A drum throne is a fancy name for the stool that drummers sit on while they play. After all, since you’re sitting on a throne, you should feel like a king! A good drum throne will position the player in an upright and comfortable position. The three main variables that distinguish drum thrones from each other are: seat design, height adjustment mechanism, and legs; these often change within models provided by a particular company.
The most important part of the throne is the padded seat (for obvious reasons) which vary by design and the amount of cushion they provide. Ideally you’ll want to have several thrones you can use for different gigs. For example, if you have an intense rock gig, you may prefer a firm seat and vice versa a soft seat for musical theater or pops concert gigs.
One common seat design is a round pad that looks similar to the top of a barstool. The other design you’re likely to see is called a bicycle seat or “tractor style”, although it’s actually much wider and more comfortable than a bicycle seat. A bicycle/tractor seat design is triangular in shape, and feels drastically different than a round top. I have thrones with both seat designs and I usually use the bicycle/tractor style for longer gigs because they’re more comfortable.
The seats height adjustment mechanism is sometimes hydraulic (similar to a modern office chair) with a lever that you pull to raise and lower the seat. This mechanism adjusts the quickest but it will most likely start to fail after several years of consistent use. There’s also an extended pole design similar to a cymbal stand and other pieces of drumming hardware. This design can be difficult to adjust but it’s often the easiest to set and remain level if you have a locking bracket. Finally there’s the screw type design that spins to adjust the height. In my opinion this design often moves around slightly height-wise but is more durable overall.
The last variable to account for is the number of legs on a throne. Thrones typically have three, four, or even five legs which can usually be folded so the base can be neatly packed into a hardware bag. Many thrones also have a backrest that you can purchase separately and is highly recommended if you spend a lot of time playing. One thing to note is some companies are experimenting with tilting thrones but we’re going to be focusing on the traditional design for this best list.
The criteria we’ve used in choosing these best drum thrones is their level of comfort, ease of adjustment, and overall durability. Comfort is important when you spend long hours practicing and playing gigs and these picks feature the perfect amount of support and padding, both the resting position and while you’re playing.
Drum thrones also need to be height adjustable for obvious reasons, and all of these picks of the best drum throne in 2022 are easily adjustable; you may find yourself plating gigs that don’t allow a lot of space to get off of your throne to adjust the height so this is a key feature to have. Lastly, each of these thrones are durably constructed because who doesn’t hate situations in which you reach to pick up your throne, and the seat separates from the base?