Your home theater can compete with a traditional theater in a lot of ways. Great sound system, amazing screens, and an unbeatable level of privacy and comfort. The endless free snacks are a nice touch too!
But there’s one thing that many home theaters are missing—home theater seating. Sure, you could just toss a couple couches into your home theater. But that kinda misses the point, right? There are better ways to create the theater experience at home.
Traditional Theater Seating
Traditional theater seating often comes with rows of leather recliners which have cup holders, LED lighting at the bottom, and tray tables that fold out. A row of just a few luxury traditional theater seats can run you a few thousand dollars.
But traditional theater recliners have a huge advantage for home theater seating: they can easily be made to fit multiple rows. If you have a home theater which is long, and you want to maximize seating by installing a couple rows of chairs, using traditional theater seats is the way to go. You can raise up a single row and lower another to create theater-style depth.
Modern seating should also come with USB charging ports and lights on all the cupholders and bases of the chairs. Dark leather can be tough to spot in the dark. And most smart theaters have lighting systems that can automatically dim.
DIY Traditional Theater Seating
If spending thousands of dollars on traditional theater seating doesn’t work for you, you can always modify existing leather recliners and/or couches. Installing LED lighting and cup holders usually takes only a bit of technical skill. You can purchase a set of normal recliners and add in the theater fixtures. Additionally, recliners and simple leather couches are ideal for theaters that have a longer room.
Traditional theater seating often just slaps a set of leather recliners together into a single row with a few gimmicks included. With a bit of ingenuity, you might be able to get the same experience with individual recliners.
Luxury Home Theater Seating
If traditional theater seats are not right for your home theater, you can always go with luxury leather couches and recliners. Sometimes a spacious couch section can be more comfortable than a set of traditional theater chairs!
If you decide to go with luxury home theater seating, like a long row of couches, keep in mind that visibility will quickly become a problem. You can’t really put a row of couches behind another row of couches. You could always create a platform to scale one row of couches above the other, but this can look a bit odd and feel weird to sit in.
If you decide to go with luxury couches, it’s best to get wider seating instead. Home theater rooms which have more width than depth are ideal for couch seating.
Also, regular leather couches are great for “home theaters” that also double as a living room. They pair well with recliners and other types of seating.
Home Theater Seating Inspiration
If you don’t want to grab classic cinema seats or luxury leather couches that recline, you can take your home theater game in some more playful, interesting directions.
Beanbag Seating
Beanbags aren’t just for kids anymore! Adult beanbags are a thing, and becoming more popular. It’s an unstructured seating experience that allows your body to adjust and get comfortable in almost any position. What’s not to love?
Plus, beanbags give your home theater a minimalist, deconstructed look. They can be easily swept away so that your home theater becomes a home yoga studio. And you can buy massive beanbag chairs that are built from foam beads, perfect for everyone! If pure beanbag chairs aren’t your thing, the Big Joe brand also sells lux cubes and ottomans that could be combined for a durable, interesting seating experience.
Home Theaters for Gaming
Gaming chairs with built-in speakers and ergonomic curves aren’t just for your college dorm room. The modern home theater doesn’t have to be for independent movies. You can also use it to play your favorite video games. Most video game chairs are designed to rock, and they’re shaped like the letter j with weights down at the bottom. A set of four gaming chairs would make for a modern, tech-forward theater, even if you’re just watching a movie.
Vintage Seating
You may not remember a time when movie theaters had wooden folding seats. The modern theater throws luxury leather seating all over the place, creating a more spacious individual seating experience. Less seats, but higher ticket and concession prices, are the way theaters operate now.
But classic, vintage theater seats are made out of wood. If you’re looking for antique theater seats, you can probably get them for a tenth of the amount that you’d pay for the modern variety. Of course, wooden seating hardly sounds inviting for the modern home theater. But you could get it cushioned and upholstered, or simply use the vintage seating as decoration.
If you love the look of classic theater seating, there are also more modern versions that have padding and a bit more space.
Themed Theaters
If the classy home theater look seems a little bit boring for your taste, you could always create a home theater experience based on old-timey movie theaters, your favorite film franchise, or a time period that you love. Themed theaters can use old movie posters or old movie memorabilia to style the look.
If you have a themed theater, you don’t need to try too hard on the seating! Basic couches or modern theater seating works great. Not everything in your themed theater has to be themed!
Cafe Style Seating
Why not combine traditional home theater layouts with tables and chairs that remind you of a cafe? Let’s be honest—sometimes you’d like to get a bit of work done or enjoy a nice meal in your home theater! You shouldn’t be resigned to sitting on the leather couch in those situations. Most home theaters have room for a table and chairs. Take advantage of it to provide additional seating options for romantic at-home date nights.
