It is ten to nine on a Monday in July, and the front room of a suburban tax agent is already full. One client is perched on the arm of a sofa, and another stands in the doorway with a pram. An older client has sunk into a low lounge and will need a hand to get out. The waiting room chairs were simply whatever the last fit-out left behind.
This guide sorts visitor and waiting room chairs by type, then covers arms, seat heights, weight ratings, upholstery and layout, with seven examples.
Waiting room chairs by type, and where each suits
Start with the room, not the chair. A service counter with a five-minute wait needs different seating from a specialist's rooms, where people sit for forty minutes.
| Seating type | Suits | Trade-off | Example | Seat height | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Four-leg stacker with arms | General waiting on a budget | Supplied flat-packed | Stacking Visitor Chair with Arms | 470mm | 120kg |
| Commercial-rated four-leg chair | Receptions busy all day | Higher price per seat | Buro Lindis SafeTex | 460mm | 130kg |
| Sled-base stacker | Overflow rows | Armless, plastic seat | Mesh Stackable Visitor | 450mm | 110kg |
| Single armchair | Clinics and longer waits | One listed colour | Buro Bella Guest Chair | 470mm | 160kg |
| Bariatric chair | Any public waiting room | 880mm wide | Endura Max Bariatric Chair | 450mm | 300kg |
| Beam seating | Service counters and foyers | Seats cannot be moved | Focus Beam Seating | Not listed | 200kg (2 seater), 300kg (3 seater) |
| Tub chair | Client lounges, short waits | No separate armrests | Vista Tub Chair | 450mm | 140kg |
Four legs or a sled base: the everyday visitor chair
A four-leg chair with arms is the default for good reason. It is upright, easy to get out of and simple to line up along a wall. The Stacking Visitor Chair with Arms ($121) is the low-cost way to fill that wall. It has a padded fabric seat 470mm square, fixed arms, a 120kg rating and a 5 year warranty. Its listed seating time is 4 to 8 hours, and it stacks when you need the floor back.
A reception that is busy all day justifies a heavier build. The Buro Lindis SafeTex - 4 Leg with arms ($459) carries AFRDI Level 6 Severe Commercial certification, a 130kg rating and a 10 year guarantee. Its moulded foam seat is 460mm high, it still stacks, and it comes in five SafeTex colours.
Sled bases suit overflow seating. The Mesh Stackable Visitor ($165) pairs a mesh back and plastic seat with a chrome sled base, and the chairs stack and link together. Linking keeps a row straight and out of the walkway. It arrives assembled and is rated to 110kg. As pictured it has no arms, so use it as the spare row.
Arms, seat height and weight ratings
Arms do more than rest elbows. Anyone who is older, pregnant, injured or unwell pushes up from the armrests to stand. Seat height works the same way: the higher the seat, the less distance there is to rise. Where a height is listed, the chairs in this guide sit between 450mm and 470mm.
The Buro Bella Guest Chair ($491) is built around that problem. It is designed as an aged care guest chair, with a solid wood frame and, as pictured, full-length timber arms. The seat is 470mm high and 535mm wide, the rating is 160kg, and adjustable levelling glides help it sit steady.
Choose a weight rating for the heaviest visitor you can reasonably expect, not the average one. The single chairs above are rated from 110kg to 160kg.
The Endura Max Bariatric Chair ($408) is there for larger visitors. It is rated to 300kg on a reinforced, fully welded steel frame, with a black fabric seat 790mm wide and 450mm high. Place one or two in the main row, where they read as ordinary seating, and allow 880mm of wall for each.
Beam seating and wipe-clean surfaces for busy counters
Beam seating fixes two or more seats to a single frame. Nobody can drag a seat into the walkway, and there are fewer legs to mop around. That suits pharmacies, service counters and anywhere the wait is short and the traffic constant.
Focus Beam Seating (from $543) comes as a 2 seater or a 3 seater. The black metal frame is fully welded with twin seat support bars, and adjustable feet level it on an uneven floor. The weight limit is 200kg for the 2 seater and 300kg for the 3 seater, with a 4 year warranty.
As pictured, the seats and backs are hard shells with no upholstery and no arms. They are quick to wipe, but firm for a long wait and no help to someone who pushes up to stand.
Sealed surfaces such as PU, vinyl and plastic keep spills on top, so they suit clinics and anywhere seats are wiped daily. Fabric is softer and cooler to sit on, but needs spot cleaning. The Lindis sits between the two, with SafeTex antibacterial upholstery listed as resisting bacteria, mould and staining. The Bella's Dillon PU upholstery is listed as anti-microbial. The guide to medical clinic furniture covers clinic waiting rooms in more detail.
Tub chairs, armchairs and a coffee table for client areas
At a law firm, a financial planner or a design studio, the wait is short and the first impression counts. A pair of soft chairs angled around a low table does more there than a row against the wall.
The Vista Tub Chair ($430) has a fully upholstered shell on a powdercoated steel sled base. It comes in Charcoal, Kelly Green or Niagara fabric, with a 450mm seat height, a 140kg rating and a 10 year warranty. At 620mm wide and 560mm deep, it takes less floor than the Lindis.
The trade-off is the shape: a tub wraps around the sitter, with no separate armrests to push up from. Mix tubs with upright seats from the armchairs and single lounges range. Then add a low table from coffee and side tables for cups, phones and clipboards.
Laying out an Australian waiting room
Measure the wall before you count chairs. Five Lindis chairs at 660mm each take 3.3 metres before you add a single gap. Strangers rarely sit right beside each other, so break a long row into pairs with a side table between.
Leave one open bay at the end of a row, clear of the doorway, so a pram, wheelchair or mobility scooter can park beside a companion's seat. The Disability Discrimination Act makes it unlawful to discriminate against people with disability in access to premises the public uses. The Australian Human Rights Commission's examples include shops, banks and professional offices.
Climate matters as well. Black PU in a west-facing shopfront gets hot and sticky through a Perth or Brisbane summer, where fabric and mesh stay more comfortable.
Deliveries go to the ground-floor entrance, and goods arrive flat-packed unless the product page says assembled. Each product page has a Delivery line naming its metro cities. Focus Beam Seating lists Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, and is not available for delivery in SA.
Waiting room chairs — frequently asked questions
Should waiting room chairs have arms?
Yes, most should, because arms give people something firm to push up from. Add a wider seat or two for visitors who find standard arms tight.
What is the best seat height for waiting room chairs?
Look for a seat around 450mm to 470mm high, the range listed for the chairs in this guide. Lower lounges are harder to stand up from, so keep them for short waits.
Is fabric or vinyl better for waiting room chairs?
Vinyl, PU and plastic are better wherever seats are wiped down often, because spills stay on the surface. Fabric is more comfortable for long waits and suits offices where spills are rare.
How much space should you leave between waiting room chairs?
Leave a gap or a side table between every two or three seats, plus one open bay for a pram or wheelchair. Where an overall width is listed, the chairs in this guide run from 595mm to 880mm.
Shop the range
Browse visitor and waiting room chairs for more four-leg, sled and beam options, and reception furniture for the counter they will face.
- Stacking Visitor Chair with Arms (Fabric) ($121): low-cost fabric chair with fixed arms for filling a wall
- Buro Lindis SafeTex - 4 Leg with arms ($459): AFRDI Level 6 chair with antibacterial upholstery for busy receptions
- Mesh Stackable Visitor ($165): sled-base overflow chair that stacks, links and arrives assembled
- Buro Bella Guest Chair ($491): solid wood armchair rated to 160kg for longer waits
- Endura Max Bariatric Chair ($408): 300kg rated chair with a 790mm wide seat
- Focus Beam Seating (from $543): welded 2 or 3 seater beam for service counters and foyers
- Vista Tub Chair ($430): fabric tub chair on a sled base for client lounges
Metro delivery is a flat $75 per order, and prices include GST.
