sitting zone -and a forward or perched section.
The purpose of having two seating zones is to enable the user to achieve the perfect seating position based on the instrument he/she is playing. Specifically, these seating sections are designed to facilitate a naturally-balanced skeletal posture and prevent muscle strain.
The narrow back is another aspect that makes the Wenger NOTA chair unique. The convex shape of the backrest, allows the chair to support your lumbar whilst facilitating an adequate range of movement.
Moreover, this chair boasts a rounded waterfall front. This ensures that even though it doesn’t have any height adjustment, the set height is comfortable for various body sizes.
The right cello chair is one that’s made of premium-quality materials. This is the case for the Wenger chair, whose seat and back are made of wear-resistant polypropylene material. This not only facilitates uniform weight distribution but also enhances comfort.
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An important feature of the best cello chairs is their sturdy construction. To a great extent, this depends on the material used for the frame and the design of its base.
The Flash Furniture brand understands this all too well, which is why they’ve equipped this music chair with flared legs. This design causes the legs to assume the shape of a saber or slightly curved sword, and it’s meant to improve the chair’s stability.
Another thing we loved about this top-rated cello chair is that it has numerous features geared towards promoting good posture.
First off, it has a seat-to-back angle of about 97 degrees. It is constructed in this manner to facilitate proper breathing; hence, improving your comfort.
Secondly, both the seat and back are contoured to naturally fit the shape of the human body. This enables you to sit comfortably while you play your instrument. The Flash Furniture chair also touts a rear brace that provides additional back support.
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Benefits of Using Cello Chairs
There’s no denying that cellos are bulky pieces of musical equipment. Thus, it’s not surprising that they come with high price tags attached.
For this reason, you may feel like buying a new cello chair is another expense that eats into your hard-earned money. Although you’ll have to shell out extra money, a cello chair is one of those accessories that you can’t do without.
Investing in a proper chair for your art will not only enhance good balance but will also enable you to achieve the right playing technique. Here are some key benefits you stand to gain when you buy this musician chair:
Boosts Great Posture
The greatest benefit you’ll get from a cello bench chair is that it will enhance proper posture.
This chair is designed to balance your spine by getting you to sit in a position where your hips are at par or just slightly higher than your knees. Other chairs aren't designed with these ergonomics in mind.
This, in turn, helps you relax; hence, preventing muscle strain in your wrists and arms. The more comfortable you are, the easier it will be to practice playing the cello.
Promotes Effortless Breathing
Another benefit that many don’t consider is that cello chairs promote good breathing.
Here’s the deal, this chair allows you to sit in the recommended lean-forward position, which benefits proper breathing.
The fact that your spine is well-balanced and your hips are in a slightly elevated position, helps to open up your chest cavity. As a result, you’re able to relax and breathe better when you’re playing your instrument.
How to Choose the Right Cello Chair
Now that you know the benefits of investing in a cello chair, the next thing you’ll want to learn is how to go about buying one.
Remember, cello chairs aren’t created equally. Each seat has distinct features that make it unique. So here’s what you can expect from cello chairs:
Frame
One of the most crucial factors to look for is the frame. Specifically, pay attention to the material used in its construction. You’ll likely have to pick from two common options: steel and hardwood.
Steel frames are strong enough to support the weight of the cellist without making the chair bulky.
Better yet, the majority of steel-framed cello chairs have an extra coating of powder or chrome. This makes the chair resistant to corrosion and rust. The only problem with steel is that it’s not visually appealing.
If you prefer a cello chair that has a little more style to it, then a hardwood frame is your best bet. Wooden frames result in heavier cello chairs. But the aesthetic appeal and durability they offer remain unparalleled.
Materials
We’ve talked about checking the frame’s build as this part supports the weight of the user.
However, a good cello chair is one that's made of premium materials all-round. The materials are what will determine how comfortable you’ll be when playing the cello. They will also impact the chair’s durability.
Cushioning
Are you the kind of musician who likes playing cello for hours on end? If you are, then you’ll want to ensure that you buy a cushioned or padded seat.
Avoid cello chairs that only have basic steel tops. Using such a seat will cause you a ton of discomfort.
Padded cello chairs are much better as they alleviate back pain as well as numb your bum and other areas affected by prolonged sitting.
An excellent cello chair is one that's also made of slip-resistant material. The last thing you want is to slip from your seat when playing cello.
Sturdiness
This factor is tied to the strength and material used to make the frame. If the frame is well-built, then you can be sure that the entire chair will be sturdy as well.
A sturdy chair will also be able to provide ample support to the cellist. However, it’s good to check the weight limit. Failure to adhere to the recommended load capacity can exert too much stress on the flat seat and cause it to break.
Height Adjustment
Based on this trait, cello chairs fall under two main categories- those with fixed or adjustable height.
With adjustable models, you have the freedom to adjust the backrest as well as lower or raise the chair to a suitable height. The height of a cello chair is a very crucial factor to keep in mind. It determines whether you’ll attain a great posture and how comfortable you’ll be.
Being able to adjust the chair’s height also means you can share it with other players who have different heights.
A fixed cello chair is the complete opposite. As you can tell from the name, it doesn’t provide any room for making adjustments. In fact, it’s designed in a fairly similar manner to a dining room chair, that is, it has a set height and fixed back.
Folding Option
If you’ve been shopping for a cello chair for a while, you may have come across one that has foldable legs.
The advantage of having such folding chairs is that they occupy very little storage space, and are easy to transport.
A common misconception is that foldable cello chairs are less sturdy. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. They’re just as strong and durable as their non-foldable counterparts.
Back Support
If you anticipate spending a lot of time sitting on your cellist chair, then be sure to check whether it has any back support. A padded or cushioned backrest is a particularly handy addition to a cello chair. It allows you to sit back and relax when you take a break from playing the cello.
Storage Compartments
Another feature you'll find in the best cello chairs entails a storage compartment.
In most cases, this storage unit will be positioned underneath your seat. It will have enough space to store accessories such as rosin, music sheets among others.
FAQs
What height should a cello chair be?
The ideal height for a cello chair will vary from one player to the next. This is because it depends on an individual’s normal sitting height.
Generally, the right cello chair should have about the same height as a standard dining chair. But if you’re buying one for kids, the lowest acceptable height is 14 inches.
To determine whether a given cello chair will be comfortable to use, examine your posture when you sit on it. You should be able to play from a comfortable position whereby your hips are either at the same level as your knees or just slightly higher.
Do I need a chair to play cello?
It’s not entirely impossible to play the cello in an upright position. But this is quite tiring, and you’d need to equip your instrument with a harness.
If you’re looking for the most comfortable cello playing position, you should certainly invest in the best cello chair. As we saw earlier, this seat not only allows you to attain the right posture but also promotes healthy breathing. Both of the benefits ultimately help you play better.
Wrap Up
If you’ve been hunting for one of the best cello chairs on the market, consider the Adjustrite Folding Musician’s Chair.
One of its key highlights is the fact that it's a padded seat. This allows it to provide optimal comfort when you’re practicing for long hours at a time.
You’ll also love that it’s an adjustable cello chair. There are buttons on the legs, enabling you to adjust its height to a comfortable level. This factor makes the chair versatile enough to be used by both adult and young cellists.
And when you’re done using this chair, the legs fold easily so the seat doesn’t occupy a ton of space.
