Choosing the right piano stool is extremely important. After all, it depends not only on how comfortable the musician will feel during classes, but also on the correct posture. Particular attention should be paid to the choice of a chair or bench for a child.
Nowadays, in stores, you can see many options for every taste.
- Specialized adjustable bench.
- A special round chair with a mechanism that allows it to rotate.
- Rectangular bench with four legs.
- Folding piano chair.
- Exclusive wooden chair.
- Bench with a height adjustment mechanism and a separate drawer in which you can store notes.
- Banquet or bench on two rectangular legs, allowing you to adjust the height of the seat.
- Stools and more.
Of course, if you are looking for a piano stool for a child to sit on, it is better to immediately stop at a model that can be adjusted in height. After all, the baby will grow, and therefore it will be simply uncomfortable for it to sit on a stool that is too high. If it is assumed that only adult musicians will use the instrument, it is best to purchase a massive piano bench made of wood or leather - they look very solid, and in addition, they are distinguished by their strength and durability.
As for folding models, they are more suitable for those who, for example, participate in a group and often perform in different places, and have to carry an instrument (most often an electronic piano) and all other accessories.
The classic version, which can be seen in almost all music schools, is the swivel piano stool. For beginners, this is a very convenient option, because such models give greater freedom of movement.
Piano stool or compact keyboard stool?
Before moving on to the main features, it should be noted that there is a selection of chairs on the market that are compact, lightweight, but not very stable.
As a rule, such chairs have criss-cross metal legs and are used if there is a shortage of space. Most often, they are chosen when buying synthesizers.
In addition to stability, there is a problem with appearance. It is unlikely that a classic piano and a bench with metal legs will be considered a good combination. We would also recommend carefully checking the implementation of the height change mechanism. As a rule, the height should be possible to adjust in one of two ways: either by changing the height of the axis of the cross, or by changing the “hook” along the seat (as in an ironing board). So, in the first case, changing the height will be inconvenient.
In addition, regardless of the principle, height changes will occur in steps. Accordingly, you will not have too much choice of highchair positions.
But, if we are talking about compact digital pianos, then why not? Moreover, these chairs are many times cheaper than specialized ones.
Support
Do not be surprised, but this is the point we consider the main one. If you sit on a bench and “fall through” in it, as if sitting on an ottoman, don’t even consider this option! Any bench should be moderately rigid. You should feel supported under you. And nothing else.
Design reliability
Check that the piano bench/stool does not “falter” under you. So that it does not have any flimsy elements. If there is a height adjustment - put it in the highest position - so all the flaws will be as noticeable as possible. Check the seat lift mechanism so that it does not stick and the ride is as smooth as possible.
Just imagine what will happen to the stool in a few years, if even now it is not reliable enough.
The height of the chair/stool and the ability to adjust the height
Surprisingly, now, in 2020s, a lot of piano benches produced without height adjustment. This is especially the fault of the piano manufacturers themselves, who adds such accessories to their instruments.
For adults, we recommend to sit down and make sure that this height suits you, before buying the bench.
We don't want to go into too much detail on how to determine the correct piano bench height for a particular musician, but only main points: when you sit in front of the instrument with a straight back on the edge of a stool, your hand (wrist) should not be bent. That is, when choosing a height, it is necessary to build on the position of the hand, and not on whether your legs reach the floor or not.
In general, this is a very delicate issue: it is better to ask your teacher for advice.
Bench/high chair shape
All chairs for pianists can be divided into three categories:
- Lightweight portable stools
- Chairs on 3-4 legs with a round seat
- Four-legged square benches
If we discard the “like / dislike” option and approach the issue purely from a practical point of view, we recommend that you stop at the last option, because benches are the most stable. This will allow you to focus on the music and not think about other things.
Material and design features
As a rule, the basis of stools/benches for the pianist are made of wood, like Jansen piano benches. But there are exceptions. For example, the Korg PC-300 bench is metal. This makes it more stable on the one hand, and heavier on the other. Here the choice is yours.
Regardless of which you choose in the end, before buying, check if you can sit correctly in your new chair and if you feel any discomfort while doing so. There are several criteria that will help you to make sure that you have not made a mistake with the purchase:
- when you sit on the edge of a chair, your back remains in a straight position, your hands are located just above the keys of the instrument, and your elbows are in a slightly bent state;
- feet stand steadily on a special stand or on the floor, next to the piano pedals;
- regardless of the height of the musician, his legs should be at a right angle, and the chair itself should in no case stagger.
It is important to choose the right model, but also important to pick a reliable manufacturer. Unfortunately, the modern market is flooded with cheap but low-quality goods, and furniture is no exception. Before making a purchase, check how securely all the elements are fastened, whether the chair can be disassembled if necessary, and whether the height adjustment mechanism works well (the last point is especially important if you are buying a screw piano chair). Feel free to try out the furniture: evaluate how comfortable it is for you to sit in different positions, whether it is possible to maintain the correct posture, and whether your movements are constrained. If everything is in order, the only thing left is to buy the chosen chair and enjoy playing your favorite instrument in comfortable conditions! If you don't want to bother yourself with this headache, you can pick any of our piano benches and stools, each manufacturer was carefully handpicked by us, quality guaranteed!
