Hospitals need chairs that can help patients feel comfortable and supported. Unforgiving chair materials can put extra pressure on the lumbar spine and can cause discomfort, abrasions and rashes for patients.
Look for patient chairs that feature a large clean-out area between the seat and back to reduce catch points where bacteria can hide. This makes cleaning quicker and easier for staff members.
1. Comfort
Patient comfort is an essential consideration when purchasing hospital furniture. When selecting hospital furniture, look for options that provide both durability and functionality, such as chairs offering sturdy frames and powerful motors, ensuring long-term performance even with heavy use. Choose seating made from durable materials, backed by healthcare-grade vinyls for easy cleaning and designed to resist deterioration with frequent use. Look for padded seat and backrests to reduce discomfort during extended sitting periods.
Many chairs feature removable arms or sides to facilitate bed to chair transfers for patients with limited mobility. This allows patients to sit upright without needing a hoist and reduces the risk of infection. Alternatively, select seating with wheels or castors that can be locked to prevent movement and ensure the chair remains stable during medical procedures like CPR. The ability to adjust the seat width can also be useful if a patient gains or loses weight and requires a different-sized seat.
Infection control is a top priority for any hospital environment, especially in wards and emergency departments where patients are frequently moved between seats. Look for a seating solution that provides multiple levels of hygiene, from disinfectant-resistant upholstery to antimicrobial coatings and built-in antibacterial features that help keep surfaces cleaner.
Invest in durable, comfortable seating for your hospital wards to improve patient comfort and boost satisfaction. From standard high back models to bariatric designs for heavier patients, there are options that are both practical and stylish.
Beam seating, such as Champion’s Kind BH Three-Seat Chair, is available in luxurious finishes that feel more like premium fabrics than typical healthcare vinyls. This makes them ideal for waiting rooms with a home-like atmosphere, while still providing durable seating that will stand up to heavy use throughout the day. These same luxury fabrics can also be used for meeting room chairs and task chairs in consultation areas to ensure consistent style across your hospital.
2. Durability
Hospitals have a high turnover of patients, so durable furniture is critical to reducing costs and increasing longevity. Hospital chairs should be constructed from premium materials that are resistant to deterioration, so they can stand up to the wear and tear of daily use. They also need to be easy to clean, allowing staff to maintain sanitization procedures and prevent the spread of infection. Choosing chairs with seamless surfaces and antimicrobial upholstery minimizes the risk of cross-contamination, and removable cushions allow for easy replacement when they’re dirty or damaged.
Ergonomic designs have become standard for healthcare seating, as they promote proper posture and reduce stress on the body. This is especially important for patients and visitors who spend extended periods of time in hospitals, as prolonged sitting increases the risk of musculoskeletal problems such as pressure ulcers.
Choosing chairs with flexible features is also beneficial, as it helps to ensure that the chair can grow with the patient over a long period of time. For example, a pediatric chair that allows the user to easily switch between different seat sizes is ideal for children of all ages, as it will accommodate their growth without the need for tools. The ability to flip the armrests up and down is another useful feature, as it can assist with side transfers.
Choosing chairs that are lightweight is another great way to improve durability, as it will help to facilitate mobility around the hospital. Additionally, choosing chairs that are stackable will make it easier to store them in between shifts. Finally, selecting chairs with wheels or casters will also improve mobility, as they will be easy to maneuver. The Kwalu Postura+ is an excellent example of a strong yet lightweight hospital chair. Its polypropylene legs are gas-injected, making them impact resistant and extremely stable. It is available in six sizes, ranging from three-year olds to adults, and its upholstered back can be replaced quickly and easily if it becomes damaged or contaminated.
3. Adjustability
When it comes to hospital furniture for phlebotomy procedures, the right chair can make all the difference. In addition to providing comfort for patients during blood draws, phlebotomy chairs are also designed with safety and ergonomic benefits in mind for healthcare staff. With features like radiolucent backs, adjustable seat and footrests, padded armrests and a wide range of adjustment options – ranging from tilt-in-space, recline depth, extended thoracic wings, foam or cool gel cushion with varying pressure relief to 2 or 4 point belts – these specialist chairs can reduce patient anxiety during the procedure, support correct body alignment, and minimise the risk of needle sticks.
Whether you’re buying hospital chairs for more formal consultation areas or more relaxed dining spaces, the adjustability of your furniture is a key consideration. For example, our Hamilton hospital chair can be used in various areas of your hospital but is particularly suited to hospital cafeterias thanks to its sleek metal frame and wipe clean plastic or wood seat and back (or singular ‘shell’).
As with many things in healthcare, one size definitely doesn’t fit all, so you’ll want to consider the adjustability features available on children’s hospital chairs. A chair that can be resized quickly without the need for tools is a valuable asset, especially for young people who will outgrow their chair over a significant period.
For a chair that can be adjusted to fit women of all shapes and sizes, check out the patented PaddleLok system on the Rosehill Ultra hospital chair. This unique adjustability offers a choice of height, cant and tilt settings to help you find the perfect position for your patients and can be easily locked into place. This, along with the large castors that can be locked in a stationary position and a central brake switch, guarantees that your patients are safe and secure.
4. Convenience
Hospitals need to be comfortable for visitors and patients who may spend long periods of time waiting for consultations or treatment. Comfortable chairs in waiting rooms and consultations provide physical support, reduce anxiety and stress and help patients relax during their hospital stay.
Hospital seating should be easy to clean in order to maintain sanitization procedures and keep staff safe from bacteria, viruses, bed bugs and other unwanted organisms. Chairs with smooth surfaces, with no crevices or nooks, are more easily cleaned and disinfected than furniture with multiple layers of fabric or wood. Hospital furniture manufacturers have designed some chairs specifically for healthcare use that are easy to wipe down and require fewer tools to disassemble.
For example, the Carrara guest chair from Kwalu has a simple frame and seat that is upholstery-free. Its flat surfaces are easily wiped down and it can be treated with all 2014 EPA-registered antimicrobial products to prevent the spread of Clostridium difficile (CDI) spores. It is also easy to replace the seat and back when a patient or visitor brings in their own, providing hospitals with a flexible seating solution.
Similarly, the Hamilton cafe chair is a perfect choice for hospital restaurants and cafeterias. Featuring a chrome, black or white steel frame and wipe-clean plyform veneer shell (in a variety of colours) this chair is tough and can be stacked up to eight high making it easy to clear out the cafeteria after lunch or for cleaning purposes.
The Dalton chapel chair is another excellent option for hospital chapels. Stylish, practical and durable, this chair can be specified with different armrests, linking tabs for rows of seats and is available in a range of back styles including standard, containment-back, mid-back and high-back. It is also available in a variety of seat heights to suit all ages and mobility levels.
5. Style
The hospital environment can get extremely crowded and chaotic – meaning chairs need to be durable enough to handle frequent use and a high volume of people. Infection control is another consideration and a wide range of features can be included to limit the spread of bacteria, dust and dirt. Options like clasps instead of Velcro reduce areas where germs can hide and chair frames with flat surfaces that are easily cleaned and disinfected are core requirements.
Chairs need to be versatile enough for use throughout the hospital too, from ward dining spaces to consultation rooms. For a hospital chair that ticks all these boxes, take a look at the Dalton Bariatric chair. Featuring an antimicrobial treatment on the hardwood frame and a hygiene gap at the back of the seat, this chair is highly durable, practical and comfortable. Plus, it’s available with a variety of upholstery choices from premium, wipe clean fabrics to healthcare-standard vinyls.
For patients who need to lie down and rest, a recliner chair could be the perfect solution. Unlike traditional hospital beds, which require rails and storage for medical equipment, these chairs are simple to move from room to room and feature a fully reclining action to support postural needs, aid mobility and encourage comfort.
A wide selection of different chairs can be found in hospitals around the country, with many designed to meet specific patient requirements. Whether it’s specialist bariatric furniture to accommodate heavier patients or gynaecological chairs with specialised functionality to minimise the risk of falls and pressure ulcers, these healthcare seats are an essential part of creating a safe and welcoming environment for patients. And with a choice of colours and styles to suit any healthcare setting, they can also be used in a range of healthcare environments outside of the hospital too.
