There are many names for the smaller, lighter chairs that can fill in the spaces around an office, but they are most commonly referred to as “guest chairs”, “side chairs”, or “accent chairs” in certain cases. Whenever you encounter a chair with one of these names, however, it is still designed to fulfill the same purpose of providing small, low-impact seating options in a space that frequently already has seating like Lounge Chairs or Conference Chairs in it.

Guest chairs are any chair that is designed to provide comfortable, short-term seating options in an area that may or may not already have seating. These chairs are designed to be lightweight and may or may not have armrests, ideal for brief seating periods in areas like lobbies, reception spaces, or as easily-accessible seating choices in breakout spaces and collaborative areas.

The biggest difference between the two types of seating comes down to their goals and usage. Side chairs, while still designed with comfort in mind, are more intended to be short-term seating options for areas where you may not be there all day, such as the lobby or the social space. Office chairs, on the other hand, are more intended for all-day usage, in order to keep you more comfortable as you change postures at your desk throughout the workday.