Start with two questions: how long will people sit, and does the room need to be cleared afterwards? Visitor chairs suit short stays in reception or waiting areas. Conference chairs are the better fit for longer meetings, training and events. Choose a stackable design when the same room has to be packed away.
A conference chair is seating for meetings, training sessions and events, where people may sit for a longer stretch. A visitor chair is seating for reception, waiting areas and short visits.
Stackable is not a third type of chair. It is a storage feature: the chairs stand on top of each other so a room can be opened up. Many conference chairs stack, and some visitor chairs do too. If you want chairs that stack, start with the conference range, where you will find most of the stacking models. Then look through the visitor range for the ones that stack there.
Use conference chairs when the room is for longer meetings, training or events. People are there to work through a session, so the chair has to stay comfortable for that longer sitting.
You will find fabric, vinyl, mesh, wood frames, and chrome or black metal frames in the conference chairs range. A few folding chairs also appear in the same range, which helps when a room has to fold away rather than stack.
If you also need a table, see the boardroom and meeting tables.
Use visitor chairs where people sit for a short time, such as a reception or waiting area. The chair still needs to look considered, because it is often the first seat a guest uses. It is not the everyday chair for a long meeting.
The visitor chairs range is built around that shorter visit. You can choose from fabric, mesh and vinyl finishes, on wood or metal frames.
Choose a stackable chair when the same room has to work in more than one way, such as a meeting and then a clear floor. Stacking is how you store the chairs, not a different kind of seating.
Most stacking models are in the conference chairs range, and some visitor chairs stack too.
Stack height varies from model to model, so read it for the chair you are buying. The Polly stacking chair, for example, stacks up to 12 high. Pack quantities vary as well: some chairs are sold in twos or fives. Order against the pack shown for that chair so you end up with the number of seats you actually need.
Start with session length. If people will only sit for a short visit, a visitor chair is the usual choice. If they will sit through a meeting, training session or event, choose a conference chair.
Then ask how often the room has to be cleared. If the layout changes regularly, pick a stackable model and note the stack height and pack quantity for that chair. If the chairs stay put, stacking matters less than comfort for the length of the sitting.
Next, choose a finish to match how the room is used. Vinyl and polypropylene wipe clean more readily, which suits rooms that see a lot of traffic. Fabric is a natural choice for a more formal meeting room. Some chairs have arms and some do not: decide whether you want arms for seated support, or a simpler profile.
For everyday office-chair types, see our guide to types of office chair. For the room itself rather than the seating, see what a huddle room is.
Conference chairs are for longer meetings, training and events. Visitor chairs are for reception, waiting areas and short visits. The difference is the length of the sitting and the job of the room, not a single style or material. Both ranges include fabric, vinyl, mesh and wood or metal frames, and some chairs in each range also stack.
Stackable chairs are used when a room has to be cleared or reset. They store in a vertical stack so the floor can be opened up between meetings or events. Stacking is simply how you store the chairs, not a different kind of seating. Most stacking models are in the conference chairs range, and some visitor chairs stack as well.
Many conference chairs do stack, but not all of them. Stack height varies from model to model. If the room must pack away, choose a model with the stack height you need, and take the pack quantity into account at the same time.
For a meeting room where people sit through a session, choose conference chairs. If that room also needs a clear floor, choose conference chairs that stack. Pair them with boardroom and meeting tables if you are furnishing the room as well. Keep visitor chairs for reception and waiting.
Visitor chairs are meant for short stays, so they are not the usual choice for a long meeting, training session or event. For those longer sittings, choose a conference chair. If a waiting area also needs to be cleared, look for a visitor model that stacks, and still use conference chairs in the meeting room itself.
Browse the conference chairs and visitor chairs ranges and choose the seating that matches how your room is used.
