An office chair's load rating is the user weight it's designed to support in everyday use. Most commercial office chairs are rated somewhere between 110kg and 160kg, and heavy-duty chairs go higher. Choose a rating comfortably above your heaviest regular user, and check the base, seat size and mechanism as well as the number.
What does an office chair load rating mean?
The load rating is the user weight a chair is built to carry day in, day out. It isn't a one-off limit you can safely go past now and then. A chair used above its rating wears faster, and the gas lift, mechanism and base are usually the first parts to suffer.
What load rating do I need?
Start with the heaviest person who will regularly use the chair and pick a rating above that, with some margin. For shared chairs, such as hot desks, shift work and meeting rooms, you can't control who sits in them, so rate for the heaviest likely user rather than the average.
What else affects how much weight a chair can handle?
- Base: the base carries the load down to the floor. On our Magic, Project and Hero chairs, a metal or alloy base is recommended for users over 130kg.
- Seat size: a larger user needs a wider and deeper seat, not just a stronger chair. The Project and Capital are available with large (L) and extra large (XL) seats, and the Magic with an XLS seat that adds 50mm of depth.
- Mechanism: the mechanism under the seat takes the load every time someone sits down or leans back. The ergonomic 3 lever mechanism on our Magic, Project and Capital chairs is tested to approximately 500kg.
- Gas lift: ask which class of gas lift is fitted. Class 4 is a heavier-duty grade and is fitted to chairs such as the Bandit 3 and Axis.
What are the load ratings across the Corporate Chair Systems range?
| Load rating | Chairs |
|---|---|
| 210kg | Capital |
| 160kg | Magic, Project, Hero (metal or alloy base recommended for 130kg+ use) |
| 150kg | Ripple, Rhythm (office use) |
| 140kg | Action, Discover, Zone, Mona, Zen, Storm, Storm 2, plus meeting and boardroom chairs including Soul, Lotus, Aura Swivel, Axis, Memory Replica and the Italian Collection |
| 110kg | Bandit 3 |
Each chair's product page lists its load rating in the features.
Should I buy heavy-duty chairs for everyone?
Not usually. A practical approach is to standardise on one task chair whose rating covers most of your team, then provide heavier-duty chairs, such as the Capital with its 210kg rating and largest backrest in our range, for the people who need them. Our Chair Occupant Profile Form helps match the right chair to each person.
Corporate Chair Systems has been designing and manufacturing commercial seating in Australia since 1989. Not sure which load rating your team needs? Get in touch and we'll help you choose.
