Who makes the lightest yet stable throne?

mrfingers

Senior Member
I’m asking because it’s occurred to me that my throne seems to weigh more than my 2 cymbal stands put together! Are there light, portable, foldable, drummer-friendly on the market?
 
There are plenty of lightweight thrones on the market, but lightweight always seems to be synonymous with "cheap." And they always have thin padding.

I would be confident with a lightweight single-braced Yamaha or Gibraltar throne however. It's just a matter of whether the padding is thick enough.

My Roc-n-Soc and Charmichael thrones are both very heavy, but that's a sacrifice I'm willing to pay for more comfort and stability.

If you're a younger guy or don't have back problems, I suppose a lighter throne would work just fine for you.
 
There are plenty of lightweight thrones on the market, but lightweight always seems to be synonymous with "cheap." And they always have thin padding.
True story!

I think the best bang for the buck where thrones are concerned is the Gibraltar 9608 - it's not lightweight, but the base is solid, the seat is fairly comfortable, and it's inexpensive for what you get - usually around $90 from the right sources. My only complaint with mine is that the vinyl top makes my butt sweat!

But yeah, where thrones are concerned, light usually means cheap and flimsy, and as a result, uncomfortable.
 
Thrones are heavy for a reason... I've had a cheap throne fall apart while sitting on it and trust me, it was not fun!

That said, I do have a Yamaha lightweight throne with my small kit and it seems pretty sturdy, if a little thin padding-wise.
 
If lifting a heavy throne is a hassle now, imagine how much of a pain it’ll be lifting a lighter throne once you develop back problems from sitting on it for a prolonged period of time.

Don’t skimp on your throne in terms of cost or weight - your back will thank you for it.
 
I concur with having a good solid throne. YOU’RE the heaviest part of the kit so you need to be the most stable part of it. I will occasionally carry a light throne but I always go back to my more solid ones afterwards. I also don’t want to chance having a throne break on me during a gig. That’s the one thing I don’t carry a spare of.
 
I use a light Gibraltar throne base (5608) with a "Roc-n-Soc by Gibraltar" tractor-style throne seat (RSGMC). I feel supported very well by this combo without it weighing too much.

I know some people will say to get a heavier base but for my needs this is perfect.
 
It would take a serious $ investment to purchase many thrones, to weigh them and also develop a stability metric from which to judge them on based on your desired criteria.
I'm not sure you'll find an answer to your question, ever.
That being said my round DW9000 scores around 45.86 stablists/kg
 
So I propose this(after thinking about this for 10 min.): an aluminum, 4 telescoping leg(or 3) like a typical barstool with a swivel, detachable or foldable seat. No big heavy duty, steel tube or double-braced steel legs. Lock the legs to a base plate that also supports the seat. No tripod set up. Gotta weigh less than my first chair tama throne. While we’re at it, make the base fit different makes of seats...
 
The Tama HT130 is sturdy and fairly lightweight, with a decent amount of padding. A good compromise between weight and comfort. It's a firm feel, so if that works for you, it might be a good choice. It's not a screw-type, so I find I have to really tighten the memory lock to keep it from slipping, but other that, a solid performer for a reasonable price.
 
I think that what this thread highlights is that there isn’t anyone making a “DW Ultralight” or “Yamaha Crosstown” style of seat that’s both functional and widely accepted as being “made to be lightweight” as opposed to being “built to a price but actually pretty decent for the money”. When I had a full set of DW UL hardware, all 4 cymbal stands, snare and hi hat went in one bag and it was significantly lighter than the other bag containing only a Mapex double Tom holder and seat base. I genuinely don’t know if a seat base with a wide footprint becomes less stable if the heavy double braced steel is replaced with a lighter yet equally stiff metal, if that’s the case then so be it, but as someone who lugs my own gear in and out of crowded pubs then I’d be prepared to pay for a properly solid and lightweight seat base. An additional 12” tom tom bag with added depth to keep a round stool top in wouldn’t go amiss either but now I’m really disappearing down the rabbit hole of ideal world stuff that isn’t profitable enough or wouldn’t sell in big enough numbers for any manufacturer to make.
 
I’m looking for a temporary, gigging throne- good for 3 hrs, maybe twice a month, not everyday use-with a removable, replaceable seat. I have a cheap CB throne with the bolt thru the post adjustment that I sawed the seat off and my tama first chair throne, comfy seat will fit the tube. The tubing and legs have half the weight of my tama, so I’ll be trying that.
 
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