What makes a quality folding chair hinge and why does it matter?

The hinge on a folding chair is the most mechanically stressed component — it opens and closes thousands of times over the chair's life. A quality commercial folding chair hinge is made of heavy-gauge steel (not thin stamped metal), uses a pivot pin with a load-bearing washer to prevent side-load wear, and has a stop mechanism that locks the chair fully open for stability during use and allows smooth folding without binding. Low-quality hinges fail through pin wear, metal fatigue at the fold, or bending of the hinge plates under heavy use. When evaluating folding chairs, open and close the hinge several times — it should move smoothly, click firmly open, and fold completely flat without resistance. OfficeFurniture2go.com carries commercial folding chairs with quality hinge construction — call 1-800-460-0858.