1) Zaisu The Zaisu is a very common seat in traditional Japanese houses, featuring a normal chair back but no legs. Traditionally the Japanese will sit in a kneeling position, with lower legs folded beneath taking their entire body weight. The use of a Zaisu with a cushion (or zabuton) allows more comfort for those not used to sitting in such a strict position. The Zaisu may also feature an armrest called a kyousoku.

2) Streit Slumber Chair

The Streit Slumber Chair was manufactured in the late 19th century through to the 1950s. It was manufactured in a wide range of designs, but the Streit Slumber Chair always featured an upholstered seat with a racked back that allowed adjustment of its inclination. The accompanying footstool was always higher than the seat of the chair and featured a lift-off top that was typically used as a slipper compartment.

3) Tulip Chair

Designed in 1955 and 1956 as a dining chair, the Tulip Chair was very experimental at the time and is known for its smooth modernist curves that seem to flower from a gentle tulip stem, hence its name. The Tulip Chair is considered to be a classic of industrial design.

4) Windsor Chair

A Windsor Chair is distinguished by its solid wooden seat and round-tenoned chair legs. The bowed arms and back of the Windsor Chair was often constructed from steam bent wood which was a popular method of wood bending during the the 18th century.

5) Saddle Chair

Saddle Chairs are a unique seating concept that mimics the design of equestrian saddles. Most Saddle Chairs do not feature a backrest like most conventional office chairs and are used primarily as a healthier option for office seating as they promote healthy back posture. Sitting on a Saddle Chair forces the user to stand comfortably at a desk using the saddle as a support. Due to the standing height of the Saddle Chair, a height adjustments need to be made to regular office desks so that the Saddle Chair is not too tall for the desk.

6) Papasan Chair



Papasan Chairs became popular in the West during the 1970s but was commonly used as seating in East Asia (Indonesia, Thailand and Japan in particular) far before it shot to fame in the 70s. Usually the Papasan Chair features a rounded bowl-shaped rattan base and a removable plush cushion filled with cotton fluff. The two-seater version of the Papasan Chair is known as the Mamasan Chair.

7) Kneeling Chair

Kneeling Chairs provide a comfortable seat structure for those who prefer to kneel rather than sit due to the health benefits of reduced lower back strain, similar to the Saddle Chair and the Zaisu. The body’s weight is divided between the knees and the rear by lowering the angle of the lower half of the body.

8) Morris Chair

First marketed around 1866, Morris Chairs are a type of reclining chairs that work on a hinged back, allowing the user to adjust the angle of the backrest’s inclination. Morris Chairs typically feature high armrests and are notoriously comfortable to sit upon.

9) Caquetoire

The name Caquetoire originates from the French term “caqueter” meaning “to chat”, and so the Caquetoire is often called the Conversation Chair – due to women sitting upon these types of wooden armchairs in France during the European Renaissance. The Caquetoire is one of the most recognised pieces of French Renaissance furniture and is known to be a woman’s chair due to the shape of the seat which is designed to flare outward to accommodate the large skirts that were common fashion during the era. The curved armrests and the splayed seat base allowed women to easily and comfortably in their many layers of heavy skirts and petticoats.

10) 10 Downing Street Guard Chair

The 10 Downing Street Guard Chairs refers to two antique chairs that were used by the two guards who would sit outside of 10 Downing Street in these large leather chairs during the early 19th century. Like Porter Chairs, the 10 Downing Street Guard Chairs featured a circular backrest and hood to shield the guards from cold wind and bad weather, and also contained a drawer beneath the seat that would be filled with hot coals to keep the guards warm during guard duty.

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