Our Top 20 Side Chairs of 2022
Side chairs are an important staple for any office and provide a variety of seating needs. We've compiled a list of our favorite side pieces - for the office, home and beyond.
1. Herman Miller Eames Molded Plastic Side Chair
Charles Eames said, "The role of the designer is that of a very good, thoughtful host anticipating the needs of his guests." With the molded plastic, fiberglass, and wood shell chairs, the Eames created a universal response to what everyone wants from a chair: a simple, gracious form that fits any body and every place.
2. Knoll MR Chair
Influenced by Marcel Breuer’s use of tubular steel, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe quickly recognized the compatibility of this revolutionary material with the contemporary design ethos. Inspired by the lines of tubular iron rockers designed in Europe during the mid-19th century, Mies incorporated a new material and a new technology in the use of the cantilever principle.
3. HAY About a Chair
The About A Chair combines functional simplicity with an extensive range of color and upholstery options that allow you to select the best combination for your space. The curved back of its shell is complemented with a wood base with angled legs. Choose from standard and soft versions.
4. Muuto Oslo
Combining modern, geometric lines with a light expression and a comfortably soft seat, the Oslo Side Chair brings a refined perspective to the form through its playful lines and embracing back. The Oslo Side Chair adds an elegant touch to any space in a home, restaurant, or workplace.
5. Geiger Leeway
The Leeway Chair is designer Keiji Takeuchi’s first furniture design for a US-based company. Takeuchi drew upon Geiger’s strength in woodcraft to sculpt a crescent-shaped, cantilevered backrest. This approach opens up the side chair typology to better accommodate the side-to-side movements people make while socializing or collaborating.
6. Naughtone Bounce
Called the Bounce chair due to the independent movement of the seat and back, this flex provides a comfort not usually associated with steel and plywood chairs. Bounce is robust, elegant, lightweight, and stackable; it is seen widely used in educational and hospitality settings.
7. DesignWithinReach Contour Chair
Contour Chair is a celebration of contrasts. Its slim, streamlined crafted wood frame features a broad lower seat back that elegantly binds an upholstered gently arching upper seat back, resulting in a chair that suggests and invites a relaxed yet refined sit.
8. OFS Yelly
Chairs provide a unique opportunity to add functional design detail and personalization to any space. Choosing the perfect chair means finding the right balance of simplicity and intrigue, and Yelly provides both. With dainty wood forms curved in soft artistic shaping, Yelly's design adds the soft details that make a place feel like home. In a place like this, you can focus on enjoying the moment.
9. National Grin
Grin features an inviting design that appeals to a broad range of markets. Its robust offering includes lounge and guest seating, stools, and a complementary ottoman, creating a diverse collection of solutions.
10. Arcadia Flirt
As collaborative and learning environments have become more relaxed, the adaptability of limited space, reconfiguring needs, and comfort are still key. Flirt’s nesting capability and ease of mobility provide endless configuration opportunities, ensuring all manners of the gathering are achieved with ease. It also appeals from a visual standpoint, with a light-scale modern design that beckons whether in use or in the nested position. Multi-functional in smaller corporate settings or sprawled across larger educational institutions, the accommodating abilities of Flirt fits them all – and everything in between.
11. Encore Melina
Characterized by a fluid, contemporary aesthetic, Melina is the ideal companion for interiors that extend beyond the traditional to more modern corporate settings. Remarkably comfortable, Melina offers endless versatility with multiple wood and metal base styles – design elements shared with its lounge counterparts to ensure seamless integration throughout spaces.
12. Source Martini
A full family of product, Martini offers a tailored, refined seating option that fits into almost any application. The artistic persona of this chair speaks for itself. Reminiscent of classic designs, this seating family blends sloping arms with detailed stitching and flowing shapes and contours. The sleek, semi-attached seat cushion offers a tasteful design element to the body of the chair.
13. Allermuir Cardita
Cardita is inspired by the beautiful leather seats found in luxury vintage cars. A simple yet intelligent frame is complemented by classic upholstery detailing, which not only exudes opulence but also is exceptionally comfortable.
14. Davis Ginkgo
The Ginkgo Chair is an elegant yet durable chair with an organic aesthetic that is both instantly recognizable and utterly unforgettable. Ginkgo’s iconic silhouette is trademarked by the complex curves, thin lines and optimal strength of its bent plywood shell. The range of design choices for the Ginkgo Collection come together to create a large family of possibilities for a multitude of applications.
15. Magis Chair One
Chair_One has intriguing looks and comfort—a welcome alternative to chairs that look comfortable but aren’t. Modeled from die-cast aluminum and constructed like a soccer ball, Chair_One was designed to be more void than solid, to use the least material to create the most product.
16. Hightower Alo
Unconventional simplicity. The space between the seat and frame defines the Alo Collection’s pronounced character – light filters through, creating simple, clean lines and providing a more comfortable and flexible sit. This classic and simple series is finely crafted and a perfect fit for a variety of applications, from dining areas and cafes to reception and lounge spaces. Part of the Alo Family includes a dining chair, guest chair, and barstool.
17. Bernhardt Chantal
Chantal is a new addition to the ‘Modern Family’ collection of Bernhardt Design. The chair’s versatility means that it can be used as a companion piece in a variety of workplace settings, including boardrooms, executive suites, home offices, open areas, and more. Completed with upholstered shells with modern lines, cushioned seats, gentle sloping arms, the Chantal chair is the perfect chair for any setting.
18. Arper Mixu
Quiet in form and near-endless in possibilities, Mixu is a sustainable and versatile collection of chairs and stools that can be completely customised to suit the needs of any context, environment, or desire. Each chair is made from three parts: a base, seat and backrest. Users can pick the color and finishes, tailoring the chair's design to suit their individual needs.
19. Andreu World Happy
Happy is a sturdy chair with a light and serene presence. Its rounded forms give versatility to integrate it into workspace, residential and public projects. The Happy Collection consists of stacking chairs and armchairs constructed from solid beech and oak panels with optional upholstered seat and back.
20. Ton Salt Chair
Purely fundamental — The Salt Chair is beautiful in its simplicity, relying on its natural materials and straightforward form to catch one’s eye. Handcrafted from FSC-certified European beech wood, it features a pared-down profile that's ideally suited for tight spaces.
