Tattoo Chairs

Tattoo Chairs

Tattoo chairs are a key—and often overlooked—part of tattooing.  After all, your customer is being subjected to a possibly long period of discomfort; the least you can do is have her sitting in a comfortable tattoo chair for the duration.                                              

Between the pain of the needles, having to sit in one position, and thinking of small talk—possibly for hours—the last thing you want is for your customer to also have to worry about how much her butt hurts.  Also collecting his share of discomfort is, of course, the artist, who after all, has to not only endure the small talk, but also has to focus with laser-like precision on the task at hand: creating a killer tattoo.  Here’s a rough guide to how to pick your tattoo chair.

Selection of Tattoo Chairs

As you can imagine, chairs specially designed for tattoo artists’ customers can be expensive, but a well-made tattoo chair can last decades, making it well worth the expense.

The Basics of Tattoo Chairs

Even before you consider comfort, you need to think about functionality, which means that your tattoo chairs need to give you access to the flesh you need to ink, and one that will resist staining from blood, sweat and tears: treated leather, if you can afford it, is a great option. That means tattoo chairs that are oil, water and sweat resistant, as well as being as customizable—if not more so—than barber’s chairs.  Look for tattoo chairs that offer different straddle positions for your client, the ability to fold the tattoo chair down into a bench that your client can lay flat down on, leg extensions for tall customers, face holes, and moveable headrests.

Extras on Tattoo Chairs

Once you’ve got the basics covered, it’s on to the extra features.  One popular option is a hydraulic lift, which allows you to raise and lower the height of the tattoo chair with the push of a button. Other optional features you can buy from the same retailers as your tattoo chairs are covers for clients to help protect your chairs, face and arm rests, and bolsters—ergonomic cushions, essentially—to prop under joints to help customers comfortable.

Artist Stools

Sadly, the “stools” portion of the description is all-too-appropriate.  Yes, while the customer is comfortably reclined, you’ll be seated on a stool with wheels that allows you to maneuver around the client so that you can reach where you need to reach, whether it’s the small of your client’s back, your disposable needles, or your ink.  As with tattoo chairs, the stools should be water resistant and well-cushioned—and also highly maneuverable.

If you can afford hydraulic or pneumatic lifts, it’s a great idea—especially if you don’t have them on your tattoo chairs.  Some artists are more comfortable with bicycle shaped stool cushion, while other prefer saddle stools (which offer some amount of back support). Whichever kind of stool you get, remember to make sure it includes a foot rest for your comfort—for those long-to-ink tattoos, you’ll want to give one or both of your feet a break.

When thinking of tattoo chairs don't forget disposable gloves as well.