7 Best Guitar Stools for All Budgets (2024)

The never ending need to buy gear and gadgets that will improve playing and technique is a common trait in guitarists. Yet simple items that will actually provide tangible benefits are simply overlooked. Take for example, the guitar stool – a proper guitar stool will not only provide comfort, but it can improve your guitar playing posture, which can lead to noticeable improvement in your playing.

In this guide, we will be taking a look at the 7 best guitar stools on the market. To make sure it’s an apples-to-apples comparison, each stool will be reviewed against the same criteria – comfort, additional features, build quality, and practicality.

Read more about our review process.

Editor's Choice
K&M Performance Stool

K&M Performance Stool

Features: Height adjustable footrest, Imitation leather upholstery, Braced legs

Benefits: Incredibly stable, Excellent ergonomics, Durable upholstery

Best Value
Gator Frameworks GFW-GTR-SEATDLX Deluxe Guitar Seat

Gator Frameworks GFW-GTR-SEATDLX Deluxe Guitar Seat

Features: Built in guitar stand, Back rest, 300lb Weight capacity

Benefits: Comfortable for long sessions, Super versatile, Suitable for larger players

Best Budget
Performance Tool W85011 Bar Stool

Performance Tool W85011 Bar Stool

Features: Powder coated finish, Pneumatic height adjustment, 360 Degree swivel

Benefits: Easy to care for, Light weight, Great build quality

Our Top 3

The Gator Frameworks Deluxe Guitar Performance Seat was our Top Pick of best guitar stool, balancing price and performance. It offers an unparalleled level of adjustment and customization, making a great choice for players of all shapes and sizes. It’s a comfortable stool with superb ergonomics that is purpose-built for guitarists.

Our winner of the Best Budget guitar stool was the Performance Tool W85011 Bar Stool. While it’s not specifically made for guitarists, it definitely feels as though it was. It’s rock solid and offers a sturdy base with a perfectly positioned footrest. Pneumatic adjustment increases convenience and comfort, and it comes in at an unbelievably low price.

The K&M Performance Stool took our overall Editor’s Choice award for best guitar stool on the market today. The bicycle saddle-style seat allows for hours of playing in incredible comfort. It offers multiple areas of adjustment which lends a bespoke feel unlike any other stool. Not only is it comfortable, but it’s extremely robust. You can tell that this was built to a standard, not a price.


How to Choose The Right Stool For You

There are some key features that distinguish good guitar stools from those that are simply not suitable. You should also note that a stool doesn’t necessarily have to be specifically designed for guitarists to be a great chair for playing guitar!

Comfort is King

A good guitar stool should be comfortable above all else. If you’re using it for practice, an uncomfortable seat will make you less inclined to spend time using it, and therefore less time practicing. Good, thick padding will increase comfort for most, but overall comfort comes from a combination of elements, including height, seat angle, and seat shape, as well as materials used.

Don’t Buy a Stool with Arm Rests

A good guitar stool should never have arm rests. If you have arm rests, you can reduce the freedom of motion in your fretting hand, particularly when playing at the higher frets, making it more difficult to play.

Do Look for Stools with Footrests

When playing guitar while seated, it is important to keep your thighs at 90 degrees or higher. This will prevent the guitar from constantly slipping down, which will promote proper posture and help to improve technique. A properly placed footrest will raise your leg above the horizontal, keeping the guitar tucked where it needs to be.

Sturdiness is Paramount

Having a chair that wobbles is going to be distracting and is more likely to lead to falls. If you’re recording, wobbly chairs will also create unwanted background noise. Investing in a solid, sturdy guitar stool with good rubber end caps on the feet will prevent noise and inspire confidence.


What Kinds of Guitar Stools Are Available?

There are two main types of guitar stool available:

Folding Guitar Stool

Folding guitar stools are ideal for gigging musicians. They are easy to transport and take up very little room when broken down. They typically have a good, wide base and are very sturdy, but lack a swiveling seat, which may deter some from considering this style. 

Bar Stool

Bar stool style guitar stools are great for fixed-location use. The best bar stools are rock solid, have fixed legs, and some are available with adjustable height and swiveling seats. Additionally, barstool-style stools are available with or without seat padding.

What Are the Features to Look For?

Some of the other additional features that help the best guitar stools to stand out include:

  • Built-in guitar stands
  • Ergonomic seats
  • Pneumatic adjustment
  • Adjustable footrests
  • Removable/adjustable backrests

Individual Reviews

Top Pick
Gator Frameworks Deluxe Guitar Performance Seat

Gator Frameworks Deluxe Guitar Performance Seat

A great all-rounder with durable materials and convenient features.

This is one of the most functional stools on the market It features a well padded seat, a comfortable and supportive back pad, a foot rest, and even a guitar hanger. It's ideal for gigging musicians and space conscious amateurs alike.

This Deluxe Guitar Performance Seat from Gator Frameworks is loaded with features, ensuring comfort for almost any player. It features a 3-point height adjustment system, giving you the option of adjusting the back rest height, the seat height and the footrest height independently of one another for a true custom fit. In addition to height adjustment, the backrest can also be adjusted forwards and backwards, allowing you to adjust the level of back support to your preference. All of the adjustment points are tight, with very little if any play, which does help to prevent shaking and wobbling.

The 3” high-density seat padding is supple – soft enough to sink into, but firm enough to provide hours of comfort without creating flat spots. To keep your feet from slipping, the footrest is coated in grip tape. The tape works really well and this helps to keep a stable platform for your guitar. On the base, the feet are thoughtfully finished with squared off rubber end caps. Using squared caps provides a bigger surface contact area with the floor than the rounded caps found on many other models, which really helps to keep this stool steady at all times.

As far as practicality goes, this stool folds almost flat, and weighs in at just 15lbs, making it easy for anybody to pick up and transport. Rather than a guitar stand like you might find on other stools, this model features a guitar hanger on the back. This assists in keeping your guitar safe from low-level hazards. And because it’s on the back, you can keep a second guitar there while you’re actively using the stool.

Verdict: The Gator Frameworks Deluxe Guitar Performance Seat is a stool that’s perfectly suited to use at home, onstage, or in the studio. The fit and finish on this model is excellent, with quality materials used throughout. The only fault that could be picked with this stool is that it doesn’t swivel. If that’s not a dealbreaker, this is a great choice.


Best Budget
Performance Tool W85011

Performance Tool W85011

A bar stool style chair with rock solid stability and excellent adjustment.

With this stool you're getting extreme durability, and excellent customization thanks to the pneumatic height adjustment. It's as stable as they come, and the seat offers comfortable, plush padding.

The Performance Tool W85011 is an excellent barstool-style guitar stool that comes in at an affordable price for any budget. It offers smooth pneumatic height adjustment via the under-seat lever and can adjust from just 26” high to 32”. The pre-assembled heavyduty frame can safely support up to 330lbs, making it ideal for players of all heights and sizes. Comfort is further enhanced by the pneumatic lift system, which absorbs shock when sitting down and standing up. All of the structural components are made from powder-coated steel, which provides corrosion resistance and excellent strength. For stability, this stool boasts 4 rubber coated feet with an extra wide footprint.

The seat swivels 360 degrees and every angle is useable thanks to the sturdy square footrest. The 12.5” diameter cushion itself is soft and coated in high-quality PU leather. The PU leather looks good, it’s scratch resistant, and it can easily be cleaned with a damp cloth. This is a great choice if you’re looking for something with a little bit of lower back support, but you don’t want a full-size back rest.

This stool is heavy duty without being heavyweight. It weighs 14 pounds, so is relatively easy to pick up and relocate. It has a fixed leg arrangement that won’t fold down, making this a good choice for home or studio use, rather than for taking to gigs.

Verdict: The Performance Tool W85011 stool offers excellent value for budget-conscious guitarists. It doesn’t come fully assembled, but all that’s required is to slide the seat shaft into the base, a 30-second job at most. It’s sturdy enough to see you through years of use and it looks nice, too!


Editor's Choice
K&M Performance Stool

K&M Performance Stool

A high-end ergonomic guitar stool for discerning players.

If you're looking for an outstanding guitar stool, with unparalleled comfort and ergonomics, this is the one for you. The saddle style seat ensures comfort even during extended use, and the adjustable footrest promotes proper form while playing.

Our Editor’s Choice in this test was the K&M Performance Stool. This is an ultra high-quality guitar stool that offers plenty of adjustability, including footrest height, seat height, and even seat angle. The seat can be raised from 23.6” to 35.4”, so it’s comfortable for a wide range of players. The ergonomically shaped bicycle saddle-style seat is large and cushioned with deep, dense foam, designed to be the ultimate in comfort. It relieves pressure from the lower back which keeps fatigue at bay, ideal for long sets or for spending time practicing at home.

This is a German-made stool, engineered to tight tolerances. Because of this, adjustable components fit tightly together without rattling and all parts designed to move do so smoothly. The wide base comes with adjustable end caps designed to improve safety. By offering adjustment on the end caps, you can ensure the stool is sturdy and secure, even on uneven surfaces.

If you’re looking to take it with you, it folds flat for convenience. It’s one of the heavier models on test at 20.7 pounds, but the extra weight is forgivable due to the exceptional build quality. The frame is made from powder-coated, high-grade steel and the seat is finished in a supple yet hard-wearing imitation leather.

Verdict: The K&M Performance stool is a luxury choice if money isn’t an issue. It’s exceptionally comfortable and offers a lot of customized adjustment. The seat alone provides plenty of back support, but if you need more, K&M will sell you a compatible backrest separately. Yes, it’s heavy, but that weight really helps this stool to feel rock solid.


Also Consider
Donner Guitar Stool

Donner Guitar Stool

A simple, yet functional guitar stool and stand.

This is a simple, yet versatile option from a brand that specializes in affordable gear. The stool is compact and folds away for easy storage, and it even offers a handy built in guitar stand.

Donner are quite well known for making budget guitars, amps and even pedals, but they also make guitar stools. This is a folding barstool-type design with a fixed height of 35.4 inches. It arrives fully assembled, so there’s no need to have any tools prepared. The footrest is also fixed, but well designed. It projects a little way forward from the legs, making it very comfortable to use. For a budget stool, it’s exceptionally well made, and can support up to 300 pounds. 

The seat is round but does not rotate. It’s constructed from thick, high density foam that will conform to your body, but quickly regains its natural shape when not in use. It’s finished in imitation leather, so it’s easy to care for. The choice of finish gives this stool just the right amount of tackiness. Not so much that you stick to the seat, but enough to prevent slipping off while playing.

This is one of the lightest seats around, weighing just 8.7 pounds. It folds completely flat for ease of storage and transportation. When folded, this stool actually latches shut, and is released with the press of a button. A nice touch for a stool at this price point. It features a guitar stand with 3 points of contact for extra security, and the stand is covered in soft foam to protect your guitar’s finish.

Verdict: This Donner Guitar Stool is a great choice if you’re looking for an inexpensive folding guitar stool with a built-in stand. It’s comfortable, well made, and extremely lightweight. It has a small footprint and doesn’t take up much room, so it will work well for in-home use and it’s portable enough to take out to an open mic night or your next gig.


Also Consider
Fender Barstool

Fender Barstool

A comfortable and supportive stool from a brand that knows guitarists’ needs.

Players looking for a chair that makes a statement will love this Fender barstool. It's extremely comfortable, it offers superb stability, and thanks to the lack of moving parts, its extremely reliable.

Much like Fender’s premium instruments, this guitar stool is proudly made in the USA. It is a non-folding barstool-type design. It does require some assembly, but the instructions are clear and the process is straightforward. The stool height is 30” and while it isn’t adjustable, it does sit in the middle of the usual range of heights. So it should be suitable for most guitarists. Unlike some other stools, the backrest on this model isn’t an afterthought. It’s sturdy and reaches about half way up the back for excellent support, but manages to remain completely clear of the arms and the guitar while in use.

The stool itself is made from plush high-density foam and is exceptionally comfortable. The seat turns 360 degrees and the swivel action is good and smooth. Having a smooth action is especially important if you’re using stools in a studio setting, to prevent squeaks and other unwanted noises during takes. The legs are made from attractive, chrome-plated 1” tubular steel.

This is one of the most attractive guitar stools on the market. The blend of the black imitation leather with the chrome gives a classic look and the embossed Fender logo on the backrest really sets it off. Weight is above average for this style of chair, coming in at 23.85 pounds, making it a good single-location stool for use in the studio or at home.

Verdict: This Fender Barstool is a premium guitar stool with exceptional sturdiness and great looks. It’s a great choice for any studio and because it’s tastefully designed, it should fit right in with most home décor. It offers a lot including smooth, quiet swivel action, a comfortable seat, and a supportive backrest.


Also Consider
Eastrock Foldable Guitar Seat

Eastrock Foldable Guitar Seat

An ideal guitar stool for shorter players.

If storage space it at a premium for you, this stool is a great choice. It is one of the few truly flat folding guitar stools on the market, and even offers a guitar stand with a neck securing latch.

This Eastrock Foldable guitar seat is one of the few truly flat-folding stools on the market. This is ideal if space is at a premium for you and you need to put your guitar stool away when not in use. It features a locking mechanism to stop it from coming open when folded, or collapsing when open, which is always a reassuring feature. The seat cushion is “barely there” but despite the depth of the foam, it’s surprisingly comfortable. It’s nonadjustable and sits at 27.5” tall, which is at the smaller end of the scale for guitar stools. This makes it a good choice for shorter guitarists.

The Seat is finished in PU imitation leather. It has a nice texture and looks convincingly like the real thing. At the base, we have non-skid rubber cups on the feet to help prevent slipping and just as importantly, to prevent squeaks and scrapes from cutting through the mix. The footrest slightly protrudes from the front legs, giving just enough purchase to keep the experience comfortable.

At the back there is a foldout guitar stand with a neck securing point at the back of the stool. This is great when you just need to put your guitar down quickly to tend to something. It weighs in at just 9.1 pounds, making it one of the most easily portable stools around.

Verdict: If you’re looking for a simple stool that’s made well and suits shorter players, the Eastrock Foldable Guitar Seat could be a good option for you. It boasts features normally associated with more expensive models, making it an excellent value proposition if you aren’t worried about height adjustment or having a swiveling seat.


Also Consider
Pyle PYG60 Folding Guitar Stool

Pyle PYG60 Folding Guitar Stool

High load capacity and great ergonomics in a compact stool.

This stool has all the basics done right - high load capacity, a comfortable seat, a back support, a place to safely stand a guitar when it isn't in use, and sturdy build quality.

The Pyle PYG60 Folding Guitar Stool is a great option for any guitarist who likes the idea of an X-style (crossed legs) design, but also wants the comfort and support of a backrest. Like other stools in this style, it does fold completely flat, so it’s a breeze to move around. The padding on both the seat base and the back rest is thick and dense, making it extremely comfortable for players of all sizes. The seat and backrest are clad in hard-wearing PU. Not only does it last well and look good, it’s also super easy to take care of, with cleaning requiring nothing more than a wipe with a damp cloth.

It is of fixed height at 27.1”, which is great for shorter and mid-height players, and it boasts a heavy duty 300-pound capacity. The non-slip rubber feet work well and prevent unintentional movement while helping to keep chair nose to a minimum. Speaking of chair noise, there are very few squeaks, indicating that this chair is well constructed. The foot rest stands out from the rest of the frame, making it easy to locate when you’re not able to look down.

The guitar cradle is located at the front and is wrapped in soft EVA foam, which will prevent damage to the finish of your guitar if that’s where you choose to keep it. It doesn’t feature a neck securing point, but there is a slight recess in the front of the chair that helps to secure the neck. The stand is big enough to accommodate full size acoustic guitars, electric guitars and basses, and it does fold away when it’s not in use.

Verdict: If having a backrest on a collapsible guitar stool is high on your list of “must haves,” the Pyle PYG60 Folding Guitar Stool should check all the boxes. It’s comfortable even during extended use, it folds completely flat, and weighs just 13.7 pounds. You could comfortably practice all day at home, pack this stool into your car or van, and play a 2-hour set if you needed to.


Final Thoughts

Because getting a guitar-specific chair is often an afterthought, many find there’s a surprising amount to consider when it comes to selecting a guitar stool. While a big, soft seat is always nice, there are other factors affecting comfort, including ease of carrying, ergonomics, and adjustability. Remember, there are guitar stools to suit everyone. Because there are such a vast number of shapes, sizes, and styles on the market, the odds are good you’ll find something that checks your boxes for comfort, style, durability, features, and fits within your budget.

  • Simon Morgan

    Simon is an Orlando based musician, but originally hails from Newcastle, England. He started playing bass and guitar in 1998, and played the local scene throughout his teen years before running away to work on ships. These days his passion is budget guitars, amps and pedals - though he's not afraid of the finer things.