Papasan chairs have been around for a very long time. In Asian countries, they have been used for several centuries but in the United States and other western countries, papasan chairs only became popular during the 1960s.
These one-of-a-kind chairs go by several names, such as bowl chairs, moon chairs, or satellite chairs. If you have ever seen a papasan chair, it would be obvious why they have been given such monikers. The chair is made of a large and perfectly round seat made of rattan that sits atop a base that is likewise made of rattan.
The most striking features of the papasan chair, aside from its obviously unique design, are the high level of comfort that they offer and their light weight, which makes them very easy to move around the house. Because of these features, many people do favor the papasan chair over other kinds of chairs out there.
However, buying a papasan chair is not always a completely straightforward task because these chairs do come in many different varieties. If you want to pick the best one for your purposes, you will have to consider some important elements like the size of the chair, the kind of material it is made of, and so on.
Choosing the Right Size
Most papasan chair manufacturers make chairs in a standard size of about 42″ in diameter. However, there are also other companies that do not follow this standard, making chairs that are either larger or smaller. There are also the so-called mamasan chairs, which are basically papasan chairs that are made to seat two people and are oval in shape rather than perfectly round.
It is recommended that you buy a papasan in a standard size so that you won’t have any problems should you need to replace cushions later on. If your chair comes in an irregular size, you would have to order customized replacement cushions, or even make your own, because most of the papasan cushions that are being sold in stores only follow the standard measurements.
Choosing the Right Material
Papasan’s are traditionally made of a rattan or wicker base and topped with a thick and comfortable cushion. However, there are also some modern versions of this traditional chair that are made of other materials besides rattan, such as light metals, other kinds of woods, or even plastic.
Although these newer designs do offer a few advantages, such as a more modern look and probably a lower price tag, papasan chairs that are made of rattan remain to be the better choice because rattan is a very durable material that can stay in excellent condition with minimal maintenance for many years.
Still, not all papasan’s made of rattan are equal in terms of strength and durability. You would still need to examine the level of craftsmanship used in the creation of the chairs if you want to find the best piece of furniture. Some important areas to check are the wrapping that holds the different components of the chair together. Make sure that these are attached securely and will not easily come off.
Where to Buy a Papasan Chair
Since their introduction into western civilization several decades ago, papasan chairs have become regular fixtures in most furniture stores. Their timeless design and relatively low price have helped them maintain their popularity all throughout the years, which means you won’t have any problems looking for them no matter where you are in the country.
If you want to find the biggest selection of papasan’s, however, the best option would be to take your shopping online. There are many excellent online stores that can help you find exactly the kind of papasan chair that you want at a price that fits your budget perfectly. Furthermore, shopping online is not nearly as tiring as walking through the malls for hours at a time without even being certain that you will find what you are looking for.
Online furniture stores are also great for looking for that perfect papasan chair because the Internet makes comparing prices so easy. All you have to do is visit a few different websites and you can easily figure out which store can give you the best price on the papasan that you are interested in.
You do have to be careful in picking which online seller to deal with so that you don’t end up a victim of Internet fraud. It is also very important that you check for a product warranty so that you will have the option of returning the product in case it is defective in any way.
Once you have found your ideal papasan chair, you have to make sure that you take care of it properly so that you can enjoy them for a very long time to come.
