Best Sewing Chairs For Comfort In Your Sewing Room

Hunching over your work for hours while you sew can cause neck and back pain. Investing in an adjustable sewing chair is essential to provide support to stay comfortable. Here are the best sewing chairs for your sewing room with options for every budget. 

When I first began sewing regularly, my craft setup looked much different than it does now. Like many sewists, I “started small” and improved my sewing area gradually over time. For example, I started by having my sewing machine on the dining table and sitting on one of the dining chairs.

That worked fine at first, but as I began devoting more of my time to sewing, I started to notice how uncomfortable I felt after spending a few hours working on my projects. For this reason (and because I outgrew the space), I converted another room in the house into a dedicated sewing room.

Initially, I focused on my sewing machine, sewing table, and other essentials such as fabric and accessories. Eventually, the aches and pains I felt after spending some time sewing required me to look at the chair I was using. I knew I had to get a new one that helped promote a better (more comfortable) sewing posture.

The best sewing chairs will: 

• Help you maintain proper posture to eliminate neck, backaches, and pains caused by poor posture. 
• Give support to your muscles and joints to make sewing more comfortable so that you can do it for more extended periods.
• Provide mobility to help you easily move between tables or reach items you need.
• Adjust so that you can maintain the same comfort level if you switch between machines or different sewing tables.

If you feel your back screaming at you after spending hours hunched over your latest sewing project, it’s time to invest in a good sewing chair that will help you maintain a good sewing posture. 

Is There Such A Thing As A Sewing Chair?

There are chairs made specifically for sewing. They have specially designed features that make them more comfortable and ergonomic for sewing. For example, sewing chairs might have a narrower seat than traditional chairs, which allows you to more easily reach the sewing machine’s pedal. Some well-known brands that make sewing chairs include Koala, Arrow, and Horn. 

What To Look For In A Sewing Chair?

Ultimately, the best sewing chair for you will be one that offers optimal support and allows you to work comfortably no matter what project you’re working on. Personal preference will play a significant role in choosing the ideal chair, but here are some features to factor in as you consider the options. 

I found out that you should sit on a chair that allows your feet to rest flat on the floor with your thighs parallel to the floor. And ideally, your forearms should be parallel to the floor too. 

Here is an image from this site https://www.blitzresults.com/en/ergonomic/

So, what to look for in a sewing chair?

Size (height and weight)

Make sure to think about both the height of your chair (and table) and the weight of your chair. 

It’s better if you can adjust the height of your chair. 

A height-adjustable chair is ideal for a couple of reasons:

• It allows you to find that height sweet spot that’s perfect for you (see the image above).
• You can change the height if you switch between multiple workspaces.

My chair is height-adjustable and I love this feature. I just press this lever and the seat easily goes up or down. 

How heavy is the chair? Would you be able to move it around as you need to? A heavily padded chair will be harder to move around than a lightweight chair, and mobility is essential for all aspects of sewing.

Also, think about the space you have in your sewing area. For example, can you fit a padded chair, or do you need something smaller, like a swivel stool?

How much storage space do you have? Can you tuck your chair under your sewing table, or do you need a folding chair that you can put away to create more room?

Backrest

Stools can be great space-savers, but they don’t provide back support because they lack a backrest. Since backache is a common sewist complaint, I recommend choosing a chair with great ergonomically-designed back support to reduce the tendency to slouch as you sew. 

Good lumbar support will help maintain your spine’s natural curvature and reduce the muscle fatigue and strain that poor posture causes. Test out any chairs you like by sitting in them and leaning back to ensure the backrest fits your spine’s natural curve.

Well, that’s easy to say but not really easy to implement. The ideal sewing chairs that have great lumbar support are very expensive (like $400-500 an average price, and it can go up to $2000, see below).

So I keep postponing spending that much on a chair. And I found out that most office chairs I tried in stores are too deep for me and it means they are too deep for the average sewist. 

My recent chair has a backrest but I can’t reach it when I am working as the seat is too deep. 

Armrest 

Perhaps more than any other sewing chair feature, this one tends to stir debate! I recently had an interesting discussion with several readers about whether a sewing chair needs armrests and saw many different opinions.

A few readers expressed they liked having armrests to allow them to rest their elbow as they sew. Others mentioned that armrests get in the way or prevent them from sliding the chair in as close as they want to their sewing machine.

Again, there’s no right or wrong because it’s a matter of personal preference. If you aren’t sure what you prefer, perhaps the best thing is to find a chair with foldable or removable armrests to give you the option of having them either way you want!

And that is exactly what I have – my chair has foldable armrests and I change their position daily: when I sew I don’t want the armrests, when I am on my computer to write a tutorial I like to use armrests (see the image above). 

Swivel Chair 

A swivel chair is a chair whose seat can be turned around a central point to face in a different direction without moving the legs.  

I think it’s a very useful feature of a good chair for sewing because we are moving back and forth a lot, getting up and down and swiveling from one machine to the other. 

Wheels 

Rolling caster wheels create easy mobility around a sewing room without standing up out of the chair. That makes it easy to move between a sewing machine and a serger or rollover to the sewing cabinet to grab an accessory or two.

Another benefit to wheels is that they make the chair easily moveable to get it out of the way for cleaning. So for me, wheels are a must in a good sewing chair. 

Space can be a downside to a chair with wheels though because they tend to take up more floor space and can extend out slightly beyond the chair.

By the way, do you have problems with your sewing machine foot pedal moving around under your sewing machine table while you are sewing? There is a solution to this problem – a DIY non-slip sewing machine foot pedal pad. It’s an easy sewing project and I have a detailed sewing tutorial on how to sew it step-by-step.

Materials Used

Sewing chairs come in a range of materials, including mesh, fabric, faux leather, and leather. Each material type has pros and cons, and your final choice will ultimately come down to personal preference.

• Mesh is breathable and keeps your seating area cool and comfortable, which is great for anyone who gets warm when they sew. These chairs are ergonomically-shaped to provide excellent support. And mesh is also a budget-friendly, easy-to-clean option.
• Fabric is also breathable (less so than mesh), affordable, and available in various appealing styles, color, and pattern options. These chairs rely on cushions for support. Also, fabric tends to hold onto thread and fabric clippings, making it slightly harder to clean than mesh (a lint roller or vacuum cleaner work best).
• Faux leather and leather sewing chairs are easy to clean and feel luxurious, but they aren’t breathable and rely on cushions for support.

I bought a mesh chair and for me, it’s the best material. 

Chair Type

There are several common types of chairs that sewists use based on their needs and constraints.

• Sewing chairs – they are specifically made for sewing rooms by brands that make mostly sewing stuff. 
• Office chairs are comfortable and easy to find. They tend to be a little bulkier and often include some form of headrest.
• Task chairs are similar to office chairs but typically provide support without being as bulky as office chairs.
• Saddle chairs are ergonomic chairs with saddle seats that becoming more and more popular in sewing rooms. Saddle chairs — also called saddle seats and saddle stools — are appropriately named thanks to their resemblance to equestrian saddles, and put your body into the same body position you’d be in if you were riding a horse. https://www.fully.com/articles/saddle-chairs-what-you-need-to-know 
• Gaming chairs –  “They function in much the same way as a standard office chair, but these products will typically have adjustable armrests, cushioned headrests, an adjustable lumbar support cushion, and even the ability to fully recline.” https://www.bobvila.com/articles/gaming-chair-vs-office-chair/ 
• Folding chairs tend to be smaller and less supportive, but they fold up for quick and easy out-of-the-way storage.
• Stools are convenient thanks to their small size, simple design, moving ease, and affordability. However, they don’t offer any back support.

Storage

Larger chairs will be harder to store in small spaces, while smaller options such as stools or folding chairs (which are obviously not special sewing chairs) are ideal for those areas.

Also, a few sewing chairs offer built-in storage! These are typically chairs designed for sewists rather than office or general task-oriented chairs.

Note: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links. This means I will receive a commission if you order a product through one of my links. I only recommend products I believe in and use myself. 

Color

Fabric sewing chairs will provide the greatest number of color options to fit in with (or contrast) your decor. You may find mesh chairs in a few different colors, but leather and faux leather chairs will offer limited color choices.

Even a few years ago I saw mostly black chairs that are suitable for sewing rooms. I myself have a black chair. But OMG, now the color choice is unbelievably huge! White, pink, red, orange, green, etc.etc. 

My sewing room is pink and pink is my favorite color so I am looking now at this gaming chair (isn’t it an awesome chair?)

Construction

Factor in the chair’s design. Are there many seams and other places where dust, threads, and pins (ouch!) can collect? You may find that a simple, no-frills design is optimal.

The chair that I use is very bad in this regard. It has so many small plastic details in the back that are not easily reachable and the dust collects there very fast. So I have to vacuum my chair very often. 

Price

Of course, we can’t forget this consideration. After spending money on a sewing machine, serger, or other supplies, you may not want to spend much on a sewing chair. 

However, since the chair you use has such a significant impact on your sewing comfort and enjoyment, it’s worth spending a little money to purchase a chair that fits and supports you well.

My friend said that It’s best to try chairs out if possible. So I went to Staples and tried out all their chairs. The funny thing is that I didn’t really like any of them. All of them were too deep for me and it’s exactly what I have at home. 

Yes, all of them swivel, height-adjustable, with wheels, etc., etc. But they are made for bigger people I guess. So I have decided that if I want a new sewing chair I would buy it online. I am an Amazon Prime member so I have free returns. And if I don’t like the chair after I use it for a few days I can easily return it and that’s it! 

The Best Sewing Chairs For Your Sewing Room

First of all, the chair you will buy must fit YOU so it is difficult to buy online. But with the miracle of free returns, Amazon makes it easy toy, try and return if not satisfied. Amazon has similar chairs like the one I am using, use the affiliate link below for a quick search.

I have bought myself quite some time ago and by now the same exact chair may or may not be available.

An excellent chair for your sewing room might cost a lot of money and I don’t even want to talk about chairs that cost a few thousand dollars like this Herman Miller chair.

But there are plenty of affordable options available, so you can choose one that provides comfort and support and fits your other needs.

Here are a few terrific options to help narrow the choices of the best sewing chairs. This list includes options that factor in all the different considerations I mentioned above to help you find the best fit for your needs. 

Koala Sewing Chairs

These sewing chairs are designed to provide maximum comfort while sewing (and doing other craft tasks) and cost around $500 unless you can find them on sale. They include several beneficial features:

• extra-high back cushion with adjustable height and forward and back tilt
• 6 different adjustable positions (including height and tilt)
• ample padding for comfort
• adjustable lower lumbar support
• fabric material
• wheels

What I like the most is that the seat is not too deep and because of this the backrest of this chair can actually support my back. 

Arrow Sewing Chairs

The popular Arrow sewing chairs are designed specifically for sewists to soothe your body and mind while you work. Arrow chairs typically cost $275 – $350 (depending on which style you choose) and include a few fun features you likely won’t find with many other chair brands.

With the adjustable height model, you’ll find features such as:

• hydraulic height adjustment
• wheels and swivel capability
• cushioned lumbar support
• heavy-duty cotton fabric in fun, whimsical patterns
• built-in storage under the seat

The company’s wood sewing chair style has many of the same features but is designed more like a standard chair on wheels, so it cannot swivel or adjust the height.

Horn Sewing Chairs

A trusted name in the world of sewing chairs, the company makes high-quality chairs for around $400. They include several helpful features, including:

• variety of neutral colors to fit any decor
• contoured, padded seat for comfort and support
• 6-way adjustment to find that ideal setting
• wheels and swivel capability

Adjustable Chairs For Your Sewing Room With Wheels

Flash Furniture 18 in. Width Standard White Vinyl Task Chair with Swivel Seat

If you need a budget-friendly option, this chair costs a fraction of the prices listed above while still offering many features sewists will find helpful, including:

• wheels and swivel capability
• lightweight, smaller design to fit tight spaces
• padded seat for comfort
• easy-to-clean material

Forclover Mesh Swivel Task Chair

Here’s a mesh option that will fit any budget. It features:

• ergonomically-designed mesh backrest with padded fabric seat
• adjustable height
• wheels and swivel capability
• armless design

LumiSource Tania Task Chair

If you want a touch of glam (and multiple color options), this modern task chair is perfect for any budget and includes many helpful features:

• wheels and swivel capability
• adjustable height
• pleated backrest with cushioned seat for comfort

Jayden Creation Tufted Task Chair

• plush velvet fabric for chic flair and comfortable support
• wheels and swivel capability
• costs under $200

Leather Ergonomic Swivel Task Chair

• costs about $150
• adjustable height and back depth settings
• wheels and swivel capability

Mesh And Cushioned Task Chair

• ergonomic mesh backrest and cushioned seat for comfort
• armless design
• wheels and swivel capability
• costs less than $100

Armless Task Chair

• ergonomic mesh backrest with colorful cushioned seat
• wheels and swivel capability
• affordable 

Costway Mesh Office Chair

• fits any budget (costs less than $75)
• ergonomic armless design
• adjustable height
• wheels and swivel design

Flash Furniture Vibrant Apple Green and Chrome Task Chair with Tractor Seat

• armless design
• wheels and swivel capability
• open design to stay cool and comfortable
• adjustable height
• costs about $100

Fabric Task Chair

• compact design to fit small spaces
• adjustable height
• wheels and swivel capability
• padded seat
• affordable (around $60)

Ottoman And Stool Options

If you want an option that’s slightly less conventional, try an ottoman or stool.

I am convinced that one chair in a sewing room is not enough. Sometimes I have two sewing machines in use at the same time or a sewing and an embroidery machine. Moving the office chair to the other side of the room is impractical, so I have a swivel stool with storage. I also use it occasionally for sitting when I have friends in my sewing room or when I need to read a book or diagram. 

I reupholstered this ottoman myself 15 years ago and it is still going strong to this day and looks good too. The process to reupholster was actually quite easy since I could lift the pattern from the old chair and without armrests or intricate details, the pattern was mostly circles and rectangles, easy to make.

The top can be lifted and the storage area inside is large enough for all my sewing machines’ pedals. You have probably noticed that I am a very big fan of the pushbutton start/stop but I always need a pedal for my serger. So keeping pedals here is handy. 

Did I mention “swivel”? If you have a workspace that has two working areas within reach of each other, a swivel stool like the one below is perfect. Unfortunately, it is not suitable for longer work periods, I get tired without a backrest. 

This kind of chair is also good for cramped working spaces where either there is no space for a full size chair, or a full size chair would be in the way when not in use. This kind of ottoman can easily be stored under the table when not used. The image shows it in use in a very small space between a desk (you can see my beloved Babylock embroidery machine resting there) and a bed. 

Below are a few options to have in mind if you want this kind of chairs for your sewing room. 

Storage Ottoman With Wheels

• built-in storage with wheels
• faux leather
• can be used as a stool
• affordable (around $50)

Round Ottoman Without Wheels

• built-in storage without wheels.
• faux leather
• can be used as a stool
• costs around $100

Baxton Studio Ottoman

• built-in storage without wheels
• velvet fabric
• can be used as a stool
• costs under $100

Karrie Swivel Stool

• wheels and swivel capability
• padded seat
• adjustable height
• costs under $100

So, what chair did you like the best? Whether it was one of the great options I suggested or not, make sure to consider all of the factors I mentioned when making your purchase. A supportive and comfortable sewing chair is an essential piece of equipment for any sewist, so you’ll want to choose wisely. I hope this list of the best sewing chairs provides the perfect option that meets all your needs!

Did you find this tutorial helpful? If so, save this pin (see below) on your sewing board so you can come to this tutorial later when you are ready to buy a new sewing chair, and follow me on Pinterest for more tips, tutorials, and inspiration!

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