Guide to Keyboard Benches

Guide to Keyboard Benches: These offer comfort while playing, are height-adjustable and easy to carry around (more practical than home chairs or stools). You get a wide range of options; you can choose the classic X-style bench made from durable, quality wood and thick cushion or you may go in for something more expensive and stylish such as a Piano Bench. Here’s more on how to select an appropriate piano keyboard bench for your music keyboard, synthesizer or the piano. You may skip to our reviews of the best keyboard benches here.

Introduction to Keyboard Benches

Most beginners are likely to use a chair or a stool (available at home) to sit for playing their keyboard. Its because most beginner keyboard usually come bundled with a adjustable-stand so they use the stand to adjust the height rather than buy a bench that is adjustable.

Most of the keyboard benches are usually used by experienced keyboard players who want something compact & lightweight, yet sturdy with the option to adjust height, for their gigs. Basically, they want all their equipment and accessories to be flexible, so an adjustable keyboard bench is definitely a must-have for them.

Piano Keyboard Bench, Stool: Features

Most keyboard benches / stools normally cost around 25 to 100 USD (and above). The more common features are summarized here.

• Sturdy – A bench needs to be sturdy just because the player can be of any size. Some of the models are designed to withstand weight up to 250 lbs – I guess that should cover everybody.
• Seating area – They have sufficient seating area for you to sit comfortably and perform.
• Comfortable – To make the seating surface comfortable to sit on and to eliminate fatigue, benches and keyboard stools have seat cushion. The amount of cushioning varies depending on the model you buy.
• Height adjustable – This is important! You can adjust the height of a Piano Keyboard Bench according to your convenience. You can even do a full close for easy storage and portability.
• Rubber end caps – They have non-slip rubber end caps to prevent the bench/stool from moving. The rubber helps to get a good grip on the ground surface. These ensure the bench stays in place, and do not move around when you’re playing.

Construction
Keyboard benches are a bit cheaper than the piano benches, and usually do not come with storage space. They have X-style legs which can be folded to make the stand flat (for easy storage). Height-adjustable mechanism is also simple on these keyboards, with option to choose one of three or four height settings (no fine adjustments as on piano benches). The better quality ones are sturdy and made of heavy-duty steel construction that easily supports heavier players.

Comfortable
Most keyboard benches come with a seat cushion which makes it comfortable to sit on while playing. While in the case of piano benches, you get benches without cushions (plain wood), in case of keyboard benches, almost all the benches come with cushions.

Lightweight
These are lightweight (compared to piano benches), which makes them easy to carry around. Most keyboard benches have a steel frame with cushion at the top, and generally do not have storage space.

Sturdy
While the cheaper ones may seem a bit wobbly, they all are strong to be played by most men and women. Most benches mention the weight it can withstand safely.

Maintain good Posture & Great for Back Support

Even if you are a learner and have an electronic keyboard/digital piano at home, you will need a bench to help you maintain the correct posture and to be able to play comfortably.

This is even more important if you’re a performer, because of the number of hours you would spend practicing and performing so you need something really comfy to sit on while performing.

Ask any music professional, and they will tell you why it is so important to give optimum back support, both while performing or when practicing. A correct posture is really important when sitting at the instrument either while practicing or when performing.

This is where accessories like keyboard & piano benches become so important, because of their height adjustable feature and also because of their padded bench. These ensure the best lower torso support, which are critical to maintain good posture and for good health & longer musical practice.

A good posture and the right seat height ensure good ergonomics; it means you can practice or play for hours without giving you body any stress related injuries.

If you are really serious about playing the piano, then don’t try to cut costs by using smaller and inferior keyboard benches. Over a period of time it can cause bad health and also debilitating injury.

Height Adjustable

Most keyboard benches are height-adjustable so that it can be used by people of different heights. As mentioned, these benches do not allow fine-adjustments. These have preset levels (heights) and you have to chose one of those heights. Children may have to use a foot rest/stool under their feet.

Because of the height-adjusting capability, these benches can be used by children as well as adults, and even by musicians who play other musical instruments.

There are some music enthusiasts who use these height adjustable benches for other house-hold work as well (in addition to using it as a keyboard bench of course), such as as a bench for their writing table, or for their sewing machine table and so on.

And how’s the height adjustment done?

The height-adjustment mechanism can vary depending on the bench. But the more popular mechanism is using a peg that inserts into 1 of 4 holes on each side, giving it several increments of adjustment.

Here’s another mechanism. You basically need to move the upper ends of the legs towards one another (that way it raises the height), you move it away from one another and it will lower the height. Spring-based pins extend from the legs and snap into holes to hold the legs at the desired position.

These Fold Flat

Keyboard benches are available in various designs but you do get ones that fold completely flat making it easy to carry around.

Performers, gigging musicians are constantly traveling and they definitely prefer something which is foldable and easy to carry around.

Things to Keep in Mind

While learners may not need a keyboard bench (if they already have an adjustable keyboard stand), a keyboard bench can help in maintaining a good posture, and for experienced players these help to play for longer sessions. These are portable and can easily be carried to gigs. These are also inexpensive compared to some of the piano benches.

The more portable keyboard benches are usually height adjustable and almost all of them do not come with storage space, as these are more for the keyboard players, than pianists. Most keyboard players use these, and the advantage is that these can be folded flat, are compact, and are easily transportable.

These are height-adjustable, are portable, and usually without storage space. In case you play other instruments as well, then you may choose a throne type bench.

It is best to go in for something that is well padded and sturdy, if you are going to play for longer sessions. While these may be slightly more expensive, the benefits will outweigh any extra expenses.

Also Read: Best Keyboard benches, reviews.

Various features of a Keyboard Bench

Best Keyboard Benches

For experienced musicians, its important for them to be relaxed and comfortable at every moment during their performance, in order to perform at the top of their game.

Top musical instrument and accessory brands like Musician’s Gear, ProLine, Gator are fully aware of this, and it reflects in the exceptional design and construction of their benches and stools. Whether you’re a concert pianist, pro keyboardist or a studio session guitarist, their benches and stools are made keeping your hard-earned skills in mind. The better ones look stylish and re extremely comfortable.

Spend some time going through our catalog of keyboard benches so that you can pick up the right keyboard bench. These keyboard benches will provide you with all the support you need to focus on what you do best: play music!

Read: Best Keyboard benches: Variety of designs across a wide price range.

Piano Benches

Some pianists may not prefer keyboard benches for piano recitals or performance, and prefer piano benches. For piano playing, you may consider going in for a piano bench instead. These have better cushion for optimum back support, look elegant, allow fine height-adjustment and offers storage space. Some of these look much more premium and are made from the best materials.

Also Read

• Piano Benches – adjustable, double, with storage, with or without cushion, leather, and more.
• Piano Stools
• Piano Chairs

Closing Thoughts

Keyboard benches are designed a bit differently from piano benches, and are intended to be cost-effective, lightweight and portable. The good ones are nicely padded and the throne-types are quite comfortable for your back as well. Lower torso support and proper height of the bench are very important for good support to your back, and also for practice. And most keyboard benches nowadays provide that.

Related Posts

• Piano Benches – adjustable, double, with storage, with or without cushion, leather, and more.
• Keyboard Benches – compact, foldable for keyboard players
• Piano Stools
• Piano Chairs
• Multi-Instrument Thrones with Backrest
• Drum Thrones