Trends in Classroom Chairs and Tables
By: Bob Roskos
Over the past 10 to 15 years, the look, feel and functionality of classroom chairs and tables have changed dramatically. Now, you can choose from many chair and table styles for an array of educational applications, whereas not so long ago, your options would have been much more limited.
Recent design trends have influenced the development of new, improved classroom furniture lines. With regard to chairs, perhaps the most significant trend concerns the emergence of comfortable, supportive, and affordable student seating with important ergonomic contours.
Of course, the term “ergonomic contours” is rather general. By way of providing more detailed information, here are some examples of specific ergonomic contours that can be found in well-designed classroom chairs with one-piece injection-molded shells, as well as the benefits these contours deliver:
* A gentle lumbar (lower back) swell in the chair shell that promotes lordosis (proper spinal curvature) and comfortably supports an upright posture
* A deeply relieved seat that helps reduce pressure on sensitive ischial tuberosities (“bottom bones”)
* A hollowed-out “wallet area” where the seat and back meet that prevents uncomfortable pressure on the sacrum and coccyx (“tailbones”)
* A blending of deeply sculpted contours toward the centerline of the seat, allowing users to settle into the shell for excellent comfort and posture
* A gradually relieved thigh area that gently supports upper legs without restricting movement or circulation
* A smoothly rolled crest at the top of the backrest that minimizes “edge” pressure on the user’s upper back – even for taller people in relaxed postures – providing better comfort, circulation, and freedom of movement
* A comfortable waterfall front edge that promotes good circulation through the popliteal arches (behind the knees) to the lower legs and feet
Related trends in classroom seating involve the use of advanced polymers to produce superior chair shells that are better able to incorporate ergonomic contours, and yet are more durable for long-lasting performance. And, in contrast to bygone days when only a few color selections for chair shells were available, leading manufacturers now give you a choice of dozens of standard and custom plastic colors.
In addition to offering a greater variety of colors, a few furniture companies have set a trend toward offering a greater variety of classroom chair styles. They have developed several new product lines featuring ergonomically contoured chairs with injection-molded shells that have a range of fixed-height models for K-12 environments. These product lines include standard-size pneumatically adjustable chairs for computer classes and tech labs in high school settings; some have “junior” task chairs with a lower height-adjustment range and a smaller chair shell for use by younger students in earlier grades.
The trends we have just reviewed have also affected compression-molded hard plastic chairs. Not long ago, seats and backs for hard plastic classroom seating tended to have minimal contouring and a restricted color palette. Now, you can find new hard plastic classroom seating lines with comfortable ergonomic contours and a rainbow of color selections.
Classroom tables, like classroom chairs, have been influenced by a number of recent trends. To accommodate cooperative learning activities – and space planning necessities – you can now order tables with a greater array of top sizes than ever. Top height adjustment – a key ergonomic aspect of tables – can be specified in ranges for elementary grades, upper grades, and wheelchair applications.
With the growth of multi-use classrooms where different furniture configurations are required for different subjects, new tilt-top tables on casters deliver excellent furniture solutions. These tables can be quickly set up, moved, and re-arranged to suit diverse teaching styles and curricula; and, since their tops readily shift from a horizontal “in-use” position to a vertical “transport/storage” position, tables that aren’t needed in smaller classes can be taken out of in-use mode and then rolled out of the way without taking up much floor space.
As computers and associated technology become ever more essential to teachers and students, options and accessories for tables continue to expand significantly. Along with wire management panels, keyboard/mouse trays, CPU holders, and adjustable shelves for printers and scanners, manufacturers are beginning to offer innovations like mini power/data ports with retractable lids that are installed directly in table tops. For enhanced cable management, new elliptical-shaped grommets are available with convenient wire pass-through openings at each end; these grommets include a flush-closing cover that rotates 180 degrees around a steel hinge pin. Thanks to this intuitive design detail, the grommet cover – which can’t be readily detached or misplaced – lays flat in both its fully opened and closed positions.
The explosion of color in many classrooms is evident in tables as well as chairs. Unlike the meager laminate choices of years past, exciting laminates such as Fusion Maple and Grey Nebula are now standard on newer table lines. Custom laminates give you hundreds of further choices. A rainbow of edge banding alternatives – no longer restricted to basic black – brings added color accents.
Mobile tables have long been a furniture favorite in cafeterias, multi-purpose spaces, and selected classrooms. Now, the anti-microbial polyurethane edge treatment with which some mobile tables are specified can be ordered in more than a dozen eye-catching colors.
On a different note, the increasing demand for “green” products throughout our society has positively impacted not only classroom chairs and tables, but all school furniture. A decade ago, for instance, there were no Greenguard certified classroom furniture lines. Now, in response to parent and educator concerns about indoor air quality (IAQ) in schools due to the off-gassing of volatile organic compounds (such as formaldehyde) and related issues, certain manufacturers are working with Greenguard and other third-party IAQ certifiers to provide low-emitting seating, tables, and other furniture items.
It’s easy to find out whether a given product line is Greenguard certified. Simply go to www.greenguard.org and consult the Greenguard Environmental Institute Product Guide, which serves as an up-to-date, online resource for identifying Greenguard certified furniture.
To assist the growing number of schools that are seeking LEED certification of their facilities, some manufacturers can give you the percentage of recycled content materials in their furniture models. This valuable information, which typically consists of a breakdown of pre-consumer and post-consumer recycled content, can help schools earn LEED points.
In conjunction with recycled content, interest in the recyclability of furniture is on the rise. Unfortunately, the vast majority of recycling vendors won’t accept the plastic chair shells, laminated wood tops, and compression-molded components from which most classroom furniture is made.
That’s why a Take-Back program was launched in 2006 by an industry leader to help schools recycle their out-of-service furniture. Through Take-Back projects, several schools have diverted tons of furniture components from landfills and helped to improve the environment.
From recyclability to ergonomics, we have looked at many factors and trends that have shaped – and are shaping – the design of contemporary classroom chairs and tables. The next time you’re in the market for classroom furniture, reviewing these trends can help you choose reliable, innovative products that will benefit your students for years to come.
Bob Roskos is the corporate copywriter for Virco, www.virco.com.
Product Roundup
furniture4schools
furniture4schools, a division of J.R., Inc., has been in business for more than 36 years and is a leading supplier of furniture to public and private schools all over the country. They carry all the most popular manufacturers and offer outstanding customer service, pricing, and warranties. They also stock for immediate shipment several sizes in student chairs, files, teacher desks, student desks, activity tables, and chair desks in their two company-owned distribution centers.
www.furniture4schools.com
Southern Aluminum’s Alulite Table
Tired of replacing your school’s old, broken, wooden, or plastic tables? Southern Aluminum’s Alulite table is the last table you will ever have to buy. The aircraft grade aluminum construction prevents Alulite tables from cracking, rusting, or warping after extended usage exposure to heat, moisture, or sunlight. The durable finishes give this table a heavy-duty surface that is easy to clean and maintain. The Alulite table is offered with a “Remarkable” finish that is comparable to a white dry erase board.
www.southernaluminum.com
Gaylord Brothers
Gaylord Brothers invites you to experience the Gaylord Difference with these handsome American-made library furniture pieces. Both the Seneca library chair and the Classic reading table are constructed of northern red oak and designed for lasting wear. Furnish your library or study area with these smooth edges, steel-reinforced connections, and gentle ergonomic curves—all in your choice of both seat and tabletop height. Choose between six beautiful wood finishes and more than 200 tabletop laminate colors. www.gaylord.com
KI Mobile Tables/Benches
KI Folding Mobile Tables/Benches are the ultimate convenience in school seating. Pneumatic lift assist system includes torsion bars that make these tables easy to set up and store by one person. Gravity lock automatically engages apron slots so the table won't close unexpectedly. Pinch-free center hinges and sufficient space between table halves keeps fingers from getting caught. A large integrated storage lock automatically engages when table is closed for secure storage. Carefree high-pressure laminate surface features unique Perfect Edge that seals out bacteria and germs.
www.chdist.com
Virco TEXT
With elegant elliptical tubing, arched feet, swooping top-support yokes – and the proven durability of Virco construction – TEXT tables are great for classrooms and computer labs. Dozens of adjustable-height and fixed-height models offer an array of top sizes. Special technology-ready TEXT tables combine post-formed tops with two large grommets, two wire-management trays, and a perforated steel modesty panel. The TEXT line also includes tilt-top tables on casters for multi-purpose rooms requiring variable furniture setups.
www.Virco.com
