The Foremost Barber Chair

Barbershops have always been in fashion, and they are unlikely to win in their appeal any time soon.

With that said, barber’s tools and barbershop equipment have flooded the markets in recent years with the advent of online shopping.

Now you can simply find the resources for your shop all online and have them shipped directly to you.

Top 5 Barber Chairs (Summary)

These are unbiased opinions based on using products in our homes or barbershops. None of the reviews are sponsored or paid to be promoted. Beardoholic is reader-supported. We may earn an affiliate commission when you buy through links on our site. Thank you.

Image Product Details  
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Most ComfortableFlagBeauty
  • Heavy-duty steel frame adds durability
  • Hydraulic pump allows for height adjustability
  • High-density foam
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Adjustable HeightBeauty Style
  • Offers a 360-degree swivel
  • High-quality PU material in black covered the entire chair
  • Available in three styles
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Most DurableArtist Hand
  • Double reinforced saddle sticking
  • Back seat can be reclined up to 145 degrees
  • Heavy-duty hydraulic pump
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Merax
  • Reclines at a 16-degree angle
  • Ergonomically designed
  • You can lock the chair into multiple angles or positions
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Funnylife
  • Great looking design
  • Heavy round solid chrome base for stability
  • Comfortably seats up to 400 lbs
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For more detailed and complete product reviews on benefits and features, keep reading.

Choosing a good hair trimmer, beard brush, or any other part of the necessary repertoire can be a daunting task at best.

The barbershop is not like a standard haircutting company – it is about the experience one receives during the trim and clean up process.

Many barbershop patrons come to enjoy the relaxing and comfortable atmosphere.

With that in mind, one of the first things they look for is a comfortable place to sit. If the seat is uncomfortable, it could be a reason to frequent another business.

professional barber chair

Furthermore, a good barber chair needs to accommodate the barber. It should swivel, raise, lower, and recline in a way that helps the shopkeeper provide their customers with a quality experience and a satisfying trim.

The barber chair should also be able to withstand the pressures of daily use and constant long-term weight.

Finding the best barber chair for sale that stands apart from the rest will take time and effort.

With that in mind, this article will go into the details of finding your glorious throne for you – helping you become well informed on what types of kits and what indicators of quality you should look for and expect.

5 Best Barber Chairs Reviewed

1. FlagBeauty

FlagBeauty Barber Chair uses a heavy-duty steel frame as its core. This makes it a durable option that will last for years to come.

Like any high-quality barber chair, this item is highly adjustable. A hydraulic pump allows it to move vertically and it can easily be locked into place.

For the person sitting in the chair, this isn’t going to be an uncomfortable seat. It uses small-cell, high-density foam to ensure an enjoyable experience for everyone.

The base and the pump are protected as well. If anything happens within a year of your purchase, you can take advantage of the warranty on these parts.

 

Pros

  • Heavy-duty steel frame adds durability
  • Hydraulic pump allows for adjustable height
  • High-density foam makes for a comfortable seat
Cons

  • Doesn’t recline

2. Beauty Style 

Beauty Style Barber Chair is available in three styles. These include a styling chair and two types of barber’s chairs.

As the name suggests, this is a hydraulic barber chair. You’ll be able to easily shift it up and down by operating the lever on the steel frame.

The chair also swings around 360 degrees, so you can easily spin it to position a client as needed. Unfortunately, the models can’t be tilted back.

The models sold as Style 2 and Style 3 use a PVC covering for comfort. The Style 1 model uses a PU covering.

 

Pros

  • Available in three styles
  • Hydraulic pump allows you to adjust the height
  • Offers a 360-degree swivel
Cons

  • Doesn’t recline at all

3. Merax

Merax Barber Chair immediately sets itself apart with its adjustability. Like most barber’s chairs, you can quickly raise or lower the seat with a hydraulic foot pump.

Even better, it has the ability to recline. It can tilt back at a 16-degree angle. In addition, you can turn the chair 360 degrees thanks to its adjustable headrest.

This model also puts comfort first. Not only is it heavily padded, it’s also ergonomically designed and upholstered with PU leather and a satin finish.

As for longevity, the finish is both waterproof and stain-resistant. If you drop a little product on it or need to wash it off, it isn’t going to do any lasting damage.

 

Pros

  • Can be vertically adjusted with a hydraulic pump
  • Reclines at a 16-degree angle
  • Ergonomically designed with a thick padding and soft finish
Cons

  • Not as comfortable for tall clients

4. Funnylife

Funnylife Chair is rooted in a heavy chrome base. This gives it a strong foundation that won’t slide around or cause the seat to tilt while you work.

This model measures a seat width of 18.5” and a total of 24” across its entirety. The hydraulic barber chair pump allows the chair to shift between 20” and 26” in height.

The chair uses a black PU material as covering. This gives it a sleek and professional appearance that fits seamlessly into any salon design.

The seat itself is also very comfortable. It uses enough padding to offer a plush seat without sacrificing the support it offers or the quality of its appearance.

 

Pros

  • Comfortably seats up to 400 lbs
  • Hydraulic pump allows you to adjust the height of the chair
  • Heavy-duty base adds stability
Cons

  • Doesn’t tilt bac

5. Artist Hand Black All Purpose Hydraulic Barber Chair

If your goal is to make your clients fully relaxed and comfortable, the high-density foam padding of the Artist Hand All Purpose Barber Chair will help you achieve this.

The back seat that can be reclined up to 145 degrees will just add extra comfort, one of the features your customers would love as they can relax while you work.

With a loading capacity of 440lbs, the Artist Hand barber chair is one of the strongest on the market.

The footrest is there to provide the relief to your client’s feet, while the adjustable headrest can be adjusted to fit any men’s height.

The heavy-duty hydraulic pump will make the height adjustment even easier. Also, there is a convenient 360-degree swiveling feature.

After some time, most barber chairs tear up, but that won’t be the case with this one as the double-reinforced saddle sticking will prevent rips and tears.

 

Pros

  • Back seat can be reclined up to 145 degrees
  • Footrest and an adjustable headrest
  • Height adjustment with a heavy-duty hydraulic pump
  • Double-reinforced saddle sticking prevents tears
Cons

  • More on the expansive side
  • Can be hard to put together

What Is a Barber Chair

Quite simply, a barber chair is a special stool or chair that customers sit in while receiving a haircut or trim.

The biggest differences come in what the barber chair can do. It has the ability to move up and down in order to adjust for the height of the customer.

Some barber chairs come with the ability to swivel. This allows the barber to cut, trim, or style from different angles without having to move around.

This is especially beneficial in shops or homes with tight spaces as it prevents the need to move all the way around the barber chair’s location.

Barber’s chairs started becoming more popular during the 1850s. At this point, hair fashion was becoming more ubiquitous among more and more European and American citizens.

It was in the 1860s, during the American Civil War that companies started manufacturing these devices on a larger scale.

As time went on, the abilities and conveniences of these chairs had become more sophisticated as well as more comfortable.

To this day, the barber chair is perhaps one of the greatest symbols of community dialogue in the 20th and 21st century as it is well recognized as the place where men often sit and catch up or air their woes with the barber.

Benefits of Having One

Benefits of Using a Barber Chair

The benefits of a shop owner having and utilizing this unique barber chair are probably more obvious.

It is ultimately a necessity for the previously discussed customer experience as well as vital to the very function of a barber, whether he is giving a full haircut or applying the best beard oil and trim.

These comfortable thrones are not only available to regular shops. Men and women who operate their business out of their home can also own one of these wonderful chairs.

Here are some benefits to owning a barber chair:

Look More Professional

Maybe you are trying to start your own business and need to operate out of your home. Imagine what customers will think about your skill as a hairdresser if you have them sit in a kitchen chair.

Owning a barber chair will give the customer a more comfortable experience while also boosting your reputation as an up and coming professional in your community.

Wouldn’t you want to be comfortable, too, if someone were trimming your beard? It gives the impression that one has taken the tradecraft seriously and with professionalism. 

Simple things like this can make difference from a successful barbershop and getting a lot of tips to ones that have to close their doors.

Longevity and Quality

It is likely that if you have not bought a professional barber chair that you are still looking to use something for those daily trims.

The benefit of investing in one of these great chairs is that they will last and are designed to handle the workload.

Types

Types of Barber Chairs

Vintage Style Chairs

It should be noted that here “vintage” refers to discontinued or restored chairs. The distinction is important because there are many brand-new chairs for sale that have that “vintage look” about them.

The defining difference between the two is that the knowledgeable patron will know and appreciate that you might have a restored barber chair.

It adds to the spirit of your career as a barber and expresses that passion you have for your tradecraft and art.

It should have the warmth and old-fashioned appeal of a turn of the century barbershop, or perhaps an old 1950s style barber chair will do the trick.

These chairs are great because they are what most customers have come to associate with the barbershop experience.

The most popular vintage barber chair is a brand called Koken. The Koken barber chair has become a symbol of a golden era in barbering and is in popular demand.

It is worth noting, however, that a restored Koken could cost thousands of dollars. There are many unrestored Koen chairs available for as low as $100 if you are up to the task of restoring them.

Modern Style Chairs

Modern chairs are where comfort starts to meet a better price point. You can find even basic chairs brand new for as little as $250 while the top of the line newer chairs could cost anywhere from $700 to $1,000.

Modern chairs tend to be sleeker and more minimalist in their design, but still, perform the same function with the same efficiency as a vintage barber chair.

Modern chairs are what you would typically expect from a present-day hairdresser or salon. They are not bad to sit in, but most of the time those places are designed to get you in and out quickly.

An added benefit of choosing a new barber chair over a restored nearly century-old one is having the option for warranties and even parts replacement.

In contrast, a vintage barber chair may not have an aftermarket availability for parts.

How to Clean and Maintain It

clean barber chair

Management and cleaning will greatly depend on the materials your seat is made of.

For example, if the upholstery is made of leather, you will want to treat and dress it with the leather conditioner from time to time, even if it is not particularly dirty.

If it is made from vinyl, then a vinyl finishing agent like Vinylex will get the job done.

Do not confuse the two, especially for leather. Leather conditioner will not hurt vinyl, but Vinylex should not be used on leather upholstery.

Sometimes hair products and oils can build up on the barber chair and get into hard to reach spots.

For this, a degreaser is good for spot cleaning, but again do NOT use degreaser even for spot cleaning on leather and vinyl. In most cases, merely dumping a rag and wiping the gunk away will suffice.

If the barber chair has a nice chrome base or polished metal finish, you can use chrome or steel polish to keep a nice coat on the metal and protect it from corrosion or rust.

White lithium grease is good to have on hand for keeping the chair’s mechanisms and adjusters well lubricated and protected from decay.

Additional Features Available

Depending on what style of barber chair you have, accessories may be available for it. Newer chairs may come as a base model and have additional options sold separately.

Things like adjustable headrest or even footrest may be sold separately. Be careful when you buy a barber chair and make sure it has everything you are looking for included.

Some chairs may have upgraded to certain attachments available for sale. For example, instead of a standard headrest, one with more of an ergonomic contour or an adjustable headrest may be available.

Be aware that vintage and restored chairs may not come with certain features, and it will be unlikely that you would find parts for them, especially if they were never designed for the barber chair, to begin with.

Barber Chairs for Sale

Whether you like it or not, one of the first things potential customers are going to notice when entering your salon is your furniture and above all, your barber chair.

This doesn’t mean you’ll have to spend a fortune on it though.

Fortunately, there are many affordable, but still quality options these days and equally that many places to purchase them.

Ranging from custom vinyl to modern, entirely customizable models, you just need to spend some time picking the color that matches your unique style, there are a lot of places where you can find the best barber chairs for sale, especially if you’re just starting and your budget is tight.

Depending on your preferences, you can shop for the best barber chairs online or offline.

If you prefer seeing the quality of the barber chair for yourself, a good place to start looking is your local salon furniture warehouse.

Chances are you’ll find exactly what you need. If not, pay a visit to your local Walmart store or some similar shop if you live somewhere outside of the United States.

Nevertheless, if you’d instead look for online options and shop from the comfort of your home, that’s also completely fine.

Amazon, eBay or some other bigger online shop also have numerous barber chairs for sale and their price is more than affordable without sacrificing the quality.

Best barber chairs listed in this article are a good starting point and will help narrow down your search, but by all means, feel free to look for more available options out there and there’s no doubt you’ll find the barber chair made just for your needs.

There is a lot to take in when it comes to barber chairs. Your client’s comfort and relaxation should come first, of course.

With that in mind, we have reviewed the top 5 barber chairs that will make your salon or home-based barbershop look more professional, elegant and above all, stand out from the competition.

About the author: Jay - Barber

Jay is one of the members of the Beardoholic writers team and NFL, celebrity barber. As a master barber with years of experience, Jay can make your beard look any way you envision. Jay’s specialty is black men’s hair and beard styles, but he also has deep knowledge on how to create a perfect neck and cheek line, short or long beard and virtually any beard and hair shape and style.

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