When it comes to buying contract furniture for different settings, it can be a challenge to know which strength and weight testing standards you should look for. If you’re looking to buy furniture for your public building – be it bariatric chairs, standard tables or anything in between – keep reading and the Rosehill team will tell you everything you need to know about contract furniture strength and weight testing standards…
What do we mean by contract furniture?
Before we continue, we want to define exactly what we mean by the term ‘contract furniture’.
Whilst this is a term which is widely used in the commercial furniture industry, it’s not as widespread amongst the general public.
Put simply, contract furniture refers to furniture which is specifically designed for use in high-traffic, public environments.
Accordingly, contract furniture is made to withstand much higher levels of wear and tear than the kind of furniture you would buy for your own home.
In addition to much more robust design and manufacturing methods, contract furniture is also subject to a series of weight and strength testing standards.
It’s these contract furniture weight and strength testing standards that we’ll cover next.
Note – contract furniture is different from domestic furniture, and is subject to different tests and standards.
National, regional and international standards
For relative newcomers to the world of contract furniture, testing standards can be confusing!
The best way to begin thinking about testing standards is by looking at the different national, regional and international standards that are currently in use. We’ve outlined these standards below.
British Standards (BS)
British Standards – as the name suggests – are a series of standards which apply to a range of industries, and their resulting products, across the UK.
These standards are designed, regulated and enforced by ‘Standards Boards’ under the auspices of the British Standards Institution (better known simply as the BSI).
The organisation’s mission is to, ‘set up standards of quality for goods and services, and prepare and promote the general adoption of British Standards and schedules in connection therewith and from time to time to revise, alter and amend such standards and schedules as experience and circumstances require’.
In other words, the BSI sets out standards that items like contract furniture must meet if they are to be used in the UK.
Note – just as the UK has its own sets of standards, other countries do too. For example, if you purchase contract furniture that is designed and manufactured in the United States, then they may comply with ANSI/BIFMA standards.
European Standards (EN)
European Standards (often given the designation EN, from the words Europäische Norm, meaning ‘European Norm’), are similar to British Standards, only on a European level.
European Standards are designed, regulated and enforced by the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN: Comité Européen de Normalisation).
The standards produced by CEN are designed to be harmonious with national standards such as the British Standards. This is enabled by the fact that the standardisation bodies of the EU member states, the countries of the European Free Trade Association, and the UK contribute to the development of European standards.
That’s why you’ll often see British Standards and European Standards used interchangeably on many items of contract furniture – as in many cases, the standards are exactly the same.
For example, you’ll sometimes see standards listed as BS EN (followed by a series of numbers). These BS EN standards are British implementations of European standards.
International standards
International standards are governed by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO). It has a membership of 167 national standards bodies and develops internationally-applicable standards for a huge range of different products and services.
The ISO describes an international standard as, ‘a document containing practical information and best practice. It often describes an agreed way of doing something or a solution to a global problem’.
In terms of contract furniture, ISO standards help to make products compatible so they fit and work well together, as well as identifying safety issues and ways to avoid them.
ISO standards are usually displayed with the prefix ISO followed by a four digit code, a colon and the date of publication. In some instances this code will be followed by the title of the standard.
For example, ISO 7173: 1989 Furniture – Chairs and stools – Determination of strength and stability.
International standards tend to contain the same core information as their equivalent BS and EN standards. ISO standards tend to be released first, and are then adopted on a regional and national level – hence, you will sometimes see BS-EN-ISO standards e.g. a standard which was released by the ISO, adopted by the European Union and then adopted by the UK via the BSI.
What standards apply to contract furniture in the UK?
Contract furniture is generally subject to a great deal of wear and tear, and must be able to withstand that over a long period of time. As a result, there are multiple standards that apply to contract furniture in order to ensure that items are of the correct dimensions, strength and durability.
Below, we’ve detailed some of the most common British Standards that apply to contract furniture here in the UK (although we’ll look at some other useful specific standards to be aware of later in this article).
Seats and seating
Be it an operator chair, a standard metal framed chair or plushly upholstered reception sofas, there are a number of seating-specific standards you should know about.
BS EN1335-1 (Office furniture. Office work chair dimensions. Determination of dimensions)
This standard applies to office work chairs and specifies the dimensions of three types of office chairs as well as the test methods for determining these dimensions. These three types of office chair are: Type A, fully ergonomic, Type B, standard chair, and Type C, Management Chair (with thicker upholstery).
BS EN1335-2 (Office furniture. Office work chair safety requirements)
This standard covers the safety, strength and durability requirements for office work chairs. These requirements are calculated based on an office chair being used for 8 hours per day by an individual weighing up to 110kg.
BS EN16139 (Furniture. Strength, durability and safety. Requirements for non-domestic seating)
This standard sets out the strength, durability and safety requirements for seating to be used in non-domestic settings such as offices. BS EN161139 covers requirements for seats to accommodate up to 110kg in weight.
This standard has superseded BS EN 15373 – which you will still often see listed on contract furniture product descriptions.
BS 2543 (Upholstery fabrics for end use applications. Classification)
The BS 2543 standard provides a classification for covering fabric for both domestic and contract upholstery applications.
BS 4723 (Stretch covers for upholstered furniture. Specification)
BS 4723 sets out the specification for stretch covers for upholstered furniture, setting out make-up and performance requirements.
BS 5459-2 (Specification for performance requirements and tests for office furniture)
Setting out the specification for performance requirements and tests for office furniture – specifically pedestal style seating – BS 5459-2 covers office furniture for persons weighing up to 150kg, or for 24 hour use.
BS 7176 (Fire test to non-domestic seating)
This standard sets out the specification for resistance to ignition of upholstered furniture for contract seating. The specification sets out the tests to composites that are required to meet the specification.
BS 5852-1 (Fire tests for furniture part 1)
This standard sets out the methods of test for the ignitability of upholstered composites for seating. It looks at how upholstered composites respond when subjected to either a smouldering cigarette or a lighted match as might be applied accidentally.
This standard is sometimes referred to as the Crib 5/Crib 7 test. This is important to note as different settings require different levels of ignition resistance.
For example, a ‘medium hazard’ setting such as a public house will require upholstered furniture which is tested to Crib 5 standard. On the other hand, a ‘high hazard’ setting such as an oil rig, will require upholstered furniture which is tested to Crib 7 standard.
Guide – for more information on the fire regulations associated with contract furniture, read our guide to contract furniture fire safety regulations.
Tables and desks
As you would expect, tables and desks are also subject to multiple testing standards. We’ve set out the most common of these standards below.
BS EN527-1 (Office furniture. Work tables and desks – dimensions)
BS EN527-1 sets out the dimensional requirements for the four main types of office desks: fully-adjustable, height selectable, fixed height and minimal adjustment desks. The standard stipulates legroom and ranges of adjustability.
BS EN527-2 (Office furniture. Work tables. Safety, strength and durability requirements)
As its name suggests, BS EN527-2 specifies the safety, strength and durability requirements for work tables and desks which are to be used in offices.
This standard also includes two annexes; annex A which contains a test for the deflection of table tops, and annex B which contains an example of the calculation for the stiffness of a structure.
BS EN15372 (Furniture. Strength, durability and safety. Requirements for non-domestic tables)
This is a standard which applies to the other types of tables that you’ll typically find in an office (excluding desks, which are covered by BS EN527-2).
As its name explains, BS EN15372 specifies the requirements for safety, strength and durability that non-domestic tables must meet in order to be suitable for an office environment.
BS 5459-1 (Performance requirements and tests for office furniture part 1: desks and tables)
This is a partner standard to BS 5459-2 which is listed in the seating section above. BS 5459-1 sets out the test methods and acceptance criteria for strength and reliability for desks and tables.
Note – this is not an exhaustive list of contract furniture standards. Whilst these are some of the most commonly encountered standards, we also recommend checking with the relevant standards authority for the latest information.
Contract furniture standards for educational settings
It’s important to note that there are also standards specifically for furniture to be used in educational settings.
The main standard to be aware of when it comes to furniture for schools is BS EN 1729 (Furniture. Chairs and tables for educational settings).
This standard comprises two parts:
- Part 1: Furniture. Chairs and tables for educational institutions. Functional dimensions.
- Part 2: Furniture. Chairs and tables for educational institutions. Safety requirements and test methods.
Although BS EN 1729 is focused on furniture for use in education settings, you will sometimes find that items of contract furniture are tested to BS EN 1729, even if they are for use in an office or other public setting as well as for schools. This is because, as one manufacturer of contract furniture told us:
“We find the BS EN 1729 standard is a more suitable test for our products. The testing has two parts; for ergonomics (Part 1 – functional dimensions) and for strength and durability (Part 2). Our opinion is this is more thorough, as the test includes looking at the movement and impact, durability, tensile strength and fittings, rather than purely a static weight load”.
In other words, if you want chairs and tables that can withstand significant abuse, then check if they have been tested to the BS EN 1729 standards, even if you’re not using the furniture in an educational setting.
Guide – for more information on selecting the right types and sizes of furniture for your school, read our guide here.
What factors do contract furniture standards cover?
We realise that these various standards can seem a bit vague and hard to understand. The reality is that you don’t need to overly worry about knowing every single detail of every standard.
As long as you buy your contract furniture from a reputable supplier, then you can be assured that the items of furniture you purchase are:
- Fire safe, with sufficient flame retardancy.
- Compliant with smoke emission standards.
- Of the correct dimensions, strength and durability for the context in which they will be used.
- Rub fast – able to resist colour transfer onto other textiles such as clothing.
- Able to withstand rubbing, abrasion and piling.
Note – one way to check the quality of a piece of contract furniture is to look for the guarantees that are offered with it. This is a good indicator of the quality of design and manufacture.
Tips for buying contract furniture based on weight capacity
A particularly important thing to note when it comes to buying items of contract furniture such as seats is their weight capacities.
Standard seating, as you may have gathered from the standards listed above, is generally able to accommodate weights of up to 110kg – 115kg.
If you require seats for people that are heavier than 115kg, then you’ll require a reinforced chair which can handle weights up to 158kg (25 stone). For weights beyond that, you’ll require what’s called a bariatric chair, which is usually upwards of 200kg (30 stone).
ANSI/BIFMA standards for contract furniture
Although there are British Standards for the weight capacity of contract furniture, there are some other really useful standards that can help you select the best items of furniture with larger weight capacities.
These standards are known as ANSI/BIFMA standards.
These are standards which are jointly developed and monitored by two organisations; ANSI and BIFMA.
ANSI stands for the American National Standards Institute, which is effectively the U.S. version of the British Standards Institute.
BIFMA stands for the Business & Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association. This is an industry body which sets voluntary standards that promote safe working environments.
Together, ANSI and BIFMA have created a set of standards for contract furniture.
Whilst the ANSI/BIFMA ratings are American, they are worth looking out for – even if you’re buying your contract furniture in the UK. This is because the ANSI/BIFMA ratings are usually more stringent when it comes to weight testing. What’s more, many of the world’s biggest contract furniture manufacturers are based in America (or sell their products into that market), so many items of contract furniture on sale in the UK will have been tested to ANSI/BIFMA standards.
What do the ANSI/BIFMA weight tests involve?
So, what do the ANSI/BIFMA weight tests involve? To find out, we spoke to Tim Hornberger, Vice President of Design and Development at KI – one of the world’s largest manufacturers of contract furniture based in the U.S.:
“Our weight ratings are based on the ANSI/BIFMA standards. These tests are designed for specific sized people. The tests that determine the weight ratings usually fall into two main categories; strength tests and durability tests. There is a third type of test, stability, that is also part of most standards, but which isn’t as closely tied to a weight rating,
Durability tests use loads that a certain size person would put on a product in normal everyday use, repeated to simulate about 10 years of use.
A good example of this type of test is the seating durability test. The test drops a load from a specified height, 100,000 times. The load and drop height vary between different standards (ANSI/BIFMA has several different seating standards representing different types of seating and sizes of people).
Strength tests are typically loads that are much greater than what a product would see in everyday average use and only applied one time. These tests are designed to ensure, as much as possible, that if someone does something very extreme to the product it will not completely fail and they won’t get hurt.
BIFMA has seating tests that represent a 275 pound (19 stone), 400 pound (28.5 stone), and 600 pound (42 stone) person. We do some additional testing where we extrapolate between these standards to arrive at other weight ratings for our products”.
As you can see, the ANSI/BIFMA standards involve incredibly rigorous testing when it comes to weight.
What are the different types of contract chairs by weight capacity?
If you need to make sure you have seats in your public building to accommodate heavier people, then you need to make sure you purchase seats that have the correct weight capacity.
As we mentioned earlier, there are effectively three different types of seat when it comes to weight capacity.
Standard contract seating
Any seating that is sold as contract-standard seating should ideally adhere to BS EN161139 (although note that adherence to British Standards is voluntary and not legally required). This is the British Standard that sets out the strength, durability and safety of seating.
This standard tests seats for weights up to 18 stone (115kg).
Reinforced contract seating
Many manufacturers of contract-standard seating choose to reinforce their seats beyond the minimum standard set out under BS EN161139.
A lot of reinforced chairs aren’t necessarily labelled as such, however we have set out the reinforced chairs that we stock in a table below.
One of the reasons that many contract furniture manufacturers choose to reinforce their chairs – but not have them tested behind BS EN161139 – is because they don’t feel that some of the higher tests and standards are realistic enough.
Nigel Punshon, Sales Director of Hille Ltd – a leading UK manufacturer of contract furniture – explains:
“I think what we worry about is that the testing isn’t very real world. What I mean by that is that the tests usually involve the placement of static weight on chairs, so for instance the normal testing goes to 28 stones, but it’s static. In real life, if a person is say 22 stones, but drops heavily onto a chair when sitting down, then what’s the actual total impact load?
It’s a formula of their static weight then affected by their momentum. This is why we tend to stick to 21 stones in the main, as we believe that for practical use at higher weights we would need something that can withstand a great deal more weight.
We all do the testing as a ‘rubber stamp’ in effect, and it is important, but often the real world impacts go beyond those in the test”.
Nevertheless, reinforced chairs will generally be able to accommodate weights of up to 25 stone (158kg), however we’d always recommend double checking the weight capacity of your chosen chair.
If you are looking for reinforced seats, then it’s worth looking for items which are ANSI/BIFMA rated, as they will have been put through very rigorous weight testing (as described above).
Tip – if you’re not sure of the weight capacity of a particular chair, simply give us a call or email. We’ll be happy to help! You can reach our sales team on 0161 485 1717 or at: sales@rosehill.co.uk
Bariatric contract seating
If you need chairs or seats for users of between 30 and 50 stones in weight (200kg-317.5kg), then you’ll need to buy what are known as bariatric chairs.
Bariatric chairs are chairs which are not only designed to handle heavier weights, but they also tend to have wider dimensions to allow larger users to sit in comfort.
In some contexts, you’ll be obligated to purchase bariatric chairs. For example, the CQC (Care Quality Commission) stipulates that GP surgeries must provide bariatric seating within their waiting rooms.
Reinforced and bariatric chairs and seating for public buildings UK
With all that in mind, if you’re looking for reinforced or bariatric seating for your public building (be it a community centre, education institution, crematorium, church, GP surgery or other public setting), you’ll find plenty of options below.
The seats which can accommodate heavier weights, that we currently offer at Rosehill, are listed in the table below:
| Type | Model | Weight Capacity* |
|---|---|---|
| Reinforced | Hatton Chair | 127kg/20 stone |
| Arch Folding Chair | 150kg/23.5 stone | |
| Postura+ Stools | 152kg/24 stone | |
| Ergostak Chair | 158kg/24.5 stone | |
| Hamilton Range | 160kg/25 stone | |
| Dalton Range | 160kg/25 stone | |
| Cubitt Armchairs | 160kg/25 stone | |
| Slide Chairs | 160kg/25 stone | |
| Gogo Chairs | 160kg/25 stone | |
| Postura+ Chair (Size EN41) | 130kg/20.5 stone | |
| Intellect Wave Cantilever Chair | 158kg/24.5 stone | |
| Postura+ Chair (Sizes EN2 & EN3) | 160kg/25 stone | |
| Maestro Stacking Chair | 181kg/28.5 stone | |
| Strive Range (exc. task bases and nesting chair) | 181kg/28.5 stone | |
| Ricochet Stool | 181kg/28.5 stone | |
| Intellect Wave 4-Leg & Task Chair | 181kg/28.5 stone | |
| Bariatric | Postura+ Chair (Sizes EN4, EN5 & EN6) | 200kg/31.5 stone |
| 2300 Folding Chair | 230kg/36 stone | |
| Dalton Bariatric Armchairs | 255kg/40 stone | |
| Hamilton Bariatric Armchairs | 255kg/40 stone | |
| Cyrus Bariatric Range | 317.5kg/50 stone |
*Please note that the weights in stone are rounded.
Note – this table is regularly updated. If you require any assistance in selecting the right reinforced or bariatric chair for your particularly purposes, speak to our sales team on 0161 485 1717 or at: sales@rosehill.co.uk
Reinforced and bariatric chairs at Rosehill
For over 30 years Rosehill has been supplying reinforced and bariatric chairs to organisations, institutions, facilities and public buildings of all kinds across the UK.
If you’re looking for reinforced or bariatric seating for your building, then explore our range now.
Speak to Rosehill about your seating requirements today
For more contract furniture buying guides, information and advice, read the Rosehill blog…
How to Buy the Right Furniture for Your GP Surgery | What Are the Different Sizes of School Furniture? | Chrome Finish vs EPC Finish: Which Is Best for Your Contract Furniture?
