Wooden and Clear Chair FAQ’s

We do not provide hire service ourselves but are proud to supply our banqueting chairs to many of the world’s top event furniture hire companies. All the hire companies listed below stock Band International chairs.

If you are a Band International customer or have purchased our chairs through our agents and would like to appear on our hire page, please contact us.

THE SOUTH EAST

Acorn Furniture Hire Ltd.
Hungerford
http://www.acornfurniturehire.com

Academy Marquees
Camberley
http://www.academy-marquees.co.uk/

Allens Catering Equipment and Furniture Hire
Southall
http://www.allenshire.co.uk

Bentley Brown Catering Hire Ltd
Guildford
http://www.bentleybrown.co.uk

Co-ordination Hire
Horsham
http://www.catering-hire.net

Elite Hire
Aylesbury
http://www.elitehire.co.uk/

Gorgeous Gourmets
Wimbledon
http://www.gorgeousgourmets.co.uk

Jones Furniture and Catering Equipment
Deptford
http://www.joneshire.co.uk

Jongor Hire
Portsmouth
http://www.jongor4hire.com/

Jubilee Hire
Cranbrook
http://www.jubileehire.co.uk/

Rayners Catering Equipment Hire
Wandsworth
http://www.rayners.co.uk

Sitting Pretty
Chelmsford
http://www.sittingprettyhire.co.uk/

Spaceworks
Vauxhall
http://www.spaceworks.co.uk/

Thorns Group
London Manchester Birmingham
http://www.thorns.co.uk

THE SOUTH WEST

Jongor
Bristol Portsmouth
http://www.jongor4hire.com

Total Event Hire
Newton Abbot
http://www.totaleventhire.co.uk

THE MIDLANDS

E-vent Furniture
Bloxwich
http://www.ev-ent.co.uk

Thorns Group
London Manchester Birmingham
http://www.thorns.co.uk

THE NORTH

Bakerwood Marquees and Events
Brampton, Cumbria
http://bakerwood.co.uk/

Black Furniture Hire
York
http://www.eventfurniture.com

Thorns Group
London Manchester Birmingham
http://www.thorns.co.uk

NORTHERN IRELAND

Northdown
Belfast
http://www.northdownmarquees.co.uk

WALES

Commercial marquees
Swansea
http://commercialmarqueehire.com

SCOTLAND

Andrew Wilson & Sons
Edinburgh
http://www.wilsonscaterhire.co.uk

Gordons Caterhire
Blairgowrie
http://www.gordonscaterhire.co.uk

John Brown Caterhire & Events
Glasgow
http://www.johnbrowncaterhire.co.uk

For the past 30 years, Band International has manufactured elegant, stackable wooden wedding and banqueting chairs using the traditional bentwood method but in a modern facility, taking advantage of manufacturing techniques.

Named after race courses, Band’s chairs are made of beech from sustainably managed European forests. This hardwood lends itself to the bending process, in which this close grained wood is steamed and bent into shape, then allowed to dry out, at which point it maintains its new shape. Whilst the time-honoured manufacturing process is highly labour intensive, many of the parts are now made by machine using high frequency equipment, CNC routers etc. This ensures that the bending of each component is exactly the same each time. Not only does this give a consistent and attractive product but it is essential for the stackability of Band’s chairs, which requires consistency of the leg profile if stacks are to be stable.

The traditional method of constructing the chair seat from a single piece of beech wood means the seat surround will be continuous and will have only one join. This is much stronger than cheaper imitations in which the seat is constructed from four separate pieces of wood. Using multiple components is quicker and easier but the result lacks the resilience of the traditional method.

In the bentwood process the green wood is bent using steam. The best modern manufacturing practices now use high frequency energy combined with steam, which ensures that the bending of each component is exactly the same as that for every other component of the same type. The excellent stacking quality of Band International banqueting chairs results from a combination of design and high quality, consistent manufacturing.

The bentwood construction is most obvious around the seat support, but the legs are also curved. This not only gives them an elegance unique to this type of seating, it also is crucial to their ability to stack well. Again, quality of manufacture is vital in the chair leg as well as the seat support, if stacks of chairs are to be stable and fit tight in their stack during transport.

Any event promoter or venue manager will know how expensive frequent repair and re-lacquering is when chairs suffer slight scuffing and abrasion as is inevitable. As always, a good quality lacquer or varnish is worth it in the long run, not only do chairs look better but also last longer without any remedial work needed on them.

All Band International bentwood chairs are manufactured to ISO 9000.

Band International uses the most advanced methods to ensure unparalleled strength : weight ratio and high quality stackability. Bentwood construction achieves these objectives.

When wood is bent to shape, it retains all its natural strength. Sawing a leg profile to shape means the manufacturer has to cut across the grain of the wood, thereby weakening its inherent structure.

Band’s bentwood seat frame is the most expensive part of the chair to make. It is one continuous piece of beech wood with the joint located at the back of the seat.

This is much stronger than the seat frame of cheaper imitation banqueting chairs which may have 4 separate pieces of wood with each leg entering the frame at the weakest point – the corner joint!

Reliable furniture renting requires efficient materials handling. Success is measured by how quickly chairs can be transported from store to venue and back without damage. So Band chairs must be light enough for a man to carry a stack of ten chairs yet strong enough to withstand the robust nature of the events/rental business. The weight : strength ratio is critical.

Theoretically forever, as wooden furniture can almost always be repaired. According to one customer, the most valuable feature of Band’s wedding chairs is their repairability, which has allowed some customers to keep large numbers of their chairs in circulation for 20+ years. The most frequent breakages are to the spindles under the seat, caused by the chairs being used as a stepping stool (by guests anxious to catch a glimpse of the bride!) We supply spindles and other spare parts.

Sadly for Band the replacement market is negligible and tens of thousands of Band internationals’ wedding and banqueting chairs are still doing sterling service after more than a decade for many of our large rental customers.

Event chairs will always be subjected to heavy use and will require refurbishing from time to time. Band International banquet and wedding chairs are designed to be re-sprayed easily and effectively. They can either be sent to furniture restorers or done in-house.

When using metallic powder (gold and silver powder can be provided by us); use a ratio of 50 grams of powder to 1 kilo of lacquer- enough to spray 10 banquet chairs.

Some colours and finishes will require more upkeep than others. White banquet chairs tend to show more marks and will usually require repainting more frequently than other colours.

Repainting banquet chairs costs time and money, which is why Band’s antique finish is so popular. Paint is applied to chairs and then removed to create a unique, attractive and low maintenance finish. The effect has had so much success in limewash – the alternative to white – that Band now offers low maintenance versions of gold, silver, copper and black.

The price of our bentwood wedding and banqueting chairs varies according to which country you are in and what quantity/model you are interested in. Email us with your location and requirements for your event seating quotation.

When other chairs are available at cheaper rates, this question inevitably arises. Furniture hire companies and venues have been choosing our chairs since Band was established nearly 20 years ago. The reasons they continue to do so are simple:

• Our bentwood chairs are sturdily made using traditional bentwood construction techniques ensuring they will withstand sometimes insensitive use by guests
• The selection of styles in our standard range means that a suitable design is available for many types of occasion, whether formal, informal or royal
• All the seat pads are easily removable. Not only does this make for easy cleaning but it also allows hirers to offer a wide range of colours simply by changing the pads
• Breakages inevitably occur from time to time (though our chairs are remarkably resilient to the harshest usage) but most breakages can be easily repaired as we carry a stock of spare parts. Our quick turn-around time means replacements can be supplied at short notice (information on chair maintenance and refurbishment)
• Careful design allows 10 chairs around a standard 5 foot table
• Extra large seats are available as an option, this has made our chairs particularly popular in the US market where size often matters
• The compact and stable stackability of chairs makes for easy storage
• The lightweight construction allows quick setting-up and clearing away before and after events
• With 10 chairs weighing just 35kg, chairs can be transported by a standard 7 ton lorry
• Our wide range of styles offers a suitable design for every occasion.
• Tie-on seat pads may be applied to the seat of the Banquo if the occasion demands it
• Our quick delivery time ensures chairs can meet your occasion at very short notice

Value for money

Customer testimonials point to the reasons why Band International chairs are considered best value for money. Recent feedback from our customers proves this.

According to our customers’ figures, the Band International chair will last well over 10 years and

Earn £40-£50 p.a. depending on model (UK figures)
Cost £0 (burnished) – £10 (painted) p.a. to maintain

Thus the initial purchase price of the chair though not insignificant, should be related to its lifetime earnings potential of over £300.

Many of our newer customers have had experience with cheaper copies of our designs, which have not lasted as long as they had hoped and had incurred heavy upkeep costs along the way.

If event furniture appears on your hire inventory, please email Band International for details of our quality event seating, including the most robust, lightweight and elegant banquet and wedding chairs you will ever offer your clients.