Chair Comfort Features

We have been building and constantly optimizing our dining chair and parsons chair designs for over 20 years. There are many industry ergonomic standards we follow to offer you one of the most comfortable chairs available. Even with these standards we have tweaked the design over time based on customer feedback. We strive to offer seating that will be rugged and durable and at the same time offer you the ability to have long conversations over dinner without feeling fatigued.

Comfort Guidelines

Carrington Court follows the following rules-of-thumb for making a comfortable chair.

• The occupant should be able to sit in and get up from the chair without any difficulty.
• The depth of the seat should allow clearance from the front of the seat to the back of the occupant's legs. If the seat is too deep, it will press against the occupant legs forcing them to sit away from the back or slouch forward. Conversely, if the seat is shallow, it may be unstable or unusable to the occupant.
• The width of the seat tapers from the front to the back to allow clearance for legs and clothes in the front while offering elbow room at the back.
• The seat should slant slightly toward the back to offer relaxed seating and to keep the occupant from slipping out of the chair.
• The back of the chair should slant backwards to comfort the occupant.
• The lower portion of the seat back should curve out to allow room for the buttocks.

Cushions

Cushions play a very critical role in the comfort of the dining chair. Cheaper cushions have a low foam density and will flatten out. We try to provide the right amount of padding with enough resilience so that the cushions hold their shape and at the same time provide the maximum comfort level. The 3 factors that go into making the best cushion possible are:

Foam Density - Higher foam densities are conducive to a cushion, which provides more support and will keep its shape over a longer period of time. The lower the density, the more air there is in the cushion. Over time, the air will be compressed out and the cushion will loose its shape and support. Of course, this is a balancing act. If the cushion density is too high, it will be rigid and uncomfortable. At Carrington Court, we use a 1.8 foam density. This number means that a 1 cubic foot piece of foam would weigh 1.8 pounds.

Thickness - The benefits of a thicker cushion are fairly obvious. If a cushion is too thin, it will not provide any support and you may "bottom out." We currently offer a 2-inch thick cushion, which provides comfort and a "full seat" appearance.

Seat Padding - Foam seating used alone is not enough. Over the seat is applied a layer of Dacron wrap, which is also referred to as "low-melt." This is used to keep the fabric from creeping on the cushion. Creeping can cause wrinkles. It also softens the sharp, harsh-edged look of the foam.

Other Padding

Padding is used throughout the chair in critical places to give a more aesthetic appeal and to provide comfort. All corners and edges are padded as well as any area that the user will actually contact. Parsons chairs are generally padded with cotton batting. In addition to comfort, the batting also helps provide shape for the chairs and ensures that the framing material will not wear on the upholstery fabric.

When considering your parsons chair or dining chair selection comfort should be the key. Chairs are no good if they are too uncomfortable to use. Combine comfort with quality and you cannot go wrong.