What type of swivel do I need?

What type of swivel do I need?

There are 3 basic types of swivels that we use in the production of our bar stools.  We use about 6 in total but all of them fall into the 3 styles below.

  • Flat 360 Degree Swivel
  • 3 Degree Pitched 360 Degree Swivel
  • 3 Degree Pitched Return Swivel

Let's start with the flat swivel.  Flat swivels work with bar stools that don't have backs.  We use a flat swivel for all of our round seat style bar stools.  Even ones that have a back.  We do this so the seat looks correct when rotating.  We adjust the back rest so that it works without the seat leaning back.

The next swivel to discuss is the 3 degree pitched swivel that rotates 360 degrees.  We use this on our less expensive bucket style bar stools.  These are bar stools that have backs.  The 3 degree pitch makes the seat and backrest much more comfortable.  Essentially you sit into the seat rather than just on the seat.  It leans you back very slightly but enough to make a big difference.

The 3rd swivel to discuss is the 3 degree pitch return swivel.  This is the style of swivel that we use on all of our more expensive bar stools.  This swivel allows the seat to return back to center when someone isn't sitting on the seat.  This allows all of your bar stools to look correct and face the bar or high boy table when no one is sitting on the bar stools.  When someone wants to get into the seat, they can rotate it and get on it from the side.

Not all pitched swivels use a 3 degree pitch.  Some swivels use a 4 degree pitch.  You can find swivels made by several companies.  There is Faul and Sons, Star Manufacturing, Trendler, and Leggett and Platt making swivels.

We make our own swivels too.  For our 6050 counter stool we make the swivel entirely ourselves.  For the 6070 swivel, we make part of it and Trendler makes the other part.

Almost every bar stool we make has a swivel.  We have found that our style of upholstered furniture works better with swivel frames.  The swivel absorbs a lot of the impact of a person moving back and forth on the upholstery.  The swivel allows the bar stool to move rather than the upholster pulling away,

Back to blog

Leave a comment

Please note, comments need to be approved before they are published.