Piano Benches – Guide to Buying the Best Ones

Here’s a simplified guide to buying piano benches. Know what type of bench you should be looking for if you have a portable piano or top class upright or grand piano.

Posture and Ergonomics

When you are starting out learning to play the piano, besides the actual lessons, it is also important that you care and focus on other related things like piano posture and ergonomics.

You need to keep in mind that even though most teachers and piano learning software programs recommend that you practice at least for half an hour to one hour regularly, the fact is that to become very good at the piano you need to put in many more hours.

It is common for professionals to put in 4 to 5 hours daily!

Even though you may be doing it for fun or may not be as serious now, but the fact is that it is common for most students to spend around a couple of hours on the piano easily on many occasions.

So if you don’t care about piano posture or ergonomics, it is very easy to get injuries. Besides, a bad posture or seating height will not let you practice for a longer time.

This is where comfortable, height-adjustable piano benches really help.

 

 

Piano Bench Reviews: Bestselling piano benches reviewed here…  

 

 

Piano Benches: Various Types

We all know that pianos are available in various forms and can be used at home or for onstage performances.

Some of the pianos can be inexpensive and are quite portable whereas some can be regal looking and huge. Accordingly, you have benches that cater to the needs of the different piano and keyboard players.

In general you will find:

1. Adjustable and Foldable (inexpensive) benches that allow you to comfortably play your portable keyboard or piano at home.
2. You get more portable (but studier) benches that can be used with your professional arranger, synthesizer or piano on stage.
3. You get elegant looking piano benches

 

Further, you have a few more variations in these, the more common ones include:

1. Duet / Double for two players
2. Benches with Storage Compartment
3. Height Adjustable
4. With Leather cushions
5. Heavy Duty / Rugged

 

The most popular styles of piano benches are:

• Adjustable piano bench
• Duet piano bench / Double piano bench
• Bench with Storage
• Piano Stool
• Keyboard Throne

 

Learners & Gigging Musicians

You always have the option of choosing a suitable color, construction material, and cushion material. The more common colors include Black, Mahogany, and Walnut.

Further, you can choose from a variety of cushions (of various thicknesses) that are made from various fabrics, including leather, for more comfort.

X-Style Benches are used more by beginners, and is also used a lot with portable keyboards, especially for on-stage performances. These are comparatively light-weight, height adjustable and even foldable so a lot of performing musicians prefer these.

You may check out these cool keyboard benches here…

Premium Piano Benches

But then a lot of people also find it a bit unstable and are more comfortable with four-legged piano benches. These ones are quite heavy duty and sturdy, and because they use leather and wood like materials, these complement most of the upright and grand pianos.

Some of the better piano benches use:

• premium quality leather
• Are available in a glossy finish
• Are height-adjustable, and
• Also have a storage compartment within

 

As far as Brands are concerned, Yamaha, World Tour, Musician’s Gear make a wide range of keyboard benches, whereas brands such as Jansen, CPS, Cameron & Sons, Palatino and Stagg are more into making top quality piano benches. Check out these classy piano benches here…

Choosing a Suitable Bench

Have you recently got yourself a piano? There are many who get some great deals in used pianos, considering that the new ones can be quite expensive. But many a times, you may not get an accompanying piano bench, for whatever reasons. Most owners do tend to repair their piano, but if the piano bench is also quite worn out, then they usually don’t bother about it.

So assuming you have got a piano recently, and are looking for a piano bench that would match its color, what is the best way to go about it?

Here are some options.

• Buy a New One
  Easiest option is to buy a new one. But you may not get one that exactly matches with the color of the piano. 
• Ask the Piano Manufacturer
  If you have bought a new one, then in most likelihood the manufacturer may have matching piano benches, which will match the texture, color, wood finish, etc. of your piano. 

  However, if it’s a used one, then you will have to choose the best fit one.

• Ask the Piano Tuner
  You will definitely need to get your piano tuned once you have it. Most Piano tuners are also in the piano supplies business, so ask him/her to show you some good benches, from which you can choose. 
• Get it Built
  You can get a piano bench built from a reputed furniture-maker / cabinetmaker who should be able to make one that is an exact match. 

  However, most woodwork can turn out to be expensive, especially if you are getting it built from someone else, and also depending on the quality and finish of the wood used.

• Use Piano Bench Cushion
  If you are looking for an inexpensive option, then get a basic bench that will go with the color of your piano, and then use a high quality, rich looking piano bench cushion that will make the piano bench look much more classy. 

  This also gives you lots of variety as you can choose from various designs and fabric of piano bench cushions.

When evaluating a piano bench, the most important factors to consider are the quality of the seat, and the build quality of the overall product.

The height & structure of the piano player also determines what you need to buy. For younger students/players, an adjustable bench style is more apt, whereas for fully grown-ups, a regular piano bench may suffice.

Again, those on the shorter side may find an adjustable bench to be a better option, wheres taller players may be fine with a regular bench.

Here are the important things to know about these music accessories.

Materials Used in Benches

A bench may be built entirely of wood, or may have some upholstering padding. Even if you buy a wooden one, you can always buy cushions or pads separately.

Construction materials used for bench include:

• Body made of iron or wood frame
• Vinyl
• Leather
• Classic stylish buttons
• Faux leather

 

Colors Available in Benches

These are available in the following colors (usually black to natural wood):

• Black
• Mahogany
• Walnut

 

Most public institutions, schools or chapels/churches usually prefer simple designs, mostly hardwood benches (black in color) so that they cannot be torn or disfigured easily.

Various Leg Style of Piano Benches

You do get some variety in the leg style such as:

• Straight cut
• Curve style
• Other designs

 

Basically, the more expensive the bench, the more elaborate is the design.

Storage Compartments Can Be Useful

Benches also come with storage compartments that offer convenient storage space to stash your books, CDs, music sheets. So this is something that you may want to consider.

Storage compartments are available on both standard as well as the adjustable benches, although the ones on the adjustable ones are usually smaller in size.

Difference Between Adjustable Piano Bench and Artist Bench?

Basically, an artist bench means better quality product that is meant for the experienced/pro musicians.

While both are adjustable, the artist bench will look elegant, more luxurious, and hides the adjustable mechanism of the piano bench when fully raised. On a regular, adjustable piano, the height-changing mechanism is visible.

Artist benches are considered to be superior and costs more.

Accessories for Piano Bench

You also get accessories for the bench such as:

• Bench Cushions
• Bench Covers

 

Grand Piano Bench or An Upright Piano Bench?

Is there anything called a grand piano bench and an upright piano bench? Well, not really! However, its all about proportion.

Because a grand piano looks much more bigger than an upright one, it would make more sense to go in for a wider bench for a grand piano, just so that things look proportionate. In which case a duet piano bench would look better with a grand piano.

There are many who refer to a piano bench (those that can be used only by one person) as an upright piano bench (these are generally around 30 inches wide.) And they refer to a duet one as the grand piano bench; these are around 35 to 40 inches wide and can seat two players.

Read more on the various types of piano & keyboard benches here…

As you can see, when it comes to these seating accessories for your piano, though there may not be hundreds of choices, there does exist a reasonable amount of choices when it comes to buying piano benches.

Piano Benches: Reviews

Reviews of the top piano benches, including premium leather made, adjustable benches with elegant looks. We have also reviewed artist piano benches.

Find single & duet piano benches that complement the looks of your piano and the surroundings. Read more on the bestselling Piano Benches…

 

Keyboard Benches: Reviews

The best keyboard bench for stage or home use. Find reviews of adjustable and foldable benches suitable for portable home keyboards and pianos and also for professional keyboards for stage use, more…

 

Piano Bench Cushions: Padding for Your Bench

Also checkout the various types of bench cushions available for keyboard & piano benches. These are designed to provide extra comfort while playing for longer sessions.

Read more on Piano Bench Cushions

 

Piano Stools: Reviews

Portable & easy to carry, these are suitable for playing keyboards and even other instruments such as guitar and drums, ideal where space is limited. Read more on Piano Stools…

 

Related Posts

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