“If it’s the right chair, it doesn’t take too long to get comfortable in it.” – Robert De Niro

Choosing the right chairs for your medical space is essential to ensure comfort and create a positive patient experience. Selecting the right seating that can serve its purpose and look great in your space can be tricky given the number of choices available out there. Today we bring you a primer – a cheat sheet of what to look out for when buying chairs for your medical space.

Comfort

Nobody wants to sit on an uncomfortable chair as such, comfort takes the top spot for factors to consider when choosing seating for your medical space. It also goes for any kind of seating for that matter. The market is overflowing with so many options for types (sofa, love seats, lounge chairs, office chairs) sizes, and dimensions so you are not left wanting for choices. Selecting the right one for your requirements is the one that makes the whole exercise overwhelming. A working knowledge of ergonomics will help you gauge if a sofa for example is too high, or too deep. A lot of people are sensitive to these kinds of subtle differences that ultimately affect their comfort. Do not be afraid to sit and have a feel for each chair you try out, after all, your instincts can guide you towards your Goldilocks moment and decide that this chair is just right for you.

Style and Harmony

A chair’s outward appearance can harmonize or conflict with the interiors it will inhabit. Imagine a sleek, minimalist interior populated with mismatched wicker chairs with tropical upholstery? Doesn’t look quite right? Or maybe tall high-back chairs grouped around a low center table? Design intent is meant to create a cohesive look for all elements of your interior design. That is why seats with all the available styles it comes can amplify the design effect you are going for. There’s also the idea that there are proper kinds of seating for any given space. A throne-like chair will not work in a lounge setting in the same vein that a bench will not be ideal for a consultation room.

Having said that, style is not about imposing visually matching elements. Remember how the fad of matching furniture from the ‘80s and ‘90s quickly came out of style with the rise of mismatched but curated arrangements. Do not be afraid to experiment. Style is about HARMONY and creating visually harmonious medical interiors means a visually coherent seating choice.

Materials

There are two thoughts we like to stress here, first is that furniture needs to be made of QUALITY materials, and DURABLE construction. It will not make practical sense to buy a fragile chair that breaks within the first month. Furniture is an investment, choose wisely, and account for quality before cost.

Being in a healthcare setting also pushes a need to use medical-grade or at least, materials that are impervious to germs or can withstand constant sanitization. We have written before about copper-impregnated fabrics which make use of copper’s antibacterial qualities so there are technological advances even in the available materials we can use for seating in the medical setting.

Maintenance

Lastly, maintenance means that it can be cleaned or serviceable for a certain amount of time before you need to toss it out. What good is buying a piece of chic, modern furniture that stains easily and will need weekly steam cleaning? Now in the time of a pandemic, furniture needs to be constantly sanitized every use and materials made out of certain fabrics will be more difficult to clean than say, leather or even vinyl. Maintenance is the last consideration and should be the last barometer for practicality for any chair you buy.

There are a lot of things to consider when selecting seating for your medical space and we hope the above list gives you an informed perspective of what to look out for. Look around your space right now and see if your seating situation needs a little shake-up. Replacing worn-out chairs or choosing a right one can instantly make a difference without doing anything to your existing architecture.

Give us a call right now at (310) 359 1200 or drop a consultation request so we can discuss creating an even bigger and lasting difference to your medical space. Have a great journey ahead!