Low-Quality Materials in Office Chairs

The low-quality materials that may be used in office chairs mainly include recycled sponge, waste construction panels, inferior density boards or recycled boards, moldy wooden boards, and granular recycled cotton.

Recycled sponge is made by recycling sponge waste and re-bonding it with glue, with a cost about half that of the original sponge. However, it may contain yellow and white hard lumps, fragments, and debris from hardened glue inside, resulting in a rough and hard feel. Additionally, recycled sponge has poor elasticity and insufficient support, and it generally “collapses” after more than six months of use, seriously affecting the service life and comfort of office chairs.

Waste construction panels are also one of the low-quality materials that may be used in office chairs. These panels are often used together with recycled sponge to make various types of seats, including children's seat styles. Due to the unknown origin of waste construction panels, they may contain harmful substances or have structural defects, so office chairs made of this material pose safety hazards.

Inferior density boards or recycled boards should not be overlooked either. The formaldehyde emission from these boards far exceeds safety standards, posing a serious threat to human health. There was once a technology company that purchased low-priced office desks and chairs, and after six months, employees frequently experienced respiratory discomfort. Tests revealed that the formaldehyde concentration was seriously over the limit, which was the consequence of using inferior boards.

Moldy wooden boards are also low-quality materials that may be used in office chairs. For example, the wooden board inside the popular “Liu Liu Stool” priced at 89.9 yuan has a black surface with large patches of mold. Moldy wooden boards not only affect the aesthetics of office chairs but may also breed bacteria, posing potential harm to human health.

Granular recycled cotton is also a low-quality material that may be used as a filler in office chairs. This recycled cotton has a mixed color and uneven quality and is used to fill the interlayers of stools. Due to its poor support and elasticity, office chairs made of this material often have poor comfort and are prone to deformation.