Places to buy stadium seating? (1 Viewer)

[Jeffreybomb]

I'm interested in buying theater seating for a stadium-style set-up. I'm perfectly fine with considering used seating in order to keep the budget nice and low. I've perused eBay and craigslist for some ideas and I've actually found some options, but I'm sort of surprised how few used seats I've found online.

I'm planning to buy 24 to 32 seats, four for each gam

 

[Sam Posten]

No clue here. Most of us buy loungers. I use htmarket.com Devonshires.

 

[Edwin-S]

You might want to look at these guys. However, I've never used them. I just found them using a search so I have no idea about their quality and reliability as a company, although they look like they have some well-known companies as customers.

https://seatsandchairs.com/Used-Theater-Seating

 

[DaveF]

I don’t know what the goal is, but generally I would discourage anyone asking from buying old style, traditional stadium seats. They’re too small, too straight, too uncomfortable to be an awesome choice for a home theater.

Like Sam said, people mostly buy comfy loungers, if they’re upgrading from living room furniture.

 

[Jeffreybomb]

Holy hell, I just realized my original post went unfinished somehow. That last sentence was supposed to say, "four for each TV". I have no idea what happened there.

@Edwin-S: thanks, I found that site, too. They at least look more reputable than the randos I find on eBay.

@DaveF: I'm starting to budget for a blank slate in the basement.

My first priority is a game room. Currently, we've got six 55" HDTVs (thanks Black Friday!) and would like to consider leaving room to expand to eight, should we decide to do that. I figured four chairs for each TV set up in a stadium-style arrangement would work. Loungers would take up a lot of room, especially for 55" HDTVs that aren't huge in the first place. I'm trying to get creative on the set-up.

It would be nice if I could combine the game room and the home theater, but I feel like they'd require two different layouts. That is, the home theater would benefit from a "long" layout while the game room would benefit from a "wide" layout. I'm not sure if I've got the room to do both, though that would be pretty awesome.

It's all very preliminary, I just want to have a good idea of what I'm getting into when I finally start.

 

[DaveF]

Are you setting up four seats per TV for local multiplayer (eg Mario Kart), with the TVs on different walls?

I’m trying to visualize your setup.

 

[Jeffreybomb]

@DaveF: yes for the first part of your question. However, the way it was set up in my old house, the TVs were along one single wall. At the time, we only had four of them.

Now that we've added two TVs, it's only getting wider. I considered "stacking" them into two rows of four. The problem is potentially having up to eight people trying to sit at two TVs. That would definitely require stadium seating. The other issue is that the people in the back would have a harder time seeing the screen.

 

[Sam Posten]

I recommend folding chairs for this setup. Get the plastic ones that Costco has, they are much more comfy. Or at least get the padded seat metal ones.

Stadium seats will be 100x more uncomfortable AND press the players way too closely.

And double that if any of your guests are overweight. Stadium seats are effectively a torture device for obese people and those unfortunate enough to be stuck next to us.

 

[Jeffreybomb]

I recommend folding chairs for this setup. Get the plastic ones that Costco has, they are much more comfy. Or at least get the padded seat metal ones.

All good points, but given the amount of work I plan to put into this game room, folding chairs just feels ... low effort.

(For the record, I'm not overweight, but I am lanky.)

I've also been considering couches or something similar.

 

[Clinton McClure]

You can always use the folding chairs as weapons to settle Mario kart disagreements.

 

[Jeffreybomb]

You can always use the folding chairs as weapons to settle Mario kart disagreements.

Don't even get me started on Mariokart! I think I found a way to network several Wiis together and that's just damn dangerous for me to even think about right now, given that I don't even have a spot to put them.

 

[DaveF]

I like the idea of couches better. More comfortable in all cases.

If you want to up the budget, have a look at LoveSac. The furniture is modular and you can design your own configurations, including chaise style lounges, big cushioned foot rest “coffee tables” and so on. This isn’t cheap, but it might give you the flexibility and comfort to go well with a multi-use gaming room.
https://www.lovesac.com/

 

[Jeffreybomb]

If you want to up the budget, have a look at LoveSac.

Holy mother of God, the base unit is a two-seater for $1,700! I wish I had that kind of budget!

 

[DaveF]

Well, that helps understand your budget goals

 

[DaveF]

Who are your gamers? Is this for a bunch of kids/teenagers who don’t care about seating? Or middle-aged friends who will call it an early night after half an hour gaming in an uncomfortably hard / narrow stadium seat?

 

[DaveF]

Would futons work? Cheap. Flexible seating. Can be used as beds if this is a big kids / teens party room, where you might host sleepovers.

 

[Jeffreybomb]

Would futons work? Cheap. Flexible seating. Can be used as beds if this is a big kids / teens party room, where you might host sleepovers.

I should consider futons. That's a good call.

As far as who will be gaming: it'll run the gamut. We've got a Fortnite-infatuated teenager at home and a bunch of my friends who dig old school stuff.

Inexpensive furniture is fine by me. The quality won't be top notch, but realistically, it's not like we'll be using the furniture every single day. I could rotate couches like rotating cushions; I don't expect to have a huge number of people in the game room even when we do use it. Some of those couches would barely get touched.