The Style And Comfort of Tub Chairs

A tub chair defines itself by its rather simplistic, yet timeless design. Tub chairs can be found anywhere nowadays, in office settings, restaurants as well as in regular homes. The back of this unique seater is semi-circular and extends over around both sides, forming the armrests. The reason why they are called tub chairs stems from their look that pretty much resembles the appearance of a cut-in-half-tub. And as a matter of fact there is also a very practical aspect to this rather unusual shape - tub chairs only require a very limited amount of floor space, yet provide a maximum of sitting comfort.

Leather tub chairs manifest the top of the line. Classically, they are made of the finest leathers and come in many different colours and shades. But let's face it: even though a leather chair looks great, it is not suitable for everybody. A very good alternative is the might be the microfiber tub chair. I never really understood the manufacturers advertising microfiber as a material that breathes. I mean I would understand the benefits of a "breathing material" when it comes to clothing, but what does it do for furniture? Anyway, one thing I absolutely agree with is the fact that a microfiber tub chair is extremely durable, and therefore certainly a very good option for families with young kids.

If practicality and functionality are at the top of your requirements list, you can't get past swivel tub chairs. As the name implies, these chairs let you turn around easily without requiring you to change your sitting position. That's why a swivel tub chair is an excellent choice for any office setting for example. 

So, since we covered the most popular tub chair variations, let's have a look at the history of the tub chair. Where does it come from? Who invented it? Well, we need to go back in time a little bit to find the answers to these questions. The first historical mention of tub chairs goes back to the times of the French King Louis XV. Apparently, the tub chair was used in French courts, however, it was reserved for royalty only.

As time passed, tub chairs conquered the rest of Europe and were soon seen in in more ordinary places such as restaurants and clubs. Those chairs though were not necessarily practical, but rather bulky and massive. Over course of time though, more and more models emerged with more focus on functionality. The tub chair got lighter and evolved to a truly utilitarian piece of furniture. And with all those changes in materials, colours, etc., its basic design remained the same all throughout the centuries and decades.

If you are into history and if your wallet is big enough, you might find yourself in a position to actually purchase one of those really old brown leather tub chairs from the late 19th century. Of course you won't get them at IKEA and you may actually even have to go abroad, but every now and then there's an auction where antique tub chairs are being sold.

Now, it is also said that in the United States a few cabinet makers out of Boston made a few tub chair models which were comparable to the ones which came eventually over from Europe. What we don't know is how the tub chair lasted for so long. But we do know that it became the poster of the Art Deco era. Over the past few decades, even more variations surfaced due to the steadily increasing demand. Nowadays you can get anything from tub sofas over custom made to very cheap tub chairs.

Video Courtesy of Oceans Int.

Well, the simple answer to this is: anywhere you want. Due to the broad diversity of designs and models can fit in any kind of room and arrangement. Personally, I am huge fan of having them in the living room. And that is mainly for practical reasons. Because in the leaving room you watch TV, interact with your family or guest. That means you need to adjust you position all the time.

Lastly, make sure that you don't fall for cheap imitations imported from overseas. This has nothing to do with categorically saying that everything that is being imported is bad. But especially if look for pricey leather tub chairs, you need to make sure that you get top quality for your money. Therefore, I recommend that you look for the manufacture's label to find out by whom the furniture was made.