The first place people, visitors, and customers, often relate to within an organization is the waiting room or reception. It is the very first impression the organization makes, without uttering a word. And we all know about the difference a good first impression can make.

Therefore, it is imperative to make the waiting room or reception not just as impressive as possible but also very comfortable. It is the first opportunity to project the ideals of the organization; make it count.

One of the most important ingredients in making the waiting area very attractive and comfortable is the furniture. The very first function of chairs in a waiting room is to make visitors or customers comfortable but they also represent key aesthetic factors. Office waiting room chairs can make a difference in the outlook of your waiting room; who doesn’t like beautiful things?

Given this level of importance, it, therefore, becomes important for office owners to pay attention to getting the best office waiting room chairs for their waiting rooms. Gone are the days when just any kind of office waiting room chairs are used. The competition in the business world is stiffer, you don’t want to be disadvantaged on the basis of your waiting room chairs.

There unlimited brands and models to consider when waiting room chairs are mentioned; so many. From this log, some brands stand out by consistently producing stylish and comfortable waiting room chairs. We have reviewed so many models of waiting room chairs and we came up with this top 6. Before getting into the review proper, let’s look at the importance of getting top waiting room chairs for your reception.

Importance of Getting The Best Office Waiting Room Chairs

• Comfort: the very first characteristic to check in waiting room chairs is the comfortability. Top waiting room chairs are very comfortable – well-padded and deep-cushioned to ensure visitors have seamless waiting time irrespective of how long they have to wait. In doing this, understanding of the kinds of visitors you receive will help you tailor the features of your waiting room chairs to meet their peculiar needs. Standard sized chairs will do for adults while children will something lower.
• Aesthetics: besides the all-important comfort characteristic of waiting room chairs, aesthetics is another benefit of getting top waiting room chairs. Color, arrangement, and the material of waiting room chairs could all make a waiting room look totally different. Cool colors portray calmness while bright ones portray vibrancy and cheerfulness.
• Impression: consciously or otherwise, we quickly form opinions about what we see, feel, or hear. This is called an impression. The look and comfort of your waiting room can affect your negotiation power as well as determine whether you keep or lose a new customer. Top waiting room chairs will help you make a positive and strong first impression hence tilting the balance in your favor.
• Perception: the impression you make determines the perception people have about you and your business. Perception is often the basis of relations between customers and businesses. More often than not, the reason you buy some products is not that they necessarily have better quality than alternative products but because you perceive them to be of better quality. The reasons for such perception are extensive; vary from person to person. It could be the packaging, customer service, as well as waiting room experience. It is therefore important to ensure the waiting room experience is one to remember.

Factors that determine the kind of office waiting room chairs to buy

• Space

When choosing waiting room chairs, one of the very first considerations is the size as well as the layout of the waiting room. For example, some waiting room chairs are minimalist. They are designed to maximize available space hence are perfect for narrow waiting areas such as corridors. A good example is the flip-up beam seating which is very compact and can be flipped when not in use to maximize available space. They may however not be the best for some groups of visitors such as elderly people or people with certain conditions. To create an illusion of even more space, you may need to go with wall-mounted chairs.

Spacious waiting rooms have a wide range of waiting room chairs that fit perfectly. You should focus on the comfort of visitors hence well-padded and deep-cushioned chairs are better especially when visitors have to wait for a long period.

If your waiting room is used for other purposes, then stackable chairs are the way to go. They can be moved easily when the room is needed for another purpose. Fortunately, there are now more and better options to consider here.

• Your visitors and their needs

Another key consideration is the category of visitors or customers you receive as well as their peculiarities.  For example, an establishment that receives mostly adult visitors can focus on getting standard size chairs while an organization that receives a mixed population will also have to make provision for children chairs. Where there’s enough space, it is better to create a separate section or room for children. This way, parents will not have to worry about how to carer for their children. Another category of visitors is those on wheelchairs; the proper plan must be made to accommodate chairs especially in terms of accessibility.

• Image and environment

Waiting room chairs offer businesses ample opportunity to portray what they are all about. For example, if you say you put customers first, then your waiting room should give first-class treatment. You can create the perfect feeling you want to have about your business through what you do with your waiting room. Here, colors matter as well as the arrangement. For example, some colors speak calmness while some others reflect vibrancy or cheerfulness.

• Maintenance

Finally, on the factors to consider when choosing waiting room chairs, maintenance is very key. For waiting rooms that consistently receive many visitors, focusing on waiting room chairs that easy to clean or maintain is vital. The same goes for children waiting rooms. Vinyl upholstery may be the best for waiting rooms where visitors are more likely to eat or drink.

These are important considerations when choosing the waiting room chairs to buy. Pay attention to these things and make better decisions regarding the furniture of your waiting room.

Top 6 Best Office Waiting Room Chairs

• Lesro Newport Chair

This made in America waiting room chair ranks among the best in the industry. What is not to love about this chair? Lesro Newport Chair has a sturdy build; strong steel is used for the frame. It can hold up to 275lbs weight. It comes with almost 200 upholstery options that let you customize or personalize your waiting room chairs. All the upholstery options have antibacterial and antimicrobial characteristics however Healthcare grade vinyl options are very easy to maintain if you want something easy to clean.

You will usually have your chairs within ten business days after placing the order.

key features

• Solid build: this waiting room chair or guest chair is a very strong one holding up to 275lbs. It is perfect for most body sizes and shapes hence you won’t have to worry about this chair providing adequate support for your visitor or customer.
• High-quality and versatile upholstery: the upholstery options of Lesro Newport Chair are not just diverse but are also very durable. It lets you choose the perfect upholstery for your space.
• Comfort: this is a very comfortable chair. the seat and the backrest are well padded to ensure your guests enjoy amazing comfort regardless of how long they have to wait.

Cons

• It is not the cheapest waiting room chair but you will surely get what you are paying for.
• This chair cannot be returned because it is made to order just like other Newport products. Ensure you get upholstery samples to avoid unpleasant surprises.

Verdict

Lesro Newport Chair is a sturdy waiting room chair with a modern outlook. It is very comfortable and can be customized to make your space look unique. This chair is worth the price – price ranges from $255 to $318 depending on the grade of the upholstery.

• Office Star 8505 Chair

This is a top-notch leather waiting room chair. Office Star 8505 Chair is built to provide superb support and comfort to guests. The solid build can hold up to 250lbs, making it fit for most users. It also has a great look, thanks to the mahogany wood finish.

Key features

• Solid build: the build is generally strong, holding up to 250lbs.
• Support: it is designed with lumbar support to provide additional support for the back. This ensures that guests with back pain problems are well covered.
• Comfort: both the seat and back of this waiting room chair are well padded, giving users ultimate comfort. With this chair, you will not worry about the comfort of your guests.
• Real leather: this is one of the most affordable real leather waiting room chairs. Other options are bonded leathers.

Cons

• It costs about $290 but this is hardly a problem except you are on a low budget. Chairs with real leather often cost more hence this is a great coup.
• The point where the well-padded back and seat meets may be difficult to clean. Vacuum cleaner will do.
• Though the wood finish is really beautiful, metal alternatives nay be more durable.

Verdict

If you want a very comfortable real leather waiting room chair that equally looks great in your space, then Office Star 8505 Chair is one of the best.

• (Offices To Go) OTG 11770B Chair

OTG 11770B Chair is one of the most affordable best executive office guest chairs. The legs and arms are finished with cordovan wood while the backrest and seat have a soft black luxhide upholstery. It will fit almost any executive office and holds up to 250 lbs weight.

Key features

• Solid build: it is strong enough to hold up to 250 lbs weight hence will accommodate most guests within standard average waiting time.
• Comfort: the soft black luxhide upholstery used for the seat and backrest is very comfortable. It gives your guests an executive experience.

Cons

• Though the bonded leather offers a nice feel, it is not perfect for high traffic waiting rooms. If you receive a high number of visitors daily, then you should consider going for real leather.

Verdict

OTG 11770B Chair is an executive waiting room chair; beautiful, comfortable, and affordable. If you need an executive experience for the low traffic of guests you receive in your office without spending too much, then this is a great option.

• Eurotech Dakota Stack Chair

If you want your waiting room to be as flexible as possible because there is no space, then Eurotech Dakota Stack Chair will work just fine. It is one of the best stacking guest chairs. besides the stacking feature, it is built to handle high traffic hence is perfect for busy offices. It can be customized or personalized to a great extent – has four standard upholstery options while the color and fabric types are so many.

Key features

• Stacking: this waiting room chair is perfect for a small office as it can be stacked to create more room. This allows you to be flexible with your waiting room especially if it is an improvised waiting room.
• Solid build: it is built to handle high traffic and is customizable.

Cons

• You cannot stack more than four which is typical of waiting room chairs that stack
• It is not returnable because of its custom upholstery program

Verdict

Eurotech Dakota Stack Chair is a perfect waiting room chair for managing space. It is solid, will accommodate almost any body shape and size.

• BTOD SD-2052A Chair

This is one of the cheapest waiting room chairs you can get; sold for $85.99. while it is not on the same level as other waiting room chairs on this list, it is a great value for the money. If what you need is a small waiting room chair for low traffic offices, then this will hold up well.

Key features

• It is very cheap
• Small footprint, hence perfect for small spaces

Cons

• It cannot accommodate large guests
• Lightweight hence can be difficult to keep in one place.

Verdict

BTOD SD-2052A Chair is a small waiting room chair. It is very cheap and perfect for small spaces.

• Flash Furniture Comfort Black Vinyl

This waiting room chair gives traditional designs contemporary styling. It is a very solid waiting room chair that holds up to 300 pounds of weight.

Key features

• Solid construction: it is a durable and tough waiting room chair, thanks to the steel frame and cross braces.
• Comfort: it is a pretty comfortable chair built to provide adequate support for users.

Cons

• May be difficult to assemble and may not be balanced on the floor

Verdict

Flash Furniture Comfort Black Vinyl is a very solid modern-looking waiting room chair. heavy users and high traffic are well covered.

Things to consider before buying waiting room chairs

• Lead time

Over and again, we see people do emergency purchases of furniture. Sadly, most of all these emergency purchases end up with one or more problems. Almost certainly, making emergency furniture purchase ends on the other side of good. The beginning of the problems is insufficient time for product selection and this sets the tone for every other thing.

When setting up or remodeling your office waiting room, it is important to give enough lead time. Discuss with your supplier on how long the process will take, focusing on the worst-case scenario. This applies to both specific orders and standard upholsteries sitting on the shelf though the lead time will be significantly different. Creating sufficient lead time makes your life less stressful and ascertains you get the best.

• Fabric and Finish Samples

Perhaps you don’t know already; the way a chair appears in your space may be significantly different from what it looks like on your monitor or in a showroom. Lightning has a significant effect on the outlook of color in a space. Therefore, it is imperative to get fabric and finish samples before purchasing your waiting room chairs, especially if your space is color sensitive.

Returning chairs can be very expensive or even impossible in some cases and even when none of this is the case, you don’t want to go through the stress of ordering waiting room chairs the second time. Besides fabric and finish samples, you may also need to order a single chair first if you are unsure of the quality or comfort of the waiting room chair.

• Durability of upholstery

Another thing to consider is the durability of the upholstery used for the waiting room chair. Nobody wants to be changing waiting room chairs incessantly. Besides the cost, the stress of ordering them is not something I want to do now and then. Therefore, I pay attention to the double rub counts of the upholstery before buying. My waiting room has a 100,000 double rub rating because I receive quite high traffic. The minimum double rub rating of commercial-grade upholstery is 25,000, with the highest running into millions.

Note: the durability of upholstery is about the actual double rub counts, not about the grading.

• Shipping

Before ordering waiting room chairs, it is vital to know how it will be shipped. This gives you an accurate understanding of how long it will take as well as the cost. The shipping methods that are used for chairs delivery vary, largely based on the quantity or assemblage of the chairs.

FedEx and UPS are often used for a couple of chairs while freight shipments are used for bigger orders. FedEx and UPS delivery of waiting room chairs is hardly different from their standard operation methods – chairs will be brought to your office and you will be given an estimated delivery date as well as be able to track the shipment. Freight shipment entails much more.

The waiting room is an important aspect of any organization. Opinions are formed about organization right from the outlook and comfortability of the waiting room. Therefore, investing in the top or best waiting room chairs is very important. If you are looking to get chairs for your waiting room, check the reviews above before going ahead with the purchase.