Bench (furniture)

Last updated February 19, 2024

A bench is a long seat on which multiple people may sit at the same time. Benches are typically made of wood, but may also be made of metal, stone, or synthetic materials. Many benches have back rests, while others do not and can be accessed from either side. Arm rests are another common feature. In many American public areas, benches may be donated by persons or associations, as indicated by an affixed plaque, a common form of memorial to a deceased person (see memorial bench). Benches may be placed outdoors or indoors, but are more often found outdoors.

Types

Often, benches are simply named for the place they are used, regardless of whether this implies a specific design.

Park benches are set as seating places within public parks, and vary in the number of people they can seat.
Garden benches are similar to public park benches, but are longer and offer more sitting places.^[1]
Picnic tables, or catering buffet tables, have benches as well as a table. These tables may have table legs which are collapsible, in order to expedite transport and storage.
Scenic benches are situated to provide a more comfortable means of enjoying the contemplation of a beautiful landscape, a busy street scene, or less commonly a specific event.
Perch benches are usually situated in high traffic areas to enable people to take a quick break.
A storage bench is a combination of sitting space and a storage box, often used for keeping gardening supplies or grill equipment.
A form is a backless bench that was used for seating in dining rooms, school rooms and law courts — can be leather or upholstered fabric with or without a back rest.
Wooden benches in early railway passenger cars

Various types of benches are specifically designed for and/or named after specific uses, such as:

Leaning benches, or "leaners", have been installed by some cities for people to rest against in public areas where there is no room for regular benches.^[2]^[3]
Church benches and pews inside places of worship, which are sometimes equipped with an additional kneeling bench. Church benches and pews can come in various styles including traditional, modern and curved to match and complement the architectural styles and spaces of places of worship.
a bench seat is a traditional seat installed in automobiles, featuring a continuous pad running the full width of the cabin.
a punishment bench is used to have a punishee lie (and often be tied) down on for the administration of a corporal punishment, after which it may be specifically named, e.g. caning bench
a bench (weight training) is used for fitness exercises, such as the bench press which is named after its use of a bench
a communion bench is not used as a seat
a piano bench usually offers one person seating, but there are also two-person variants allowing for pair-playing
a spanking bench, such as a caning bench, is specifically designed for a spankee to lie upon, possibly strapped down, while submitting to paining of the posterior
swing seats are independently movable, suspended benches, used for play or as a relaxing porch swing.
Glider Benches are similar to Swing Seats but are not suspended; instead they have a mechanism under the seating area that allows the bench to rock back and forward
a courting bench (or kissing bench, or tête-à-tête): a two-seater with the seats pointing in opposite directions, thus almost facing each other.
a buddy bench (or friendship bench) in a school playground is where a child can go when they want someone to talk to.
the bench in a courtroom, behind which the judge is seated.

Construction materials

Benches come in a variety of different materials, but there are some venue standards that account for use, durability, and maintenance patterns.

Adobe: (banco) type benches are made of packed earth often combined with a binder, such as straw. They are found throughout the world in countries that use earth or mud construction techniques, in both outdoor and indoor settings.
Aluminum: Aluminum benches are often found in outdoor, sideline settings at recreational venues like sports fields or courts and as a complement to bleacher systems. The material affords for a lightweight, corrosive-free bench, so it is a portable and economical option for indoor or outdoor settings.
Cast iron: early outdoor benches were made of cast iron, Among the earliest in America were produced by the iron foundry Janes, Beebe & Co in the mid-19th century.
Concrete: Concrete benches are very heavy and are a more permanent furnishing. They are often installed in facilities that are not expected to change or transition often, if at all, such as military bases, state parks and official buildings. Concrete is very durable, so it is appropriate for any climate. Concrete can be composed of many different materials to afford benches different accents, depending on what it is composed of.
Fiberglass: Fiberglass is a versatile material so fiberglass benches can come in a variety of designs and finishes or colors. The material is great for indoor or outdoor use because it will not corrode or rust, is very low maintenance, and can be manufactured to complement any facility. Common places where fiberglass benches are installed include food courts, restaurants, and office buildings.
Powder-coated steel: Powder coated steel benches are often found lining entryways for different venues, like retail centers, medical facilities and country clubs. While powder-coat is a common finish on many commercial site furnishings, it is often featured on strap metal benches because of its anti-corrosive qualities and ability to strongly bond to heavy duty steel constructions. Powder-coated benches also come in a variety of colors and designs, from classic strap metal benches to extremely intricate designs.
Recycled plastic: Recycled plastic benches are low maintenance, available in a variety of colors and styles, and are appropriate for any environment, including typically-corrosive salty, ocean side facilities. Recycled plastic components can vary based on the manufacturer, but it is commonplace that a high percentage is post-consumer material and will contribute to LEED certification. For these reasons, they are commonly found at a wide range of venues, including convention centers, office buildings, universities, retail centers, schools and stadiums.
Thermoplastic: Thermoplastic is an environmentally friendly coating for metal benches. Thermoplastic benches are very commonplace, located in facilities ranging from schools, parks, recreational spaces and office buildings. The material itself is graffiti resistant and easily repairable, as opposed to other metal coatings and, with a thorough coat, will help a metal bench withstand a variety of climates. There are endless color options and six different common pattern styles: expanded metal, perforated metal, strap style, welded wire, diamond pattern and rod style. Expanded metal is often seen in casual park settings, featuring a lattice-like look while strap style can be commonly featured trail side or embellishing a sidewalk.
Wood: Wood benches are a very high maintenance option because they need to be regularly treated with an insect repellent or coated with polyurethane or similar coating to maximize the life of the material. They are typically found along walking trails and state parks, while high-quality wood products like teak, redwood and mahogany are commonly found in residential furniture lines, resorts and restaurant settings. Other common lumber furnishing materials include oak and southern yellow pine.

Usage

There are a number of ways to use a bench. Standard usage involves sitting on the seat facing a direction perpendicular to the long axis of the bench. If there is a backrest, this direction must be away from the backrest. Some others include:

Raised position. Here, one sits on the backrest (which must be present).
Supine position.
Daydream position. Here, one lies down on the ground and props their feet up on the seat.
Lowered position. Here, one sits on the ground and leans their back against the seat.
Reverse position. Here, one sits on the seat facing the side containing the backrest (which must be present).
Side position. Here, one sits on the seat facing parallel to the long axis of the bench. One's legs are on opposite sides of the bench. This usage is more common on benches without a backrest.

Man using a bench in a variety of positions in Central Park
Standard position
Raised position
Supine position
Daydream position
Lowered position
Reverse position
Side position

Gallery

Benches and pews
GWR Shirt Button railway bench at St Erth railway station, Cornwall, UK
Stone bench at Livadia Palace, Crimea, Ukraine
An open park bench in Tehran
Benches in Kefalonia, western Greece
Bench made with a chainsaw-cut tree trunk
Ancient tree trunk bench from Etar Architectural-Ethnographic Complex
In Suffolk, England
Bank of the Berlin court porch, 13th century
Pews or church benches, St Paul's Cathedral, London
Wooden bench in memory of composer Hans Roelli in skiing area of Arosa, Switzerland
A decorative "rabbit bench" in Peyzazhna alley, Kyiv, Ukraine
A "fried-egg-bench" with a frying pan, Vienna, Austria
Church benches in St Marylebone Parish Church.
Traditional solid oak church pew
Making benches in a carpentry workshop
Adobe (earthen) banco-style bench
A pair of neglected benches in a public park, South Korea
A long wooden bench in central Ystad.
A Social sofa [ nl ] in Luttelgeest (Netherlands)
A bench with a sculpture of a clown seated on it, Wurstelprater, Vienna, Austria

Related Research Articles

Furniture refers to objects intended to support various human activities such as seating, eating (tables), storing items, working, and sleeping. Furniture is also used to hold objects at a convenient height for work, or to store things. Furniture can be a product of design and can be considered a form of decorative art. In addition to furniture's functional role, it can serve a symbolic or religious purpose. It can be made from a vast multitude of materials, including metal, plastic, and wood. Furniture can be made using a variety of woodworking joints which often reflects the local culture.

A chair is a type of seat, typically designed for one person and consisting of one or more legs, a flat or slightly angled seat and a back-rest. They may be made of wood, metal, or synthetic materials, and may be padded or upholstered in various colors and fabrics.

A car seat is the seat used in automobiles. Most car seats are made from inexpensive but durable material in order to withstand prolonged use. The most common material is polyester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western saddle</span>

Western saddles are used for western riding and are the saddles used on working horses on cattle ranches throughout the United States, particularly in the west. They are the "cowboy" saddles familiar to movie viewers, rodeo fans, and those who have gone on trail rides at guest ranches. This saddle was designed to provide security and comfort to the rider when spending long hours on a horse, traveling over rugged terrain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bleacher</span> Stands for spectators, e.g. in stadiums

Bleachers, or stands, are raised, tiered rows of benches found at sports fields and other spectator events. Stairways provide access to the horizontal rows of seats, often with every other step gaining access to a row of benches.

A picnic table is a table with benches, designed for working with and for outdoor dining. The term is often specifically associated with rectangular tables having an A-frame structure. Such tables may be referred to as "picnic tables" even when used exclusively indoors.

Powder coating is a type of coating that is applied as a free-flowing, dry powder. Unlike conventional liquid paint which is delivered via an evaporating solvent, powder coating is typically applied electrostatically and then cured under heat or with ultraviolet light. The powder may be a thermoplastic or a thermoset polymer. It is usually used to create a hard finish that is tougher than conventional paint. Powder coating is mainly used for coating of metals, such as household appliances, aluminium extrusions, drum hardware, automobiles, and bicycle frames. Advancements in powder coating technology like UV-curable powder coatings allow for other materials such as plastics, composites, carbon fiber, and MDF to be powder coated due to the minimum heat and oven dwell time required to process these components.

A bench table is a low stone seat which runs round the interior of the walls of many large churches. Bench tables are also found around the bases of pillars, and in porches and cloisters.

A garage door is a large door to allow egress for a garage that opens either manually or by an electric motor. Garage doors are frequently large enough to accommodate automobiles and other vehicles. The size of the garage doors varies. Small garage doors may be made in a single panel that tilts up and back across the garage ceiling. More oversized doors are usually made in several jointed panels that roll up on tracks across the garage ceiling or into a roll above the doorway. The operating mechanism is usually spring-loaded or counterbalanced to offset door's weight and reduce the human or motor effort required to operate the door. Less commonly, some garage doors slide or swing horizontally. Doors are made of wood, metal, or fiberglass, and may be insulated to prevent heat loss.

A folding chair is a type of folding furniture, a light, portable chair that folds flat or to a smaller size, and can be stored in a stack, in a row, or on a cart.

A bicycle parking rack, usually shortened to bike rack and also called a bicycle stand, is a device to which bicycles can be securely attached for parking purposes. It may be freestanding, or securely attached to the ground or a stationary object, such as a building. Indoor racks are commonly used for private bicycle parking, while outdoor racks are often used in commercial areas. General styles of racks include the Inverted U, Serpentine, Bollard, Grid, and Decorative. The most effective and secure bike racks are those that can secure both wheels and the frame of the bicycle, using a bicycle lock.

Teak wood is used for making boats, furniture, and other things which require resistance to the elements. Teak is used for outdoor furniture but is not recommended for full exposure to sunlight. Being more expensive than most other woods, teak furniture has become something of a status symbol. Not only is it common for a teak bench, chair, or table to last 70 years with the correct care plan, it is also common to pass down such furniture to future generations as an heirloom.

A transfer bench is a bath safety mobility device on which the user sits to get into a bathtub. The user usually sits on the bench, which straddles the side of the tub, and gradually slides from the outside to the inside of the tub. Tub transfer benches are used by people who have trouble getting over the tub wall or into the shower, either because of illness or disability.

A wheelchair is a mobilized form of chair using 2 or more wheels, a footrest and armrest usually cushioned. It is used when walking is difficult or impossible to do due to illnesses, injury, disabilities, or age related health conditions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ring, slide and hook</span>

Rings, slides and hooks are the accessories used in intimate apparel/lingerie used for adjustment and decorative functions. Rings, slides and hooks are commonly made of plastic and nylon coated metal and stainless steel.

Metal furniture is furniture made with metal parts: iron, carbon steel, aluminium, brass and stainless steel.

According to EN 13523-0, a prepainted metal is a ‘metal on which a coating material has been applied by coil coating’. When applied onto the metallic substrate, the coating material forms a film possessing protective, decorative and/or other specific properties.

A piano stool is a stool especially designed for seating while playing the piano, and can provide more playing pleasure than a normal chair.

References

↑ Hazel Evans (2006). Patio garden. Frances Lincoln ltd. ISBN 0-7112-2471-4.
↑ Hannah Kanik (18 Aug 2021). "SEPTA replaces sitting benches with 'leaners,' upsets some riders". Philly Voice. Retrieved 2 Nov 2021.
↑ Tony Bizjak (11 Jun 2021). "This odd new device downtown has bus riders confused. Hint: It's for your derriere". The Sacramento Bee. Retrieved 2 Nov 2021.

External links

The dictionary definition of bench (furniture) at Wiktionary
Media related to Benches at Wikimedia Commons

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] Hazel Evans (2006). Patio garden. Frances Lincoln ltd. ISBN 0-7112-2471-4.

[2] Hannah Kanik (18 Aug 2021). "SEPTA replaces sitting benches with 'leaners,' upsets some riders". Philly Voice. Retrieved 2 Nov 2021.

[3] Tony Bizjak (11 Jun 2021). "This odd new device downtown has bus riders confused. Hint: It's for your derriere". The Sacramento Bee. Retrieved 2 Nov 2021.

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