5 Things to Know Before Buying U-shaped metal base frame Leisure Chair

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Metal chairs; they&#;re perhaps the most versatile and durable type of chair you can buy. Available across an immense range of designs, styles and finishes, buying metal chairs for your public building or commercial space can involve more choices than many people realise. So, if you want to take the hard work out of buying metal chairs, read this complete metal chair buying guide from Rosehill now&#;

What is a metal chair? 

That&#;s a question with an obvious answer, isn&#;t it?! Well, as you&#;ll see in this guide, the sheer variety of metal chairs that are available makes this a more complicated question than it appears at first glance. 

Here at Rosehill, we define a metal chair as being a chair where the majority of the structure of the chair is made from some type of metal. 

That is, the chair&#;s frame and legs are made from a metal such as steel or aluminium. 

As you&#;ll discover later in this guide, metal chairs are available with a range of different seats and back types, including upholstered seats and backs, single plastic seat and back &#;shells&#;, individual plastic seats and plastic backs, plywood or laminate shaped seats and backs and even metal seats and backs. 

Because metal chairs are durable, long-lasting, and versatile, they are used in myriad environments from hospitality settings such as restaurants and cafés, community buildings such as village or church halls, libraries and community centres, through to offices, schools, colleges, universities and more.

Depending on the exact model you buy, some metal chairs can be used both indoors and outdoors. 

As you&#;d expect from such a versatile and popular type of chair, metal chairs are available in a nearly endless series of colours and finishes. 

What are the different types of metal chairs? 

When it comes to selecting a metal chair for your building or establishment, you&#;ll find that there are a number of distinct types of metal chair to pick from. 

Metal chairs with upholstered seats and backs

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Arguably the most common type of metal chair is the metal chair with an upholstered seat and back. 

If you&#;ve ever been in an office or other similar environment, then you&#;ll have doubtless seen and used one of these types of chairs. 

This type of metal chair will typically be made from either steel or aluminium. The former being longer lasting and heavier, with the latter being lighter but generally more expensive.

Aside from the type of metal that the frame is made from, these types of chairs also feature different types of frames, such as: 

• Square tubular frames. 

• Rounded tubular frames. 

• Solid rod frames.

Chairs with square or rounded tubular frames are made from either aluminium or steel, whilst chairs with solid rod frames are made from steel. These latter chairs tend to have sled-base designs. This is because their solid rod legs would place too much pressure on the floor surface in a standard four leg design. By using a sled base, the weight of the chair is more easily spread, reducing the likelihood of floor damage.

As the seat and back of these types of chairs are upholstered, you&#;ll usually have a large choice of fabrics and colours to choose from. In terms of the frames and legs of these types of metal chairs, you&#;ll normally have the option to choose from a chrome or EPC finish. 

Some of our higher-end models have a wider selection of luxury frame finishes, including brass or copper too.

Depending on the exact model you purchase, you&#;ll often find that metal chairs with upholstered seats and backs are stackable.  

Upholstered metal chairs at a glance: 

• Usually have a tubular or solid rod frame. If a tubular frame, it can be square or rounded. 

• The frames are made of either steel or aluminium.

• Can be stackable depending on the model (either on the floor, or on a special trolley).

• Available in a huge range of finishes and colours (for both the frame and upholstered sections). 

• Can often be specified with extra features such as arms, linking, book pockets, writing tablets and more.

Metal chairs with plastic seats and backs

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Another of the most popular types of metal chairs that you&#;ll almost certainly have encountered is the classic metal chair with a plastic seat and back. 

Think of the traditional classroom chair that you&#;ll find in a school, a modern conference space or your classic café and street food seating, and you&#;ll get the picture. 

Like other types of metal chairs, metal chairs with plastic seats and backs tend to have one of the following types of frames: 

• Tubular frame.

• Solid rod frame. 

Where a chair has a tubular frame, it will be made from either aluminium or steel. Likewise, where a chair has a solid rod frame, it&#;ll usually be made from steel. 

When it comes to the seats and backs of these types of chairs, you&#;ll have two options: 

• A plastic seat and a separate plastic back. 

• A single plastic &#;shell&#; that incorporates the seat and back into a single piece of plastic. 

• The option to add a fitted pad to the seat and/or back.

The plastic elements of metal chairs are usually made from polypropylene. 

Like other metal chairs, metal chairs with plastic seats and backs are available in a huge range of finishes and colours to the frames, legs, seats and backs.

Metal and plastic chairs at a glance: 

• Usually have a tubular frame or solid rod frame. 

• The frame and legs are normally made from steel or aluminium.

• The plastic seat and back can be individual components, or a single shell.

• Stackable versions are available (can be stacked either on the floor, on a special trolley). 

• In many cases can be specified with additional features such as arms, linking tabs, writing tablets and more. 

• Some models can be used outdoors as well as indoors. 

Metal chairs with wooden seats and backs

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In a similar vein to metal chairs with plastic seats and backs, you&#;ll often see metal chairs with wooden seats and backs in many public buildings or commercial spaces. 

As with other types of metal chairs, metal chairs with wooden seats and backs tend to have either tubular frames or solid rod frames. Where a chair has a tubular frame and legs, they&#;ll be made from either aluminium or steel. Where a chair has a solid rod frame and legs, they&#;ll normally be made from steel. 

When it comes to the seats and backs themselves, these can be made from plywood or laminate and are normally available with a wide range of colours/different wood finishes. 

In some instances, you&#;ll also find chairs that feature a metal frame and legs, a plywood seat, and a plastic back.

If you&#;re worried that metal chairs with wooden seats and backs aren&#;t comfortable, don&#;t worry! In almost all cases, the seats and backs are curved or shaped to provide an ergonomically comfortable sitting experience. 

Metal chairs with wooden seats and backs at a glance: 

• Usually have a tubular or solid rod frame and legs. 

• Available in different materials include steel/aluminium for the frame and plywood/laminate for the seats and backs. 

• Stackable versions are available. 

• Often available with linking, making them ideal for venues and events spaces. 

• Huge range of colours and finishes available. 

Metal chairs with metal seats and backs

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The fourth most common form of metal chairs you&#;ll find on the market are metal chairs that feature metal seats and backs. 

And, by metal seat and back, we don&#;t necessarily mean sheets of solid metal! On these types of chairs, you&#;ll tend to find that the seats and backs are made of a metal mesh or a series of metal tubes to provide support. 

You&#;ll find that these &#;all metal&#; chairs feature either a tubular, rounded frame and legs or square tubular frames and legs. 

&#;All metal&#; chairs will be made from either aluminium or steel. For example, the Likewood Dining Chair features a square tubular frame made from aluminium. To take another example, the Origin Contour features a rounded tubular frame that&#;s made from steel.

Like other types of metal chairs, &#;all metal&#; chairs are available in a broad range of colours.

Completely metal chairs at a glance: 

• Will normally have either a tubular rounded metal frame or a tubular square metal frame.

• The frame and legs will be made from either aluminium or stainless steel.

• The back and seat of these metal chairs will usually be a metal mesh, wire, tubing, or a series of supporting bars/slats. 

• Often suitable for use both indoors and outdoors (but check individual models for details). 

• Many models can be stacked (either on the floor, or on a special trolley).

• Available in a huge range of colours. Some lines can be made with custom RAL finishes for a truly bespoke option.

How to choose the best metal chair for your building

Below, we&#;ve set out the main things you&#;ll need to consider and decide upon when it comes to choosing the correct metal chairs for your building. 

Durability vs usability

The first thing to consider when selecting metal chairs for your building is whether you want them to be more durable or more usable. 

&#;Surely&#;, you&#;re thinking&#; &#;I should just select the most durable chair? It&#;ll be the best value for money!?&#;

Okay, bear with us a moment&#; Whilst you obviously want to buy chairs that have a long service life, it&#;s important that you give some thought as to the people who will be using them. 

For example, metal chairs with solid rod frames typically have the longest lifespans. However, their robust, solid construction means they can sometimes be quite heavy. 

This isn&#;t good if your chairs are going to be used by people across a wide range of age groups and physical abilities. Think of it this way; if you&#;re buying stackable metal chairs for a church which has an older congregation, then it&#;ll probably be best to forgo a little bit of durability so that the chairs are lighter and easier to move and stack. 

To provide a tangible example, consider the Vesta Lightweight Stacking Chair. It may only have a five-year warranty, but it is 1.5 kg lighter than your average solid rod-framed metal chair. That can be a big difference depending on how the chair is going to be used. 

The type of metal the chair is made from

As you&#;ll have probably picked up so far, metal chairs tend to be made from one of two metals; aluminium or steel. 

Below, we&#;ve set out the pros and cons of each type of metal. 

What type of steel are metal chairs made from? 

Steel metal chairs are typically (but not always) made from stainless steel. Stainless steel is a type of steel which has been alloyed with at least 11% chromium. 

The addition of chromium to the steel imparts corrosion resistance, meaning these types of metal chairs are much less likely to rust compared to other metal chairs. 

Steel also tends to have a natural lustre that is visually appealing (think of your steel cutlery sets at home). 

Apart from its visual appearance and corrosion resistance, stainless steel is also exceptionally hard, meaning it&#;s a very durable material. 

The pros and cons of steel: 

• More robust, stronger and longer-lasting than aluminium.

• Heavier than aluminium.

What type of aluminium are aluminium metal chairs made from? 

Metal chairs that are made from aluminium tend to be made from a grade of aluminium known as aluminium. 

This grade of aluminium is very much an &#;all-purpose&#; aluminium and has excellent corrosion resistance and strength. This makes it ideal for use on items of contract furniture, such as metal chairs. 

As aluminium is less dense than steel, it is lighter, meaning it&#;s often used to make stacking chairs where weight is a key factor. 

The pros and cons of aluminium: 

• Lightweight yet durable. 

• More expensive and a shorter life expectancy than steel.

Which metal is the correct choice for you? 

This very much depends on what you&#;ll be using your chairs for. 

If you are going to be regularly moving and stacking your chairs, then it can be worth paying the premium and buying aluminium metal chairs. Should longevity be a key consideration, and your chairs are going to be used in high wear and tear environments, then go for steel.

If in doubt, call the Rosehill team, and we can talk you through the pros and cons of each material in further detail. 

The gauge of the chair&#;s metal

Whether you select an aluminium or steel chair, you should always check the gauge of the metal. 

The gauge refers to the thickness of the metal used. 

Like some of the other points in this article, selecting the best gauge for you is a bit of a trade-off. You can select a chair that&#;s made with a very high gauge metal, and you&#;ll have a very tough chair. BUT, it&#;ll be heavy. 

Conversely, you can select a chair that&#;s made from a lower gauge metal that&#;ll be lighter, but not necessarily as long-lasting. 

The type of frame

Aside from the type of metal and the gauge of metal used, you should also give some thought to the type of frame that your chosen metal chair has. 

JE Group Product Page

As we&#;ve mentioned earlier, the majority of metal chairs will have either a tubular or solid rod frame. 

What is a tubular frame? 

As the name suggests, a tubular frame is a chair frame where the metal has been formed into a tube (either rounded or square). This is done so that the chair is both lightweight and strong. 

It&#;s possible to buy chairs with tubular frames and legs that are made from aluminium or steel. 

Note &#; chairs that feature flat-sided tubular frames can sometimes be harder to stack than chairs with circular tubular frames. This is because the chairs can become &#;locked&#; together when incorrectly stacked.

What is a solid rod frame? 

A solid rod frame is a chair frame which is made from a single, solid rod of metal. This type of frame is usually exceptionally strong and is ideal for use in high-traffic environments where the chair will be receiving a lot of wear and tear. 

You&#;ll find that in almost all circumstances, solid rod frames are made from stainless steel. This is because aluminium does not normally have the torsional strength to work in this type of configuration. 

Check the under frame of the chair

Another thing that we&#;d always recommend checking is the &#;underframe&#; of the chair. This is the section that sits underneath the seat. In other words, it&#;s the part of the chair that&#;ll have to support a user&#;s weight. 

On some cheaper chairs, this underframe can be minimal &#; and sometimes is little more than a wooden panel. On better quality chairs, you&#;ll find that the underframe is more substantial and is made with a cross frame or parallel frame sections from metal or a heavy-duty plastic. 

As the image below demonstrates, better quality chairs have comprehensive under frames that help to spread the weight of a user &#; even if they&#;re not using the chair as it&#;s intended to be used. 

Why is this important? Because you can&#;t always &#;police&#; the way people use chairs. All too often, particularly in offices or educational institutions, people will kneel on the seat of their chair. This can place particular force on the &#;seat&#; of the chair. If the seat doesn&#;t have a proper underframe supporting it then it is likely to break. This is because the individual&#;s entire weight is being focused on the chair via their knees (rather than being spread out when sitting properly). 

If you buy cheaper metal chairs with a basic, poor-quality underframe, they are likely to break when used in this way. 

Note &#; kneeling on chairs (as well as the all too common &#;leaning back on two legs&#;) are classed as misuse by furniture manufacturers. Any damage to a chair as a result of this behaviour would not be typically covered under a warranty/guarantee.

Frame finish

Have you got a particular colour or finish in mind for your new metal chairs? If so, you&#;ll find you have plenty of options to choose from. 

As standard, you&#;ll find the majority of metal chairs have their frames and legs finished in black, grey, white or chrome. However, some chairs &#; such as the Origin Contour &#; are available in a much brighter palette of colours. 

If you&#;re struggling to find a colour that&#;s a perfect match for your building&#;s decor, then it&#;s possible to have many metal chairs painted in a RAL colour (RAL colours are the standard paint codes used in manufacturing and encompass a vast range of colours, these can be great for matching with a school or corporate logo/branding). 

If you select a non-standard RAL colour, then you may find that you have to pay a surcharge or order a minimum number of chairs.  

Taking a closer look at colours, you don&#;t necessarily have to restrict yourself to flat, plain colours either. An increasing number of metal chair manufacturers are launching chairs which feature metallic and other unusual paint finishes on their chairs. 

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A brilliant example of this new breed of unusually-finished metal chairs is the Papas. As the image above demonstrates, it&#;s a chair that&#;s available with bold, unusual and eye-catching colours and finishes such as rose-gold, brass and more. Please note, the finish you choose may affect the price of the chairs.

Note &#; many metal chairs are available with the frame and legs in either an EPC or chrome finish. For more information, read our guide to EPC versus chrome finishes on contract furniture. 

Check the type of welding

We&#;d recommend that, in addition to the above, you also check the welding on your chosen metal chair. 

On cheaper, budget metal chairs, you will often find that the legs and various sections of the frame are welded together using spot welds. This means that there are just one or two &#;spots&#; of welding material used to join the metal sections together. 

On quality metal chairs, you&#;ll typically find that the various metal sections are joined using full fillet and/or groove welds. This ensures a strong, solid connection between the two metal sections.

If you&#;re not sure what welding techniques have been used on a particular chair on the Rosehill website, contact us, and we can tell you the answer.

The type of base the chair has

Related closely to the point above about chair frames, you should also think about what type of base your chosen metal chair has. 

You&#;ll find that metal chairs are usually available with either one or more of the following bases: 

• Four legs. 

• Skid base/sled base. 

• Cantilever. 

Note &#; it&#;s often possible to buy the same chair with different bases. This allows you to have chairs with different base types around your building, whilst the seat and backs of the chairs remain visually consistent.

A note on ferrules or feet

Related to the point above about chair bases, it&#;s also important to pay attention to the feet your chosen chair has. 

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By feet, we are referring to &#;ferrules&#; (also known as foot ferrules). These are the plastic inserts that slot into the bottom of each chair leg. They are designed to prevent damage to flooring; without foot ferrules, some four legged chairs can cause indentations and scratches in wooden, vinyl and other similar floor types. 

Note &#; many four legged chairs are supplied with foot ferrules. However, these ferrules are generally classed as consumables and, as such, are not covered by the chair&#;s warranty/guarantee.

Guarantees

If you&#;ve going to be investing in a set of new metal chairs for your building, then you&#;re going to want some reassurance that they&#;re going to provide a decent service life. 

So, always check the associated guarantee/warranty of your chosen chair!

Although every type of contract-standard metal chair is very durable, you&#;ll tend to find that lighter weight aluminium framed chairs have guarantees in the two to five year range. This contrasts with chairs with steel solid rod frames, which will often have longer guarantees in the 10 to 15-year range. 

Note &#; be sure to check exactly what the guarantee/warranty covers. On some models of metal chair, the guarantee will only cover the structural elements of the chair. You can find this in the &#;technical specification&#; tab on each product page.

Cost

Naturally, no decision to buy new metal chairs for your building is going to be complete without a consideration of cost. 

Because there is such a huge variety of metal chairs on the market, it&#;s close to impossible to give you an approximate price you should be willing to pay. 

Metal chairs encompass everything from basic, budget models all the way up to luxury, designer models. Therefore, there&#;s no set price range that metal chairs sit within. 

Our advice is to look for retailers (such as ourselves!) that offer bulk buy discounts. This is often the best way of purchasing metal chairs at the best price per unit. 

Tip &#; if you&#;d like to discuss the best bulk buying discounts, speak to the Rosehill team on 485 or at: .

Contract-quality

Do you know what contract furniture means? If you don&#;t, then you need to know!

If you&#;re buying metal chairs for use in a public space such as an office or school, then it&#;s important that they are of &#;contract quality&#;. 

Contract furniture simply refers to furniture which has been designed and manufactured to withstand much harder wear and tear than the type of furniture you typically find at home. 

As such, contract furniture may have a slightly higher price tag than the furniture you see on the high street, but it&#;s designed to last far longer!

All the metal chairs that we sell here at Rosehill are of contract quality. 

Strength and weight standards

Any metal chairs that you buy for your public building must have been designed to &#; and tested against &#; the relevant strength and weight standards.

Although the exact standards the furniture will need to meet depends on how and where they&#;ll be used, in general it&#;s the following standard you should be looking for:

• BS EN (Furniture. Strength, Durability and Safety. Requirements for Non-Domestic Seating). 

If you are buying metal chairs for an educational setting, such as a school, then you&#;ll want to see that the chair you&#;ve chosen meets this standard: 

• BS EN (Furniture. Chairs and tables for educational settings).

Some metal models have additional testing for bariatric use &#; meaning they are suitable for users who are up to 190 kg/30 stone in weight.

Guide &#; for more information, read our guide to contract furniture strength and weight testing standards.

Is the chair stackable?

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Many of the people we speak to are buying their chairs for use in multi-use environments e.g. community halls, venues, open-plan offices etc. 

If that&#;s the case for you, then you should check to see if your chosen metal chair is stackable. 

By the way, don&#;t just check that a chair is stackable. Check how stackable it is. 

The more you can stack a particular chair, the easier it will be to move and store your chairs when they&#;re not needed. 

It&#;s also worth noting that metal chairs can often be stacked at different heights depending on whether you&#;re stacking them on the floor, or on a transport trolley. To give you an example of this, consider the KI Perry Stacking Chair. This chair will stack eight high on the floor, and up to 25 high when stacked on its accompanying trolley.

Guide &#; for more information, read our guide to high-density stacking chairs.

Comfort

Whether you&#;re buying a metal chair that has metal, plastic or upholstered seat and back pads, you&#;ll want to ensure that it&#;s comfortable. 

The easiest way to check that a chair will be comfortable is to try it out! Here at Rosehill, we not only keep many chairs in stock in our showroom, but we can also obtain samples from our suppliers for you to try. 

If you don&#;t have the time or inclination to physically try out a chair, then the next best thing to do is to look for chairs which have been ergonomically designed. Ergonomic design means that the chair has been designed to fit the contours of the body and provide support in all the right places. 

Other features to look for in metal chairs

Aside from the main buying points above, there are a number of additional features that you may wish to consider when selecting a metal chair. 

Arms

When it comes to selecting metal chairs for contexts such as hospitality venues, then it can be handy to choose chairs which have armrests. These provide a more relaxed sitting experience and help to provide additional support and comfort to a user&#;s arms and posture. 

In the majority of cases, armrests are an optional extra. The armrests themselves can usually be specified with extras such as padded sections. 

Note &#; if you are buying stackable metal chairs, adding arms can sometimes reduce the height to which they can be stacked. Check individual product descriptions for specific details. 

Writing tablets

Ideal for work, training and educational settings, some metal chairs are available with writing tablets. 

Writing tablets allow users to write and/or use laptops comfortably whilst seated. Adding writing tablets can also allow you to reduce the number of tables you have to use in a room. 

Like armrests, writing tablets are often an optional extra and require you to pay a small upgrade fee &#; although this is typically very modest. You can specify whether they are positioned for right or left handed users too.

Castor wheels

On a small number of metal chairs, it&#;s possible to add castor wheels to the base of each leg. With castor wheels attached, users can wheel around their working space without having to leave their chair. 

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Castor wheels also make it much easier to move chairs around as and when required. 

Where&#;s the best place to buy metal chairs? 

At Rosehill, of course! In all seriousness, though, if you&#;re after contract-quality metal chairs, then it&#;s hard to find anywhere better than Rosehill. 

For over 40 years, we&#;ve supplied businesses, institutions, organisations and public bodies of all kinds with the very best metal-framed chairs. 

We&#;re not just adept at finding the best chairs at the best prices, but we make it a point to offer a detailed and consultative approach, ensuring you only buy the chairs that are truly a good fit for you and your building.

Want to know more? Then speak to the Rosehill team on 485 or at: .

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For more commercial and contract furniture buying guides, advice and information, read the Rosehill blog&#;

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