Iconic Webbing Chairs //
Our Top 6 Picks

by aetava   //   23/08/2020

Webbing is the material used in most furniture with upholstery, that connects to the frame of the furniture creating a firm seat for the cushion. Without a webbing, the piece will not have the firmness and cannot be used as intended.

Some designers have removed the cushion that sits on top of the webbing exposing the braided grid as the feature of the furniture. Whether it’s made from synthetic fibers such as nylon, polypropylene or polyester, or natural material such as cotton, linen, or leather, this exposed web provides a certain character that is pure and honest.

Here we have selected 6 of the most iconic chairs that feature a web of woven fibers either as a seat or a backrest. 

1- MG501 Cuba Chair

Designed in 1997 by Morten Gøttler, and made in Denmark by Carl Hansen & Son, the MG501 Cuba Chair is a light foldable chair with a contemporary personality. It is easy to fold, hang on a wall, or arrange on a floor-stand making it a perfect blend of form and function.

The body is solid oak and the seat and backrest are cotton webbing available in both natural color and black. The chair is fairly sturdy yet the woven fabrics provide excellent comfort and support for the back.

2- Betty TK1 Chair

Designed by Sami Kallio and Jakob Thau for &Tradition, the Betty TK1 Dining Chair is well known for its bold, webbed seat. It is named after the Betty Nansen Theater in Copenhagen as it displays a minimalist and honest design. The focus of the chair is its exposed webbing, a feature that mostly stays unnoticed since its usually covered by a cushion. This nested seat provides a natural, flexible support, bending slightly with your body, and creating a pleasant and comfortable experience.

This stackable chair is available in 2 versions, one with exposed linen webbing and the other with a solid wooden seat. It comes in four frame colors of black, twilight, maroon, and natural oak.

3- Tanner Armchair

The Tanner Armchair by Barnaby Lane is a lounge chair with woven cowhide leather strapping as the seat and backrest. It is designed with a low and wide bearing frame made from European Oak. It comes in 7 different colors of leather tightened from behind with brass studs.

The Tanner chair can be used individually or in multiples making is a perfect piece for the modern space.

4- Lounge Chair 43

Designed by Alvar Aalto in 1937, the Lounge Chair 43 is a stunning example of bentwood manufacturing by Artek. The frame is made from birch lamella, which can bend and curve to great extents and is comparable in strength to tubular steel. The seat is a single belt of linen webbing that comes in 6 different colors.

It is quite rare to find this product as it is handmade to order in Finland and might take weeks before your order is fulfilled.

5- BB-55 Rocker

The BB-55 Rocker chair by Uhuru takes inspiration from naval design as it is named after the class of battleship of the USS North Carolina. The curves of the frame represent the forms of the ship as the steel body transitions into walnut legs keeping a timber interaction with the floor. The seat and backrest are black cotton webbing which is woven around the Powder-coated steel frame creating a sturdy yet comfortable piece.

6- Primo Easy Chair

The Primo chair is an incarnation of the Lamino Chair designed by Yngve Ekström for Swedese. It uses the same frame structure but introduces webbing or braided leather as the seat and backrest. It is an extremely comfortable chair as it conforms to the shape of your body with its flexible base, and even offers a footrest that can be matched with the webbing of the chair.

The structure is made from beech (natural lacquered or stained) or oak (natural lacquered or oiled), along with straps of textile or braided leather, in black, red, or natural color.