Best Saddle Chairs for Dental Hygienists

As a dental hygienist, you will probably always be in the market for that perfect saddle chair.

A saddle chair is ideal for long periods of sitting down and reducing the strain on your spine. Since you will spend a lot of your workday sat in a saddle chair whilst working on your patients, ergonomics and the perfect chair will be important to you.

There are a lot of things to consider, so we have done the research for you and compiled it all in this convenient Best Of Guide.

If you are finding it difficult to sift through all of the different types of saddle chair, or even finding it hard to pin down the best one for your specific needs, this is the guide for you.

The layout of this guide will be as follows:

We will list our top five saddle chairs first and then give detailed descriptions of each with pros and cons, so that you can compared the five we have listed.

Then we will answer some frequently asked questions that we found when carrying out our research, this will be a great section to look at if you have any questions yourself.

The second half of the guide will be a specifically targeted Buyers’ Guide, which will break down all of the different categories and criteria that you should consider when buying a saddle chair. This section will also highlight which of the top five chairs we have chosen are the best in certain categories.

If you are in a hurry and don’t have time to find out about all five of the saddle chairs, although we do definitely recommend you do; we have put together a quick description of our top saddle chair for dental hygienists.

The number one spot goes to the Master Massage Berkeley Ergonomic Split Seat Saddle Stool. And here is why:

  • You are given the choice of a stool or a tool with a backrest.
  • There is an option of three different colors, so it will fit into your dental practice.
  • The split seat design is unique and ergonomically designed.

Top 5 Best Saddle Chairs for Dental Hygienists

Master Massage Berkeley Ergonomic Split Seat Saddle Stool

No products found.

No products found.

The top spot on our list of the top five saddle chairs for dental hygienists is the Master Massage Berkeley Split Seat Saddle Stool.

This is the only saddle chair on the list that boasts a split seat design. This split in the seat is designed for long periods of sitting down, perfect for a dental hygienist.

The chair itself has two main adjustable features. The first being that you can change the height of the chair using the gas lift and one of the levers that operates it. This means you can set the saddle chair to the perfect height for your feet to be flat on the ground and to achieve a good posture when working on your patients.

The other adjustable feature is the ability to tilt the chair, both seat and back, forwards and backwards. This allows you to angle your own body effortlessly in order to lean over your patient and reach their teeth easier. The five-star wheelbase houses five polyurethane wheels that run smoothly over many surfaces, perfect for your dental practice.

Pros

  • The split seat design provides even more ergonomic design.
  • The optional back rest means you can customize your chair from the start to make it fit your own specific needs.
  • Adjustability includes height change and a tilting seat and back.
  • Waterproof material for any unavoidable splashes when working on your patient’s teeth.

Cons

  • No cons

Easy Life Saddle Stool

No products found.

No products found.

The second slot goes to the Easy Life Saddle Stool.

This saddle chair is the first of the more classic designs, since it does not have a split seat like the Master Massage. The simple design of this saddle chair is available in either black or white, and is made from PU leather, making it easy to clean and smooth.

This saddle chair, although a classic design, has a unique design feature in its shape. Towards the back of the seat there is a piped seam in a concave shape. This highlights the shape of the concave cushion that is designed to naturally support your hips and lower back when you are sat working on a patient.

In terms of adjustability: you can alter the height of the seat using the lever that activates the gas lift mechanism. The chair also spins on an axis of 360-degrees, making it easier to access any tools that may have once been out of reach. The wheelbase is a five-star shape made from a reinforced sturdy metal alloy with nylon castors that allow for a smooth motion along your floor.

Pros

  • The unique concave cushion supports your hips and lower back for more ergonomic security.
  • Seat height can be adjusted from 22.4 inches to 30.3 inches.
  • Sturdy five-star wheelbase allows for a 350-pound maximum weight support.

Cons

  • In the white color, this material can stain relatively easily.

FRNIAMC Adjustable Saddle Stool

No products found.

No products found.

Next on the list is the FRNIAMC Saddle Stool.

This is another classic design for a saddle stool. The variant that we have included does come with a back rest but that is optional. The stool is available in black or a camel color, both made from leather that covers a generously padded seat. This increases your comfort when you are working on a patient.

The unique feature of this saddle stool is its wheelbase; where most wheelbases on these saddle chairs are the standard, or the same as an office chair, the FRNIAMC saddle stool has a more interesting design. Instead of a flat five-star base, this saddle chair as a thicker area where the castors are attached, giving a sturdier feel to the stool.

In terms of adjustability, the FRNIAMC Saddle Stool can change height thanks to the gas lift, it can also tilt back, if you have the backrest included. Its maximum weight capacity is 450 pounds, which is very reasonable for a saddle stool.

Pros

  • A wider and sturdier wheelbase that adds to its weight support capabilities.
  • The assembly instructions are straightforward.
  • The castor wheels are smooth and reduce the risk of scratching floor surfaces.

Cons

  • Some buyers report that the additional backrest is not a secure after a long period of time.

Geboor Hydraulic Saddle Stool

No products found.

No products found.

The fourth saddle chair on our list is the Geboor Hydraulic Saddle Stool.

This chair is on the simpler side in terms of design, as it is sleek with black PU leather and chrome-colored hardware. It makes up for this in ergonomic design however, since the seat itself is made using molded foam which provides you with a memory foam-like feeling.

The weight capacity of this saddle chair is 300-pounds, this is thanks to its sturdy metal base with durable nylon castor wheels that run smoothly and quietly on hard floors. The width of the wheelbase is around 21 inches, so the center of gravity is more even and there is less likelihood of tipping over when you are working.

Pros

  • Simple design means that it won’t look out of place in a dental practice/office.
  • The nylon castor wheels are smooth and quiet.
  • The adjustability of this saddle chair covers the basics of what you would expect.

Cons

  • There is no real unique feature about this chair in terms of an interesting design feature.

 

Jobri BetterPosture Saddle Chair

No products found.

No products found.

In at number five on the list for the best saddle chairs for dental hygienists is the Jobri BetterPosture Saddle Chair.

This chair is available in two colors, the classic sleek black and the striking bright red. This saddle chair does not have as deep a convex, or a point that protrudes as much; this could be a better option for people that are new to saddle chairs.

The simple design of the seat has a naturall shape that encourages a waterfall effect for your legs, this means there is less pressure exerted on them when you are sat working on a patient. This is where the chair gets the name ‘BetterPosture’, because it is designed with these particular ergonomic needs in mind. The material itself is a PU faux leather that is easy to clean, making it perfect for a dental office.

The aluminum five-point wheelbase houses five twin disc nylon castor wheels that allow for smooth movement on hard floors, so you can move around to get to your tools and screen easily when working on your patient.

Pros

  • A simpler design that could appeal to people more than the more unique saddle chairs.
  • The waterfall shape that allows your legs to hang freely, reducing the pressure on your lower thighs.
  • A strong aluminum wheelbase with twin disc castors.

Cons

  • This saddle chair’s padding is a lot thinner than any of the others on the list.

Best Saddle Chair for Dental Hygienists Buyers’ Guide

Now that some of your questions have hopefully been answered, you might be wondering about some of the jargon that has been used throughout this guide. Even if you are clued up on the specifics of saddle chairs, you might not be aware of some of the important categories.

So, we have sectioned off some things that we think are important to consider when buying a saddle chair.

Ergonomics

This is the topic that has come up a lot throughout this guide, and for a good reason.

If you are looking for a saddle chair because you need something to sit on at work when you are working on your patients’ teeth, a saddle chair is the one for you. And it is highly likely that, if you are reading this article, you already have at least a vague idea of why ergonomics matter.

Saddle chairs are designed to reduce the pressure on the back of your thighs and to promote a more favorable posture throughout the day. This is achieved right through the design stage with the ergonomics. This can range from the actual shape of the saddle chair, to the padding that is used, and even to the material that the chair is upholstered in.

These are all things that you should consider when looking for a new saddle chair, and also keep in mind what is important to you.

Adjustability

All of the chairs on our top five list are adjustable. Three of them are only adjustable by height since they do not have a backrest. But the other two, the Master Massage Berkeley and the FRNIAMC Adjustable Saddle Stool, come with the option of the backrest so provide you with the ability to tilt too.

Since these saddle chairs will be used for working on your patients, the adjustability is only necessary when you are actually finding the height before you begin. Once you have begun your work, you shouldn’t need to adjust the height or the tilt of the saddle chair.

Material

Most of the chairs on our list are upholstered in a PU faux leather, which is easy to wipe down and breathable. Even if they are upholstered in real leather, they are still water-resistant and easy to wipe down, which is ideal for working in a dental practice, where splashes and spillages are likely to occur.

In terms of the material of the wheelbase and the wheels, all of the saddle chairs on our top five list have metal bases, and most of them have either nylon or polyurethane castor wheels for a smooth roll on hard ground.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you are a dental hygienist and are buying a saddle chair for your work, you will want to know that you are getting the best possible, since you will be sitting in it for long periods of time.

So, we have compiled some frequently asked questions and answered them below.

Is a backrest necessary on a saddle chair?

This is an example of something that you should ask yourself since it is completely personal preference. Two of the saddle chairs that we have included in the top five list have the optional addition of a back rest. This offers another layer of comfort, adjustability and ergonomic design.

But you don’t necessarily need a backrest on your saddle chair. In fact, they were initially designed to discourage leaning back and ruining your posture.

However, it is comforting to know that the backrest is there to support you if you should need it. So, the answer is, it depends what you want out of a saddle chair, if you prefer to maintain your posture throughout the workday, you won’t need a backrest. But if you prefer the safety of a backrest, there option to add one is there for two of the chairs on our list.

What are the benefits of the different designs of saddle chair?

Some of the saddle chairs on our list look very similar, this is down to the fact that they all follow the design of an actual saddle.

So, any variation that occurs will be in the details like the ergonomic concave shape of the Easy Life Saddle Stool or the split seat design of the Master Massage Berkeley, which is at the top of our list.

Again, these differences will benefit you based on personal preference. If you have severe lumbar back pain and want to buy a saddle chair that is more ergonomically sound, consider the ones that pay more attention to these details.

Final Thoughts

With all of this guide in mind, it’s clear that most of the saddle chair are very similar in design and quality. In fact, only a few of them have any unique design features, like the ergonomic concave shape of the seat, or the additional backrests.

With that being said, the clear winner of the number one spot is the Mater Massage Berkeley since it has the most unique design feature of the split seat. This promotes even more circulation and comfort when you are spending prolonged periods of time sitting working on patients.

There is a wide selection of saddle chairs in this guide. So, even if the interestingly designed Master Massage Berkeley chair is not for you, there is a selection of other more classic designs that might suit you better, if you are a fan of a basic saddle chair. In most cases, the ergonomics of the saddle chair are not compromised even if the chair is a little simpler aesthetically.

Scroll to Top