Selecting chairs for the anchor desk is as much about comfort as how the the furniture looks on air.

For news sets, the design of the backs of chairs isn’t a huge factor since most anchors don’t lean back when on air. However, talent often like to lean back during commercials or when not on the air, so having a comfortable back can be advantageous.

One back option is to use chairs with low ones that aren’t visible behind the anchors’ bodies. One of the key advantages for this approach is that you don’t need to worry about the condition or style of the chairs used. This can be helpful if you have anchors that require specific seating that may or may not match the rest of the set’s seating.

Another option is to eliminate the backs of the chairs altogether, though this can be uncomfortable for talent.

Also consider the difference between a full back and chairs that have smaller backs with open space between it and the seat. Having a full back may be a good choice if you use wireless microphones since backs are sometimes helpful in preventing battery and trasmitter units from falling off the back of the seat.

Keeping with the theme of comfort, it’s very important to consider the quality and feel of the padding on chair seats for anchor desks. Keep in mind that anchors may be on the set for several hours in a row and that the body becomes uncomfortable faster when it needs to be more rigid, as is the case with anchors.

If you decide to go with chairs with backs, consider how high they go and how they will look on the air. Depending on how you frame talent, some chairs may come up too high and become overly prominent on camera as well as obscuring too much of the set.

The color of the chairs is also a consideration. In general, black or dark gray work best since they’re subtle and elegant. Blue or red might be a good choice if those colors are present on your set, but be wary of selecting something too bright.

It’s often a good idea to see if you can borrow a chair from the store to try in the studio and see how various options look on the air with talent seated.

Finally, buying inexpensive furniture may not be the best idea. Though you’ll save money upfront, you may end up needing to replace the furniture sooner because of lesser quality materials. Chairs on sets also tend to be handled roughly and lifted more than in a typical office setting.