Sit Test: Favorite Lounge Chairs from Crate & Barrel
Welcome back to the “Sit Test” series! This time around, I’m sharing some insights into some accent and lounge chairs after taking a trip to my local Crate & Barrel* store.
As a quick reminder, my goal with putting together these Sit Tests is to share some intel from a designer’s perspective on what I think are really good pieces of furniture at some familiar “go to” retailers. There’s SO much out there these days, and given that much of our shopping happens online, it can be hard to sift through everything without getting too overwhelmed. I’m doing some of the initial research for you so you can start your search off on the right foot - from the comfort of your sofa. 😉
My hope is that when you’re in the market for a new piece of upholstered furniture, these sit tests will be a resource that you can refer back to as you look around for the right one for yourself and/or your family. You’ll be able to look through the “library” of these within The Archive so you can go back and easily find what you need in the future.
Looking for more of these sit tests? Use the button below to my other reviews!
When I research these pieces of furniture, I actually go to a store, sit on pretty much everything they have in a certain category, and report back on my favorites that are both comfortable and pretty.
(Side note, when it comes to choosing fabrics, always order swatches if you can so you can touch and feel a fabric before placing an order. They don’t always look the same as they do online!)
Now, everyone has different likes and preferences when it comes to how a piece of furniture sits and feels, but I’ll share what I think are some great, middle-of-the-road options that work well for the average person.
Things to note:
Retailers don’t have everything from their collections in store, so while I’ll get to sit on a lot, there may be some other great pieces I didn’t have an opportunity to try in person!
I’m 5’9”, so when I talk about a chair’s height and depth, keep that in mind.
Just because I don’t include a particular model here doesn’t mean that it’s “bad,” but the ones I’m sharing here are my favorites, so they’re good ones to start with if you’re on the hunt!
All right - let’s dive in!
Favorite Crate & Barrel Chairs
Barrett Swivel Chair
Of the chairs I tried, the Barrett won “best all around” in my book. (P.S. It also comes in a non-swivel chair option and is a part of the larger Barrett seating collection.) It is on the larger side at 35”W x 36”D, so be sure you’ve got enough room for it!
The reasons I really like it? It’s very comfortable, has a nice, streamlined design, and comes in some great standard fabrics. I also liked that the swivel is almost completely hidden from view, which gives it a higher end look.
I found the cushioning to be plush, but supportive, and the structure of the materials will make it so that the cushions won’t lose their shape over time.
How it sits:
Seat height: 19”. This is a great height for the average person - it’ll be easy to stand up and sit down without a lot of extra effort.
Seat depth: 21”. That’s on the shallower side, but it’s funny, it didn’t feel that shallow to me - I had plenty of room to sit back and relax. If you have a very tall person in your home, it may be a little bit shallow for them to feel like they can truly lounge in it.
Back height: I felt well-supported and comfortable. If you prefer a higher back, I’d say you’ll be in good shape with this chair.
Comfort on a scale of 1-5 (1 being very firm and 5 being cloud-like): 4
Pricing: $899 (fabric) - $1,899 (for leather)
Polly Lounge Chair
I’ve admired this chair from afar now for awhile, so I was glad to see it on the floor at our local store! I love the light and airy modern look of the frame. I’ve always thought that it looked so comfortable. I’m glad to report that it IS comfortable - with a few caveats that I’ll talk about below.
Overall, the scale of this chair is really nice. It’s a “long and lean” chair at 30”W x 38”D. The back height with the cushion is 34”.
How it sits:
Seat height: 17.3”. That’s definitely on the lower side, and I could feel it. The cushion also sinks down a bit so the actual seat height is probably more like 16”. Be sure you’re ok with sitting a little lower to the ground and that the seat height of your other furniture isn’t significantly higher!
Seat depth: 23.6”. This one’s on the deep side, which definitely gives it a low-slung, loungy feel in conjunction with the seat height. That can make it a bit challenging to get back up! If you’ve got people in your home or who visit regularly who might find that uncomfortable, this may not be the chair for you. If you like a low lounger though, it’s a great one.
Back height: I found it to be high enough to be very supportive and comfortable. I just wanted to lean back and take a little cat nap in it!
Comfort on a scale of 1-5 (1 being very firm and 5 being cloud-like): 4
Pricing: $789
Drew Small Swivel Chair
The Drew swivel chair caught my eye for two reasons: the compact size (27”W x 32.5”D) and the contrast welt (that’s the band around the edge of the seams). Re: the size, I was curious if a chair that small could actually be comfortable, and I found I was very pleased! If you’re really tight on space, but would love to have a swivel chair or two, I would encourage you to give this one a close look.
The contrast welt was an interesting addition, and definitely gives this chair a unique style, but I wasn’t wild about it to be honest - at least in this combo. They’ve got some other fabric options to choose from - some with and some without the contrast welt. It’s potentially a nice way to get a custom look without paying for custom upholstery if you like the look of the contrast welt.
How it sits:
Seat height: 19.5”. A very comfortable height for the average person. Easy up and down!
Seat depth: 23.5”. A happy medium between sitting fairly upright and lounging. A good “middle-of-the-road” depth. Given it’s smaller overall depth, it’s nice that the seat itself didn’t end up being super shallow (which would have been pretty uncomfortable.)
Back height: Great height. I felt well supported and comfortable.
Comfort on a scale of 1-5 (1 being very firm and 5 being cloud-like): 3
Pricing: $999
Cortina Chair
The Cortina chair leans a bit more traditional in style than most of what C&B offers with its rounded arms and tailored upholstery. It’s on the larger side at 35”W x 36”D, but it’s definitely not oversized - it has nice proportions overall. I found it to be cozy and comfortable when I tried it out.
One thing I wasn’t crazy about though was in-stock fabric option, which is that stripe that you see in the second photo above. I don’t find it to be that pretty an it’s a tough stripe for most people to integrate into their decor. 🙈 In their “Made for You” fabric options, they do have several neutrals, which is good. It’ll just take a bit longer to get to you.
How it sits:
Seat height: 18”. A very comfortable height for the average person. Easy up and down!
Seat depth: 21”. Like the Barrett above, this felt like a happy medium between sitting fairly upright and lounging. It’s a little on the shallower side, but still falls within the standard “normal” depth for accent chairs like this.
Back height: It felt nice and supportive. Definitely comfortable to relax in for a good while.
Comfort on a scale of 1-5 (1 being very firm and 5 being cloud-like): 4
Pricing: $1,399
Chairs that got a “no” from me.
I thought it might be good to include some chairs I tried that I really wasn’t a fan of too. Of course I know that everyone has different preferences, but sometimes you just have to draw a hard line, even if it looks pretty!
Lotus Chair and a Half: Though it’s advertised as very “plush,” to me it just felt like it had no structure to it, which made it pretty unsupportive, unfortunately.
Maar: This has a super funky fun frame, but I found it pretty uncomfortable to sit in. Maybe it would work well in a reception area for an office or hotel, but for a home, I wouldn’t recommend it.
Diderot: Oh man, I wanted to like this chair since I love the look of it, but it was far too firm for me to consider it a lounge chair. It could be great as an occasional chair or in the corner of a bedroom though.
I hope that wasn’t too much of a downer way to end this sit test, but I did want to include those “nos” as well! Sometimes knowing what doesn’t work is just as important as knowing what’s good!
That’ll do it for today’s Sit Test! If you have any questions about these pieces, feel free to hop over to The Community and ask away!
*Affiliate links used here, which means Mix & Match Design Company earns a small commission from your purchase at no cost to you.
