The Best Home Theater Seat Innovations from 2012

Since the Mayan Apocalypse didn’t happen last week, it did not save us from all of the “End-of-the-Year Roundups” that show up on blogs, news sites and news outlets across the Internet. Therefore we have decided to add ours to the mix too.

Welcome to the Theater Seat Store 2012 Home Theater Seat Roundup!

We decided to take a brief look at the innovations and trends that have shaped home theater seating over 2012. It was a big year for home theater seats as many new models were introduced with fantastic new features:

• Ambient Base Lighting – Traditional movie theaters tend to have a small light at the end of each row that is embedded in the riser. This helps people find their way in the darkened theater. Home theater enthusiasts could mimic this effect in their own home theaters, but there was no commercial kit to help them. A popular new trend for 2012 has been to add a strip of LED lighting along the baserail of each seat. This light is usually blue to not interfere with the picture or viewers’ eyes that have adjusted to the darkness. This popular feature is now available on a wide variety of theater seat models.
• Pocket Coil Seating – Until 2012, pretty much all home theater seats had foam seat cushions that were made up of layers of furniture foam. While these seats are comfortable and offer decent support, home theater seats got a boost in the comfort zone when some manufacturers started adding pocket coil seating to their new models. Pocket coils are an array of steel springs that are encased in layers of foam. Each coil is encased in its own fabric sheath, and coils are packed together tightly (16 coils per 10-inch square space). This offers an increased level of comfort and support thanks to the individual coils distributing weight evenly.
• Better Bonded Leather – Bonded leather is a popular and inexpensive alternative to real leather upholstery. It is made up of a small amount of real leather scraps mixed with vinyl material. Up until now, bonded leather has had a plastic-like feel and sheen to it. This year, new manufacturing techniques have produced bonded leather that looks and feels like the real thing.
• Smartphone or Tablet Control – New products by major manufacturers now have apps that you can download to your Apple or Android smartphone. These apps allow you to control the powered features of each seat. You can use your smartphone or tablet to recline the seat, activate massage features or even turn lighting on and off. Add a remote control app and you can control your entire home theater from the comfort of your seat. Palliser Furniture even added an iPad Holder to some of their newer models! This device holds your tablet at an angle for comfortable use.
• Built-in Charging Stations – Why let your mobile phone battery run out during a movie? Some home theater seats feature built in charging stations to charge your smartphone or tablet while you watch your favorite shows. You can also use the charging station to power your mobile device while you control the functions of your home theater seat, (see above).

2013 promises to be a great year for home theater. A couple of the highly anticipated announcements are the rumors that Apple will finally release AppleTV in 2013. Another rumor concerns the movie theater industry. In a move to compete with the growing popularity of home theaters, major movie theaters are exploring ways to make tickets more affordable while giving audiences the thrill of 3D movies, high frame rates, IMAX screens and other great features. One can only savor the anticipation!