Commercial Aged-Care Chairs: Lounge and Dining Chairs for Operator Projects

Aged-care lounge and dining chairs should be quoted as a complete construction, not chosen by appearance alone. The seat and arm requirements, the frame, the covering and its cleaning method, and the test evidence all belong to the chair the operator approves, and each should be written down before a factory prices it.

FBM Furniture works with companies only: Developers · General Contractors · Builders · Commercial Project Owners · Interior Design & Construction Companies · FF&E Solution Providers. Send the schedule, drawings or reference images, quantities, seat and arm requirements and the project location, so we can compare the same specification line by line.

Product scope

• Lounge chairs and high-back chairs for resident lounges, day rooms and reception areas of aged-care and healthcare facilities
• Dining chairs and armchairs for aged-care dining rooms, with or without arms
• Chairs with a timber frame or a metal frame, and a fixed or removable seat or back covering
• Chairs for the operators of care facilities, and for the contractors and distributors who supply them

Lounge chairs, dining chairs, tables and room furniture come from different production lines. We place each product with a factory that runs the relevant line and keep the approved construction tied to that model.

What to specify before requesting quotes

Schedule field	What to record
Item code and quantity	One code per chair type, with the quantity per room type, site or phase.
Seat height, seat depth and arm height	The figures the operator or designer sets, written on the schedule and drawn against the tables, beds and walkways the chair will serve. The factory does not choose them.
Arms	With or without arms, and the arm shape and finish the operator requires.
Frame	Timber or metal, how the joints are made and any reinforcement; ask the factory to describe it in writing for the model quoted.
Seat and back	Hard, upholstered seat, or upholstered seat and back; the foam and covering references, and who supplies the fabric.
Covering and cleaning	The covering reference and the cleaning method the operator will use, with an approved sample.
Seams and joins	How seams, piping and joins are finished, shown on the sample.
Finish	Stain, lacquer, powder coat or plating, with a sample and a finish code.
Floor protection	Glide or foot type for the floor finish in the facility.
Evidence required	The test report or declaration the project specification asks for, with its edition, for the model offered and the destination named.
Packing	Whether chairs ship assembled, knocked down or flat-packed, how many go in a carton and how cartons are marked by item code.

The table is a checklist. Add a line for anything your project needs that is not listed, such as a fixing detail or a spare allowance. Before asking for prices, use our aged-care furniture brief checklist to define user needs, cleaning and approval references.

The operator sets the seat and arm requirements

An aged-care chair is used by residents whose needs the operator knows best. Ask the operator, or the designer working with the operator, to set the seat height, seat depth and arm height for each chair type before the schedule goes out, and write the figures on the schedule. Ask each factory to confirm the figures on a sample and to say in the quotation if any dimension differs from the schedule. Compare the answers line by line, not by the headline price.

Frames: describe the construction, not only the look

Two chairs that look the same in a photograph can be built differently inside. Ask each factory to describe the frame and joint construction for the exact model, to show the corner and joint area on the sample, and to state any reinforcement in the quotation. For timber frames, our guide to commercial solid-wood chairs sets out the fields to record.

Covering and cleaning: choose the covering to suit the cleaning method

The covering is cleaned often, and the operator has a cleaning method. Ask the operator for that method first, then choose the covering and write both on the schedule. Ask the factory to show on a sample how seams and joins are finished, and approve the finished sample, not a swatch alone. If the project supplies the fabric, agree the delivery date, the cutting-loss allowance and the acceptance check at the factory. Our guide to commercial sofas and upholstered lounge chairs explains the upholstery fields.

Name the rules in the specification

The rules that apply to a chair depend on the destination, the building and the item. Upholstered seating, timber and finishes can each fall under different requirements in different markets, and care facilities may carry requirements of their own. Name the requirement in the specification and ask each factory what evidence it can provide for the exact model offered. Our United States, Australia and New Zealand and United Kingdom and European Union compliance pages explain how we approach the main rules. Your specifier decides what applies to your project.

What to request from the factory

• A drawing or product sheet for each item code that matches the schedule, with the seat and arm dimensions confirmed.
• A written description of the frame and joint construction and any reinforcement.
• The covering, foam and finish references, with sample codes and the cleaning method the sample was approved for.
• Evidence the specification asks for, issued for the model offered and the destination named.
• A packing description, including whether chairs arrive assembled, knocked down or flat-packed, and how cartons are marked.
• A statement of any proposed substitution, so that the designer and operator can approve it before production.

Send the schedule, drawings and quantities together using our FF&E schedule checklist, and read our guide to samples, finishes and approvals for the approval sequence. For the wider range, see aged care and healthcare furniture. Our case studies show projects we have managed.

FBM Furniture is the furniture-focused team of FBM Sourcing, which manages the entire China procurement package for overseas construction projects. FBM Sourcing’s guide to aged-care furniture supply routes sets out the wider supply side. Our minimum order is a full container; items from several factories can share one container.

Frequently asked questions

What should an aged-care lounge or dining chair specification include?

State who sets the seat and arm requirements (the operator or the designer), the frame material, the seat and back construction, the covering and its cleaning method, the finish, the dimensions and the quantity. Add the test report the project requires, with its edition, so every factory quotes the same chair.

Who decides seat height and arm height for an aged-care chair?

The operator or the project designer, not the factory. Write the figures on the schedule against the tables and beds the chair will serve, and ask each factory to confirm them on a sample.

Why does the covering matter so much for aged-care seating?

The covering is cleaned often and in a set way. Ask the operator for the cleaning method first, then choose the covering and ask the factory to show how seams and joins are finished on a sample.

Can the same chair be made with a different frame?

A change of frame changes appearance, weight and sometimes the structure. Treat it as a new item: ask for a new finished sample and a new approval before production.

How does FBM Furniture charge for aged-care chairs?

For suppliers you nominate, we charge a 5% commission; for products we source for you, we quote a direct price. Our own team performs one inspection after bulk production is complete and before shipment, and your team is welcome to attend.