So, your worship facility has raised the funds for church seating. What are the factors that may influence your decision-making process when evaluating church chairs? A multi-purpose seating approach allows churches to make more efficient use of their facilities. 

Here are the most frequently asked questions regarding church chair evaluation and selection:

* How are the chairs constructed – are they made from wood, plastic, or metal? 
* What is your warranty – what does it cover? 
* What type of foam do you use? 
* How durable is the fabric – is it stain resistant? 
* Can the chairs be custom made to a different height, length, or width? 
* Can I choose the chair style, frame color, and fabric to match my décor? 
* How do I know how many chairs to order to fit in our space? 
* When can you deliver? 

The questions are numerous and should be. The goal is to help you become better prepared to compare seating options, evaluate more than just visual appeal, and become skilled at comparing comfort and potential for long-term performance.

Chair selection primarily involves the following five factors:

1. Chair Construction
Do you prefer a chair with a wood frame or a metal frame? 

For spaces that require frequent seating configuration changes, stackable steel frame designs may offer the best solution. Metal frames with a thick powder-coated finish resist chipping better than those having a sprayed enamel finish. The chairs are lighter weight than wood, can be stacked higher on carts, and are more mobility friendly. 

Many people believe that nothing compares to the warmth of natural wood. For those people, there are solid wood frame designs. Natural wood frame chair designs are ideal for seating that will most often remain in place, when infrequent rearrangement is anticipated.

The chair deck—which is the platform used to suspend the cushion between the front, side, and back rails—should be plywood, polyresin composite materials, or a web-suspension deck. A solid wood deck is not a good idea, as it is subject to checking and, if improperly dried, can warp and loosen fasteners used to secure the seat to the frame. 

2. Comfort
Comfort is the key to long-term satisfaction. Comfort begins with the frame design. To appeal to a range of human heights, the combined seat height and foam cushion thickness should total about 18 vertical inches. Less seat height causes uncomfortable pressure, no matter the seating design or construction. Some manufacturers are also able to custom fabricate chairs with dimensions to meet special needs.

Cushion material selection is critical. The flexible polyurethane foam cushion used in seat cushions must provide the proper combination of comfort and support. There are thousands of different grades and specifications, but only a slight difference in cushion density or firmness can affect all of the other chair performance characteristics. Some manufacturers are also able to offer new green natural foam manufactured with renewable resources.

To provide comfortable seating over a period of hours requires much firmer and more supportive foam than would be found in upholstered living room furniture. 

In fact, it should be about three times firmer than residential furniture cushioning.  According to the Polyurethane Foam Association, when foam cushions are used over a solid deck (as found in most chairs), a loss of firmness of between 10% to 15% should be expected. Therefore, as a general rule when evaluating chairs, it is a good idea to test the quality of a chair by sitting in it for at least one hour and selecting the one with the firmest cushioning. The softest cushion, which may feel best during a short test, may not be able to provide adequate support after a few hours of use. It is also a good idea to sit on the edge of the chair to see if you can feel the frame through the fabric. If you can feel the hard edge, the chair is inadequately padded and subject to more rapid fabric wear.

In addition, don't forget to ask about the seat cushion density. Industry tests show that flexible polyurethane foam used in church chair construction should have a density of at least 1.7 pounds per cubic foot. Foam used in back construction can have slightly lower density, as it is not a load-bearing application.

3. Style
Flexible church chairs don't have to look boring. Several manufacturers offer long product lines with numerous styling options. In fact, there are flexible chair designs offered for use in the most conservative sanctuaries, the most contemporary worship facilities, and in everything in between. If you need help selecting a style, some manufacturers can provide design assistance. Ask if you can supply photographs or a floor plan showing your facility to receive custom styling recommendations.

4. Fabric
A vast number of fabric choices are available. Most fabrics offered for flexible church seating are woven using Olefin, also known as Polyolefin. These types of fiber have been proven to resist abrasion and wear, hold colors well, are inherently stain resistant, and can be treated to resist soiling and extra stain protection. In tight cushion upholstery, as found in all flexible seating for churches, it is important that the fabric be designed to resist stretch to prevent premature wear. 

Fabrics used in church seating are commercial fabrics specially woven for such use. For this reason, it is usually not a good idea to supply your own fabric. Supplying your own fabric may also void the manufacturer's warranty. 

5. Color    
Many people consider color to be the most important consideration. From a durability and performance standpoint, color has little bearing on the value of the chair selection. 

Just as there are thousands of fabrics to choose from, there are many, many color choices.  In fact, there are so many shades of red, blue, and green that it's a good idea to have carpet swatches and paint chips available to be certain the color you choose works in your environment.

In addition, before specifying a fabric, it's a good idea to confirm that it is colorfast for possible cleaning and that it will not transfer color to lighter colored materials. 

Other Considerations 
Beyond physical construction, performance, styling, and color, there are other factors to consider when selecting flexible seating.

Does the manufacturer offer a free demonstration chair for use during the evaluation process?

Will there be a warranty on the chair frame and fabric?

How do I know how many chairs will fit in our facility? Does the manufacturer offer a free design layout service?  

Does the manufacturer produce all the components used in their chairs or do they have a "never out" policy to guarantee availability of the products in their line? Unfortunately, one of the problems facing today's manufacturers is periodic shortages of certain materials as a result of raw material suppliers trying to minimize their inventories. So, the more processes a manufacturer can perform "in house," the better the possibility of receiving on-time chair delivery.

Do you need 1,000 chairs in a week? Ask if the manufacturer has an established quick-ship program.

Need reassurance? It is perfectly acceptable to request customer references.

Would you like to manage your cash flow? Then ask about financing options. It may be possible to extend payment over a period of years.   

Like any major purchase decision, there are a number of factors to be considered in the chair selection process. The reward comes when you make the right choice and your church thanks you for providing a pleasing, comfortable environment to enrich their worship experience.

This article is the courtesy of Shari Sammons of Church Chair Industries in Rome, Georgia.  Church Chair is a leading manufacturer of custom-made flexible seating for religious organizations, www.churchchair.com.