How to Pick the Best Conference Room Chairs

Conference room chairs can affect comfort and even help you make a good impression. Use this guide to choose the right ones for your office.

Designing a conference room is all about comfort and functionality. After all, you might be spending one hour or four in the room for important collaboration sessions or board meetings. It's thus critical that you pick out the right conference chairs to keep you, your team, and any clients comfortable in the space.

You want to get it right the first time to save time, money, and frustration. The primary points you'll need to consider are what type of chairs you want to use and how many you'll need. We'll cover both topics in this guide while examining ergonomics and other factors to help you find the best conference room chairs for your office.

Choosing Conference Room Chairs

The furniture you choose for your conference room is important. It will impact how well your meetings run, how focused people are, and people's moods about attending meetings. Why? Because poor ergonomics has a direct impact on employee productivity and fatigue.

Think about times when you've had to focus while sitting in an uncomfortable position or chair. It's not easy, and can even put you in a bad mood. This isn’t something you want each time you call a meeting (especially if clients are attending).

Comfortable conference room chairs are essential for a happy, effective meeting environment. Below are some questions to ask yourself before you start shopping:

Will this space be used only by employees, or will it host clients, vendors, and other visitors?
How many people need to fit in this space comfortably?
What will your conference room be used for, and how long will meetings typically run? What’s the most extended meeting time you foresee?
Will you need to rearrange or move your conference room furniture frequently?
Do you want to include other technology, storage, or amenities (i.e., a food and beverage station) in the room?

Questions like these can help you hone in on the right approach to your conference room. Deciding how to design your conference room can take time, so take notes and give the matter some thought.

How Many Conference Room Chairs Do You Need?

Before you decide how many conference room chairs you need, you'll need to pick the right conference table size. Below are some basic guidelines for conference table size:

Six people: 6 x 3 ft. to 8 x 4 ft.
Eight people: 8 x 4 ft. to 10 x 4 ft.
10 people: 10 x 4 ft. to 14 x 4 ft.
12 people: 14 x 4 ft. to 16 x 4 ft.

Generally, you'll need 6-12 chairs if your conference room uses a single table. However, it's also a good idea to provide some guest chairs against the wall if you have the space. These extra chairs offer overflow seating when there's not enough room at the table.

Armless stacking chairs can work well as a backup for those without enough room for overflow seating along the wall. You can even tuck stackable options away in a nearby closet if needed.

What Types of Chairs Are Best?

The best office chairs for your meeting room will vary based on how you plan to use them and how long meetings will last. You might also want to include a captain's chair at the head of the table for the highest-ranking employee.

Task Chairs

The task chair is one of the most common options for conference room chairs. They look similar to standard desk chairs and typically feature fewer ergonomic adjustment points.

While many classic conference room chairs only feature adjustable height, we recommend picking something with the following features:

High back with breathable mesh backrest
3-5 points of adjustment, including armrest adjustment
Padded lumbar support at mid-back
Casters and swivel chair functionality

Everything from seat height adjustment to back support will help your employees stay comfortable and focused at meetings. For example, high-back chairs with back support will make meetings better for everyone involved.

Ergonomic Chairs

Ergonomic chairs are a common choice for long meetings, home office workspaces, and conference rooms alike. These versatile beauties are made with comfort and support in mind. In addition to being great for long meetings, they're also a good choice for boardroom meetings.

Here are essential features to look for in an ergonomic conference room chair:

High back with breathable mesh support and option for headrest
5-7 points of adjustment, including armrest adjustment
Padded lumbar support at mid-back
High-density seat cushion
Casters and swivel chair functionality

An ergonomic chair is an excellent way to support your employees. And as a bonus, comfortable mesh office chairs also make good impressions on guests.

Mesh Desk Chairs

A mesh desk chair (which you might recognize as a more traditional looking conference chair) is not as adjustable as a task or ergonomic chair, and as such is better for conference rooms that typically won't host meetings that are longer than 2-3 hours.

Here are key points to look for in mesh conference room chairs:

Woven mesh seat
Height adjustment, tilt, and armrests
Casters and swivel chair functionality
A lower back for a cleaner look around the table

Ensuring your chairs have (at the minimum) height adjustability and armrests will ensure that any person can find a comfortable position. Nylon mesh material also helps create a more breathable chair, which benefits conference rooms have larger windows that get a lot of sun.

Other Factors to Consider

It might be tempting to buy the first conference room chairs you find, but as with all office product purchases, it's best to give your choice some thought. New products for your office are expensive, so you'll want to find the best conference room chairs the first time.

Here are some other things to consider before you buy:

Employee happiness counts: Comfortable seats and thoughtful office furniture show your employees that you care.

First impressions matter: If new employees, clients, or other important parties will see your meeting room, you want to make a good first impression with comfortable chairs.

Hybrid work considerations: Is your conference room or table going to be used as a coworking space as well? How might that affect the furniture in the space?

Of course, amongst these additional considerations, price and ease are likely also top of mind. Luckily, Branch was founded so that you won't need to go through legacy furniture dealers to get proper, high-quality office furniture for your space. We ship fast, free, and offer industry-leading warranties on our entire conference collection.

Ready to Outfit Your Conference Room?

Pick your conference room chairs carefully, regardless of how many you need or which types you choose. After all, your decision could impact your most critical future meetings! And if you plan to use the room alongside your team, your choice will also affect your comfort.

Start with deciding how many conference room chairs you'll need to buy, and then pick the style that best suits your conference room. And if you're short on time, we invite you to use our Design My Office feature to get personalized recommendations for your business!

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