What’s the Best Church Chair: Bertolini Millennia or Essentials Chair?

Bertolini has been building some of the finest and most comfortable church chairs in the US for over 60 years. We offer several chair models that cater to different budgets, comfort preferences, and aesthetics. Bertolini’s chairs include the Impressions, Millennia, and Essentials.

Some Bertolini Church Chairs are fully customizable with hundreds of fabrics to choose from, while others come in a smaller range of color choices. The Impressions is our most luxurious model, but we also have several other options to fit every budget. The Bertolini Millennia and Essentials Chairs are two popular chair models with different advantages. Let’s compare these styles so you can determine which would work best for your house of worship.

Millennia Chair vs. Essentials Chair

	Millennia Church Chair	Essentials Church Chair
Comfort	★★★★ Excellent	★★★ Good
Customization	★★★ Good	★★★ Good
Cost	$$	$
Durability	★★★★ Excellent	★★★★ Excellent
Ease of Care	★★★★★ Superior	★★★★★ Superior

Comfort

Comfort is one of the most important considerations for choosing church furniture that will be used for seating a large congregation, such as a chapel or sanctuary. Gone are the days when church attendance was mandatory in select countries and societies, and with that, the satisfaction with basic or hard seating has also ebbed. People will find ways to be comfortable on the weekend, and if it’s not at church, it will be somewhere else.

Hard, wooden church benches are fading in popularity as the population ages, although younger generations are equally focused on comfort. Cushioned chairs are the most popular modern seating choice. Bertolini church chairs are comfortable, stackable, and can be moved around or even cleared out for special events. Each chair is built with ergonomic back support and plush foam cushioning.

The Millennia is built with a comfortable, ergonomically designed backrest. It features a flexible plastic support base and plush foam cushioning. The seat cushion is made of 3.5” commercial-grade, dual-density foam over a plywood seat base.

The Essentials Chair is built using the same plush foam as the Millennia, but both the backrest base and the seat base are made of plywood, which is less comfortable than a flexible plastic or mesh web seat base.

Customization Options

For churches seeking the ultimate custom solution, the Impressions Chair will be best, since it offers over 600 fabric options, 18 frame finishes, and a wide range of chair accessories. If your church is looking for a more curated collection of fabrics and frame finishes, the Millennia and Essentials will appeal to you. Priced lower than the Impressions Chair, both the Millennia and the Essentials Church Chairs offer more than 30 fabric options, 8 frame finishes, and half a dozen accessories. So, if you’re comparing the Millennia versus the Essentials, both offer the same range of customization options.

Cost

The Millennia is the most comfortable and customizable of the two chairs, which is why it’s priced at about $15 more than the Essentials Chair. Congregations appreciate the comfortable backrest on the Millennia and the clean, finished appearance.

The Essentials Chair costs approximately $15 less than the Millennia. It’s a solid, budget-priced church chair that offers much more comfort and durability than lower-quality chairs on the market. The metal frame of this chair isn’t fully upholstered (like it is with the Millennia and the Impressions) and it sticks out a little from the backrest. You can add bookracks, card holders, and other accessories to both the Millennia and Essentials Chairs for a small cost per chair.

Longevity

When purchasing church furniture, durability is an important consideration. Some knock-off chairs on the market last 5 years or less, which can end up costing churches a lot over the long run when they need to replace chairs that often. Bertolini Church Chairs are built to last for several decades. Many of our customers return after 25 or 30 years not because the chairs have worn out, but because styles have changed enough to warrant new furniture. Both the Millennia and the Essentials Chairs come with a solid 20-year warranty.

Ease of Care

Designed for regular commercial use, the Millennia and Essentials Chairs are easy to care for and clean.

• Chair frames can be wiped down with a sponge dipped in a mild solution of 3 tablespoons dish soap to 1 gallon of warm water. Dry thoroughly with a soft cloth.
• To clean the upholstery, first vacuum the seat and back cushions and then follow the guidelines from the fabric manufacturer or contact our Customer Support Team.
• Talk to your Bertolini Sales Representative about fabrics that will be easiest to care for and be the most durable.
• For more instructions on cleaning your Bertolini Church Chairs, check out the Bertolini Cleaning Guide.

Getting the Best Seats for Your Church

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all seating solution that works for every church. That’s why we offer several church chairs. Your church’s interior design style, budget, and demographics all play a part in finding the ideal chairs for congregational seating areas. If you’re comparing the Millennia to the Essentials Chair, the main difference is that the Essentials has fewer comfort features and a lower price. The Millennia offers higher comfort, a more polished appearance, and our top-performing backrest to help your congregation stay comfortable.

Products Featured in This Post

Millennia Church Chair

Essentials Church Chair

Millennia Quick Ship Chair

In-stock colors!

Essentials Quick Ship Chair

In-stock colors!