Hospital waiting rooms play a crucial role in the patient experience. It’s essential to choose the right chairs and tables to create a welcoming, comfortable, and sanitary environment for the patients who walk through your door. Hospitals and medical offices generally have a reception desk, side tables, and many chairs and benches for patients and their families who are waiting.
When it comes to selecting healthcare waiting room chairs, several unique factors need to be considered to ensure the space is functional, practical, and aesthetically pleasing. From durability in a commercial environment to accessibility for all individuals, there are many considerations when selecting hospital and healthcare waiting room furniture. If well chosen, chairs and benches can last for 5 to 7 years, even with heavy use.
What to Look for in Hospital Waiting Room Seating
There are several ways you can determine the quality and suitability of healthcare waiting room chairs and seating.
7 Keys to finding good furniture for healthcare waiting rooms
- Durability: Waiting room furniture in medical offices and hospitals must have upholstery that withstands the wear and tear of a high-traffic environment.
- Cleanability: Chairs that are easy to sanitize and wipe down are essential in maintaining a hygienic space and preventing the spread of infections.
- Style: The furniture should complement the room’s aesthetics and create a welcoming atmosphere for patients.
- Comfort: Patients should feel at ease while waiting, ensuring a positive experience.
- Water Resistance: Furniture should be resistant to spills and fluids to maintain cleanliness.
- Accessibility: Consider the needs of patients of all ages, sizes, and abilities to provide a comfortable seating experience for everyone.
- Frame Strength: Healthcare waiting room furniture needs to support at least 300 lbs. Higher weight limit chairs (bariatric seating) should also be available.
Let’s take a closer look at each of these considerations.
Upholster in Durable, Antimicrobial Fabrics
Hospital waiting room furniture needs to be durable in a unique way. It should be able to withstand heavy daily use by patients who may be experiencing adverse medical events, which can include bleeding, vomiting, and incontinence. In addition, waiting room chairs and tables need to be resistant to other liquids, foods, and spills often associated with the restaurant industry, since people may be eating or drinking while waiting.
Fabrics must be chosen carefully to withstand the rigors of daily use in a medical environment. Opt for sturdy, commercial-grade fabrics that won’t show wear and tear easily. Fabrics are tested using the Wyzenbeek abrasion test to give buyers a clear idea of how delicate or durable a fabric is. The results of the Wyzenbeek abrasion test are given as a number (often expressed as a double rub rating). You can get a good idea of how well a fabric will hold up by comparing the double rub ratings of various fabrics. The higher the rating, the longer it will last without showing signs of wear and tear.
Double Rub Count Fabric Ratings
Double rub count | Suitable for commercial use | Suitable for hospital use |
|---|---|---|
Light Duty: Up to 9,000 |  | |
Medium Duty: 9,000 to 15,000 | | |
Contract: 15,000 to 20,000 | Sometimes | Sometimes |
Heavy Duty: 20,000 to 30,000 | Sometimes | Sometimes |
Extra Heavy Duty: Over 30,000 |  | |
Fabric Center Tips for Choosing the Best Upholstery in Healthcare Environments
At MityLite, we help furnish hospitals and doctors’ offices all over the US & Canada. We offer over 2,000 fabric options—which designers love, but which can get overwhelming when making fabric selection choices. We’ve simplified the process of finding the right upholstery with a website tool.
To make fabric selection easier, you can go to our Fabric Center and sort fabrics by double rub ratings. You can also choose to only show fabrics with your choice of cleanability options (such as being Bleach Cleanable). By clicking a few boxes, you can bring up just the 60 or so fabrics that are designed for your facility.
- On the left-hand side of the screen, you’ll see some sorting options with a plus or minus sign next to them.
- Scroll down past Color, Fabric Grade, Upholstery Type, and Performance Finish.
- Cleanability is helpful for hospital settings. Click on the plus symbol next to Cleanability and select the type of cleanability you need (usually BC – Bleach Cleanable for hospital settings).
- Next, scroll past Manufacturer and Pattern until you get to Double Rubs.
- Click on the plus symbol next to Double Rubs.
- Now check the Double Rub rating you would consider (such as 150,000 – 200,000 & 200,000+).
- On the left, you’ll see all the fabric options that fit your standards.
Check it out!
Our web team worked tirelessly to build a new Fabric Center that simplifies the fabric selection process.
Cleanability and Sanitization
Given the importance of maintaining strict sterilization standards in a healthcare setting, waiting room furniture must be easy to clean and sanitize. Choose furniture with smooth surfaces and non-porous materials that are easy to wipe down and disinfect. Fabrics like vinyl are popular in healthcare thanks to their impermeable nature and resilience. We offer many other extra heavy-duty upholstery options that are also recommended for hospital and medical office waiting room furniture.
Although it would be practical to have solid wood or metal chairs, most hospitals select chairs with padded seats and backs for patient comfort. Some fabrics are easier to clean than others. Talk with your MityLite Sales Rep to find the best fabric for your healthcare and hospital waiting areas.
Style & Aesthetics
Practical needs, while important, shouldn’t dominate the furniture selection. It’s also important to consider aesthetics. You want your space to feel warm and welcoming as well as functional. Choose a style reflective of your clinic’s comfortable and caring environment.
Healthcare waiting room chairs should complement the overall aesthetic of the property while creating a calming and inviting atmosphere. Consider factors like color, design, and furniture arrangement to promote a sense of tranquility and comfort for patients. Details like lighting, plants, water features, and window treatments should complement the furniture for the best effect.
Comfort
Patients spend varying amounts of time in waiting rooms, but the one thing that’s consistent is that no matter how quickly your staff works, the wait is always perceived as too long. Patients and their families are often ill, in pain, or feeling impatient when waiting. Therefore, it’s crucial that the furniture provides adequate comfort and support to help visitors feel as much at ease as possible.
How to pick the most comfortable & best hospital waiting room furniture
- Look for chairs with an ergonomic backrest that gives support to the small of the back.
- Find chairs and benches with plush cushions that are not too soft and not too firm.
- Ensure the furniture is durable and that foam cushions won’t break down early (ask about a foam warranty).
- Make sure fabrics are not scratchy or irritating to the skin.
- Select a few different chair styles in different heights to accommodate varying needs.
- Add armless 2-seat sofas (benches with backrests) for guests who may have small children or who prefer sitting close to their family member
- Consider extra-wide bariatric seating for larger patients. Arm rests also help patients with limited mobility sit and stand safely.
- Select chairs and benches with ergonomic designs, cushioned seats, and appropriate backrests to ensure patients remain relaxed and comfortable.
Water Resistance
To prevent damage and maintain cleanliness, hospital furniture should be water-resistant to withstand spills, body fluids, and harsh cleaning products. Look for fabrics and materials that repel liquids and are easy to maintain.
Vinyl and faux leather are popular choices for medical offices and hospitals, but they’re not the only practical options anymore. New fabrics and fabric treatments have been developed that look and feel more like woven fabric but have some of the water-resistant qualities of vinyl. Many healthcare facilities are opting for softer, cozier fabrics with performance treatments. With Teflon or other fabric treatments, woven fabrics with a high double rub rating can be a stylish and durable choice for hospitals and clinics. Many performance finishes are antimicrobial, antibacterial, and soil and stain resistant.
How to find water-resistant furniture for healthcare environments
- Check with the manufacturer to ensure that wooden furniture has a strong, commercial-grade coating.
- Select fabrics that are antimicrobial, antibacterial, and bleach cleanable.
- Add fabric treatment coating like Teflon™ to make woven fabrics more water-resistant.
- If it fits the aesthetic, opt for vinyl (faux leather) upholstery for rugged durability that is also very easy to sanitize.
Chosen with Accessibility in Mind
Furniture in the waiting room should cater to individuals of all ages, sizes, and mobility needs. Opt for a variety of seating options, including chairs with armrests, benches with backrests, chairs without armrests, and wider bariatric chairs to accommodate a diverse patient population.
How to make a doctor’s office or hospital waiting area more accessible:
- Choose sturdy armchairs that can accommodate people of varying body types and physical abilities.
- Design wide, clear walkways in healthcare facilities. Make sure that hallways comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or ACA and are 36 inches wide (91.4 cm).
Solid Frames
In any commercial (non-residential) environment, it’s important to have durably built chair frames. In the medical industry, sturdy chair frames are even more important. Patients and their families and friends will often sit in hospital waiting room chairs for an hour or more. The frames must be solidly built, whether they are metal or wood. Look for chair frames that support at least 300 pounds (136 kg) and add chairs with higher weight limits (often known as bariatric chairs) sprinkled throughout the waiting area.
Wooden chairs and benches must have high-quality joints (like mortise and tenon joints), so they won’t wobble and will support heavier than usual loads. Parents may be holding squirming children on their laps, and patients of all sizes need to be comfortable and welcome in a medical environment.
How to decide if a chair frame is durable enough for healthcare use
Final Thoughts on Selecting the Best Medical Office Waiting Room Furniture
In conclusion, choosing the best hospital waiting room furniture involves consideration of various factors such as durability, cleanability, style, comfort, water resistance, accessibility, and frame strength. By prioritizing these important features, healthcare facilities can create a welcoming and accommodating environment for patients while ensuring the furniture meets the demands of a busy commercial setting. The right hospital waiting room chairs play a crucial role in enhancing the waiting room experience for each patient who walks through your doors.
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