On Your Throne – The Best Drum Thrones and Stools

drum throne

It is no secret that drummers need a lot of equipment! All drummers have their own preferences and unique setups, but one universal piece of kit is the drum throne. Sitting on one of the top drum thrones while drumming is important, and can ensure your comfort and effectiveness during those long drumming sessions and gigs. To a layman, a drum throne might look just like a stool with no real benefits or specific musical merits, but in actuality, they’re much more of an integral part of the needs of drummers. We explore more in our drum throne buying guide.

This article has been updated for 2018 with the latest models. We have full drum throne reviews below, but if you are looking to quickly jump to our recommended model, you can head here.

Features of a Top Drum Throne

So what makes a good drum throne? What are the specific criteria we’re judging different models on.

Stability: Drum thrones should guarantee stability for the drummers during intense music sessions. Many of them also come with a non-slip, rubberized leg rest where you can rest your feet to provide support for yourself. The stability is also dependent on the capacity of the drum throne. For larger drummers, you will need to look out for something that can take a decent amount of weight.

Comfort: The seat of any good drum thrones should have thick and quality foam that can provide adequate comfort to drummers during hours of music sessions. This provides a great relief for your back and backside. There’s nothing worse than getting sore when you’re drumming. If you sit down on your stool and are in pain within a few minutes, it certainly isn’t suitable for hours of gigging!

Height adjustment: Drum thrones that really worth the value of its money usually come with height adjustment control which allows you to adjust the height of the stool. Drummers come in all shapes and sizes so being able to personalize the size has a huge impact. Many of the drum stools on the market today have recognized this and most allow you to at least adjust by a few inches.

There are a lot of drum thrones on the market today, making it difficult for both beginners and professional drummers to make the right choices. In order to guide you towards making an informed decision, we’ve also got some reviews of our top 5 best drum thrones on the market to help you work out which is best for you.

There are basically two main varieties of drum throne seats, the bicycle (so called due to the similarity with a bike seat) and the rounded shapes. None is better than the other, your choice depends largely only on your own personal preference. The bottom line is that they both provide comfort for drummers and help to improve their playability and overall performance.

Drum Throne Reviews

Our reviews of top pork pie, bicycle and other drum thrones are designed as a guide for drummers who want to invest in the best equipment but products which will guarantee value for their money. The last thing you want is to have to spend hour upon hour on an uncomfortable seat or one which hinders your drumming.

Pork Pie Round Drum Throne

Pork pie round drum drone is one of the favorite drum thrones among professional drummers due to its high-quality. It is highly admired for its sturdiness and durability. Pork pie seats come with excellently made, heavy high-density foam which provides a good cushioning effect that produces great comfort for users than cheaper alternatives. This product will never leave your legs and backside sore. It has double-braced legs that keep the stool steady and firm, given you a better posture and flexibility while playing. If you’re looking for a drum throne that’s worth the investment then this is a great option with a lot of positive reviews. On top of this, the pork pie drum thrones are famous for coming in a huge variety of designs. Looks aren’t the top priority, but there’s nothing wrong with wanting to look cool on stage!

Roc N Soc Nitro Drum Throne

Roc N Soc Nitro Drum Throne is a bicycle style stool and though it comes with a bit of a hefty price tag, it is a wonderful choice. This drum throne is famous for its swivel ability, which allows drummers to have a greater range of motion while performing on the drum set. Its unique gas system allows for the most simple height adjustment by just pressing the lever until its gets to a suitable level, much like you would do with a high-end office chair. Its gas shock absorber also permits a bit of bouncing effect, which makes it very comfortable and suitable for the movements you will inevitably be doing with those lightning fast limbs.

The height of the seat can be altered anywhere from 18” to 24” making it comfortable for the vast majority of people. With all these features, it’s no surprise that the Roc N Soc Nitro Drum Throne has become one of the favorite models for drummers everywhere, in every genre of music.

Mapex Drum Throne

Mapex is a brand name that most drummers are well and truly familiar with. It is inevitable that they offered a Drum Throne. This model is a suitable round drum throne for anyone on a low budget. We wanted to include the best cheap drum throne in our list for those of us who are looking to spend less and still get a decent option. Its seat is made with thick quality foam that gives your butt comfort helping you to perform at your best. In spite of its low price, there is plenty of option for customization with this throne. It comes with 5 height adjustment settings. It was well built to withstand intense sessions of continuous drumming. 

Gibraltar 6608

Gibraltar 6608 is a budget ‘motorcycle’ drum throne. It is a strong, durable drummers’ stool that has been found to be quite popular for those looking to spend less cash. Gibraltar is made with top notch foam that offers great support and comfort. Its stand can be adjusted from 18 to 24 inches, making it suitable for people with all sorts of different heights. So, whether you are a beginner or professional, Gibraltar will offer you a good option. It perfectly marries quality with affordability and comes with our recommendation, especially if you’re a beginner who doesn’t want their drum kit to cost the earth. This has been the ‘amazon choice’ at times for drummers stools.

Cheap Drum Throne Options:

Drum Workshop DWCP3100 Throne

Drum Workshop Throne is another drum throne with a lot of positive reviews. Like the other models on offer in this article is made with high-quality materials which make it comfortable and durable. The only issue with the drum workshop throne is that it does not offer the same adjustability as the others, but if you’re pretty happy with the size offered this won’t cause an issue. This drum throne is intended for drummers looking for a comfortable, plain, and affordable option. Any drummer looking for a lightweight and affordable drum throne may well consider this as an option.

Spectrum AIL DT Heavy Duty Drum Throne

‘Spectrum’ is not exactly a brand every drummer has heard of, but they do offer a good quality, cheap drum throne which can be great for beginners or people looking to spend as little as possible. It has many of the features we’ve grown to expect such as non-slip feet to keep you in place. It also has an adjustable height (this can go from 18″ to 22″ so not the most adjustable drum throne we’ve seen). The capacity is up to 250 lbs so for the bigger drummers out there, this will probably be able to handle your weight.

It is advertised as heavy duty, and isn’t likely to break in a hurry! If you’re looking for the utmost in comfort and features then perhaps one of the other drum stools we’ve mentioned might be for you. If, however, budget constraints mean you need something hard-wearing without huge costs, the Spectrum AIL DT is worth a second look.

To Backrest, or Not to Backrest

Your back health is not something to take risks with and if you’re experiencing any sort of issues, or just want that extra peace of mind and support, a backrest can be the ideal solution. Some drum thrones come with backrests as standard, and plenty of models can be bought with them built in, but don’t worry if you don’t have one. Backrests can be bought as a separate entity and many are sold with ‘universal’ fits, meaning they don’t have to be a specific brand. They usually attach somewhere on the base of the stool and the process of adding one to your existing drum throne is easy.

Back pain is not something to mess around with, and is a common occurrence among drummers, as this video explores.

 

Recommended:

Gibraltar GUBR Universal Back Rest

Some drum stools and thrones will have a specific fit for your brand, but the universal option gives a lot of versatility. The Gibraltar GUBR is a decent option for pretty much every drum stool on the market. Although it is not compatible with hydraulic models, it is totally adjustable, easy to set up and attaches directly to the post of your stool, meaning you can choose whether you want your backrest on or off when you are playing.

Conclusion

There are so many options in terms of size, price and adjustability, as well as design. You can as well customize your drum throne accessorize to suit your unique personality. Our list is designed to help you to make an informed decision about the right drum throne for your needs. Whether you are a beginner or a professional drummer, checking out our drum throne reviews before you part with your cash can ensure you avoid making a mistake with your purchase.

If you have any experiences with drum thrones, preferred drumming brands or experiences of drumming with and without a backrest, we’d love to hear your comments!

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