Barber school? Easy.
Opening up your own shop? Piece of cake.
Racking up a list of clients who love you and think you’re the universe’s gift to barbering? Psh, that was simple for you, too.
Choosing the perfect barber chair? Yeah, that’s actually a lot harder than you probably thought, isn’t it?
It’s no secret that choosing the right barber chair is crucial for your shop. It determines your client’s comfort, shapes their experience, and either helps or hinders your own barbering services. A chair is supposed to be comfortable yet unobtrusive, attractive but not distracting, exciting but not aesthetically draining. You probably get the picture by now—picking the perfect barber chair is hard.
But no worries, barbering pros—we’re here to help.
While we can’t necessarily narrow down a list of the best barber chairs out there (especially because that choice depends on what you need, what your goals are, how your clients feel, and a whole slew of other preferences), we can tell you what you should be on the hunt for when it comes to selecting a sweet chair that’ll do its job better than you can (OK, not that good, but close).
Picking the Perfect Barber Chair: Factors You Need to Consider
We’re not saying that there’s a perfect-for-you barber chair out there that we recommend without a doubt. The fact of the matter is, we might not be able to point to the perfect chair for you—you might have to do the digging yourself.
But here’s what we can do—list out the must-consider factors that every barber needs to think about before they make a big purchase like this one. And you know what? That’s exactly what we’ve done below.
Before your big barber chair search begins, consult this list to help guide your spending journey.
Client Comfort is King
Your client’s experience is going to determine whether they come back to your shop or not—do you really want that determining factor to lie in the hands of an uncomfortable, annoying chair? When you start your search, make sure you put your clients’ comfort first—don’t purchase a trendy, aesthetic chair that’s torturous to sit in just because it looks good. Trust us, your clients would rather sit in an ugly, comfortable chair than one they dread sitting down in.
But Your Comfort is Important, Too
No, you’re not sitting in this chair (at least, not when the shop is open), but you’ll want to consider your comfort, too. This is especially the case when it comes to functionality. How easy is this chair to work with? Does adjusting it drive you crazy? Are you comfortable spinning it, manipulating it, and managing this chair all day long?
How you work and interact with this chair matters, just like your clients’ comfort matters—so make sure there’s a good balance there.
How Durable is it, Really?
Is this chair going to last you a few years or are you looking at buying a replacement sooner rather than later? It might seem silly to say this. But the barbershop is a dangerous, dirty, and rough-and-tumble place—the chairs you invest in need to be tough, durable, and resilient to outlast the challenges you throw at it. That means you’ll need to invest in quality chairs, so don’t just focus on an affordable price or quantity.
Let’s Talk Materials
You’ve found a comfortable, affordable, durable chair—but what’s it made of? Does the material make sense for your space? Is it sticky and hard to clean? Is it high-quality and resilient? The material of your chair matters more than you might think—especially because it feeds directly into durability, comfort, and functionality.
Is Cleaning it a Nightmare? Hard Pass
We’ll keep this short and sweet—if the chair is a challenge to clean, don’t even give it a second glance. Cleaning these chairs is going to be a huge chunk of your day, do you really want to spend that portion of your time regretting your chair choice?
Does it Fit Your “Vibe”
Aesthetic matters, especially when it comes to your brand. Don’t opt for chairs that don’t fit in with the feeling and vibe you’re trying to curate in your shop.
Gut Feeling Counts
How a chair makes you feel matters. It sounds silly but trusting our guts can sometimes help us make better decisions. If you’re looking at two chairs that offer similar benefits but one excites you more, that’s probably the right choice simply because you’re jazzed about it. No, it’s not a science, but wouldn’t you rather walk into your shop every day and like what you see in front of you?
Budget Is a Must-Consider
Let’s pretend you’ve found the chair. It’s beautiful, it’s functional, it’s easy to clean, and totally aligned with your aesthetic. It even feels like the perfect chair (at least, that’s what your gut is telling you). You’re about to pull the trigger on the purchase when you look at the price tag—it’s a few thousand dollars out of your budget. This chair (a few of them, at that) is going to put you so far over your budget limit it’s laughable. If this is the case, can it truly be the perfect chair?
In our opinion, not so much. We’re not saying that you’ll be able to find a perfect-for-you chair that’s totally aligned with your budget every time—you may pay more than you want. But if it’s way over the limit, we suggest you keep searching. No chair is worth breaking the bank.
Just like that, we release you—go hunt down your perfect barbering chair and make sure to keep these factors in mind while you do it. Trust us, even if the selection process gets a little tedious, you and your clients will deeply appreciate the time, effort, and tears (don’t be embarrassed if there are a few of those) that go into picking out the perfect barber chair.
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