Estimated Price Ranges for Various Chair Styles

More Expensive –> Discount Prices

• Leather Tub Chairs.  By far the most expensive type of chair and best avoided if you are looking for a cheap chair. Designer prices for chairs like these can easily reach four figure and beyond. Prices start at $300 and up.
• Leather Faced Tub Chairs. A leather faced tub chair is surprisingly much cheaper than a full leather alternative. Prices range from $200-300.
• Cloth and Fabric Tub Chairs. This is a very wide category and prices range accordingly.  However some guidelines can be issued; microfiber and other specialty fabric tub chairs will tend to be the most expensive with cotton or linen tub chairs being toward the bottom of the range.
• Microfiber Tub Chairs. Microfiber is a great compromise for those looking for a discount tub chair. Microfiber is comparatively cheap, is highly stain resistant and wears well.  It is not the absolute cheapest of the range however and expect prices to be in the range of $250-350.
• Chenille Tub Chairs. Chenille is a very popular fabric as its soft feel complements the comfortable nature of a tub chair perfectly. Prices range from $200-300 but beware that some types of chenille wear very easily, especially at the front of the seat and the bottom of the back rest.  Ask the vendor for information about fabric types.
• Faux Suede Tub Chairs. Can be very inexpensive and look good when purchased.  Again wear can be an issue, but if the chair is not expected to receive heavy use then these can be a real bargain.  Prices range from $150-250.
• Faux Leather Tub Chairs. Another bargain item, but beware lack of breathability in the seat material and possible early cracking in the surface.  Look to see how long the guarantee is and buy accordingly.
• Plastic Tub Chairs. I have to admit a bias here.  Tub chairs are designed to be comfortable and a hard plastic chair is not my idea of comfort. Still, this type of chair is inexpensive and so you can expect to pay $100-200 for one.

Note:  If you are looking for cheap tub chairs then it is best to avoid designer tub chairs as a designer name will normally multiply these estimated prices by a factor of 3-5x.

Contacting Manufacturers Direct

Purchase of a chair from a factory outlet, or other source direct from the manufacturer, will often present an opportunity for significant saving over what is available from local shops and even some online outlets. The reason that this is the case is that furniture has what the trade calls a high label price, but the volume of sales can be low. Shops incur significant expenses in rent of floor space and so on to maintain a warehouse. These factors mean that shop prices are often much higher than the price of the item direct from a manufacturer. The down side to buying direct is that often many factory outlets do not have the same level of customer service, either at purchase time or later if anything goes wrong.

Final Note

Folding chairs and table do not agree that furniture should ever be purchased solely on price.  The dealer that offers  “tub chairs cheap” will not tell you that buying discount today can often cost more in the long run.  Better to buy a quality second hand item than buy a discount chair new.

For example, tub chair leather upholstery on budget items is often low grade and this means it will require extensive treatment to look acceptable. Unfortunately these chemical treatments often cause it to age rapidly. Buying cheaply on day of purchase often ends up costing more in the long run. The wise purchase decision is always based on build quality and therefore this article is presented for informational purposes only.

Cheap Tub Chairs - Folding Chairs and Table

The classic tub chair has been around a very long time, but remains an enduring favourite in many a lounge or living room. The basic half barrel type construction of these tub seats makes them incredibly durable and strong, but allows them to be comfortable and reassuring too. Whether you are looking for a fabric tub chair or one of the more hard wearing leather tub chairs then you can still be assured that they will be a classy addition to your home. After all, they originated in the court of Louis XV of France and you cannot have a higher recommendation than royalty, now can you?

Retro Chic with a Plastic Tub Chair

This type of seating regained popularity in the 1960s when a number of iconic pictures of top models of the day were taken sitting in swivel tub chairs or in “space age” plastic chairs. Today, they offer a chance to recapture that look and play to the retro-chic market. If you are on a budget then these durable and cheap tub chairs might be a good option – especially for dining areas, rather than living rooms or lounge spaces.

However, while plastic tub chairs remain a popular seller, I cannot in good faith recommend them as they can be hard and uncomfortable to sit in for any length of time – consider the classic plastic chair of many fast food restaurants! A plastic chair is inappropriate for any restful lounge, but better for dining if expecting only a short stay. If you really need a plastic chair then a better and cheaper option might be a quality folding table and chairs set.

Giving up comfort goes against the whole spirit of what these seats are all about!

Natural Materials are a Great Upholstery Option

A far better idea is to buy a fabric tub chair or perhaps the best option is to go for leather. If leather is undesirable, then there are a number of excellent microfiber materials with which your chair could be upholstered.

Cloth upholstered tub chairs are perhaps the least hard wearing of the coverings available, but they are certainly comfortable and often cheaper than their leather covered cousins. Natural fabric tub chairs are a great option if you want to buy green and make a minimal impact on the planet. A fabric chair is also great for a bedroom, not just a lounge. Sympathetic furniture accessories like an Ottoman offer great storage too. The classic cloth covered chair is not recommended for dining areas, or lounge areas where strong coloured liquids could be spilled onto them.

Classic Black Leather Tub Chair

Another image that may come to mind when we think of these seats is a British style smoking room where the upper class would sit in a brown leather tub chair to play cards and discuss business.

Those days are very much behind us.

Today you are far more likely to see a classic black leather chair in a top restaurant or bistro although admittedly they will generally go for a variety of chair colours rather than basic brown or black.

Modern Microfibre Tub Chairs Give Excellent Color Options

Manmade fibres, such as microfibers give this type of seating a whole new lease of life. Plastic offers a selection of colours, but generally gives less comfort. A good microfiber tub chair allows you to have both choice of color and excellent comfort.

Microfibre is really easy to clean, in common with leather, but of course contains no animal products if that is important to you. It is also really hardwearing, which can be significant if you are buying chairs that you expect to see a lot of traffic.

As you can see there are a great number of choices available when buying a new furniture item for your home and I hope that this article has enabled you to be better informed while considering your options before buying your classic tub chair.

Classic Tub Chair - Folding Chairs and Table