When the Hardest Studio Decision Is… a Chair

When you’re faced with a critical decision, what do you do?

Alright—critical might be a stretch in this case. This one’s about a chair.

Somewhere along the way, I’ve clearly lost touch with what you’re “supposed” to spend on a good office chair. I’ve watched video after video claiming to rank the best chairs you can buy, and the prices range anywhere from a couple hundred dollars to well into the thousands. That alone made me pause.

I’ve always had a bit of a disconnect between price and perceived quality, and my current chair is a perfect example.

The Chair That Refuses to Die

Years ago, I bought a La-Z-Boy bonded leather office chair from Staples for around $350. At the time, it seemed like a solid purchase. It looked good, felt comfortable, and worked perfectly in my office—back when I barely used it.

Then COVID hit, and suddenly I was working from home full time.

With daily, heavy use, that chair lasted just over two years before the bonded leather began peeling off in spectacular fashion. To be clear, the chair itself is still incredibly comfortable and structurally solid—but it looks absolutely terrible.

Spending that much money on something that visibly fell apart so quickly didn’t sit well with me.

Instead of replacing it, I tried something different: a $30 chair cover.

When I first put it on, I wasn’t convinced. But over time, the cover molded to the shape of the chair, and now it looks… acceptable. Not great. Not terrible. Definitely like an old chair trying to hide its past—but still comfortable in every way that matters.

The Fear of “New”

I’ve since found some really nice-looking office chairs online for around $250, all with glowing reviews. But no matter how much research I do, I keep landing on the same conclusion: a chair at that price point will probably last two to three years under heavy use.

That feels strange to me.

Could you imagine replacing a couch every three years? Or a kitchen table?

I’m old enough to remember office chairs that took a real beating before needing replacement. I also don’t remember having to assemble them. These days, that seems to be the norm.

So here I am—wanting a new chair, but afraid to give up the one I have. It looks awful, yes, but it’s solid and comfortable. My fear is replacing it with something that looks fantastic but feels wrong… or worse, starts falling apart after a year.

A Studio Parallel

That’s when this stopped being about a chair.

I started thinking about studio gear.

What if you had a piece of equipment that looked a little rough around the edges? Maybe a knob is missing. Maybe a light no longer illuminates. Maybe it’s clearly seen better days—but it still works beautifully.

Would you replace it with something newer that looks amazing, even if you’re not convinced it’s as reliable?

We don’t like to admit it, but appearance absolutely plays a role in music gear. Knobs, backlit buttons, OLED screens—they’re there for a reason. I doubt many manufacturers say, “Let’s make this incredible instrument as ugly as possible before sending it to market.”

Looks matter.

And yet, when I look around my studio, I see my Yamaha MODX7—not the Plus, not the M version, not the latest revision—but the first synth I bought for this studio build. There are far flashier options out there, but I’m not sure I could part with it.

The Real Question

So maybe this whole chair dilemma is really asking a bigger question.

When you look around your studio late at night, after finishing a track, which pieces could you easily replace—and which ones feel untouchable?

And more importantly: why?

Sometimes substance matters more than shine. And sometimes, the things that refuse to fall apart earn a permanent place in the room.

Happy creating.