“Contract grade”: what it really means for a chair, and four checks to put in your specification

The short answer

“Contract grade” means furniture built for heavy use in commercial places such as restaurants, hotels and offices, as opposed to furniture for homes (sources 1 and 2).

But no law or standard defines the term. Neither of the two supplier guides we read names an authority behind it. Source 2 warns that not every supplier who uses the words meets the standards behind them, and that buyers should ask for test documents.

So treat “contract grade” as a promise. Then check it.

Why a US label does not answer a European question

Many “contract grade” products are described against US standards. A US manufacturer lists BIFMA and ASTM for strength, and CAL 117 and NFPA for fire (source 1).

Those are real tests, but they are not the tests European specifiers and fire officers ask for. A chair can be “contract grade” in a US catalogue and still have no European test report.

Four checks to put in your specification

1. Strength: EN 16139, and which level

EN 16139 is the European standard for the strength and safety of non-domestic seating. Level 1 is for general use such as restaurants and cafés, and Level 2 is for extreme use such as night-clubs. Ask for a test report for the exact model. Our guide to contract chairs vs home chairs and EN 16139 explains both levels.

2. Fire: the rule of your country

For upholstered seating, the fire test depends on the country. In the UK, hotels and restaurants usually ask for BS 7176 medium hazard, often called Crib 5. In France, public venues fall under the AM 18 rule and NF D 60-013. The test applies to the fabric and filling together. Read our guide to fire rules for upholstered contract seating.

3. Fabric wear: Martindale rubs

Fabric wear is measured by the Martindale test: a sample is rubbed until it wears. A UK hotel-furniture supplier uses these bands (source 2):

Martindale rubs	Use
up to 10,000	decorative only
10,000–15,000	light domestic
15,000–25,000	general domestic
25,000–30,000	heavy domestic, light commercial
30,000 and more	commercial grade, for hotels

Ask the fabric supplier for the Martindale figure of the exact fabric.

4. Warranty and repair

A US contract manufacturer lists warranties of 5 to 10 years or more for contract furniture, against 1 to 3 years for home furniture (source 1). Ask what the warranty covers (frame, joints, finish, fabric), and whether the frame can be re-upholstered or refinished. In a restaurant, a chair that can be re-covered lasts longer than its first fabric.

A specification line you can copy

Seating: solid-wood frame, tested to EN 16139 Level 1 (report for this model).
Upholstery: fabric and filling tested to [BS 7176 medium hazard | NF D 60-013],
fabric minimum 30,000 Martindale rubs.
Supplier to provide test reports and warranty terms before order.

Every supplier then quotes for the same chair, and “contract grade” stops being a matter of opinion.

Where RikoStyle fits

We make solid-wood chairs, armchairs, bar stools and tables, and our whole range is sold for hotels, restaurants, events, healthcare and education.

Send us the specification line above for the models you want, and we will tell you what we can document for each one. Compare our answer with your current supplier's.

We offer our range to interior designers and architects, furniture retailers and importers, restaurant and hotel owners, event rental companies and care homes, and we are looking for long-term partners in each of these groups.

Sources

1. Mity-Lite, Jaycee Morrill, What Is Contract-Grade Furniture? Benefits, Use Cases & Buying Tips (10 October 2025): https://mitylite.com/blog/what-is-contract-grade-furniture
2. Rosehill, What Counts as Contract-Grade Hotel Furniture? A Complete Guide: https://www.rosehill.co.uk/blog/what-counts-as-contract-grade-hotel-furniture-a-complete-guide/