Most buyers ask about price first. It is a fair question, but the cheapest chair is rarely the cheapest one to own, and the most important difference between chairs is comfort, which you feel within minutes of sitting down.
What fails in a cheap chair
In our experience the same parts give way again and again. The gas lift usually goes first, the plastic base can crack, armrests fixed to the mesh back tend to break away, and the nuts holding the seat and backrest work loose. None of this is visible in a catalogue, which is why a low price can mislead.
What a good chair looks like years later
FURSYS chairs we supplied to a leading telecommunications company 26 years ago for their executive offices are still in use, along with their meeting room chairs. A leading brewery has been buying FURSYS seating from us for their office for 25 years. In 2017 we supplied more than 400 chairs to a 24-hour call centre, and seven years on only the gas lifts and some armrests are being replaced, which is normal wear for that kind of use.
A well-made chair like the FURSYS AROUND typically lasts 10 to 15 years before the gas lift needs replacing, and regular cleaning helps. We carry spares and service the chairs after the warranty ends.
The real cost of a chair
An AROUND at around Rs 85,000 is made in Korea, carries a 10-year warranty and typically lasts 10 to 15 years, which is roughly Rs 5,700 to 8,500 a year. A Rs 25,000 chair made in China with a 1-year warranty lasts 2 to 4 years in our experience, which is Rs 6,250 to 12,500 a year. At best the cheaper chair costs about the same per year, and at worst twice as much, with less comfort and more replacements along the way.
Our advice before you buy
Come to our showroom and sit in the chair. Compare it with the cheaper alternative and you will feel the difference in back support, the mechanism and the build within a few minutes. Then request a quote.
You can also see our full range of office chairs in Sri Lanka, including the SITZONE mesh range.
More advice is in our office chair buying guides.