The Bertoia bird chair, designed by Harry Bertoia in 1952, is an iconic piece of mid-century modern furniture. With its delicate wire frame resembling a bird in flight, the chair is light, airy and sculptural. However, with such a minimalist open design, a common question is whether the Bertoia bird chair is actually comfortable to sit in for any length of time.
What is the Bertoia bird chair?
The Bertoia bird chair consists of a welded steel wire frame with either a polished chrome or bronze finish. The seat is made up of numerous vertical wires attached to the chair frame that flex slightly when pressure is applied. The back and arms are formed from orderly rows of vertical wires that connect to the frame. The chair looks almost transparent from the side view.
Originally produced by Knoll, the chair was part of a collection of Bertoia designs that were meant to evoke the delicacy of nature. The collection also included side chairs, barstools, and ottomans made with the same wire frame concept.
Over the decades since its design, the Bertoia bird chair has remained popular and become an iconic representation of mid-century style. However, the flowing metal wire frame that defines its aesthetic appeal has also raised questions about how comfortable the chair actually is.
What makes a chair comfortable?
There are several key factors that contribute to whether a chair can be considered comfortable or uncomfortable:
– Cushioning – Chairs that have cushioned seats and backs are typically more comfortable for longer periods of sitting than hard surfaces. However, cushioning that is too soft or too firm can also cause discomfort.
– Lumbar support – Chairs designed with lumbar support in the backrest help maintain the natural curve of the spine when sitting upright. Proper lumbar support prevents back pain and stiffness.
– Seat height – For optimal comfort, a chair’s seat height should allow someone’s thighs to be parallel to the floor with their feet flat on the ground when seated. This takes pressure off the undersides of the thighs.
– Seat depth – Chairs with seats that are too long or too short in depth in relation to someone’s legs will not provide adequate support for the thighs and can cause circulation loss.
– Armrests – Sturdy armrests allow the shoulders and arms to relax rather than having to support the weight, reducing strain.
– Headrest – A headrest gives the neck and head stability against the back of the chair for additional relaxation of the spine and posture.
– Material – Chairs upholstered in smooth, breathable fabric are more comfortable in extended sitting than chairs with rough or hot surfaces that cause sweating or chafing.
– Flexibility – Chairs that flex slightly to respond to the sitter’s movements and adjustments help reduce pressure points.
Design and Features of the Bertoia Bird Chair
Minimalist metal wire frame
The most distinctive feature of the Bertoia bird chair is its graceful metal wire frame. Bertoia sculpted the delicate wire frame to imitate birds in flight, creating a lightweight chair that almost seems to float above the floor despite being made of metal rods.
The seat consists of numerous slim vertical wires set close together that give slightly when pressure is applied. The flexing helps contour to the body for comfort.
The back is shaped from similar orderly rows of vertical wires, arched in a graceful curve. The arms also curve up and around on each side.
Lack of upholstery and padding
In keeping with the minimalist, sculptural wire frame, Bertoia designed the bird chair without any upholstery or padding. The seat is simply the bare metal wires, as is the back.
This was likely done to allow the beauty of the wire frame sculpture to take prominence, unobstructed by fabric or cushions. However, it also removes the comfort and support factors provided by upholstered cushioning.
Two available metal finishes
The Bertoia bird chair was originally produced in a bright polished chrome finish. The gleaming chrome complemented the clean lines and contributed to the airy, delicate aesthetic.
Later, a bronze finish was also introduced. The dark patina of the bronze provided a warmer, more organic look. However, both metal finishes left the chair completely without padding.
Light open design
Weighing around 25 pounds, the metal wire frame results in an extremely light chair compared to solid wood or upholstered options. This maximizes the open, transparent silhouette Bertoia wanted that seems to almost disappear when viewed from the side.
However, the tradeoff for this is a complete lack of lumbar, arm, shoulder or head support, which are critical factors for comfortable sitting over time.
| Design Feature | Impact on Comfort |
|---|---|
| Minimalist metal wire frame | May provide some contouring but lacks cushioning |
| Lack of upholstery and padding | Removes crucial comfort and support elements |
| Polished chrome or bronze finishes | Aesthetically complements the design but does not add padding |
| Light open design | Creates airy, floating silhouette but eliminates support |
Intended uses
Bertoia envisioned people primarily using the chair for short durations of sitting. Settings where the chair was intended to be used included:
– In waiting areas or lounges for brief seating
– At dining tables for eating meals
– In art galleries and museums for viewing artworks for shorter periods
– On outdoor patios or in indoor living spaces as accent seating
For all these scenarios, the chair was expected to be sat in for no more than an hour or so at a time, after which someone would get up. This occasional, ephemeral sitting makes the lack of cushioning less of an issue. The chair was not designed for enduring prolonged periods of work while sitting for multiple hours, where padding and lumbar support become critical.
Comfort Factor Analysis
Seat comfort
The seat of the Bertoia bird chair consists solely of slim vertical metal wires. When weight is applied, the wires have some give to lightly contour to the sitter’s shape. However, there is no padded cushioning whatsoever.
Sitting for short stints may not be uncomfortable since standing up regularly relieves pressure. But remaining seated for longer than an hour risks increasing soreness and pain on the bony areas of the pelvis and underside of thighs from the hard metal rods. The thinness of the wires also provides no thigh support.
Back comfort
The chair’s back is also made entirely of vertical metal wires without any padding. While the wires have slight flexibility, they do not actually provide lumbar support for the spine’s natural S-curve.
Sitting upright without lumbar support for extended periods can lead to back soreness, stiffness, and slouching as muscles fatigue. The lack of cushioning also means there is no shoulder support, which can also contribute to slouching and upper back pain over time.
Armrest comfort
The Bertoia bird chair does have armrests formed from the wires. However, like the rest of the chair, they lack any cushioning. Resting your elbows and arms on hard metal for long will dig into your arms uncomfortably. The rounded shape also provides no flat surface to actually support your forearms.
Headrest
Since the chair does not have an upper back, headrest, or neck support, you have to hold your head completely upright without resting it back. This can strain the neck muscles to maintain the same position for hours at a time.
| Comfort Factor | Evaluation |
|---|---|
| Seat | No cushioning can cause discomfort on pelvis and thighs during prolonged sitting |
| Back | Lack of lumbar support strains back muscles and posture over time |
| Armrests | Rounded metal wires dig into arms without support |
| Headrest | No head support strains neck from holding head upright |
Modification Options
To improve the comfort of the Bertoia bird chair while retaining its iconic minimalist look, there are a few possible modifications:
Add a seat cushion
Placing a thin seat cushion on the chair would add padded cushioning for the pelvis and underside of thighs without overly impacting the chair’s silhouette and metal wire appearance. A cushion that is around 2 inches thick or less in a neutral color may be optimal.
Add a lumbar support cushion
A small lumbar support cushion could be tucked behind the back’s metal wires to provide extra support for the natural curve of the spine. This would help prevent back stiffness without a major change.
Upholster the seat and back
Professionally upholstering the seat wires and back wires in fabric or leather would provide more comfort while retaining the overall wire frame look. However, this more substantially alters the original design aesthetic.
Replace seat with upholstered seat pad
For a less dramatic upholstery change, just the seat portion could be replaced with a uniform upholstered seat pad tailored to the exact size and shape between the chair legs. The back would remain the original wires.
| Comfort Modification | Impact on Design |
|---|---|
| Add seat cushion | Minimal change to overall look if thin cushion |
| Add lumbar support cushion | Subtle addition for spine support |
| Upholster seat and back | Substantially alters minimalist aesthetic |
| Upholster just seat | Compromise preserving wire back look |
Conclusion
The Bertoia bird chair prioritizes an elegant, sculptural wire frame silhouette over cushy comfort. Its metal wire seat and back are designed to delicately flex somewhat to the sitter’s shape but do not actually provide padded support and contouring.
For very brief, intermittent sitting the lack of cushioning may not be uncomfortable initially. However, for longer than an hour the hard metal rods can cause pain and soreness on the pelvis, thighs, back, arms and neck without proper support.
Small additions like a seat cushion or lumbar support may help mitigate some of the discomfort for prolonged use. However, upholstering the seat or entire chair provides the most significant comfort benefits although at the expense of altering Bertoia’s original minimalist intent.
Ultimately, while beautiful to look at, the Bertoia bird chair’s aesthetic priorities result in design tradeoffs that limit its ability to provide true long-term sitting comfort. The delicate bird-like wire frame that defines its artistic uniqueness is also the very reason for its inadequacy for extended sitting.
However, the chair was never engineered for such lengthy use in the first place. As accent seating for short-term use or as a sculptural art piece, its comfort limitations may not pose an issue. For chairs intended for work, desks or relaxation that involve longer periods seated, other options would likely be more comfortable.
