Evolution of the Folding Seat

How often do we think about a chair? Really, think about it…doesn’t cross our minds that often, does it? Unless of course we’ve been standing for a long time or after walking for a while. The only times when the thought of chair pops into our heads is when we’re:

• Waiting/Ridding the metro
• At work
• In line
• At a spectating even

Other than these scenarios, we seldom think about sitting, but when we do want to take a seat, it’s the only thing on our mind. Time has certainly changed our way of resting while moving around, as well as our expectations of it. Looking back all the way to Ancient Egypt (where the chair was invented) to sit on a chair was a thing of status, only those high up in the food chain had the honor of sitting on a chair, while the rest had only the dirt to rest their booties on.

Over the years the chair has moved around and the symbolism of it has evolved. In the past we used it to view battles from far away, at community gatherings and of course parties (too drunk to stand). When the chair made its way to China, it was rarely used. It was only when we hit the time of the Renaissance that chairs started to be more common and used by all.

Once it was available to all was there a need for it to be foldable, we wanted to be able to relax when we got to where we were going. The folding chair can be dated back all the way to the Nordic Bronze Age

Materials for the foldable chair were:

• Ivory
• Wood
• Gold (Gilded)

Today the foldable chair is usually made from plastic or aluminum and there is no social status standing for using a foldable chair. We now equate a foldable chair to beach events, festivals, back yard parties, BBQ’s and travel. They are a pain to carry around because of their size and they also break easily.

We’ve come a long way since the first chair and what it meant to have one amongst different classes. Sitpack is one of those examples; we provide a practical means of solving an everyday issue.