Monoblock Ruining the Chiavari Name

You wouldn't think there was much of a difference between the two chiavari chairs above. Both manufactured to look exactly the same, but they are not identical. The chair on the right costs anywhere from $5 to $10 more per chair depending on where you are looking. Why? The chair on the left is what in this industry is referred to as a "Monoblock Chiavari Chair". The term monoblock is a single structure that has no interchangeable parts. Sounds good, right? Not really. These monoblock chairs were created for one purpose: to offer a more affordable chiavari chair to the public. The downside to these chairs though is that as they begin to flood the market, companies and people purchasing these chairs typically don't know there's a difference between the two. They end up buying what they believe is the same chair, and they're getting a good deal on top of it. A cheaper chair? Yes. A better chair? Not even close. The comparisons in this article refer ONLY to resin chiavari chairs, not wood. Wood chiavari chairs are solid wood all the way through.

Lets begin with the bottom of the seat since most chiavari chairs you see online wont show this. The monoblock on the left seems to be missing some material. The seat itself is only a 1/4" thin sheet of plastic, on the right, a standard resin chiavari chair will typically have long strips going down the seat, each one an inch in depth. This provides more support to the seat. Simply using less material is a good reason you might see this chair for much cheaper. 

The picture above is a snapshot of the spindles on each of the chairs. The spindles go across the bottom of the chair from leg to leg, and provide the support that give these chairs an almost 1000lb. static weight rating. With the monoblock chiavari chairs (left) it looks as if someone cut the spindle in half. They feel thin, and don't offer that full rounded, strong feeling that you can get with standard chiavari chairs (right). Again, less material, cheaper chair.

The BIGGEST factor in the difference between the two, is the steel reinforced frame inside the resin. Where as the monoblock is plastic all the way through. This steel bar that goes through the legs, spindles, and back, are what make most standard chiavari chairs less flimsy and less prone to breaking. Chiavari's are elegant, beautiful chairs and should be designed equally so. If your budget can afford to spend a little more for the better chair, do it. You have to think of these chairs as long term investments. The cheaper route might end with you shopping for replacement chairs sooner than you'd like.