armchairs buying guide

in Hong Kong homes, where a single chair often has to earn its floor space as hard as any larger piece, choosing well matters more than most guides admit.

we have spent over 20 years helping Hong Kong customers find that one seat, and the same four questions come up every time: what you want the chair to do, whether it genuinely fits, how it sits with the sofa it may share a room with, and how it feels after an hour rather than a minute. this guide walks through each in turn, along with the frame beneath the fabric and how to care for it all in our climate.

• 1. purpose
• 2. size
• 3. pairing
• 4. comfort
• 5. the frame
• 6. care

1. what do you want the armchair to do?

when looking for the right armchair, consider what its main purpose is in your space. an armchair bought for reading is a different purchase from one bought to complete a conversation circle, and different again from an accent piece chosen to give a room a focal point. our range covers the full spread: from sleek minimalist designs and subtle curves to vintage-inspired classics, with or without arms, in plush upholstery or handwoven detail. the styles themselves are a subject we have already written about; our library article on types of armchairs walks through wingbacks, swivels, mid-century and curved designs in full. here, what matters is matching the design to the role.

four roles for one chair

one chair can hold more than one of these jobs, and in a compact apartment it usually has to. a lounge chair in the bedroom is a reading nook by night and a place to lay tomorrow’s clothes by morning; an accent chair in the entryway is somewhere to put shoes on and a welcome in its own right. small home offices gain more from a good easy chair than most people expect: somewhere to think that is not the desk.

shop armchairs

embrace armchair

cozi armchair

ease armchair

paul lounge chair

shop all sofas & armchairs →

2. one seat, measured honestly

an armchair looks small on a showroom floor and grows the moment it enters a Hong Kong living room, so the numbers matter. our armchairs are generally 53–64cm wide, whilst the wider family of lounge and easy chairs is 59–115cm: at the narrow end, a chair that slips into a corner a sofa could never reach; at the wide end, a generous seat that anchors a room on its own. seat heights on our lounge and easy chairs are generally 38–46cm, which covers everything from a low, relaxed sit to an upright height that makes standing effortless.

armchair dimensions at a glance

the advantage of the armchair is that it fits where nothing else will. a chair at the narrow end of that range asks less of a room than any other piece of upholstered furniture, which is why the armchair is so often the answer in a compact apartment: it adds a genuine second place to sit without asking the room to reorganise itself. this is the case for most of our customers who come in looking for an armchair: they tend to choose a piece that works with their existing space and layout, rather than opting for a larger design that would require them to rework their room. we’ve also found that many customers are looking for an armchair for their bedroom, which means they typically prefer a piece that is narrow enough to fit comfortably through corridors and doorways.

we covered room clearances and delivery routes properly in our sofas buying guide; a single chair rarely raises those questions, and that is part of its appeal.

3. pairing with a sofa, or standing alone

most armchairs live with a sofa, and the pairing question is the one we hear most often: should they match? matching sets feel ordered and calm, while a contrasting chair offers a bolder look: a woven or wood-framed chair beside an upholstered sofa gives the room texture it cannot get any other way, and a darker or more vibrant fabric on one chair is a far smaller commitment than the same fabric across three seats. the reliable rule is to keep one thread in common – be it a tone, a timber, or a leg shape – and let everything else differ.

placement does as much work as the pairing. a chair facing the sofa closes the conversation circle; angled towards the window, it opens the room instead of boxing it in. an armchair also stands happily alone: in space-conscious apartments, one characterful chair beside a side table can do the work of a full seating arrangement. our sofas, coffee tables, side tables and tv cabinets are made to sit alongside our chairs, and the full range of sofas & armchairs is there to browse when you want to see how the pieces converse.

4. comfort in a single seat

the comfort of an armchair is highly personal and often depends on how the piece will be used. an upright reader wants a supportive back and a seat height towards the top of the 38–46cm range; someone who curls up wants an enveloping silhouette, a wraparound back and a seat with room to tuck legs in. arms are a genuine choice, not a default: armless designs feel lighter and slip into smaller corners, whilst full arms give you somewhere to rest a book, an elbow, a cup.

beneath the fabric, our upholstered pieces carry comfortable cushions on well-made frames, with the majority of our upholstered seating using high-resilient foam that springs back rather than settling. fabric matters too, and our fabrics carry abrasion ratings of 20,000 rubs (Martindale test) or more. we offer a wide range of in-stock lounge and easy chairs available for immediate delivery, but you can pre-order and customise your piece using our wide assortment of fabrics and colours. choosing between all of this is a ten-minute job in person and nearly impossible from a photograph, which is why the sit test at our 25,000 sq ft showroom at Horizon Plaza, Ap Lei Chau settles more armchair decisions than anything on this page.

5. the frame: wood, weave and where it comes from

what separates a chair you keep from a chair you replace is usually the frame. most of our armchairs are beautifully crafted with a solid birch wood frame, paired with high-quality foam and durable upholstery. the result is a sturdy, well-made piece designed to last you for many years to come. we also offer chairs with legs constructed from solid reclaimed teak that has been salvaged from century-old Indonesian houses. some designs use FSC™-certified kraft paper woven in the traditional Lloyd Loom technique, a craft that has furnished homes for over a century and brings a lightness and texture no upholstery can imitate. our sofas are produced in Indonesia, Serbia, Vietnam, Poland and China, and we hold every one of those workshops to the same standards we hold ourselves.

6. caring for your armchair in Hong Kong

an armchair asks for a simple rhythm rather than a regime, and because many of our chairs combine an upholstered seat with a solid wood or woven frame, the rhythm has two halves: keeping the fabric fresh and helping the wood stay comfortable in Hong Kong’s seasons. solid wood needs to stay hydrated in our conditions, and it is happiest when the room around it changes gently rather than abruptly; cushions, for their part, naturally settle into the way you sit, and a regular fluff keeps them full.

1. vacuum the upholstery weekly: a soft brush attachment and a light hand lift dust from the weave and help prevent pilling.
2. fluff the cushions: seat and back cushions settle into shape over time, which is entirely normal; a regular plump keeps them comfortable and looking their best.
3. dust the frame: a slightly damp cloth over wooden arms and legs once a week keeps the timber’s surface at its best.
4. keep it shaded from strong sun: position the chair out of direct sunlight so both fabric and wood keep their colour; sheer curtains do the work in bright rooms.
5. spot clean gently: a slightly damp cloth lifts everyday marks from upholstery; a little colour transferring onto the cloth is normal, and where covers are not removable, professional upholstery cleaners will visit homes and offices in Hong Kong.

for the wooden elements of your chair, the TREEtment manual on our after care page covers solid wood care in full. and if you are ever unsure what your particular chair needs, our team is always happy to talk it through.