Folding or stacking chairs have been around in many shapes and forms for the last 50 years, ranging from the good old polypropylene chair seen in most schools and social centres, to some designs which used state of the art materials and construction methods

Stacking and folding chairs were designed to offer flexible and occasional seating for large numbers of people, for short periods of time. As soon as the event was over the folding or stacking chairs could be piled onto trolleys and stored away until the next time they were needed. The room or hall could then be used for other purposes.

The chairs were light, durable and cheap, but not too comfortable and function was always more important than form

Various additional features have been added to the basic design over the years, such as armrests, writing pads,  linking systems to keep the chairs in straight lines, and even spacer bars to maintain the walkway space between the rows of chairs.

Some of the features have been designed from necessity (Health and Safety) and some in an effort to improve comfort and usability.

For example foldaway writing shelves have been a popular addition in colleges, universities and adult education centres where the students need to take notes or use laptops.

Elite Furniture have come with their own version of this and produced a stacking chair with a difference.

The seat and backrest can be lifted and inverted to turn a modern looking stacking chair into the decent sized writing desk, complete with modesty panel. The design means that the work surface is as solid as a desk, with enough space for a computer or notepad.

Many folding writing shelves were a bit of a compromise in terms or rigidity and space, and this innovative design certainly solves this problem.

This manufacturer has also come up with an innovative twist for a folding chair, which is their sit and move acrylic chair.

The strong folding frame supports an acrylic backrest and seat, but the design innovation is that the seat is supported by a central swivel roller mechanism which allows the user to tilt backwards and forwards and to either side.
This brings a new level of comfort to folding chairs, which cannot even be equalled with an equivalent upholstered folding or stacking chair.

These chairs are comfortable for longer periods of time, and very easy to keep clean, which means that they are also suitable for use as extra seating in canteen or restaurant areas.

And, whilst not a new product we should also mention their stylish beech framed Meco chairs which are available with or without armrests.

The laminated beech frame has been ergonomically designed to provide maximum support and comfort - even the backrest flexes to improve comfort over longer periods.

This has been a popular product in the market for many years, and will probably remain so in the future

So whilst it may seem that the office furniture world moves very slowly in terms of design and innovation it is refreshing to see British Companies leading the field with some very exciting and original ideas.