List of chairs
Encyclopedia
The following is a partial list of chair types, with internal or external cross references about most of the chair
s.
Chair
A chair is a stable, raised surface used to sit on, commonly for use by one person. Chairs are most often supported by four legs and have a back; however, a chair can have three legs or could have a different shape depending on the criteria of the chair specifications. A chair without a back or...
s.
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- The 10 Downing Street Guard Chairs10 Downing Street Guard ChairsThe 10 Downing Street Guard Chairs are two antique chairs. During the early 19th century, 10 Downing Street was guarded by two men sitting outside the building in leather chairs made by Thomas Chippendale. There was a drawer underneath the chair which was filled with hot coals in order to keep the...
are two antique chairs used by guards in the early 19th century.
A
- The Aalto armchair 406 was designed by Alvar AaltoAlvar AaltoHugo Alvar Henrik Aalto was a Finnish architect and designer. His work includes architecture, furniture, textiles and glassware...
in 1938. IKEA sells a similar design as the Poäng lounge chair.
- An Adirondack chairAdirondack chairAn Adirondack chair or Muskoka chair is a type of chair favored in rural, outdoor settings. The precursor to today's Adirondack chair was designed by Thomas Lee in 1903. He was on vacation in Westport, New York, in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains, and needed outdoor chairs for his summer...
is a non-adjustable wooden outdoor lounge chair. In Canada, it is often called a "Muskoka chair" after that recreational regionMuskoka District Municipality, OntarioThe District Municipality of Muskoka, more generally referred to as the District of Muskoka, or simply Muskoka, is a Regional Municipality located in Central Ontario, Canada. Muskoka extends from Georgian Bay in the west, to the northern tip of Lake Couchiching in the south, to the western border...
in southern OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. The Adirondack style is sometimes referred to as 'twig furniture'.
- An Aeron chairAeron chairThe Aeron chair is a Herman Miller product designed in 1994 by Don Chadwick and Bill Stumpf. It is an ergonomic chair regarded by many users as inherently very comfortable due to its wide range of fit and adjustability. Its novel design has gained it a spot in the Museum of Modern Art's permanent...
is an ergonomic trademarked chair.
- An armchairArmchairAn armchair is a chair with arm rests.Armchair may also refer to:*Armchair nanotube, a carbon nanotube with chiral symmetry*Armchair, a sitting sex position*Armchair , a bus operator in London...
has armrests for comfort. Couches, sofas, etc., often have armrests.
B
- A bachelor's chair dates from the 18th century and converts into step stool, ladder or ironing board.
- A balans chair designed by Norwegian furniture designer Peter OpsvikPeter OpsvikPeter Opsvik is a Norwegian industrial designer best known for his innovative and ergonomic chairs. Opsvik’s furniture can be found under the brand names: Rybo , Håg , Varier , Stokke Naturellement , Cylindra and Moment .His book Rethinking Sittingcame out in 2009 giving...
in 1979, is the original kneeling chair design
- A Ball ChairBall ChairThe Ball Chair was designed by Finnish furniture designer Eero Aarnio in 1963. The Ball Chair is also known as the globe chair and is famous for its unconventional shape. It is considered a classic of industrial design...
designed by Finnish furniture designer Eero AarnioEero AarnioEero Aarnio is a Finnish interior designer, well known for his innovative furniture designs in the 1960s, notably his plastic and fibreglass chairs....
in 1966.
- A barber's chair swivels and has easily adjusted heights to make it easy for the barber. It may also recline for washing hair. It typically has footrests as the height may be adjusted and raise the patron's feet off the floor. For children's barbershops, the chairs may come in fanciful shapes such as horses and cars to distract the children while their hair is cut.
- A Barcelona chairBarcelona chairThe Barcelona chair was exclusively designed for the German Pavilion, that country's entry for the International Exposition of 1929, which was hosted by Barcelona, Spain...
is a proprietary chair designed in 1929 by the German architect Ludwig Mies van der RoheLudwig Mies van der RoheLudwig Mies van der Rohe was a German architect. He is commonly referred to and addressed as Mies, his surname....
and widely copied since. It is characterized by leather upholstery, an angled seat and back without armrests, and X-shaped steel legs.
- A barrel chair is a chair with a high round back like half a barrel. It is large and upholstered.
- A bar stoolBar stoolBar stools are a type of tall stool, often with a foot rest, which because of their height and narrowness are designed for seating in a public house or bar...
is a tall, narrow stool designed for seating at a bar or counter.
- A Bath chairBath chairA bath chair—or Bath chair—is a rolling chaise or light carriage with a folding hood, which can be open or closed, and a glass front. Used especially by invalids, it is mounted on three or four wheels and drawn or pushed by hand. It is so named from its origin in Bath, England, and possibly also...
was a light carriage on wheels with a folding hood, for outdoor transport, often used by invalids.
- A beach chair is a special chair designed to provide comfort and protection from sun, wind, rain, and sand on beachBeachA beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
es frequented by tourists.
- A bean bagBean bagA bean bag is a sealed bag containing dried beans, PVC pellets or expanded polystyrene, with various applications.-Games:...
chair can be composed of various materials including faux leather, cord, cotton or leather. While in the 80s they were filled with foam chips, they now use polystyrene bead. New styles of bean bags are always being developed - popular models today are bean bag chairs, sofas, poufs, teardrop, children's and even ones to suit your cat or dog.
- A benchBench (furniture)A bench is a piece of furniture, on which several people may sit at the same time. Benches are typically made of wood, but may also be made of metal, stone, or synthetic materials. Many benches have arm and back rests; some have no back rest and can be sat on from either side. In public areas,...
is a simple, often backless device, typically for more than one person to sit on. Benches often refer to simple, longer tables or similar longer flat surfaces to place things on or work on.
- A BergereBergèreA bergère is an enclosed upholstered French armchair with an upholstered back and armrests on upholstered frames. The seat frame is over-upholstered, but the rest of the wooden framing is exposed: it may be moulded or carved, and of beech, painted or gilded, or of fruitwood, walnut or mahogany...
is an upholstered chairChairA chair is a stable, raised surface used to sit on, commonly for use by one person. Chairs are most often supported by four legs and have a back; however, a chair can have three legs or could have a different shape depending on the criteria of the chair specifications. A chair without a back or...
, introduced in the RegenceRégenceThe Régence is the period in French history between 1715 and 1723, when King Louis XV was a minor and the land was governed by a Regent, Philippe d'Orléans, the nephew of Louis XIV of France....
/RococoRococoRococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...
period in FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in the 17th century
- A Bikini chair was designed by architect Wendell Lovett in 1949 and first exhibited in 10th Triennale di Milano 1954. Made of metal, molded plastic, and leather, the chair was also featured in the magazine Domus February 1954 (#291).
- The Bofinger chairBofinger chairThe Bofinger Chair, also named BA 1171, was designed by architect and designer Helmut Bätzner in 1964. In close co-operation with Bofinger company, situated in Ilsfeld in Baden-Württemberg/Germany, under owner and managing director Rudolf Baresel-Bofinger, the Bofinger stacking chair was developed...
was the first chair worldwide in fibreglass- reinforced polyester to be produced in one single process over a steel mould. It is considered a classic of modern furniture design history.
- A Brewster ChairBrewster Chair]A Brewster Chair is a rare style of chair made in mid-17th century New England.-Origin:The "Brewster Chair" was named after Willam Brewster, one of the Pilgrim fathers who landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620. In 1830 the Brewster family of Duxbury donated Elder Brewster's original chair to...
is a style of upright, turned, wooden armchair made in the mid-17th century in New England. It was named after PilgrimPilgrimsPilgrims , or Pilgrim Fathers , is a name commonly applied to early settlers of the Plymouth Colony in present-day Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States...
and colonial leader William BrewsterWilliam Brewster (Pilgrim)Elder William Brewster was a Mayflower passenger and a Pilgrim colonist leader and preacher.-Origins:Brewster was probably born at Doncaster, Yorkshire, England, circa 1566/1567, although no birth records have been found, and died at Plymouth, Massachusetts on April 10, 1644 around 9- or 10pm...
of Plymouth, Massachusetts.
- A Bubble ChairBubble ChairThe Bubble chair was designed by Eero Aarnio in 1968 in Finland. It is made of acrylic or steel frame and leather or polyurethane fabric cushions. It is distributed by Adelta. The chair is suspended from above leading to a floating or bubble-like sensation. It is considered an industrial design...
is designed by Eero AarnioEero AarnioEero Aarnio is a Finnish interior designer, well known for his innovative furniture designs in the 1960s, notably his plastic and fibreglass chairs....
in 1968 in Finland. A modernist classic
- A butterfly chairButterfly chairA butterfly chair, also known as a BKF chair, is a style of chair featuring a folding frame and a large cloth sling hung from the frames highest points. This design is popular for portable recreational seating.-History:...
is composed of a single piece of fabric suspended from a light metal frame.
C
- A cantilever chairCantilever chairA cantilever chair is a chair with no back legs, relying for support on the properties of the material from which it is made. This famous form was designed by Mart Stam in 1926, and remains an important example of 20th century design....
has no back legs, relying for support on the tensile properties of the material from which it is made.
- A captain's chair was originally a low-backed wooden armchair. Today it is often applied to adjustable individual seats in a car with arm rests.
- A car chair, or, rather, a car seatCar seatA car seat is the chair used in automobiles. Most car seats are made from inexpensive but durable material in order to withstand as much use as possible.-Ergonomy: Lumbar and thigh support:...
, is a chair within an automobile in which either the pilot or passenger sits, customarily in the forward direction. Many car chairs are adorned in leather or synthetic material designed for comfort or relief from the noted stress of being seated. Variants include a toddler's or infant's carseat, which are often placed atop an existent chair and secured by way of extant seat beltSeat beltA seat belt or seatbelt, sometimes called a safety belt, is a safety harness designed to secure the occupant of a vehicle against harmful movement that may result from a collision or a sudden stop...
s or other such securant articles.
- A Carver chair is very similar to a Brewster chair and from the same region and period.
- A chaise a bureauChaise a BureauA Chaise a Bureau is a Rococo style of chair created during the first half of the 18th century. This chair was constructed so it could sit in a corner of a room. There is one leg directly in the back and one directly in the front. There is also one leg on each side....
is a Rococo style of chair, created during the first half of the 18th century, constructed so it could sit in a corner of a room (there is one leg directly in the back and one directly in the front, and then one leg on each side).
- A chaise longue (French for "long chair") is a chair with a seat long enough to completely support its user's legs. In the U.S., it is often mistakenly referred to as a 'chaise lounge'. Similar, if not identical to, a day bed, fainting couch, or récamier.
- A club chairClub chairA club chair is a type of armchair, usually covered in leather. It was created and made in France. Before it came to be known under its current name, it first appeared as the ', the "comfortable armchair"...
is a plush easy chair with a low back. The heavy sides form armrests that are usually as high as the back. The modern club chair is based upon the club chairs used by the popular and fashionable urban gentlemen's clubs of 1850s England.
- A Cogswell chair was a brand of upholstered easy chairs. It has a sloping back and curved and ornamental front legs. The armrests are open underneath.
- A corner chair was made to fit into a corner. It has a rectangular base with a high back on two adjacent sides. One sits with legs straddling a corner of the base. Some sources claim this design was to accommodate a man wearing a sword.
- A caquetoireCaquetoireThe caquetoire, or conversation chair, was an armchair style implemented during the European Renaissance.It was largely used in France during the renaissance. This chair is one if the most well known pieces of furniture from the French Renaissance. This chair is often associated with groups of...
also known as a conversation chair, used in the European Renaissance, was developed for woman because it was wider so women's fashions at the time could fit into it. You would notice this in the "U" shaped arms.
- A curule chairCurule chairIn the Roman Republic, and later the Empire, the curule seat was the chair upon which senior magistrates or promagistrates owning imperium were entitled to sit, including dictators, masters of the horse, consuls, praetors, censors, and the curule aediles...
was a folding cross-framed seat that developed hieratic significance in Republican Rome. The shape of its legs was revived in the Empire style.
- A Chesterfield chair is a low club style chair with a fully buttoned or tufted interior, typically made of leather.
D
- A Dante chair is a chair similar to the Savonarola chair with a more solid frame and a cushioned seat.
- A deckchairDeckchairA deckchair is a folding chair, usually with a frame of treated wood or artificial material and a fabric or vinyl backrest and seat. It may have an extended seat, meant to be used as a leg rest, whose height may be adjustable...
is a chair with a fabric or vinyl back and seat that folds flat by a scissors action round a transverse axis. The fabric extends from the sitter's feet to head. It may have an extended seat that is meant to be used as a leg rest and may have armrests. It was originally designed for passenger lounging while aboard ocean liners or ships.
- Dentist chair is a deeply reclining chair to allow the dentist easy access to the patient's mouth. The reclining position adjusts as well as the overall height of the chair. Associated with the chair are usually a variety of dental equipment, often including a small tap and sink for the patient to rinse his or her mouth.
- A dining chair is a chair designed to be used at a dining table. Typically, dining chairs are part of a dining set, where the chairs and table feature similar or complementary designs.
- A director's chairDirector's chairA director's chair is a lightweight chair that folds side-to-side with a scissors action. The seat and back are made of canvas or a similar strong fabric which bears the user's full weight and can be folded; the frame is made of wood, or sometimes metal or plastic...
is a lightweight chair that folds side-to-side with a scissors action. The seat and back are made of canvas or a similar strong fabric which bears the user's full weight and can be folded; the frame is made of wood, or sometimes metal or plastic. The seat and scissors members work together to support and distribute the sitter's weight so that the seat is comfortably taut. The back is usually low and the chair usually has armrests. The stereotypical image of a movie director on location includes one of these chairs, hence the name. Victor PapanekVictor PapanekVictor Papanek was a designer and educator who became a strong advocate of the socially and ecologically responsible design of products, tools, and community infrastructures. He disapproved of manufactured products that were unsafe, showy, maladapted, or essentially useless...
describes this chair as an excellent design in his book Design for the Real World as it is simple and ideally suited to its function. The design goes back to coffer-makers' chairs of the 15th century and eventually to the Roman curule chairCurule chairIn the Roman Republic, and later the Empire, the curule seat was the chair upon which senior magistrates or promagistrates owning imperium were entitled to sit, including dictators, masters of the horse, consuls, praetors, censors, and the curule aediles...
.
E
- An easy chair is any large comfortable armchair. It is typically upholstered.
- The Eames Lounge ChairEames Lounge ChairThe Eames Lounge Chair and ottoman, correctly titled Eames Lounge and Ottoman , were released in 1956 after years of development by designers Charles and Ray Eames for the Herman Miller furniture company. It was the first chair the Eameses designed for a high-end market. These furnishings are...
is a trademark for molded plywoodPlywoodPlywood is a type of manufactured timber made from thin sheets of wood veneer. It is one of the most widely used wood products. It is flexible, inexpensive, workable, re-usable, and can usually be locally manufactured...
chairs, contoured to fit the shape of a person.
- An egg chairEgg (chair)The Egg is a chair designed by Arne Jacobsen in 1958 for Radisson SAS hotel in Copenhagen. It is manufactured by Republic of Fritz Hansen.The Egg was designed in a typical Jacobsen style, using state-of-the-art material....
is a chair designed by Arne JacobsenArne JacobsenArne Emil Jacobsen, usually known as Arne Jacobsen, was a Danish architect and designer. He is remembered for contributing so much to architectural Functionalism as well as for the worldwide success he enjoyed with simple but effective chair designs.-Early life and education:Arne Jacobsen was born...
that resembles an egg or womb.
- An electric chairElectric chairExecution by electrocution, usually performed using an electric chair, is an execution method originating in the United States in which the condemned person is strapped to a specially built wooden chair and electrocuted through electrodes placed on the body...
is a device for capital punishmentCapital punishmentCapital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
by electrocution. It is a high-backed chair with arms and restraints, and is usually made of oak.
F
- A Farthingale chair is an armless chairChairA chair is a stable, raised surface used to sit on, commonly for use by one person. Chairs are most often supported by four legs and have a back; however, a chair can have three legs or could have a different shape depending on the criteria of the chair specifications. A chair without a back or...
with a wide seat covered in usually high-quality fabricTextileA textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
and fitted with a cushionCushionA cushion is a soft bag of some ornamental material, stuffed with wool, hair, feathers, polyester staple fiber, non-woven material, or even paper torn into fragments. It may be used for sitting or kneeling upon, or to soften the hardness or angularity of a chair or couch...
. The backrest is an upholstered panelPanel- Art and comic books :*Panel painting, in art, either one element of a multi-element piece of art, such as a triptych, a piece of sequential art such as a graphic novel or comic strip, or a wooden panel used to paint a picture on...
, with legs that are straight and rectangular. It was introduced as a chair for ladies in the late 16th century and was named in EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, probably in the 19th century, for its ability to accommodate the exceptionally wide-hooped skirts known to accommodate the women's apparel of the time.
- A fauteuilFauteuilA fauteuil is a style of open-arm chair with a primarily exposed wooden frame originating in France in the early 18th century. A fauteuil is made of wood, and frequently with carved relief ornament. It is typically upholstered on the seat, the seat back and on the arms . Some fauteuils have a...
is an open arm chair with considerable exposed wood, originating in 18th century FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
- A fiddleback chair is a wooden chair of the Empire period, usually with an uphostered seat, in which the splatSplatSplat may refer to:* Splat, An Orca Soundings Book written by Eric Walters* A mark or spot on a surface caused by a liquid material, such as paint* Splat , an element of the chair...
resembles a violin.
- A fighting chair is a chair on a boat used by anglers to catch large saltwater fish. The chair typically swivels and has a harness to keep the angler strapped in should the fish tug hard on the line.
- A folding chairFolding chairA folding chair is a light, portable chair that that folds flat, and can be stored in a stack, row, or on a cart.-Uses:Folding chairs are generally used for seating in areas where permanent seating is not possible or practical. This includes outdoor and indoor events such as funerals, college...
collapses in some way for easy storage and transport. Various folding chairs have their own names (e.g., deckchair, director's chair), but a chair described simply as a folding chair folds a rigid frame and seat around a transverse axis so that the seat becomes parallel to the back and the frame collapses with a scissors action. Some further collapse the feet up to the back. Folding chairs may be designed to stack on top of each other when folded and may come with special trolleys to move stacks of folded chairs.
- A friendship benchFriendship benchA friendship bench is a special place in a school playground where a child can go when they want someone to talk to.Friendship benches may be distinctively different from other seating in the school and may be specially designed by an artist or with the help of the children themselves...
is a special place in a school playground where a child can go when he or she wants someone to talk to.
G
- A Gaming Chair is legless and curved/L-shaped. It is generally upholstered and sometimes contains built-in electronic devices like speakers and vibration to enhance the video game experience.
- Garden Egg chairGarden Egg chairThe Garden Egg chair is designed by Peter Ghyczy in 1968. It was manufactured by Reuter Products. The chair was designed for both indoor/outdoor use, although as a design icon and collectable it is rarely used outdoors. The chair lid lifts and closes, when closed are theoretically waterproof. The...
designed by Peter GhyczyPeter GhyczyPeter Ghyczy is a German designer of Hungarian origin, who lives in the Netherlands.-Biography:Peter Ghyczy, child of a widespread aristocratic family grew up Buda, a fine district of Budapest...
is a modernist classic
- A Glastonbury chairGlastonbury chairGlastonbury chair is a 19th century term for an earlier wooden chair, usually of oak, possibly based on a chair made for Richard Whiting, the last Abbot of Glastonbury, England...
is a wooden folding chair
- A gliderGlider (furniture)A glider or platform rocker is a type of rocking chair that moves as a swing seat, where the entire frame consists of a seat attached to the base by means of a double-rocker four-bar linkage...
(or platform rocker) offers the same motions as a rocking chair but without the dangers. A frame rests on the floor and the chair is supported by swing arms within the frame so that moving parts are less accessible.
H
- A HassockTuffetTuffet, pouffe or hassock are all terms for a piece of furniture used as a footstool or low seat. It is distinguished from a stool by being completely covered in fabric so that no legs are visible. It is essentially a large hard cushion that may have an internal wooden frame to give it more rigidity...
is an upholstered seat that is low to the ground and has no backrest.
- A high chairHigh chairA high chair is a piece of furniture used for feeding older babies and younger toddlers. The seat is raised a fair distance from the ground, so that a person of adult height may spoon-feed the child comfortably from a standing position. It often has a wide base to increase stability...
is a children's chair to raise them to the height of adults for feeding. They typically come with a detachable tray so that the child can sit apart from the main table. Booster chairs raise the height of children on regular chairs so they can eat at the main dining table. Some high chairs are clamped directly to the table and thus are more portable.
I
- Plastic inflatable chairs are usually children's toys. IkeaIKEAIKEA is a privately held, international home products company that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture such as beds and desks, appliances and home accessories. The company is the world's largest furniture retailer...
briefly marketed them as serious furniture upholstered in fabric. Some are designed for use as floating lounge chairs in swimming pools.
J
- A Jack and Jill chair is similar to the Adirondack chairAdirondack chairAn Adirondack chair or Muskoka chair is a type of chair favored in rural, outdoor settings. The precursor to today's Adirondack chair was designed by Thomas Lee in 1903. He was on vacation in Westport, New York, in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains, and needed outdoor chairs for his summer...
, but consists of two of them joined in the middle by a table.
K
- Kneeling chairKneeling chairA kneeling chair is a type of chair for sitting in a position with the thighs dropped to an angle of about 60 to 70 degrees from vertical , with some of the body's weight supported by the shins. The original kneeling chair was the Balans chair, which was developed in 1979 by Hans Christian...
s or knee-sit chairs are chairs that are meant to support someone kneeling. This is purportedly better for the back than sitting all day. The main seat is sloped forward at the about 30 degrees so that the person would normally slide off, but there is a knee rest to keep the person in place.
- Knotted chair by Marcel WandersMarcel WandersMarcel Wanders is a Dutch product and interior designer, who drew international recognition for his Knotted Chair produced by Droog in 1996.- Life :...
designed in 1995, distributed in the Droog designDroog designDroog is a conceptual Dutch design company situated in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.Droog works with independent designers to design and realize products, projects, exhibitions and events...
collection.
L
- A ladderback chair is a wooden arm or side chair in which the horizontal elements of the back give the appearance of a ladder. They are typically described by the number of such elements; a 'five-back', a 'three-back'. On better examples, the width of these elements is graduated, wider to narrower, top to bottom.
- A Lambing chairLambing chairThe lambing chair is a wood boxed form of winged arm chair rarely having upholstery. Storage under the seat is common as a drawer or compartment....
, is a wood “box” form of winged arm chair rarely having upholstery. Storage under the seat is common as a drawer or compartment.
- A lawn chair is usually a light, folding chair for outdoor use on soft surfaces. The left and right legs are joined along the ground into a single foot to make a broader contact area with the ground. Individual feet would otherwise dig into soft grass.
- A Lift chairLift chairLift chairs, which are also known as rise or recliner chairs, are chairs that feature a powered lifting mechanism that pushes the entire chair up from its base ,and so assists the user to move more easily to a standing position....
is a powered lifting mechanism that pushes the entire chair up from its base, allowing the user to easily move to a standing position.
- A Louis Ghost chair is a transparent polycarbonatePolycarbonatePolycarbonatePhysical PropertiesDensity 1.20–1.22 g/cm3Abbe number 34.0Refractive index 1.584–1.586FlammabilityV0-V2Limiting oxygen index25–27%Water absorption – Equilibrium0.16–0.35%Water absorption – over 24 hours0.1%...
design by Phillippe Starck.
M
- A Monobloc chair is cheap, light-weight, stackable, weatherproof, easily-cleaned, single-piece polypropylenePolypropylenePolypropylene , also known as polypropene, is a thermoplastic polymer used in a wide variety of applications including packaging, textiles , stationery, plastic parts and reusable containers of various types, laboratory equipment, loudspeakers, automotive components, and polymer banknotes...
chair designed for mass productionMass productionMass production is the production of large amounts of standardized products, including and especially on assembly lines...
via injection moldingInjection moldingInjection molding is a manufacturing process for producing parts from both thermoplastic and thermosetting plastic materials. Material is fed into a heated barrel, mixed, and forced into a mold cavity where it cools and hardens to the configuration of the cavity...
. - A massage chairMassage chairMassage chairs come in two main types.-Traditional massage chairs:Ergonomically designed chairs for positioning a person who will be receiving a massage, similar in function to a massage table. Chairs may be either stationary or portable models. Different chairs have different features, and many...
has electromechanical devices to massageMassageMassage is the manipulation of superficial and deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue to enhance function, aid in the healing process, and promote relaxation and well-being. The word comes from the French massage "friction of kneading", or from Arabic massa meaning "to touch, feel or handle"...
the occupant. Another kind of massage chair is one used by a therapist on which the client sits in an inverted position with the back facing the massage therapist. There is a headrest like that of the common massage table for the face.
- A Morris chairMorris ChairA Morris chair is an early type of reclining chair. The design was adapted by William Morris's firm, Morris & Company from a prototype owned by Ephraim Colman in rural Sussex, England. It was first marketed around 1866....
was a proprietary easy chair with adjustable back, cushions, and armrests.
- A Muskoka chair is another name for an Adirondack chairAdirondack chairAn Adirondack chair or Muskoka chair is a type of chair favored in rural, outdoor settings. The precursor to today's Adirondack chair was designed by Thomas Lee in 1903. He was on vacation in Westport, New York, in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains, and needed outdoor chairs for his summer...
, particularly in Canada.
N
- The No. 14 chairNo. 14 chairThe No. 14 chair is the most famous chair made by the Thonet chair company. Also known as the bistro chair, it was designed by Michael Thonet in the 19th century using a unique steam-bending technology, known as bentwood, that required years to perfect. With its affordable price and simple design,...
is the most famous bentwoodBentwoodBentwood is a term used to describe furniture made by steaming wood, bending it, and letting it harden into curved shapes and patterns, and is most often used in the production of rocking chairs, cafe chairs, and other light furniture. The iconic No...
sidechair originally made by the Thonet chair companyMichael ThonetMichael Thonet was a German-Austrian cabinet maker.Thonet was the son of master tanner Franz Anton Thonet of Boppard. Following a carpenter's apprenticeship, Thonet set himself up as an independent cabinetmaker in 1819. A year later, he married Anna Grahs, with whom he had seven sons and six...
of Germany in the 19th century, and widely copied and popular today.
- A nursing chairNursing chairA nursing chair is a low seated partially upholstered chair used at least since Victorian times for a woman's use while nursing an infant. This chair form was particularly popular in England and found primarily in upper class homes. The types of wood most frequently used were oak, rosewood or walnut...
is a low-seated partially-upholstered chair used in Victorian times, with emphasis on a woman breast-feeding an infant.
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- An office chairOffice chairAn office chair, or desk chair, is a type of chair that is designed for use at a desk in an office. It should be comfortable and adjustable and can swivel 360 degrees.-History:...
typically swivels, tilts, and rolls about on casterCasterA caster is an undriven, single, double, or compound wheel that is designed to be mounted to the bottom of a larger object so as to enable that object to be easily moved...
s, or small wheels. It may be very plushly upholstered and in leather and thus characterized as an executive chair, or come with a low back and be called a steno chair. Office chairs often have a number of ergonomic adjustments: seat height, armrest height and width, and back reclining tension.
- The ON ChairON ChairThe ON chair is a product of Wilkhahn introduced in 2009.The chair was designed during the period of 2005-2009 by C. Gehner, H. Buttner, M. Englisch, A. Siefferer and C. Shayeb under the leadership of Hans Wahlen and Erich Becker. It is engineered to mirror the functions and positions of the knee...
has a patented three-dimensional sitting arrangement. The chair incorporates lateral movement to standard office chair height and reclining positions.
- An ottomanOttoman (furniture)An ottoman is a piece of furniture consisting of a padded, upholstered seat or bench having neither back nor arms, often used as a stool or footstool, or in some cases as an improvised coffee table. Ottomans are often sold as coordinating furniture with armchairs or gliders.An ottoman can also be...
is a thick cushion used as a seat or a low stool, or as a rest for the feet of a seated person.
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- Panton chair is a one-piece plasticPlasticA plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
chair by Danish designDanish designDanish Design is a term often used to describe a style of functionalistic design and architecture that was developed in mid-20th century. Influenced by the German Bauhaus school, many Danish designers used the new industrial technologies, combined with ideas of simplicity and functionalism to...
er Verner PantonVerner PantonVerner Panton is considered one of Denmark's most influential 20th-century furniture and interior designers. During his career, he created innovative and futuristic designs in a variety of materials, especially plastics, and in vibrant and exotic colors...
. - A papasan chairPapasan chairA papasan chair is a large rounded bowl-shaped chair with an adjustable angle similar to that of a futon. The bowl rests in an upright frame traditionally made of rattan, but also sometimes made of sturdy wicker or wood...
is a large, rounded, bowl-shaped chair with an adjustable angle similar to that of a futon. The bowl rests in an upright frame made of sturdy wicker or wood.
- A pew stacker chair is a stackable chair used primarily by churches that allows chair arranged in rows to be linked together in such a way that the seats and backs form a bench or pew like feel and appearance.
- A Planter's chair is a type of wooden chair, with the stretchable arms to rest the legs.
- A parsons chair is a type of curving wooden chair, named for the Parsons School of Design in Paris, where it was created. It is widely copied today.
- A patio chair is any outdoor chair meant for use on a hard surface. (Contrast with lawn chairs.) They are designed so as to not collect water and dry quickly after rain.
- A potty chairPotty chairPotty chairs are proportionately small chairs or enclosures with an opening for seating very young children to "go potty" . It is a variant of the close stool which was used by adults before the widespread adoption of water flushed toilets...
often abbreviated simply as "potty" is a training toilet for children. In pre-indoor plumbing times this was a chair beneath the seat of which a chamber pot was installed.
- A pressback chair was a wooden chair of the Victorian period, usually of oak, into the crest rail and/or splat of which a pattern had been pressed with a steam press.
- A pushchair or stroller is a chair with wheels, which usually folds, for transporting an infant. Some countries, including the U.S., use "stroller"; others, including the UK, "pushchair".
- A Poofbag chair is similar to an over-sized bean-bag chair filled with urethane foam.
- A PouffeTuffetTuffet, pouffe or hassock are all terms for a piece of furniture used as a footstool or low seat. It is distinguished from a stool by being completely covered in fabric so that no legs are visible. It is essentially a large hard cushion that may have an internal wooden frame to give it more rigidity...
is a term for a piece of furniture used as a footstool or low seat.
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- A recliner is a chair with a reclining back. Most are armchairs and may come with a footrest that unfolds when the back is reclined.
- A revolving chair is an older term for swivel chair.
- A Rex chairRex (chair)-REX Chair: is one of the most famous Slovenian industrial design items.In 1952 was designed by architect and designer and winner of the Prešeren Prize, Niko Kralj who was at the time the manager of Stol development services. Kralj conquered the world with his innovative design and his chair was...
is a foldable chair designed by Slovene designer Niko Kralj in 1952.
- A rocking chairRocking chairA rocking chair or rocker is a type of chair with two curved bands of wood attached to the bottom of the legs . The chair contacts with the floor at only two points, giving the occupant the ability to rock back and forth by shifting his/her weight or pushing lightly with his/her feet...
, or rocker, typically is a wooden sidechair or armchair with legs mounted on curved rockers, so that the chair can sway back and forth. Sometimes the rocking chair is on springs or on a platform (a "platform rocker") to avoid crushing anything, particularly children's feet or pets' tails , that get under the rocker.
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- A saddle chairSaddle chairA saddle chair uses the same principles in its design as an equestrian saddle. It does not have a backrest but is equipped with a chair base on castors and a gas cylinder for adjusting the correct sitting height. The castors enable moving around and reaching out for e.g. tools while...
uses the same principles in its design as an equestrian saddle. It does not have a backrest but is equipped with a chair base on castors and a gas cylinder for adjusting the correct sitting height. The castors enable moving around and reaching out for i.e. tools while sitting.
- A Savonarola chair is a folding armchair dating from the Italian renaissance. Typically constructed of walnut, It is sometimes called an X-chair. The Savonarola chair was the first important folding armchair created during the Italian gothic renaissance period.
- A sedan chair is an open or enclosed chair attached to twin poles for carrying. Using this form of transport, an occupant can be carried by two or more porters.
- A sgabelloSgabelloA sgabello is an Italian term for a specific type of backstool, moveable seat furniture typical of the Italian Renaissance, when a chair usually signified an armchair, a seat of some hieratic importance...
is a chair from the Italian Renaissance. This chair is made out of walnut and consists of a thin seat back and an octagonal seat. This chair or sometimes considered a stool would often be placed in hallways.
- A shaker rocker is one of several forms of rocking chairRocking chairA rocking chair or rocker is a type of chair with two curved bands of wood attached to the bottom of the legs . The chair contacts with the floor at only two points, giving the occupant the ability to rock back and forth by shifting his/her weight or pushing lightly with his/her feet...
, including side chairs, made by the ShakersShakersThe United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, known as the Shakers, is a religious sect originally thought to be a development of the Religious Society of Friends...
.
- A shower chair is a chair which is not damaged by water, sometimes on wheels, used as a disability aid for using a shower.
- A side chair is a chair with a seat and back but without armrests. It is often matched with a dining table or used as an occasional chair.
- A sit-stand chair allows the person to lean against this device and be partially supported.
- A spinning chairOffice chairAn office chair, or desk chair, is a type of chair that is designed for use at a desk in an office. It should be comfortable and adjustable and can swivel 360 degrees.-History:...
is a chair that is commonly used with computers due its ability to move freely.
- A Slumber chairStreit Slumber ChairThe Streit Slumber Chair is an easy chair and footstool manufactured by C. F. Streit Mfg. Co. of Cincinnati, Ohio from the late 19th century to the 1950s....
is an easy chair manufactured by C. F. Streit Mfg. Co.C. F. Streit Mfg. Co.The C. F. Streit Mfg. Co. was a furniture maker located on in Cincinnati, Ohio. Streit manufactured a number of adjustable furniture pieces, most notably the Slumber Chair which had a combination upholstered seat and back element which could be inclined at various angles. Streit also manufactured...
in the first half of the 20th century that has a combination upholstered back and seat portion, the inclination of which is adjustable within a base frame. Later versions of this chair had a footstool with a removable top that could reveal a "slipper-compartment."
- A sling chairSling (furniture)Sling furniture is usually a suspended, free-swinging chair, bed, or hammock that is made of a framework connected to hanging straps or rope. When attached to poles or a frame for carrying, a sling becomes a stretcher, a simple form of litter....
is a suspended, free-swinging chair hanging from a ceiling.
- A Stacking chair is designed to stack compactly on top of each other to minimise storage space required.
- A steno chair is a simple office chair, usually without arms, meant for use by secretarial staff.
- A stoolChairA chair is a stable, raised surface used to sit on, commonly for use by one person. Chairs are most often supported by four legs and have a back; however, a chair can have three legs or could have a different shape depending on the criteria of the chair specifications. A chair without a back or...
is a chair without back and arm rests.
- A sweetheart chair, as used in soda shopSoda shopA Soda shop, also often known as a Malt shop, is a business akin to an ice cream parlor and a drugstore soda fountain. Interiors were often furnished with a large mirror behind a marble counter with gooseneck spouts, plus spinning stools, round marble-topped tables and wireframe sweetheart...
s, is also known as a parlor chair and an ice cream chair (from use in ice cream parlors). The wire frame in the center of the back curls in a manner to suggest a heart design. However, the term "sweetheart chair" also has a more generic usage and refers to any chair with a heart-shaped design in the center of the back.
- Swivel chairSwivel chairA swivel or revolving chair is a chair with a single central leg that allows the seat to spin around.- Types :Swivel chairs can have wheels on the base allowing the user to move the chair around their work area without getting up. This type is common in modern offices and are often also referred to...
s swivel about a vertical axis. Commonly used in offices, they are often on casters as well.
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- A tête-à-tête chair, also known as a courting benchCourting benchA courting bench, also known as a kissing bench, conversation bench, or a tête-à-tête is a bench with two parallel seats, facing in opposite directions, with a shared arm of the bench separating them....
, is a type of settee consisting of two connected chairs which allow two people to sit facing one another.
- A throneThroneA throne is the official chair or seat upon which a monarch is seated on state or ceremonial occasions. "Throne" in an abstract sense can also refer to the monarchy or the Crown itself, an instance of metonymy, and is also used in many expressions such as "the power behind the...
is a ceremonial chair for a monarchMonarchA monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
or similar dignitary of high rank.
- A toilet chair is a disability aid attached to a normal toilet.
- A TuffetTuffetTuffet, pouffe or hassock are all terms for a piece of furniture used as a footstool or low seat. It is distinguished from a stool by being completely covered in fabric so that no legs are visible. It is essentially a large hard cushion that may have an internal wooden frame to give it more rigidity...
is a low seat often used as a footrest, simmilar to an ottomann but shorter and with no legs.
- The Tulip chairTulip chairThe Tulip chair was designed by Eero Saarinen in 1955 and 1956 for the Knoll company of New York City. It was designed primarily as a chair to match the complementary dining table. The chair has the smooth lines of modernism and was experimental with materials for its time...
was designed by Eero SaarinenEero SaarinenEero Saarinen was a Finnish American architect and industrial designer of the 20th century famous for varying his style according to the demands of the project: simple, sweeping, arching structural curves or machine-like rationalism.-Biography:Eero Saarinen shared the same birthday as his father,...
in 1956. Considered a classic of industrial design.
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- A visitor's chair is any chair supplied mainly for the use of a visitor to an office.
- A voyeuse chair is a chair designed for sitting astride back-to-front with the top of the back padded for the occupant to lean on.
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- A Watchman's chairWatchman's chairA watchman's chair is a design of unupholstered wood construction featuring a forward slanted seat, such that the watchman could not readily fall asleep without sliding downward and off the front of the chair. The design was developed in Western Europe, and was used from late medieval times well...
is an unupholstered wooden chair with a forward slanted seat to prevent the watchman from falling asleep.
- The Wassily ChairWassily ChairThe Wassily Chair, also known as the Model B3 chair, was designed by Marcel Breuer in 1925-1926 while he was the head of the cabinet-making workshop at the Bauhaus, in Dessau, Germany. Despite popular belief, the chair was not designed for the non-objective painter Wassily Kandinsky, who was...
is a chair design by Marcel BreuerMarcel BreuerMarcel Lajos Breuer , was a Hungarian-born modernist, architect and furniture designer of Jewish descent. One of the masters of Modernism, Breuer displayed interest in modular construction and simple forms.- Life and work :Known to his friends and associates as Lajkó, Breuer studied and taught at...
that is formed from steel tubing and leather.
- A wheelchairWheelchairA wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
is a chair on wheels for someone who cannot walk or has difficulty walking
- A wheeled computer chair is a chair invented for use with a personal computer, invented by Nathan Zuidhof.
- A wicker chair is a chair made of wickerWickerWicker is hard woven fiber formed into a rigid material, usually used for baskets or furniture. Wicker is often made of material of plant origin, but plastic fibers are also used....
and is thus ventilated and useful under hot or humid conditions. Likewise, a cane chair.
- The Wiggle chairEasy EdgesEasy Edges is the name given to a series of furniture designs by Frank Gehry from 1969 to 1973. These early designs were partially responsible for Gehry's rise to public recognition in the early 1970s...
is a cardboard seating form designed by Frank GehryFrank GehryFrank Owen Gehry, is a Canadian American Pritzker Prize-winning architect based in Los Angeles, California.His buildings, including his private residence, have become tourist attractions...
in 1972.
- A Windsor chairWindsor chairA Windsor chair is a chair built with a solid wooden seat into which the chair-back and legs are dowelled, or pushed into drilled holes, in contrast to standard chairs, where the back legs and the uprights of the back are continuous. The seats of Windsor chairs were often carved into a shallow dish...
is a classic, informal chair usually constructed of wood turnings that form a high-spoked back, often topped by a shaped crest rail, outward-sloped legs, and stretchers that reinforce the legs. The seat is often saddled or sculpted for extra comfort, and some Windsors have shaped arms supported by short spindles.
- A wing chairWing chairA "wing chair" is an easy chair or club chair with "wings" mounted to the back of the chair typically but not always stretching down to the arm rest...
is an upholstered easy chair with large "wings" mounted to the armrests and enclosing the head or torso areas of the body. Such chairs originally were designed to provide comfortable protection from drafts. A variation is the Queen Anne wing chair.
- The writing armchairWriting armchairThe writing armchair has an antique and a modern form.In its antique form it is known as a writing armchair in the United States and as a tablet armchair in the United Kingdom. It is more often than not a Windsor style armchair with a circular or oval pad or tablet replacing the right arm or...
is the most compact rendition of a school desk.