“Over three decades of research and careful consideration has created a product that displays meticulous attention to detail.”
- Design Team

We’re Clinical At Heart

It’s not until you experience a Seating Matters product that you appreciate and discover how much time, expertise and technology is required from the initial concept idea through to production.

Seating Matters product development has evolved from patient needs from over 30 years of experience in occupational therapy.  Each design is tested through independent clinical trials, real-life patient feedback and rigorous evaluation by our clinical team.

Each of our designers and engineers spend time in clinical settings to truly understand the needs of the people we are creating chairs for.

Build Quality

It takes continuous, careful planning to ensure our chairs are functional as well as being aesthetically pleasing. Our design team are adamant that the chairs need to be designed in such a way that they fit into a home environment. Each and every part of a Seating Matters chair has been engineered and devised to offer optimum quality and support for the user.

Each chair model is specifically designed for stability, ensuring that it has a low centre of gravity and a wide, stable base. This offers a high level of safety and occupant protection, reducing the risk of injury to patients and care givers alike.

Ease of Use

At the design stages of our products, we carefully consider the needs of the caregiver and ensure that our chairs are simple to operate and use. Every feature such as the positioning of the castors for easy application, the position and height of the push handle for ease of movement and the accessible adjustments are all essential to create an overall effortless product. All Seating Matters chairs can be adjusted without tools in less than one minute. Useful to easily and efficiently adjust the chair to suit the user or to readjust for use within a multi-user environment.

Stringent Testing

The entire Seating Matters range has met and surpassed an impressive level of rigorous testing. By investing in our in-house testing facility we have raised the bar for testing standards in the field of medical equipment. We replicate sustained use of a chair over a 10-year life cycle. Each chair underwent a drop test comprised of a fully loaded chair being dropped 50mm onto a rigid test plane 10,000 times plus a drum test comprised of two large metal horizontal rotating drums coming in contact with the castors every 3 seconds for 48 hours straight.

7 Year Warranty

Have total peace of mind when relaxing in a Seating Matters chair as each one has passed some of the world’s most stringent standards for strength, durability and safety. That’s why we can uphold an industry leading 7 Year Frame warranty on most of our chair models with total confidence. Seating Matters 7 Year Frame Warranty offers you peace of mind & reassurance that your chair will stand the test of time. Some terms and conditions apply, see our 7 Year Warranty booklet for full details.

Infection Control

Infection prevention is vitally important in hospital and healthcare environments. Bacteria and germs often contribute to the development and spread of infections. They can be potentially very harmful so this is important to control and prevent, especially in areas such as hospitals, where patients may be vulnerable and susceptible to infection.

Steps can be taken to control and prevent infections in a variety of settings, from the home to the hospital. In hospitals, members of staff are highly trained in the prevention of cross-infection and work to strict regulations.

At Seating Matters we take infection control very seriously. Our chairs have been specially designed to decrease entrapment areas where bacteria and germs can survive.

Below are some of the steps we have taken to prevent the spread of infections:

  • All chairs are upholstered in a hard-wearing, enduring contract vinyl proven to coutneract C.difficile, E.coli as well as MRSA and the vast majority of bacteria.
  • The materials can all be cleaned with hospital-grade cleaning agents, without causing damage to the fabrics. Please refer to the instructions on the specific cleaning solution  you intend to use for best results.
  • The arms on the Phoenix, Sorrento, are removable so that the seat and lower back area can be wiped clean.
  • The seat cushion is removable for ease of cleaning.
  • The seat cushion is attached to the base of the chair with a non-slip, wipeable material therefore having no material such as velcro which can hold dirt and bacteria.
  • All electric components are part of a sealed unit which can be wiped clean.
  • The metal frames of the chairs have a powder coated finish which is electro-statically applied then cured under heat to allow it to form a “skin”. The powder is a thermoset polymer and is used to create a hard finish that is tougher tan conventional paint, therefore protecting the frame from being exposed to outside conditions and thus preventing rusting.
  • All chairs have modular parts which means the chair can be completely dismantled leaving no areas unexposed for cleaning.
  • The complete chair frame is designed with flat panels throughout which can be easily wiped clean.

All The Seating Matters Chairs Comply To The Following Standards

It takes continuous, careful planning to ensure our chairs are functional as well as being aesthetically pleasing. Our design team are adamant that the chairs need to be designed in such a way that they fit into a home environment. Each and every part of a Seating Matters chair has been engineered and devised to offer optimum quality and support for the user.

Each chair model is specifically designed for stability, ensuring that it has a low centre of gravity and a wide, stable base. This offers a high level of safety and occupant protection, reducing the risk of injury to patients and care givers alike.

BS 4751
Mobile sanitary chairs.

BS ISO 7176-1
Determination of static stability testing:
• Static test for forward stability.
• Static test for rearward stability.
• Static test for sideways stability.

BS ISO 7176-3
Determination of effectiveness of brakes.

BS ISO 7176-8
Requirements and test methods for static, impact and fatigue strengths.

ISO 7176-11
Test dummies.

ISO 7176-13
Determination of coefficient of friction of test surfaces for wheelchairs.

BS ISO 7176-16
Resistance to ignition of upholstered parts.

BS EN 12183
Manually propelled wheelchair requirements and test methods.

BS EN 15373
Furniture strength, durability and safety requirements for non-domestic seating.

Seating Matters are an ISO 9001 Quality Management System approved company.

NDIS Funding - Australian Standards - Assistive Technology

The NDIS AT Template asks the following:

3.7.4 Does this AT comply with relevant AT Australian Standards (or ISO AT standards)? If yes, note which standards. 

The Seating Matters chairs comply with all relevant AT Australian Standards and International ISO AT Standards:

● AS/NZS ISO 7176-1:2014 – Wheelchairs. Determination of static stability testing.

● AS/NZS ISO 7176-3:2014 – Determination of effectiveness of brakes.

● AS/NZS ISO 7176-8 – Requirements and test methods for static, impact and fatigue strengths.

● AS/NZS ISO 7176.11-2013 – Wheelchairs – Test dummies.

● AS/NZS ISO 7176.16-2013 – Wheelchairs – Resistance to ignition of postural support devices.

● ISO 9001 Quality Certified organisation – ISO 9001:2015 Manufacture and Supply of Specialised Seating.

● CE Approved.

● Registered with the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

Seating Matters are an ISO 9001 Quality Management System approved company.