Buying guide: Salon Styling Chairs
The pump is the chair
Everything above the base is a styling decision. The hydraulic pump under the seat is the part that fails, and it fails because it was rated for less cycling than your floor actually does.
Published ratings in this collection:
- 400 lb: Raelynn; MILLA on the chrome base with the A13 pump
- 350 lb: AYLA (A13), BRAMLEY, RICHARDSON (A12)
- 300 lb: ARON (A13)
- 250 lb: ARON (A12); MILLA on the chrome base with the A12 pump
- Not published: MONCLER
Two chairs here let you pick the pump. The ARON is sold as two separate listings, A12 and A13. The MILLA on the chrome base offers the A12 at 250 lb or the A13 at 400 lb on the same chair. The heavier pump handles constant height cycling with less wear, which matters more than the client weight number suggests. If the chair will run back-to-back appointments all day, buy the heavier pump the first time.
Height range and how you cut
Published seat height ranges vary more than you would expect for chairs that look alike:
- ARON A13: 16 to 22 inches
- ARON A12: 19.5 to 26 inches
- Raelynn: 18.75 to 24.75 inches, a 7 inch pump range
- RICHARDSON: 18.5 to 25 inches
- MONCLER: 19.5 to 24 inches
- AYLA: 21 to 26 inches
If you cut seated, the bottom of the range matters. If you are tall and cut standing, the top does. The BRAMLEY publishes its range differently, as 35 to 41 inches floor to top with a 6 inch rise.
Open back, floating back, or closed
An open or floating back lets cut hair fall through instead of piling against the seat, which saves a minute of cleanup on every client. Over a full day that is real time. The ARON publishes an open-back design, the BRAMLEY a clean back opening, and the Raelynn a floating back with a chrome circular back and rubber ring support.
A closed, upholstered back like the MONCLER's looks more like furniture and photographs better. It is a trade, not a mistake.
Upholstery color, honestly
This is the decision most likely to be regretted. Light upholstery shows hair color and product staining far sooner than dark. The RICHARDSON comes in Black, Black/Black, White, Pink and British Khaki. The MILLA line offers black, camel, white and pink over chrome or gold bases.
The rule that holds up: light upholstery belongs in cutting rooms, dry styling bars and blowout studios. If you run color every day, buy black and put the color into the base finish instead. Gold and chrome bases carry a boutique look without touching the part that gets stained.
Cushion and seat size
The AYLA publishes an extra-thick cushion in 1.2 mm lustrous vinyl with a checkerboard texture and a seat slightly elevated at the front to keep clients' legs comfortable through long services. The RICHARDSON publishes a 2 inch cushion foam. The MONCLER publishes a 23 by 21 inch seat cushion, the widest in this collection. The Raelynn publishes 19.5 by 20.5 inches with tufted button sides and rounded roll arms.
If your average service runs an hour or more, cushion thickness earns its money.
Ground shipping is a cost lever when you buy several
Four chairs here ship by ground: the ARON A12 at 60 lb boxed, the BRAMLEY at 66 lb, the RICHARDSON at 60 lb, and the Raelynn at 70 lb. No freight appointment, no liftgate, faster onto the floor.
The ARON A13 (66 lb boxed) and the AYLA (55 lb boxed) ship by freight. Freight is calculated at checkout, and we ship nationwide. When you are outfitting six or eight stations, the ground-ship models simplify the opening timeline noticeably.
One suite versus a full floor
A single-chair suite can afford a statement. The MONCLER on its gold frame or the MILLA on an A59 gold base is the chair a one-person studio buys because the room is the brand.
A full floor is an exercise in repetition. You want one model in one finish across every station, a pump rated for your busiest chair rather than your average one, and ideally a model that ships by ground so six arrive without a freight appointment. The RICHARDSON is the value-oriented pick here for that reason: square profile, 350 lb pump, ground shipping, five colorways.
If you are quoting a whole floor, we can price the chairs, stations and mirrors together on one invoice.
What these chairs do not do
None of them reclines. There is no headrest on a styling chair in this collection. If your menu includes shaves, hot towel service, facials, brows or lashes, you need a chair that lays back and clears the space above the shoulders. That is a barber chair or an all-purpose reclining chair, both in our catalog.
Compared
| Product | Price | What makes it different |
|---|
| ARON Styling Chair (A12 Pump) |
$168.00 to $280.00 | Least expensive here; open back, A12 pump rated 250 lb, ships by ground at 60 lb |
| MONCLER Styling Chair |
$240.00 | Black leather on a gold metal frame; widest seat cushion here at 23" x 21"; no published weight rating |
| RICHARDSON Styling Chair by Berkeley |
$246.45 to $265.00 | Value pick for multi-station builds: 350 lb A12 pump, five colorways, ships by ground |
| BRAMLEY Styling Chair by Berkeley |
$265.00 | Square arm supports and open back, 350 lb pump, ships by ground at 66 lb |
| AYLA Styling Chair w/ A13 Pump by Berkeley |
$266.00 | Extra-thick cushion, 1.2 mm checkerboard vinyl, front-elevated seat; 350 lb A13 pump |
| MILLA Styling Chair with A12/A13 Chrome Base by Berkeley |
$265.00 to $280.00 | The only chair here where you choose the pump: A12 at 250 lb or A13 at 400 lb |
| Raelynn Styling Chair by Berkeley |
$180.00 to $300.00 | 400 lb capacity with a 7" pump range; tufted button sides, floating back, ships by ground |
| MILLA Styling Chair with A59 Gold Base by Berkeley |
$304.00 to $320.00 | Gold round base in black, pink or white colorways |
Prices are the current prices on this site. Freight is calculated at checkout.
Frequently asked questions
Do salon styling chairs recline?
Not the ones in this collection. All 10 are upright chairs built for cutting, coloring and styling. If you need recline for shaves, facials, brow or lash work, look at a barber chair or an all-purpose reclining salon chair instead.
What weight do these chairs support?
It depends on the hydraulic pump. Published ratings here run from 250 lb on the A12 pump up to 400 lb on the Raelynn and on the MILLA chrome base with the A13 pump. The MONCLER publishes no rating, so we do not estimate one.
What is the difference between the A12 and A13 pumps?
Capacity and durability under cycling. On the ARON, the A12 is factory rated 250 lb and the A13 300 lb. On the MILLA chrome base, the A12 is 250 lb and the A13 is 400 lb. The heavier pump handles constant height changes with less wear, which matters on a chair running back-to-back appointments.
Which styling chairs ship by ground instead of freight?
The ARON with the A12 pump (60 lb boxed), the BRAMLEY (66 lb), the RICHARDSON (60 lb) and the Raelynn (70 lb). Ground shipping avoids a freight appointment, which is worth having when you are buying six at once.
Is light upholstery a mistake for a color salon?
It shows hair color and product staining much faster than dark upholstery. White, pink and camel finishes suit cutting rooms, dry styling bars and blowout studios. For a floor doing daily color, black upholstery with a gold or chrome base gives the boutique look without the maintenance.
How many chairs do I need for a six-station salon?
One styling chair per station, plus seating at the wash area and a reception area. The wash chair is a separate purchase from this collection. We can quote the whole floor on a single invoice.
Do you offer invoices and payment options?
Yes. We send invoices for multi-chair orders. We are based in Dallas-Fort Worth and deliver nationwide, with freight calculated at checkout.
