Director’s Chairs – The Buying Guide

Directors’ chairs are comfortable but can look chic and stylish too. There are a lot of styles to choose from and the right choice can make or break the look of your room. There are things to consider when choosing which Director’s Chair is the right one for you.

Why Choose a Director’s Chair?

If you are in need of additional seating for parties or other events, but don’t want the chairs out on other days, then a Director’s Chair style is a good choice. They will look good on the day, then fold away. They are light and portable, and can even fit nicely in the boots of most cars. After all, they were designed to be moved from movie set to film set, but also to support long days of sitting and working on a production.

Choosing the Material

These chairs come in a variety of colours and styles, and you can even have them customised with lettering or print designs on the canvass back and seat. Frames are available in chromed aluminium or wood, with stainless steel hardware for a long-lasting, reliable look and construction.

Ease of Setup

Setting up a Director’s Chair is very easy. It folds flat, so you need only to separate the two armrests with a gentle pull, and it opens into position, ready to be sat on. To pack it up, just push the armrests together, perhaps with a little upward lift, and it folds flat.

It is a good idea to remove the canvass from the chair if it is going to be stored for a long time, and to keep the canvass in a protective bag, to prevent accumulation of dust etc. The frames are best kept hung up to prevent them being scuffed or scraped when moving things around them, but if they are in a safe place, they will sit quite happily on the floor, leaned up against a wall or even stacked one upon another.

Cleaning/Maintenance

The fabric portion of your chair is likely make of cotton or breathable mesh. Both are colourfast and can be treated with Scotchgard, so most spills are fixed with a simple wipe. Cloth components can also be washed in a washing machine, though it is recommended that another coat of Scotchgard be applied after each washing.

It is very important that you don’t put these in the dryer though – dryers can shrink the cloth, making them not fit the chair anymore. Always air dry your Director’s Chair fabric components.

The mesh components can be washed with mild soap – or even sprayed off with a hose – and air dried.

The legs can be wiped with a dusting cloth, or wood polish can be used if your model had wooden legs – though this is not normally necessary.

Never use abrasive chemicals or cloths on your Director’s Chair.

Sizes

Directors’ Chairs come in different styles and heights for different uses – they even come in heavy duty styles and wider seats to suit larger heights and weights.

As a general rule, 18-inch chairs best suit use with standard tables, or for general outside use.

If you want one to suit use beside a kitchen countertop, or something of similar height, then the 24-inch models are best for most people.

For use at a bar, or what a film director actually uses on site, the 30-inch models are most common, and often come with an additional step for easy mounting.

If the person using the chair is especially tall, or short, you may want to adjust the height accordingly.

You can shop other garden chairs on our site here.