The Best Salon Chairs

Buying Guide

Whether you run a salon or lease a booth in a salon suite, you’ll need the right tools to start taking customers. In addition to scissors, brushes and styling products, you’ll also require a sturdy, comfortable chair to host customers for a haircut.

But there are a few basics to prioritize when shopping for a salon chair. The first is safety. You’ll need a chair with a base strong enough to keep the seat in place without tipping over. Preferably, it will have rubber on the base to prevent it from slipping around. This will not only ensure safety for you and your clients but will also prevent the chair from scratching your floor.

The next consideration is comfort. This applies not only to the customers sitting in your chair, but to you, the stylist, as well. Measure the height of a current chair in your salon and determine exactly where you’ll need it to be both for your own comfort and your typical customers. Clients should also be able to put their feet in the footrest without it putting them in an awkward position.

The material of the seat also plays a role in how comfortable your clients are. You’ll need a cover that will hold up through all the use it will get. Also pay attention to the padding a chair offers. Customers should feel comfortable as they’re sitting in your chair, even for longer procedures like coloring. The armrests should be in a good position for a variety of heights.

Seat adjustment is the final feature you’ll need to look at. Most salon chairs adjust with a foot lever, but these can vary in functionality. Look for a chair with a hydraulic pump built in to make sure when you raise or lower your chair, it will go smoothly. A salon chair should also lock in place once you have it at the desired position.

• Assembly can be complicated with salon chairs. See if you can take a look at the instructions before you order to make sure you’ll be properly prepared. You may need a second pair of hands or special hardware to put it together.
• You’ll probably notice that most salon chairs are made from high-quality vinyl rather than fabrics. There’s a reason for that. Vinyl is easy to clean while also resisting staining from any products that drip on it. You also won’t have to worry about hairs getting caught on the material of vinyl versus fabric.
• Salon chairs typically adjust through the use of a foot lever. This allows you to move a customer up and down as needed even when your hands are full. Look at the instructions for adjusting the chair before you buy.
• Hydraulics can ensure that when you adjust the seat, the experience is a smooth one for the client.
• Some salon chairs don’t allow you to adjust the seat while the customer is in it. That means your customer would have to stand up before you can move the seat up or down. This obviously isn’t ideal, so make sure you are buying a seat that lets you adjust it while the client is seated.
• Even though they adjust, salon chairs come in a variety of height options. Check to make sure yours will move to the positions you’ll expect before you buy.
• Check the frame of any chair you choose. The best will have a heavy-duty steel frame that will not only hold up over many years of use but will also resist tipping.