Ergonomic musician chairs

It is well known that those working and sitting at desks all day should use an appropriately supportive, ergonomic chair that aids both posture and seating position. For these individuals, there are many solutions, such as specially designed chairs or contoured seating, and back, feet and neck cushions. However, these requirements are just as important for professional musicians. Using an ergonomic seating solution whilst playing supports posture to ensure the perfect control of an instrument, whilst assisting comfortable breathing and protection against a poor posture, which is even more necessary when dealing with a heavy instrument.

For cello players, sitting is compulsory whilst playing due to the composition of the instrument. For other musicians like violin and wind instrument players, sitting is not required but is often preferred. This is often the arrangement when practising for long periods of time at home or in a studio setting, or when playing in formal orchestral environments and concerts.

The most popular choice for musicians when both performing and rehearsing is a seat that has a firm foam base, and a straight, hard backrest. With a slight curve in the back – although far less of a curve than is commonly found in office chairs and other similar seats – a musician is encouraged to extend their spine and inherently improve their posture. Likewise, whilst holding an instrument, this improved posture should advance comfort.

Naturally, these seating solutions can be expensive when purchased directly from a retailer. A good compromise can be created using a custom made to specification foam seat pad that is used on a hard, straight-backed chair such as a modern dining chair (older, more traditional chairs are often slanted or curved). Using eFoam’s cut to size tool, a foam seat cushion can be made to your specification. For such a purpose, we recommend the use of very high-density polyurethane foam to ensure that the contoured shape of the seat holds ground underneath bodyweight. To order, take a photo of your desired shape/seat cushion and up-close shots of its contours, alongside a list of approximate dimensions (width, depth, lowest point of curved seat areas, highest point of curved seat areas, and the centre point).

Alternatively, if you don’t have a chair with an entirely flat back (best suited for improved posture when playing an instrument), you can order a contoured foam piece to complement the curve of your chair. For example, if your chair curves back, a wedge cushion can be created to level out the back of the seat. Likewise, to create a custom solution that fits snugly with the contours of your chair, take some photographs and dimensions before contacting us at eFoam.

If you already own a specialist music chair, you may wish to customise this as retailers typically offer non-tailored options. Some individuals find very high-density foam seats not as comfortable as they hoped and want to change it to a memory foam filling. Lucky, this is something we can help with! Memory foam helps to support the natural curves and lines of the body, and as such, can encourage better posture in some individuals.

If you'd like to discuss your custom foam seating solution or component with one of our friendly and knowledgeable colleagues, please contact us.