Cellists spend so much time sitting that it’s incredibly important to think about WHAT we sit on. When looking for a cello chair, here are some points to consider:
- Seat slope – Look for a flat seat or one that slopes slightly forward. We don’t want a chair that slopes down toward the back of the chair.
- Cushion – A little bit of cushion is fine, and firm cushion is better than soft. You don’t want to be sitting on a chair that feels like your favorite old sofa, since it is hard to sit correctly on such a soft surface.
- Height – This is probably the most important consideration. You want a chair that makes your hips either level with your knees, or hips slightly above your knees.
This would work pretty well for a cello chair!
For adults or a tall-enough child, most desk or dining chairs will work as long as they meet the above criteria. However, if you’re interested in investing in a chair that will really help you feel good and sit well while you play, consider the ones below. Smaller children will need a special chair to meet their height needs, so those are listed in a separate section.
(This post contains affiliate links, which means CelloGuide receives a small commission if you make a purchase using these links. There is no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support of CelloGuide!)
For Fully-Grown Cellists:
Wenger Cellist Chair – This chair is more of an investment, but it is the gold standard for cello chairs. Professional orchestras, some private lesson teachers, universities, and even some middle and high schools have these for their cellists. This chair makes it easy to sit comfortably over a long period of playing. It’s got a nice amount of cushion with no sloping back of the seat so it promotes great posture as you play. Also, the seat length is on the shorter side, so you can more easily sit back against the back rest if needed. Click Here for Pricing and More Information.
Wenger Student Music Chair – Although these are called “student” music chairs, you will see these all over as well. In our experience, it is probably the most widely-used chair in orchestral music education settings. The big difference with this chair is no padding or cushion. It is also about an inch shorter than the Wenger Cellist Chair. The seat is relatively flat so it’s easy to make sure you’re sitting properly on the edge of the seat. A solid choice. Click Here for Pricing and More Information.
Adjustrite Musician’s Chair – We’ve updated this post to add this chair. We know cellists who use this, and they love it for its ability to adjust to a desired height, the cushion and proportions, and easy transport – fold it up and take it with you to your rehearsal! Click Here for Pricing and More Information.
Seat Wedge – Have a dining room chair or chair like the one in the picture above that works but you just want to make it a bit better? Try a seat wedge like this one. These help to give any chair the right slanted angle as well as offer a bit of cushion. Just make sure it’s a wedge shape, not one that has a curvy contoured seat shape.
For Younger Cellists:
Finding just a plastic step stool might be needed for very small cellists. Make sure you have the measurement you need in mind as you consider the options. Here are some other chairs we like for the little ones:
CB Drums Junior Drum Throne – This is our go-to cello chair for young cellists. It is adjustable so it can grow with your cellist, and the shortest height setting is around 13-14 inches. The legs fold in for easier carrying to lessons and back. Although we’ve heard some say that it doesn’t feel very sturdy, it has always lasted plenty long enough for our students. (In fact, we have a hand-me-down that went through two different cello students and is still going strong as a back-up stool). Since it is a three-legged stool, you’ll want to make sure you put the screw and the wing nut on the appropriate sides so the wing nut won’t get stuck against the leg as you try to turn it. That is the only issue we’ve ever seen with this stool, which is easily avoidable now that you know. Click Here for Pricing and More Information.
Shower Stool – We’ve had students use shower chairs in the past, like this one, and they seem to work pretty well. It’s adjustable with the lowest setting starting around 14 inches. This shower stool is flat in the seat — you’ll want to avoid the ones that have a dip in the center. It’s lightweight so it’s easy to carry back and forth and seems to last a long time.