During the buying process, many customers debate between wood and metal piano benches. Which is better? Which material provides the best experience? What about durability? And price?
All of these are very valid questions and at Hidrau, we are determined to help answer them. When browsing, either online or at a store, you will find piano benches made of different materials and compositions. But for those lacking the experience in buying and using a piano bench, it can indeed be challenging to understand which one is the best option based on each particular case.
Let’s navigate the possibilities offered by both wood and metal piano benches, so you can choose for yourself which one is the best.
Durability and Convenience
One of the main concerns every piano bench buyer has is how long the product will last, especially under heavy use. While many wood piano benches use top-notch materials in their construction, it’s hard to beat a metal bench in this regard.
Metal piano benches generally offer greater durability and shock resistance, thanks to their structure and build. That is why they are especially favored and preferred by academies and music schools.
Another aspect is the height adjustability. While this may seem irrelevant when discussing raw materials, sometimes height adjustment mechanisms can be more efficient on metal piano benches. This, again, is ideal for music schools and studios, considering the recurrent adjustments necessary to accommodate a constantly changing variety of players.
The need to continuously adjust the height, often up to multiple times a day, equates to accelerated wear of the bench, making the sturdiness granted by the metal build favorable. If you want to know more about height adjustment in piano benches, you can click here.
Classic Beauty and Feel
Durability is great, no doubt. But, who wants to complement a beautiful, classy Schimmel, Bechstein, or Steinway piano with a sturdy metal piano bench?
Nothing can match the magnificence of a hand-made wood piano bench, like the many we build at Hidrau.
Wood piano benches remain the best choice for those lovers of the gorgeous and aesthetically pleasing. The right bench will gracefully match your piano and deliver a stunning look at every room or stage.
And even if you choose quality, as is the case with Hidrau, wood piano benches can provide a superb experience when it comes to height adjustment as well. In the case of Hidrau, we offer with market-leading Hidrau Tech system for smooth, quick, and precise height adjustment, which works perfectly with the wood structure. So we aren’t really missing out on anything from a metal piano bench.
The Bottom Line
The vast sea of options when it comes to piano benches may make any buyer dizzy these days. However, when you start looking at the details, you can slowly but surely begin to categorize all the options. Materials and composition are a great way to start filtering.
The decision between wood and metal for your next piano bench will come down to what you need from your bench and how you need it. Each type of piano bench will serve one purpose significantly better than the other. While a good piano bench will deliver a positive experience across the board, the material can even further define the experience in the long run.
Metal piano benches are a more convenient option if we want to use them at a school, academy, or studio. Why? Because they provide a longer utility life when under heavy use. With students constantly coming and going, we want something that can take a beating. We want to be able to frequently adjust the height and even receive some hits and blows without compromising stability, silent operation, and overall build.
But make no mistake: you can still enjoy a gorgeous piano bench made of metal, as we demonstrate with our Academy Series. In this case, you can rest assured that you will not be sacrificing any good looks.
However, if you want to take the aesthetic factor to the next level, you may want a wooden piano bench. These beautifully made pieces of equipment have been designed and built not only to provide a superb experience to the most demanding players but to shine on the stage. With a wide array of types and colors, wooden benches frequently aesthetically match the most ravishing pianos in the world.
In the Classy Series, Hidrau offers a selection of top-of-the-line wood piano benches that will delight all who behold its sight while enabling the artist to do their best work. These benches, made to meet the highest standards in the piano industry, offer great durability, stability, silent operation, and the most advanced height adjustment mechanism in the market.
All this being said, it is important to emphasize the following: the difference between wood and metal won’t directly influence the playing experience. This means that if a manufacturer tells you that either wood or metal will help the artist with her posture, ergonomics, movement, or another aspect of playing, it is simply not true. A good piano bench will deliver a positive experience to the pianist, regardless of the material.
With this article, our goal is to make visible the contrast between wood and metal piano benches. If you want to know more and arm yourself with the knowledge to make a better choice while shopping for a piano bench, visit our in-depth guide here.