The million-dollar Xten office chair may be the most expensive chair in the world currently, but it is no secret that most big-brand Office Chairs are super expensive. What makes them so?
No, you’re not crazy. Office Chairs can be really expensive. Sure, supply chain slowdowns and inflation can drive up prices, but regardless, good-quality office chairs aren’t cheap.
For example, the Diffrient World Chair, the Mirra 2, the Wegner swivel chair, Eames Chair, Aeron, Blofeld swivel chair and the Cesca Chair are all popular seating options, offering stylish designs made from high-end materials, but you might experience some sticker shock when you check out the price, leaving you wondering, “Why are office chairs so expensive?”
From the cost of materials to production time and logistics, many factors play a role when it comes to the final price tag.
To find out why office chairs are so expensive, we carried out. a detailed market study and found the following key factors that play a role:
1. Ergonomics
Office Chair manufacturers have spent many years researching how they can make their products more comfortable for people, and ergonomic optimization is one of the biggest areas of research & development in the Office Furniture industry. Ergonomic products focus on the biomechanics of sitting, such as how your body positions when it sits. It’s hard to come up with the perfect chair since not all people sit in the same way. However office chair manufacturers like Stellar which is an office chair manufacturer in China, have done their best to optimize the way in which the body is supposed to sit naturally. Thanks to the optimization that ergonomic office chairs come with, people are able to adjust the chair to their needs and work comfortably.
2. Brand
Many big brands have a sustained track record of quality and exclusivity—often over several decades—that allow them to pump up the prices at which they sell their goods because customers have an expectation that they are paying for quality, and are willing to absorb the extra premium to do so. Sometimes, particular furniture brands or pieces can even be a status symbol the same way an expensive handbag or expensive car might be, so that is certainly another motivator. But the fact of the matter is, established brands of Office Chairs are very expensive, sometimes unaffordable so.
3. Materials
Office ergonomic chairs are typically made with high durability mesh, vinyl, polyurethane, steel and other materials that make them durable, strong and comfortable. Additionally, modern chairs feature pneumatic seat height adjustment, extra padding, adjustable features, and more, which naturally make them expensive. Wherever you go looking for a new chair, make sure to check its materials thoroughly. We advise you to go for the more expensive materials since the difference in comfort can be noticed almost immediately.
4. Local Manufacturing:
While local manufacturing is growing as a trend, it isn't always as helpful as we imagine to improve localization. For e.g. those purchasing items in the U.S., buying products made domestically won’t do much to avoid shipping costs down the line. “Vietnam is one of the leading textile producers in the world, so even if a chair or other item is ‘built’ in the United States, the components to ‘finish’ the item may be imported. But local manufacturing often makes the end product more expensive as we don't get the benefits of production at scale.
5. Shipping and that pesky supply chain
Supply chain issues can also add hidden costs to furniture prices. The pandemic is one of the biggest reasons that shipping costs have skyrocketed. Shipping is a time-intensive process as the journey isn’t as simple as getting a chair from port to port. Once the chair arrives to the US to be sold, it has to be transported by train and semi-truck to finally make it to the regional warehouse where it will be stored until being shipped to the consumer. Those costs involved with each stage of shipping add up quick. While you may think you’ve scored free shipping on your furniture order, more than likely, those costs are instead built into the price tag itself.
Fortunately, Stellar engineers have come up with several innovations to Load up to 40% More, chairs per container leading to less freight cost for the importers and Furniture wholesalers/ retailers.
To Summarize
While quality chairs from big brands are extremely expensive, they also deliver a promise of class, quality and long life. However as most people cannot afford them, there are far cheaper options on the market. But as a reseller, it's worth it to invest in good products as you also need to sell them and don't want to lose customers as well as your reputation, by selling poor quality goods.
This is where Stellar comes to the rescue by making chairs of similar quality but at a fraction of the price. With over 32 years in the business, Stellar fully understands the needs and aspirations of consumers across the world, designing products that match the quality of the best chairs in the world but cost much lesser.
If you are an office furniture retailer or interior designer/architect and are looking to buy new office chairs, you must contact Stellar - a leading multi-national #OfficeFurniture manufacturer. We also undertake end-to-end commercial furniture projects for large commercial spaces, universities and hospitals. To discuss the needs of your organization and see how we can be of service. Write to us at contactus@stellarglobal.com