Chair Buying Guide

The right chair depends on the environment, the required look, how often it moves and whether you are buying for one-off or repeated commercial use.

Chair types on Expo Direct

Conference chairs

A strong all-round option for formal seating layouts, meetings and venue use. Padded upholstery suits longer periods of seated use where comfort matters more than storage efficiency.

Best where storage efficiency and rapid deployment matter. Easy to move, stack and store in volume. The EventPro® folding chair uses a stronger frame profile and reinforced hinge than the standard hire-market version.

Eames-style chairs

Modern, clean-shell seating for events, dining, breakout areas and contemporary venues. Available in multiple colours. Moulded polypropylene shell, easy to wipe clean, lightweight and stackable.

Eames Eiffel armchairs

One-piece shell with integrated arms, reinforced steel base and a softer profile suited to hospitality and higher-comfort settings. A step up from the standard Eames chair where armrests matter.

Tolix-style chairs

Industrial-style steel seating with a strong visual identity for bistro, outdoor and contemporary commercial environments. Powder-coated finish, stackable, weather-resistant.

What to compare before buying

Comfort

Match the chair to how long guests will be seated. Padded conference chairs suit longer events; shell seats work for shorter periods.

Stackability

If storage space is limited or chairs move regularly, folding chairs are the most efficient option. Eames-style chairs also stack.

Appearance

Eames-style and Tolix-style chairs suit design-led spaces. Conference chairs suit formal or neutral settings.

Volume pricing

Several EventPro® lines include quantity pricing. Check the product page for 10+, 50+ and 100+ tiers before ordering in bulk.

Weight

Folding and shell-seat chairs are lighter and easier to move than padded conference chairs — important for frequent layout changes.

Cleaning

Moulded plastic shells wipe clean easily. Upholstered seating needs more care in high-use environments. See the materials guide.

Common questions

What chair is best for conferences?

Conference chairs and folding chairs are the most practical options. Conference chairs suit formal, longer-duration layouts; folding chairs suit high-volume, quick-setup events.

What chair is best for a modern venue?

Eames-style chairs and Eiffel armchairs suit design-led spaces where the look of the room matters alongside practicality.

What chair is easiest to store?

Folding chairs are the most space-efficient for storage and transport, particularly for venues managing multiple room layouts.

Do chairs come with volume pricing?

Several EventPro® lines include quantity pricing at 10+, 50+ and 100+ units. Check individual product pages for current tiers.

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