Looking to get a little more adventurous with your sex life?
Want to find the best tantra chair to explore some new positions?
These specially designed pieces of sex furniture are a stylish and modern addition to any home and are discreet enough to look like regular loungers.
Yet, behind closed doors, they are the perfect companion for exploring the mysteries of the Kama Sutra and supporting you and your lover in adventurous sex poses.
Love divans, tantra sofas, sex recliners, flexible fornication furniture or bonking benches… whatever you call them, these cleverly crafted pieces are a classic for any audacious couple.
In this feature, we take a closer look at exactly what a tantra chair is, and which designs are the best.
Let’s get started!
What is a Tantra Chair?
Tantra chair: what does it mean?!
Also known as sex sofas, a tantra chair is another name for a piece of furniture which has specifically been designed to make certain poses easier.
This could be for the purposes of yoga or, more commonly, for sex.
If you’re familiar with the Kama Sutra then you’ll know just how tricky some of those positions can be to get into!
Though the origins of ‘tantra’ itself are more about spiritualism and religion, the term has rather loosely been applied to a number of modern trends including yoga and, thanks to the publicity given on the subject by Sting and his wife Trudie Styler, sex.
In simple terms, tantric sex is all about the slow and sensual journey of sharing pleasure with your partner where the end-goal is not just about orgasm.
Done correctly, tantric sex can make intimate and sensual coupling last for hours and hours.
Sounds phenomenal, right?
Yet, mastering this technique can take many years of practice and involves plenty of preparation including getting to know your own (and your partner’s) body, being able to build a ‘moment’ and learning how to breathe correctly.
Apparently, the breathing is all-important and there are several methods which can help extend lovemaking. One, known as Kapalbhati, is particularly useful for men who have difficulty prolonging ejaculation.
Another key element to successful tantric sex is the positions that you and your partner move into and this is where tantra chairs come in.
Having the best tantra chair can make your experimentation a lot smoother.
Tantra Chairs Fit For a King?
Believe it or not but the first sex chair can be dated back to the 1880s when the (then) future King of England (Edward VII, known as Prince ‘Bertie’) had a love seat specially constructed for himself to use in a popular Parisian brothel.
Named the ‘siege d’amour’, this highly ornate contraption took the weight of the ‘non-athletic’ heir to the English throne as he had his lustful way with two women at once!
Modern Tantra Chairs
Nowadays, these tantric chairs are shaped more like a recliner or ‘chaise lounge’ and have been ergonomically crafted to fit the body in full repose.
Typically, they feature a scooped dual arc design, are narrow and low to the ground.
The curves and arches help support both partners in a wide range of sexual positions whilst the width and height allows the chair to be easily straddled during use.
What to Look For When Buying a Tantra Chair
Like most specialist sex furniture, the best tantra chairs don’t come cheap.
When you are investing in a piece like this you want to make sure that you are getting the best quality and design for your money.
With this in mind, we wanted to cover some important considerations you should have before making any purchase:
- Material – Given the intended use of these chairs, most will have been designed with hygiene in mind and will be covered in some form of wipe-clean fabric. This is usually a form of synthetic leather but some manufacturers use PVC or real leather. The benefit of synthetic materials is that they are stain resistant and anti-microbial but can be ‘sticky’ or cold to be naked on.
- Detailing – Look very carefully at any additional styling that has been added to the look of your tantra chair. Visible stitching is typical and shouldn’t get in the way of your tantric lovemaking but rivets and zips could certainly be problematic!
- Strength – All chairs need to be strong enough to support the weight of the user but tantra chairs need to be a lot more than just durable for everyday use. These bad boys will be supporting, not one but, two people and not just for regular sitting. The construction should be solid and provide a stable base for those bedroom gymnastics.
- Comfort – As well as the external covering the interior should be well padded and provide enough firm support. Over time, cheap foam will become misshapen and worn so opt for a high-density stuffing.
- Design – Though these chairs are designed for sex, the reality is that for a huge percentage of their lives they will simply be furniture. By this we mean they should be able to blend in with (or complement) your décor and home living. Most of us don’t have a special sex dungeon so consider whether that red PVC tantra chair really goes well with your current bedroom design.
- Height & Width – As we’ve said above, the design of a tantra chair should make it wide enough to give you support whilst being narrow enough to allow you to straddle it. The height is also important and should not be too low to the ground. Most sex sofas have short and study legs but these may need non-slip pads adding to stop the piece moving around.
- Length – This is an important factor if you are a tall couple as you will need to ensure your tantra chair can support you in all the right places. Some chairs have clearly been designed with pygmy lovers in mind!
- Warranty – With some tantra chairs costing over a thousand dollars you’ll want to have the peace of mind of some kind of guarantee. Anything less than a couple of years is pretty poor but a lifetime warranty might be worth paying for to protect your investment.
As well as the purchase price you will need to consider some additional costs including delivery, import taxes (if purchased overseas) and any ongoing maintenance costs such as special leatherette treatment.
With all this in mind, it stands to reason that you should be looking specifically for furniture that has been designed with sex in mind. Though there are cheaper futons and loungers which may look similar in shape and as though they could do the job nicely, they may not be ‘man’ enough for what you have in mind.
When it comes to using one, you can let your imagination and playfulness take the lead but the company behind the Original Tantra Chair© (Zen By Design) have helpfully put together a whole series of instructional videos to help you make the most of this piece of adults only furniture.
Best Tantra Chairs on the Market Today
Your decision on what tantra chair to buy will likely be influenced more by your budget than the design itself – but we think there are still some great quality pieces to suit everyone’s wallet.
The Original Tantra Chair
This hybrid of luxury sex furniture combines an everyday lounger and yoga poser with a bedroom workout and was originally created by Zen By Design in 2001.
Based in Scottsdale, Arizona, all of their products have been hand-crafted in the USA and the Original Tantra Chair© is purported to be the world’s first Kama Sutra chair.
Featuring an officially patented and copyrighted design, the curves on this dual arc chaise are perfectly angled to comfortably support couples during play. In fact, their literature states that the chair is designed to support over 1,500 lbs!
The chair is constructed from eco-friendly materials and features a solid wood base (alder or maple), hi-density foam support and ‘enviroleather’. This is a soft, synthesized leather which offers a wipe-clean surface that doesn’t stretch or fade over time. It’s also water and stain resistant.
There is a decent range in upholstery colours and finishes so that you can customize this sex sofa to suit your own design. You can choose to have pewter, antiqued brass or no nailheads around the base and select from one of 10 colors:
- Espresso (Dark Brown)
- Ebony (Black)
- Sunflower (Yellow)
- Beet (Dark Red)
- Adobe (Tan Brown)
- Bermuda (Aqua Blue)
- Linen (White)
- Gray
- Napa (Green)
- Wine (Purple)
Buying one of these tantra chairs doesn’t come cheap and you are looking at a price of $1,299 plus a shipping charge of $175. However, these chairs come with a lifetime warranty to cover the structure and a ten-year guarantee on the upholstery material.
Zen By Design also creates a whole range of meditation chairs so receiving a delivery from their liveried truck shouldn’t set too many neighbor’s tongues wagging!
Two decades on from their original creation and the design is still as popular as ever for those couples who want only the best.
Yes, its at least four times more expensive than some of the budget options on the market but the handcrafted quality of the build and choice of materials is just superior.
Coupled with the peace of mind you get with that lifetime warranty plus the diversity in design options, this could become a very wise investment for long term use.
divanTANTRA Deluxe Model
A European manufacturer and based in Spain, where Zen By Design created the original tantric chair, divanTANTRA crafted the first tantric couch.
The company produces a whole range of furniture for adults and their unique designs are all copyright protected with the European Union Intellectual Property Office.
The Deluxe Model features an undulating curved wave design with a sleek base and attached padded topper.
You can choose to have your tantra couch upholstered in a selection from over 200 different fabrics. With a choice of hypoallergenic, antibacterial, fireproof and water-resistant materials, they are all compliant with strict EU regulations. In all this gives you one of the best ranges on the market to fully match your sex sofa to your home décor.
Each divan is handcrafted and takes between 3 and 4 weeks to manufacture.
You can purchase this tantra chair direct from the manufacturers for a price of €895 (approximately $1,110) plus shipping. Every order receives two free gifts of a multipurpose cushion and sex toy.
The dimensions of the divanTantra Deluxe are 195cm (L) x 46cm (W) and 76cm (H) with delivery being made in discreet packaging.
Liberator Esse Tantric Sex Chair
The by-now familiar wave design of this sex chair by Liberator features two unique removable inserts; a headrest and mini-scoop.
The mini-scoop can be used to level out the main play surface of the couch or as a standalone piece of sex furniture for adding some rocking motion to your floor-based manoeuvres.
Covered with a removable and machine washable fabric, the Esse is constructed of supportive polyurethane foam. You also have a choice of two different fabrics in a variety of colours:
- Velvish – Lush micro velvet (7 choices of color)
- Porto – Lush micro velvet with a weave pattern (4 choices of color)
For those couples who are into BDSM, Liberator sells a great conversion kit for the Esse; a black reinforced cover custom-designed to snugly fit over the couch. It features restraint clips , wrist cuffs and connectors and comes at an extra cost.
The sex sofa itself is priced at $550 and this is a good mid-range tantric chair that (with the help of the inserts) offers quite a few variations on the standard positions. The lack of a solid frame does potentially give some concerns over the longevity of the chair but reviews for comfort are very good.
We like the idea of the covers being machine washable and love the conversion kit.
divanTANTRA Cupido Model
Made by the same Spanish designers as the divanTANTRA Deluxe, the Cupido model offers slightly better value for money.
The design is more ‘boxy’ but still provides great support in a versatile number of positions and can be upholstered in your choice of over 200 different fabric options.
Slightly more compact, the Cupido is priced at just €550 (approximately $660) plus shipping and comes with a protective cover as well as a multi-purpose cushion and free sex toy.
Container Furniture Direct Stretch Chaise
Designed and manufactured by the Chinese company, Meirxifeng Furniture Design, this stretch chaise is a cheaper option for those on a limited budget.
Built from a solid wood frame, the chair is upholstered in faux leather and has a 3” thick PVC foam padded interior.
As an entry level piece of sex furniture, there are a couple of small issues including the plastic feet which don’t look as though they will stand the test of time or any vigorous activity. However, these can be removed which does give the chair some adjustment in terms of height.
You can select from four choices of colour for the faux leather upholstery:
- Black
- Red
- Dark Brown
- Gray (labelled as Light Brown)
The Stretch Chaise tantra chair is available to buy from Amazon at a cost of $195-$250 including free shipping.
The dimensions of this sexy chaise are pretty standard at 29” (H) x 14” (W) x 67” (L) and the item arrives with some assembly required as you have to attach the legs. You should note that the packaging is not that discreet as there is a picture of the product on the outside.