Where you position your home theater seating and furniture will significantly influence the performance of your home theater.

Strategically designing the layout and placement of each piece of media room furniture is both art and science.

Home Theatre Room

There are a lot of informational and how-to articles about the placement of audio and video equipment when it comes to a home theater setup, but not a lot has been said about how to set up home theater furniture and seating. Often, home theater novices place their home theater sofas and loungers either all the way to the back wall of the room or right in the middle – which are the worst possible positions you could put them on.

Different Factors

The most optimal viewing and listening experience in your home theater can be achieved by doing research and preparation. It will depend on the size of the room, how many seats you want, the sound system you’re using, and how big your screen is.

In today’s post, we’ll help you ensure that your home theater system and seating are working together effortlessly – so you can have the highest quality viewing and listening.

Aim for Comfort

Above all else, aim for comfort and durability when deciding what home theater seating you want to get. Serious home theater enthusiasts often opt for sofas, recliners, and loveseats that are comfortable and sturdy. However, you should also keep the audience in mind.

While a top-quality leather lounger is the ultimate comfortable option, it wouldn’t work if you and your significant other often use the theater for when you’re both relaxing and watching a movie or a TV show. A sectional or a sofa will be better home theater seating choices if you are trying to get cozy with your loved one. Recliners are also a great pick as most of them have the ‘loveseat’ setup where there is no armrest. If you have children, there are loungers built for all sizes.

Comfort may not mean the same for every homeowner with their own media room; it will depend on what your needs are.

Size of the Home Theater

Don’t forget to factor in the size of your home theater room when choosing home theater seating. A large sofa may be a good fit in one great room but may cramp another. If a sofa doesn’t fit at all, you can select loungers and recliners that would fit in the available space.

Apart from the size of the room, the size of the furniture will also greatly affect the home theater system’s sound quality; the smaller the size, the lesser interference you can get. Before you purchase any seating, make sure you know the dimensions of the furniture as well as the exact measurements of your room.

Cost

Home theater seating can be a costly investment. Loungers and sofas can even be more expensive. Plan a budget and stick to it. Doing ample research is the way to go when tackling costly purchases. Some home theater stores will also offer financing options that you can avail.

You don’t have to purchase seating furniture all at once; building it one furniture at a time may be ideal for those with a tighter budget.

Seating Types

Recliners

Sizes of home theater recliners will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. The standard guideline is 34” in width (side arms included), 67” in depth with their full recline, and 38” in its upright position.

Stadium Seating

This type of seating is similar to what would find in an actual movie theater. These seats don’t take up as much space as recliners do. They do, however, have a partial recline which is called a “rocker.” People will pick stadium seating over recliners if they want more seating in less space.

Bar Seating

Most people with a big enough home theater room incorporate a bar area in their space; thus, they’ll also need to provide an adequate seating area for it. Home theater bars are usually located behind the last row of home theater recliners. High bar stools with comfortable footrests are the standard pick for this type of setup. Bar seating is a fantastic choice especially if you are the type of person who likes throwing parties in your home theater room.

Couches

Couches offer a more relaxed and homey feel to a home theater compared to rows of recliners or stadium seating. This type of seating is also a great space saver since it can accommodate a number of people at once. Couches also don’t require too much depth as they don’t recline. However, some models have recliner features.

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