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Choosing the Right Classroom Seating: Metal Leg Chairs vs. Plastic Chairs

When furnishing a classroom, childcare center, or preschool, seating is one of the most important decisions you'll make. The right chair can improve comfort, support proper posture, and withstand years of daily use. Two popular options are metal leg chairs and plastic chairs like the Angeles® BaseLine® collection and Jonti Craft® Berries Chair. But which one is right for your classroom?

Metal Leg Chairs: Built for Everyday Use

Metal leg chairs have been a classroom staple for decades. Products like the Jonti Craft® Berries Chair with Chrome-Plated Legs and other metal frame classroom chairs offer a combination of comfort, durability, and versatility.

The steel leg construction provides exceptional strength, making these chairs an excellent choice for busy classrooms where furniture is constantly being moved, stacked, and rearranged.

Benefits of Metal Leg Chairs

Long-Term Durability

Metal leg chairs are designed to handle years of daily classroom use. Their sturdy frames resist wear and tear, making them a popular choice for childcare centers looking to maximize their furniture investment.

Easy to Stack and Store

Many metal frame chairs are stackable, allowing teachers to quickly clear floor space for activities, cleaning, or special events.

Great for Older Preschool and Elementary Classrooms

Because of their strength and stability, metal leg chairs are often used in Pre-K, kindergarten, and elementary learning environments.

Classic Classroom Appearance

Metal leg chairs provide the traditional classroom look many directors and teachers prefer.

Plastic Chairs: Designed for Early Learners

For toddler and preschool classrooms, Angeles® BaseLine® chairs offer a lightweight alternative. These molded plastic chairs are specifically designed with young children in mind.

Unlike traditional classroom chairs, Angeles® BaseLine® seating features rounded edges, smooth surfaces, and lightweight construction that makes them easy for children to move independently.

Benefits of Plastic Chairs

Child-Friendly Design

The one-piece molded construction eliminates sharp corners and exposed hardware, helping create a safer classroom environment.

Lightweight and Easy to Move

Young children can easily reposition their own chairs during activities, helping encourage independence and classroom participation.

Simple Cleaning and Maintenance

Spills, paint, glue, and everyday messes wipe clean quickly from plastic surfaces, making cleanup easier for teachers.

Bright, Welcoming Classroom Colors

plastic chairs are available in a variety of colors that help create an engaging and inviting learning environment.

Which Seating Option Should You Choose?

Choose Jonti Craft® Berries Chair if:

• Durability is your top priority.

• You need furniture that will withstand years of heavy use.

• Chairs will be stacked frequently.

• You serve older preschool or elementary-aged children.

Choose Angeles® BaseLine® chairs if:

• You primarily serve toddlers or younger preschoolers.

• Lightweight seating is important.

• Easy cleaning is a priority.

• You want child-friendly seating designed specifically for early learning environments.

Many Centers Use Both

Interestingly, many childcare centers don't choose one or the other. Instead, they use BaseLine® chairs in toddler classrooms and Jonti Craft® Berries Chair in older preschool and Pre-K rooms.

This approach allows directors to match seating to the developmental needs of each age group while maintaining consistency throughout the center.

Final Thoughts

There is no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to classroom seating. Both Jonti Craft® Berries Chairs and Angeles® BaseLine® chairs offer unique advantages. The best choice depends on your students, classroom layout, and daily routines.

By selecting seating that matches your classroom's needs today, you'll create a more comfortable learning environment while getting the most value from your furniture investment for years to come

Why Carpets Belong in Every Childcare Classroom

Most people don't think twice about what's on the floor of a classroom. But in early childhood education, the floor is the classroom.

Young children spend the majority of their day on the floor reading, building, playing, and learning side by side with their peers. The surface beneath them matters more than most people realize.

Here's why carpets are one of the most underrated tools in childcare classroom design:

Carpets create a sense of safety and comfort. Hard floors feel cold and commercial. A quality carpet instantly warms a space. It gives children a soft, inviting surface where they feel secure enough to explore, take risks, and learn. For smaller group areas or reading corners, a well-placed 6' round rug, like the KIDSoft Tranquil Trees 6ft Round Rug, creates a calm, defined gathering spot that children naturally gravitate toward.

Carpets organize the classroom without a word. A well-placed rug defines a circle time area, a reading nook, or a quiet zone. Carpets give children visual cues that help them understand routines and expectations throughout the day. Semi-circle and large rectangle options work especially well for whole-class instruction and group transitions.

Carpets reduce noise and overstimulation. Childcare classrooms get loud. Carpets absorb sound naturally, creating a calmer environment that benefits both children and teachers. Less chaos, more focus.

Carpets become learning tools. Educational rugs featuring letters, numbers, shapes, and maps turn floor space into an interactive experience. The Alpha Rug 6' Round is a great example. It offers a fun, colorful design that reinforces letter recognition every single day just by being on the floor. Children engage with these visuals constantly during play, reinforcing concepts without it feeling like instruction.

Carpets spark imagination. Themed rugs go beyond education. They invite storytelling and creative play. Something like the Explore the Ocean 6ft Round Rug can serve as a launchpad for an entire unit on sea life, or simply as a cozy spot where kids feel like they're somewhere magical.

Carpets support social and emotional development. Carpeted gathering spaces become the heart of the classroom. These are the areas where children come together, build relationships, and develop the social skills that matter most in those early years.

Carpets make a lasting first impression. Parents notice when a classroom feels warm, organized, and welcoming. A thoughtfully chosen carpet contributes to that feeling from the moment they walk through the door.

When selecting carpets for childcare environments, look for options that are durable, easy to clean, slip-resistant, and designed specifically for educational settings. It's a long-term investment that pays off in both function and feel.

👉 We carry a full collection of classroom carpets from small accent rugs to large group sizes at Factory Select. Dozens of designs, sizes, and shapes to fit any classroom layout or theme.

The best classrooms don't happen by accident. They're designed with intention, right down to what's on the floor.

Why Relationships Matter More Than Furniture in Childcare

A recent classroom install highlights a simple truth: in childcare, strong relationships matter just as much as the furniture.

Our Latest Install Project

Check out a few photos from our latest furniture installation for a customer in Huntsville, Alabama. Our team handled everything—from assembling cribs to removing all packaging and debris—delivering a truly white glove experience from start to finish.

Introducing ActivBrite®

Introducing our newest product line! ActivBrite® products are made of #2 HDPE solid playground plastic that is ideal for outdoor use. HDPE plastic is safe and it is a commonly recycled plastic that can be recycled many times. ActivBrite® products are as equally comfortable inside as they are outside and will provide many years of service.

Check out our latest daycare and preschool furniture install!

Our latest furniture install pics from Urban Community School in Cleveland, OH. The Kidz Suite divider walls and lofts look great!

Check out our new Kids' Station Outdoor Videos and send us yours!

SIMPLE, DURABLE, AFFORDABLE, FUN!

NEW CLASSROOM INSTALLS FOR JULY

Factory Select installed 34 New Classroom for infants-PK in the month of July. These customers took advantage of our Turnkey service. This service includes co-ordinating deliveries, assembling and installing furniture and removal of all debris. Factory Select also assisted in the selection of the deal products by age group. Factory Select can be reached at 800-594-9346 for more information about this program.

Factory Select Announces New Outdoor Furniture Line

Factory Select is pleased to announce the release of our new outdoor furniture line, Kids' Station Outdoor. The initial product releases are kids play troughs in three sizes along with kid friendly manual hand pumps to provide hours of fun play.

These products are made of recycled HDPE plastic that will not rot, crack, peel or splinter. HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) is impervious to insects and bacteria; requires no maintenance; is non-toxic; and is unaffected by severe weather or direct sunlight. The easy to clean surfaces never require painting or sealing and are mold and mildew resistant. Just clean with any standard cleaner or power wash for a bright crisp look for many years to come.

The units can be purchased in single adjustable heights or in combination with other sizes ranging from toddlers - adults. Follow this link to learn more about this affordable and long lasting product line.

Factory Select Announces New 'Turnkey" Service

Factory Select LLC, located in Athens AL announces that a new program for classroom expansions and new preschool centers is now available. This new "turnkey" service is available in Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and Tennessee. By utilizing this new program customers with five or more new classrooms can expect a hands-free installation with Factory Select handling all logistics, furniture assembly/setup and removal of all debris such as cartons and packaging. Factory Select has been providing this type of service to a few key customers for some time and has developed the systems and personnel necessary for this type of value added service. The cost for this service is minimal when combined with the furniture and supplies purchases involved in such a project. Interested parties can contact Factory Select at 800-394-9346 for recommended product selections by age group and to request a quote for this new service.