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Like most everyone today, you’re probably spending much more time at home than you ever did before. Maybe you’re streaming movies and TV shows, or digging through your collection of DVDs for those old favorite films you haven’t seen in years. More than ever now is the perfect time to start thinking about creating your own home theater. And remember, it’s not the size of your space that matters, but how you choose to use it.
Setting up a home theater can be as easy as adding a single recliner or two, a compact surround sound system, and a streaming device to the TV set in your family room, or as elaborate as building a dedicated viewing room with multimedia sofas, high-end speakers, and a big-screen TV system. Today, we’ll focus on the best seating for your home theater, no matter the size of your room.
Planning Your Space
What is the best home theater room size? That’s like asking what’s the best color. Everyone’s taste in a home theater experience is different. Whether you decide to use your existing space or build-out, there are many options for seating, as well as audio and video to suit your needs.
One thing to consider is the size of the TV or screen you have or want to purchase. Each size screen has its own optimal viewing distance, which is the minimum distance between you and the screen resulting in the best visual experience. There are loads of complex formulas, charts, and graphs online that will give you a precise viewing distance, but the easiest way to figure this is to measure your screen size and double it. For example, if you have a 60” TV, the best viewing distance is about 120” (10’). Remember, it’s not an exact science but a guide for what generally works best. Your preferred distance might be on either side of this formula.
Home Theater Seating Options
No matter how big your screen or amazing your sound system, trying to get comfortable on a lumpy couch and some spindly side chairs can spoil the entire home theater experience for your family and friends.
Commercial Style Seating
Commercial style movie theater seating is available in many different styles and colors that are sure to match your home theater decor. Flip-up armrests and gravity assisted flip-up seat cushions to come standard in most styles. The armrests contain generously sized cup holders to fit most beverage types. Whether you need a single seat or a row of six, these home theater seats are a suitable choice.
Recliner Seats
HIgher-end plush recliner theater seats have lately been installed in commercial theaters, but they’ve been a staple of home theaters for years. They work equally well in sets of one or two for living rooms, or in multiple rows for larger dedicated rooms. If you do choose multiple rows, a good rule of thumb is to have 6 feet of space between the rows and to use the largest screen that your wall will accommodate while factoring in viewing distance.
The Seatcraft Napa recliner, for example, is a great introductory model in the recliner home theater seat line. Equipped with a space saver design, top grain leather, USB charging port, LED-lighted cup holders, powered headrest and recline, you can even get free accessories like swivel tray tables and ambient LED lighting. Again, they’re perfect alone or as a pair, or you can choose to combine rows of six recliners or mix recliners with loveseats and sofas.
Multimedia Sofas
In addition to a vast selection of traditional reclining theater seats on the market, there are plenty of multimedia sofas that are perfect for any home theater or media room setup. Multimedia sofas are basically two recliners with a center seat that can be converted into a fold-down table with console storage. These can be easily adapted for up to three people with the center storage console folded up.
Single, Straight, or Curved
Many home theater seats are available in straight and curved rows. The number of seats – and whether they’re straight or curved – is determined by your room’s physical dimensions, obviously. But if your theater is wide enough, it can easily accommodate curved rows rather than straight. The biggest advantage of curved seating is that every person’s view is oriented toward the center of your screen, and no one has to crane their neck during a screening. Curved seating is most important for the front row in your theater but less critical for back rows where the sight angle is reduced, so straight rows are fine.
With the Palliser Ovation series, you can choose from a wide array of fabrics and grades of leather, all available as a single recliner or in 15 combinations of curved or straight rows of seats, sofas, and loveseats. Features include power recline and headrests, USB charging, hidden in-arm storage, LED lighted cupholders, and base lighting in seven ambient colors.
If you’re ready to start turning your home theater dream into reality, start shopping online with us today. We’ve been providing the largest selection of home theater seating for almost 20 years. We are the largest in-stock dealer of Seatcraft, Barcalounger, Lane, and Palliser home theater seats. Each brand is unique in its features and styles, providing a wide array of colors and materials to choose from. Custom theater chairs are also available for most brands, while these seats may take a little longer to produce, the quality and craftsmanship will last you for years to come.