As in, channels where the presenter is laid back, calming, and the content is slower paced and chill. My go two examples are LGR for retro computer stuff, and Hainbach for experimental tape music.
Ishitani Furniture (no talking, plus an occasional pet): https://m.youtube.com/channel/UC7FkqjV8SU5I8FCHXQSQe9Q
He does great work!
Paul Harrell (RIP) for guns. His presentation style was a masterclass on how to convey information in a unbiased manner. Anyone who teaches anything to anyone should take notes.
He was entertaining without trying to be entertaining. If that makes sense? The man was demonstrating and testing hypotheses without giving two shits about likes and subscribes. Loved his dry humor, sometimes caught me off guard. “Wait! Did he really just say that?!”
bigclivedotcom - I have no idea what he’s talking about 90% of the time but he’s generally a relaxing watch.
Ali Spagnola and Aging Wheels aren’t quite what you’re describing in terms of being calm and chill but I still love their stuff.
Seconding others’ recommendations for Technology Connections, TheCrafsMan, Cathode Ray Dude, and Techmoan.
“Tally Ho” comes to mind, where a guy turns a famous wreck into a boat.
Baumgartner Restoration. I watch it like bedtime stories.
Attoparsec, Chronova Engineering, and polymatt all fit that description.
I mostly watch guitar luthiers on youtube nowadays as a background for when I do stuff like washing dishes and such, so I don’t want to listen to people yelling.
My favourite channels are twoodfrd and Doug McCormack for this reason exactly: they’re laid back, constructive and politePask Makes - Australian wood- and metalworking guy who does the most elaborate and intricate things with absolute chill.
Dashner Design and Restoration - also woodworking, finds old and neglected mid century modern furniture at thrift stores and restores them beautifully.
Maybe tangential but FutureCanoe - meme-y cooking channel, super relatable and relaxing mostly because his voice sounds like existential dread.
Most of what I would have suggested has already been posted by others, but I can say Kruggsmash’s Dwarf Fortress stories do this for me. The Waddlesquash/Kingdom of Autumn series he did (with the pumpkin mod) is particularly laid back, but even the action-heavy series are calming to watch/listen to.
Bernadette Banner - Historical handmade clothes and sewing tips
He doesn’t really talk in his videos, but I really enjoy watching Philippe Faraut sculpt in clay. Guy has masterful technique.
I recommend Technology Connections to anyone who enjoys learning about how stuff works. I really appreciate the way this guy explains things for laypeople.
SummoningSalt is super interesting if you like learning about speedrunning. My only gripe is that the videos are all really chill, but tend to have clips of people breaking world records and flipping out, like “FUCK YEAAAAAAAHH WOOOOOOO FUCK YEAH LET’S FUCKING GOOOOO FUUUUUUCK” and it can be very jarring, lol. But I do enjoy seeing those clips in the videos.
Grand Illusions is a fun channel where an older British gentleman named Tim presents curiosities, puzzles, toys, and the like.
Honorable mention: while I don’t watch many of his videos these days, Smarter Every Day is fantastic STEM content
Florian Gadsby has an amazing channel for pottery. I find it incredibly relaxing and he is an amazing potter.
Easily Brutalmoose, or his VODs at Moose2. Watching him play Nancy Drew games or old Windows 98 games is the perfect backdrop to working from home.
Another one is a James Channel. Upbeat, nice guy with insane technical experience does crazy stuff like make a SNES console run on an NES console. And it works. (Mostly)
Not Youtube, but on my streaming service there’s an America’s Test Kitchen channel and a “The Repair Shop” channel.
