Seating includes furniture upon which people sit and materials that are used to cover or upholster seats. There are many different types of products. Choices include educational and auditorium seating; pedestal seating; bleacher and stadium seating; theater and arena seating; and office seating. Ergonomic seating is also commonly available for residential, commercial, and industrial applications. This type of seating is designed to reduce stress or strain upon the human body in order to protect worker health and safety.

Specifications and Features

Specifications for seats and chairs include cost, size, and materials of construction. Features may include power and data connectivity. Educational seating and auditorium seating is designed to accommodate students and patrons who need a place to sit while attending lectures or programs.

In colleges and universities, educational seating often provides a small writing surface and a cup holder. The seat itself is single-piece product made of high-density polypropylene (HDPE) or another plastic. Some auditorium seating is used in university classrooms or lecture halls. Other products are designed for movie theaters, concert halls, and other entertainment venues. Metal desks and work tables with hard plastic surfaces are used in elementary, middle, and high schools. Typically, desk surfaces are durable and washable. Pedestal seating is designed for commercial-duty or bolt-down applications. Pedestal tubes with self-lubricating bronze bearings can be raised or lowered easily. Features for pedestal seating include welded steel frames with solid seat pans, molded cushions made of plastic, lumbar support, and ergonomically-placed controls.

Specialized products such as barbershop chairs can be adjusted with a foot pedal or foot-activated lever. Adjustable seating for dentists, dental hygienists, doctors, nurses, and patients is also available. As with other types of seating, weight limit is an important specification to consider.

Bleacher seating may be portable or fixed, and designed for either indoor or outdoor use. Typically, bleacher systems are made permanent by anchoring them to a wall and/or floor. Although traditional bleacher seats are usually made of wood, aluminum bleachers are also available. Grandstands at sports stadiums and race tracks may feature fiberglass benches and bleachers. Stadium seating for outdoor environments is generally resistant to cracking, peeling, and fading. Rust-proof and corrosion-resistant seating is also available. This is an important feature in open-air stadiums that are exposed to rain and snow.

Theater seating, arena seating, and office seating differ in terms of features, functions, and materials of construction. As its name suggests, theater seating is used in cinemas and playhouses. Seats with gravity-assisted spring mechanisms are designed to retract quietly or soundlessly. Arena seating includes bleachers and benches as well as portable, folding seats that are easy to setup and store. With some products, individual chairs may be linked together to provide stability. Office seating includes leather chairs and cloth-backed chairs with pneumatic seat-height adjustment and adjustable tilt tension control. Office chairs may be bolted in place or designed to roll on wheels or casters.