Parts of a Barber Chair – Labeled Diagram and Quiz

All 9 parts on the diagram

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The chair 9

Headrest It holds the head steady for a shave. Its height can be changed, and on some chairs it folds out of the way for a haircut.
Backrest It leans back for a shave or a hair wash. This is called reclining.
Arms One at each side, for the forearms to rest on. Also called armrests.
Seat The cushion to sit on. It turns and rises with the rest of the chair.
Leg rest It supports the lower legs. When the back reclines, the leg rest and the footrest lift.
Footrest The feet rest on it. It is fixed below the leg rest and moves with it.
Hand lever The barber works the chair with it. On a lever chair it pumps the seat up, and a push on it locks the chair from turning.
Hydraulic pump It raises and lowers the seat. It is inside the column between the seat and the base.
Base The pump stands on it, and it sits on the floor.

How this list was compiled: Part names checked on 2026-09-30; a name is kept only when two independent sources use it. (1) A barber chair owner's manual with a parts list, https://archive.org/details/manuals-plus-barber-chair-owners-manual-8185d397 (headrest, backrest, seat, leg rest, footrest, frame, oil pump, base, foot pump rod, reclining handle). (2) Kochs Barber Supplies, a chair maker's 1926 catalog, and its earlier price list, https://archive.org/details/kochs-barber-supplies-1926 and https://archive.org/details/pricelistbarbers00koch, counted as one source (head rest, back, seat, arms, leg-rest, footrest, step, base, hydraulic pump, hand-lever). (3) L. Holzhauer Sons, a barbers' furniture catalog, https://archive.org/details/lholzhauersonsma00lhol, whose text is shared with https://archive.org/details/decklman11unse, counted as one source (head-rest, arms, seat frame, hand lever, pedestal base, step and foot-rest plates). (4) Wikipedia, Barber chair, text only, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barber_chair (head rest, leg rests, footrest, the lever on the side, the foot-operated jack, the hydraulic chair of 1900). Makers are named here only; the page names none. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry; no maker's chair is copied and nothing is traced. Licence: own work

How it works

A barber chair does three things a plain chair cannot: it rises, it turns and it leans back. This drawing names the parts that do that, and the pads the customer rests on.

Read the full guide

From the headrest to the base

The chair faces right. The customer rests on six pads: the headrest at the top, the backrest, an arm at each side, the seat, the leg rest behind the calves and the footrest under the feet. Under the seat is a thick column, which holds the hydraulic pump, and the pump stands on a wide round base. The rod with a knob at the side is the hand lever.

Many newer chairs have no hand lever: a foot pedal on the pump raises the seat.
Arms and armrests are the same parts; old makers' catalogs say arms.

Questions and answers

What are the parts of a barber chair called?

From the top: the headrest, the backrest, the arms, the seat, the leg rest and the footrest. Under the seat are the hydraulic pump and a round base. A hand lever at the side, or a foot pedal, works the pump.

How does a barber chair go up and down?

A hydraulic pump in the column under the seat lifts it. The barber pumps it with a hand lever at the side or with a foot pedal. The hydraulic barber chair dates from 1900.

What is the lever on the side of a barber chair for?

It lets the barber control the chair. On a lever chair, pumping it raises the seat, and a push on it locks the chair so it cannot turn.

Why does a barber chair have a headrest?

It holds the head steady while the chair leans back for a shave. Some US states require a headrest on a barber chair used for shaving.