3. Mesh is difficult to clean

Cleaning options with mesh are going to be more limited than other chair upholsteries. Non-padded mesh can easily be dusted with a vacuum; however, cleaning the chair with paper products like napkins, paper towels or toilet paper will be more of a nuisance than a help. The mesh upholstery will shred the paper products and add to the mess. Using a cloth towel and water can also be a bit risky because the friction caused by scrubbing with a towel combined with getting the mesh wet may make the mesh fray or split apart. Padded mesh will be even more difficult to clean. Along with the problems of using paper products or a cloth towel and water, padded mesh will also be very difficult to vacuum since many of the dust, dirt and food particles will be in-between the mesh and seat foam.

Suggestion: Prevention is going to be the best method to keep your mesh chair clean. Avoid things that will add to the potential of the chair becoming dirty, such as: eating at your desk or wearing dirty clothes/uniform in the chair. Try to keep the area around the chair as clean as possible to reduce dust and dirt that can become present on the mesh. If you do need to clean the mesh, first try a vacuum. Make sure to be very gentle and avoid pressing down on the mesh. Let the vacuum hover just over the mesh. If a towel and solution is necessary, then gently rub the dirtied spot with a soft cloth and soapy water and allow to air dry.

4. Mesh is not versatile

Mesh isn’t usually the preferred choice of designers because it limits their ability to customize a space to their taste. There are many different mesh chairs on the market but most of them have very similar looks with a very limited color selection. Mesh is mesh and there isn’t really a way to dress it up. Some manufacturers offer different color options but the ability to choose between different patterns in order to create a unique office design isn’t going to be as easy as it is with fabric chairs.

Mesh is not a good option for industrial, manufacturing and warehousing applications because the mesh will act as a net, trapping small materials that will be very difficult to remove. Things like metal shavings, sawdust and chunks of plastic can damage the mesh or cause injury when someone unknowingly uses a mesh chair with an object lodged into it. Workers in these environments often carry tools that can be sharp or strong enough to puncture or rip the mesh when the user sits down. This is another hazard for a mesh chair in an industrial environment.

Chairs with mesh seats are not ideal for call centers or 24/7 work areas, like dispatch rooms. Mesh seats are not built to withstand the constant wear and tear of a round-the-clock application and are also not comfortable for 8-12 hours shifts due to the challenges mentioned above.

Suggestion: We recommend that mesh chairs be limited to applications like offices, schools and conference rooms. Mesh chairs fit better in these areas because the user is often sitting in the chair for a couple hours at a time and the environment will not be destructive to the chair. If a designer has a customer that is insisting on mesh seating, then we recommend brands like Neutral Posture and Nightingale because of the fabric selection available on the seat. This will allow for some customizability.