Choosing the Right Cross Back Chair: Wood, Resin, or Metal?
Written by: Marcelo Flores
Choosing the right material for your Cross Back chairs is key for the success of your event business. Whether you’re a party rental or an event venue, you surely want your chairs to last as long as possible. In this article we’ll compare a few aspects of these chairs to help you determine which one is best for you.
Table of contents
Wood Cross Back Chairs
Cross Back or X Back chairs are gaining popularity due to their beautiful, flexible design suitable for any ambiance. However, many people are questioning whether wooden cross back chairs are really worth their price.
As every material, wood Cross Back chairs have their pros and cons.
Pros of Wood Cross Back Chairs
- Classic Wood Charm: Wood Cross Back chairs have that unique feel and look that no other material has.
- Wood Finishes: If you’re looking for any specific wooden color or texture, you’ll have to choose wooden chairs.
- Preferred By Market: In certain segments, your clients will want to have the classic wooden cross back chair, so having them will be a competitive advantage.
Cons of Wood Cross Back Chairs
- Shorter Lifespan: They’re beautiful but they aren’t as durable as other materials. Wood Cross Back chairs have several screws that will start to loosen over time, making the chair weaker day by day.
- High Maintenance Needs: The maintenance for wood chairs is exhausting. You’ll have to spend a lot of time and money on upkeep. You’ll need to tighten screws, give them constant touch up in the paint and in more general upkeep as they chip easily.
- Bad Aging: Wood Cross Back chairs look awesome initially, but they require regular maintenance to keep this appearance.
- Not Great for Outdoors: Although it’s a chair that fits perfectly outdoor settings, you’ll have to take good care of them. Wood isn’t made for outdoor use, so always keep them in a dry storage space when not using them. Also if they get wet make sure you dry them.
In summary, they are beautiful chairs but aren’t the best investment in terms of ROI. But if your clientele asks for them or you’re looking for any specific wooden color, you may want to choose them.
Resin Cross Back Chairs
Due to the problems of durability and maintenance, new materials were developed for this design, one of them being resin. Resin chairs are more durable and mimic the wooden textures almost to perfection, but they also have their pros and cons.
Pros of Resin Cross Back Chairs
- More Durable Than Wood: Resin chairs are more durable than wood and although they chip, those chips won’t be as noticeable as in wood.
- Great for Outdoors: Resin is a great material for outdoors. They resist humidity and sun, making them a good choice if you’re hosting outdoor events.
- Less Maintenance: A great advantage is that they don’t have screws, so that reduces significantly the maintenance. They will still need regular touch ups on the structure as they also chip, but the structure won’t lose its strength.
Cons of Resin Cross Back Chairs
- Synthetic Appearance: Although they look very similar to wooden Cross Backs, some people might prefer wood over resin.
- Resin Chips: Resin is a material that chips easily and there’s no easy way to repair those marks.
- Longevity Beauty: Like wood chairs, they look great at the beginning, but if they start to chip they will lose their charm. But you can avoid this with proper care.
- Maintenance Required: They will need certain maintenance for touching up those chips, but also, if they have screws, you’ll also have to tighten them. So, always choose the ones that don’t have.
Metal Cross Back Chairs
Metal Cross Back chairs are also new in the events industry and they offer great durability. There are two materials for metal Cross Back chairs, steel and aluminum. Steel is more economical and meant for indoor use, and aluminum is a bit more expensive, extremely lightweight and perfect for outdoor use.
Let’s break down their pros and cons.
Steel Cross Back Chairs
As mentioned above, steel cross back chairs offer an extremely strong frame that will definitely last for many years. However, they are recommended for indoor venues.
Pros of Steel Cross Back Chairs
- Extremely Strong and Durable: As they’re made with 100% welded steel they are super strong. Their structure will remain strong for many years.
- Low Maintenance: As they have no screws, the need for maintenance is considerably reduced. Their paint is also very resistant, but as it acts as a protective barrier against humidity, if for some reason it gets scratched, it’s important that you touch it up quickly. This will prevent the problem from spreading.
- Paint Resistance: They’re painted with UV powder coating paint making them super resistant to impacts and outdoor exposure. The paint won’t come off for any reason.
- Outstanding Longevity For Venues: Steel Cross Back chairs are perfect for indoor venues. With proper care and use, they could easily last for decades.
- Eco-Friendly: As they’re made from sustainable materials they can even be recycled. This boosts your Residual Value Income.
Cons of Steel Cross Back Chairs
- Not Great for Outdoors: Steel is a super strong material and it’s an excellent option for venues. However, although the powder coating protects the structure, they’re recommended for indoor use.
- They’re Heavier: Steel Cross Back chairs are heavier than other materials. They aren’t extremely heavy, but they are more heavy, around 12 lbs.
- Traditional Look Preference: As with steel chairs, some people might prefer the looks and feel of wooden Cross Back chairs over metal chairs.
- Acoustic Considerations: Metal chairs can be a bit noisy when moved or bumped, although this is typically not a concern in events.
Aluminum Cross Back Chairs
Aluminum Cross Back chairs are also extremely strong but are also super lightweight. These chairs weigh only around 6 lbs which makes them very easy to transport. And their bigger advantage is that they’re perfect for outdoor use. So they are the perfect chair for party rentals or for outdoor venues.
Pros of Aluminum Cross Back Chairs
- Extremely Strong and Durable: Aluminum is also extremely strong.
- Incredibly Lightweight: Aluminum is super lightweight, weighing only about 6 lbs. This makes transport and handling a breeze.
- Perfect for Outdoor Use: They’re the best choice for outdoor use. Aluminum is completely immune to outdoor elements, so they will continue to look great even with harsh weather.
- Minimal Maintenance: Aluminum chairs are the ones that need the least maintenance. This is because they don’t have screws, don’t chip and are inmune to outdoor elements.
- Paint Resistance: Just like steel chairs, they’re painted with UV powder coating paint. This makes them super resistant to impacts and outdoor exposure. The paint won’t come off for any reason.
- Outstanding ROI: The combination of durability, minimal maintenance and resistance to all weather conditions makes aluminum chairs have an outstanding ROI. Similar to steel chairs, but 6.5 times higher than wood and 3.24 times higher than resin.
- Eco-Friendly: Aluminum can be recycled. This boosts your Residual Value Income.
Cons of Aluminum Cross Back Chairs
- High Initial Investment: While offering numerous benefits, the initial investment for aluminum chairs is higher compared to other materials.
- Aesthetic Preferences: As with steel chairs, some clients might prefer the classic look of wood over metal, even though they look very similar.
- Acoustic Considerations: Metal chairs can be a bit noisy when moved or bumped, although this is typically not a concern in events.
Choosing between wood, resin, and metal for your Cross Back chairs depends on your specific needs and the environment of your venue. If you prefer the classic design of Cross Back chairs and are willing to invest more in maintenance, wood is your best choice. However, for better long-term value, consider resin or metal options.
If you want to make an informed decision about which chair will leave you the highest profits, download our free, easy to use, ROI calculator. This tool will help you evaluate the potential profits from each material type.
Author
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Marcelo Flores is a business and marketing enthusiast with a special focus on the events industry. He’s dedicated to sharing simple, effective strategies to help readers boost their success. An avid learner and reader, Marcelo believes that small insights can lead to big changes.
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