Churches everywhere are moving away from traditional pews toward individual church chairs. These multipurpose chairs offer a number of advantages, such as increased comfort and a more flexible use of space. Church chairs also give churches more control over seating capacity and can accommodate more people than a traditional pew.
Pew manufacturers usually estimate 18 inches per person for seating capacity. However, in reality, this is a little too close for comfort for most people, especially if they are sitting next to non-family members. Instead of lining up in 18 inch spaces, people tend to spread themselves out in pews, use the space inefficiently, and become uncomfortable if they are asked to squeeze closer together for a crowded service.
Church chairs can help you maximize seating capacity. By designating a specific amount of seating space per person, individual chairs give parishioners enough room for comfort without the need to spread out along the row. Whereas people sitting on a pew might try to sit about a foot apart, most people are quite comfortable sitting only a few inches apart on individual adjacent chairs. A row of chairs can therefore comfortably accommodate more people than a pew of equal length.
Church chairs also give you more direct control over your seating. If your sanctuary is not completely full most Sundays, but gets crowded around Easter and Christmas, you can arrange your seating to reflect that. Keep some chairs in storage most weeks, and bring those extra chairs out on days when you expect a bigger crowd. Church chairs are a practical seating solution for worship spaces of all sizes.