Office armchairs and chairs
Office furniture has specific features that separate it from other categories of furniture products due to the special requirements that apply to it.
Chairs and armchairs for the office must be durable, reliable, as well as comfortable and safe for the health of those who use them every day for 6-8 hours. The well-being, health and performance of an employee largely depends on the comfort of an office chair.
Types of office chairs and armchairs
All armchairs and chairs produced for furnishing office space are divided into 3 categories:
- armchairs for executives. This furniture belongs to the segment of premium goods, for its manufacture not only expensive finishing materials (leather, wood, metal) are used, but also complex technical mechanisms - smooth gas lifts, reliable synchromechanisms, swing mechanisms, fixation, etc .;
- armchairs and chairs for staff. This category is most common in Russian offices, public and residential premises. For the manufacture of such furniture, plastic, metal, natural and artificial leather, durable synthetic fabrics, inexpensive gas lifts and simple mechanisms are used. The popularity of these models is due to their low cost, durability and versatility;
- chairs and armchairs for visitors. They are not intended for long-term use, therefore their distinctive features are simplicity of design, stability and lack of mechanisms. Chairs with legs or runners are used to furnish reception rooms, meeting rooms, conference rooms, classrooms, etc.
Office armchairs and chairs market trends
The office furniture segment accounts for about 15-20% of the entire Russian furniture market.
The leading positions in this niche are occupied by domestic manufacturers specializing in the production of products of all categories. This is partly due to the high cost of foreign products, partly due to the growth of production capacity and the improvement in the quality of furniture from domestic factories.
An exception is the market for executive chairs - products of foreign companies are still more popular with directors and top managers of Russian companies than domestic models.
Despite the continuing downturn in the economy with regard to operational furniture, the activity of buyers does not decrease. This can be attributed to the need to regularly replace old furniture - the estimated service life of armchairs and chairs for staff and visitors rarely exceeds 5-7 years.
The segment of ergonomic furniture is growing - armchairs and chairs with a flexible system of settings. Chairs with a back cushion, a headrest, several mechanisms for fixing the back, armrests and seating are often purchased for organizing a home work or study space.
Features of the production of office chairs and armchairs
Unlike cabinet furniture, armchairs and chairs for offices cannot be produced in small enterprises specializing in the production of small-scale products.
For the production of competitive products, the factory must have its own technological base and equipment that allows casting and processing plastic parts, molding metal elements, covering seats, etc. Or the company will have to purchase these parts from third-party manufacturers, which will lead to an increase in the cost of the final product.
Great attention should be paid to the safety and ergonomics of the finished product, as well as its documentation. The technical passport of armchairs and chairs should contain information about the purpose of the product, the type of its design, the mechanisms used, the maximum weight load, the warranty period and the estimated service life.
Examples of office chairs and chairs of different types, peculiarities of furniture production, market trends are demonstrated at the annual exhibition Mebel.