Banquet Chair Prices: How Much Do They Cost & Why?

The 5 factors that determine banquet chair price

When shopping for banquet chairs, remember that “cheap” and “affordable” are not the same thing. It is possible to get high-quality banquet chairs that are affordable. It all depends on the style of chair you need, and the product features you require.

The first thing to know is that the cost of banquet chairs depends on various factors, and when you customize chairs for your venue, the price changes. This is why it’s rare to find product pricing listed on a manufacturer’s website. 

However, there are five main things that impact pricing, and knowing them can help you become a more well-informed buyer.

1. Banquet Chair Frame Style & Material

Most banquet chair frames are made from either steel or aluminum. There are different benefits and drawbacks for each type of frame and the best fit for you depends on your needs and priorities. However, when it comes to price, steel-framed banquet chairs typically cost 5-10% less than aluminum-framed banquet chairs. Aluminum banquet chair frames are easier to recycle and are often lighter weight than steel while being equally sturdy.

Close up of the MityLite Chiavari chair — The Chiavari Chair by MityLite features a lightweight, aluminum frame with built-in anti-sway bars.

Other frame style options for banquet chairs are wooden frames and faux wood frames. In general, wooden chairs are going to be the most expensive, depending on the type of wood. If you have a high-quality wood, such as European Beech Hardwood, that will be more expensive than a softer wood, such as pine. Faux wood chairs are less expensive than wooden chairs.

Learn more about chair frames.

Steel Chairs: $
Aluminum Chairs: $$
Faux Wood Chairs: $$$
Wooden Chairs: $$$$

2. Frame Color

Top-quality banquet chairs like those from MityLite are painted using a durable powder coating that holds the color and resists fading and scratching. After the coating is sprayed onto the frame, the chair frame is then baked in an oven to create an extremely durable finish.

You might be surprised to hear that not all frame colors cost the same to apply—a black banquet chair will cost less than a gold banquet chair. The cost of materials like powder coating impacts the price of a chair because it’s dependent on what each supplier charges.

Manufacturing employee spraying and powder coating chair frames

It’s the grade of a frame color that affects the price. MityLite offers several frame colors in grades 1–3. Grade 1 comes standard and is already included in the price of the chair. Grades 2 and 3 have an upcharge per chair.

Learn more about powder-coating and frame color.

Power Coating Grade 1: $
Power Coating Grade 2: $$
Power Coating Grade 3: $$$

3. Upholstery Options

The type of material used to make the banquet chair seat and back can dramatically affect its price. For example, will you use a material supplied by the manufacturer, or will you request COM (Customer’s Own Material)?

High-quality materials that are durable, stain-resistant, and long-lasting are going to be more expensive. One thing that determines the price and quality of the material is something called double rubs—how much wear and tear does the fabric sustain with a single back and forth swipe? The MityLite standard fabrics are tested for 30,000 double rubs or more.

In addition, MityLite has a fabric grading system of A through P. The grading system reflects the type of material, colors, and price of the product, not necessarily the quality of the product. The A Grade Fabric is included in the standard price of the chair. All other grades have an upcharge per chair.

Once you select an upholstery fabric, you still need to decide if you want additional fabric treatments. In some cases, we may recommend purchasing a fabric permanent performance treatment, such as Nanotex®, which will add $4-$6 per chair. Another thing to consider is if your facility is required to have all chairs be CAL 117 compliant (check your local fire code). If this is a requirement, it can increase the price by $20 per chair or even more.

The orientation of the fabric chosen can also impact the price. Certain patterns may require additional fabric for each chair depending on how you want the fabric to “run” on the chair, such as having stripes displayed vertically or horizontally.

Learn more about fabric options.

Standard Fabric: $
Customized Fabric: $$
COM Fabric: $
Add Nanotex: $$$
CAL 117 Compliant: $$$$

4. Manufacturing Location & Lead Time

Chairs manufactured overseas are often less expensive than chairs manufactured in the United States. Although the majority of MityLite chairs are manufactured in Orem, Utah, we do offer some banquet chair options that are made in other countries. Although chairs manufactured overseas will be less expensive, the lead times will be four–six weeks longer.

Made Overseas: $
Made in the USA: $$

5. Banquet Chair Options & Accessories

For your convenience, all MityLite banquet chairs are stackable. That said, added options and accessories, such as the FormFlex™ seat, flex-back, ganging, and mitered legs, will enhance the chair’s comfort and make it easier to set up. Some features add extra cost.

Adding a flex-back will increase the comfort level of the chair and will add about $30 per chair. As for a FormFlex seat, which also adds to the comfort level of a chair, this option comes standard on most MityLite banquet chair models, however, some basic banquet chair models require an upcharge for a FormFlex seat.

Animated Banquet Chair Demonstrating How Back Of Chair Flexes — PIctured above is an example of the flex-back option offered by MityLite.

Many local fire codes and businesses require ganging on portable seating. Therefore, the majority of MityLite banquet chairs have multiple ganging options. Ganging can add between $5–$9 per chair.

Finally, adding a mitered leg, which has a more defined angle for aesthetics, adds approximately $10 per chair. This option is only available on select MityLite banquet chairs.

Learn more about the chair options and accessories offered by MityLite.