(ThyBlackMan.com) Church makeovers are common. Congregations and communities spend a lot of time and resources choosing to renovate their sanctuary in hopes of attracting new members and keeping current members happy.
A lot of factors go into the makeover, but one of the most important is chairs for church sanctuary service.
Members of a congregation need to be comfortable. Chairs should be supportive, long-lasting and not take up too much space. If you’re having difficulty selecting church chairs, these six factors can help make your selection a success.
6 Must-Consider Factors When Choosing Church Chairs
1. Chair’s Frame Material
What material will the chair be made out of? Two main choices for materials that are good options and allow for a long-lasting chair are:
- Metal
- Wood
Wood is a good choice if you want a warm, traditional feel within the church. Metal frames on the chair are sturdier and more durable. The metal may not have the traditional wood look that churches prefer, but they’re often less susceptible to breakage and wear from continued usage.
2. Comfort Level
Old, wooden pews may have worked for decades or longer, but they were a common focus of discussion among church members. The pews are hard, uncomfortable and lead to aches and pains.
When choosing new church chairs for your remodel, you should be focusing on comfort.
A few factors that add to a chair’s comfort level are:
- Fabric thickness. The fabric you choose should be at least 1.5 inches thick on the back and 4 inches thick on the seat or more.
- Backs should be supportive.
If possible, sit in the chair and see if it’s comfortable for you to sit in. Could you sit in the chair for a long period of time?
3. Ergonomics
Ergonomics play a major role in choosing the right chair, especially for long sermons. You want your congregation to be comfortable and never stand up with an achy back or in pain. One way to ensure this level of comfort is to choose a chair with a high level of ergonomics.
What does this mean?
The chair should be designed to promote:
- Proper posture when sitting
- Height that allows your feet to comfortably lay flat on the ground
- Arm rests
Chair ergonomics are important, and while these chairs may not be adjustable like an ergonomic office chair, they’re still more supportive and comfortable than competing models.
4. Fabric
Church chairs should use commercial fabrics that are able to withstand the immense use seen in a church. People from all walks of life will be sitting on your chairs, and the fabric needs to be durable enough to withstand these usages.
Special weaves are available that will have low risks of fraying or the fabric stretching.
Fabric colours should also be considered. Lighter colours may look nice, but they pose the risk of stains being easily seen, too.
5. Size
The size of the chair needs to be proper. Luxury chairs, when you have the room, ought to be 21 inches wide. Otherwise, an 18.5-inch-wide chair will be a good choice. You’ll also find chair sizes between these two widths that will add additional comfort while not taking up as much space as a luxury chair.
6. Durability and Warranty
Congregation members come in all different sizes, and the chairs need to be durable and reliable enough to withstand frequent usage. The right chairs should come with a level of durability that the manufacturer is so confident in that they’ll offer a warranty on.
You should ask the retailer what type of warranty is offered and if any testing has been performed on the chair.
Fabric testing is one of the most common tests performed, primarily the Wyzenbeek test, which tests against how many times a chair’s fabric can be rubbed against before the fabric starts to deteriorate.
Weight testing ought to be performed, too.
If you have access to these testing results and any warranty information provided, you can be more confident when purchasing church chairs.
A lot of factors go into selecting a church chair. While there are a lot of points that you can focus on during the selection process, these six factors outlined above are the most important and reliable.
What methods does your church use to select church chairs?
Staff Writer; Terry Moore