The Complete Guide to Training Room Furniture

If your medical facility is looking to purchase new recliners, you may be overwhelmed by the options. How are you supposed to know the difference from one to the next? This guide is a great starting point.

Treatment Recliners

Treatment recliners have a simple, functional design and are meant to be used for short periods during exams or clinical use. This type of chair is often used for dialysis, oncology, and geriatric situations where the patient will not need to be seated in the chair for more than a couple of hours. Treatment recliners are the most basic form of healthcare recliner and are designed for function above style.

Senior Living and Long-Term Care Recliners

Long-term care recliners are designed for senior living and nursing homes. They feature a more residential look than treatment recliners and usually include rocking or gliding functionality. These seating options are typically smaller than most healthcare recliners, making it easier for senior citizens to get out of the seat. These recliners typically have limited customizable features, so what you see is what you get.

Patient Room Recliners

Patient room recliners are made with commercial-grade durability and are heavy-duty for continuous use. Most include replaceable parts so that if a backrest, seat, or other portion of the chair breaks or tears, you can simply replace that one part rather than having to purchase a completely new recliner.

When it comes to customization, patient room recliners have plenty to choose from. You can choose how you want the chair to recline, how mobile you want it to be, and what accessories you need. Common recliner accessories include footrests and IV holders. There are even patient room recliners with heated seats. Drop and fold-down transfer arm options are also available for patients who need to be transferred from a wheelchair. 

When it comes to transportation of the unit, you can choose from small wheels that are good simply for moving the unit out of the way for cleaning or bigger wheels for actually moving patients from place to place in the recliners.

Specialty Recliners

Specialty recliners come in a wide variety and are designed for very specific purposes.

Trendelenburg recliners are used when a patient’s position needs to be moved to a negative recline as quickly as possible. For example, if a patient were to pass out while in the recliner, the Trendelenburg tilt allows caregivers to tilt the bed backward to keep the patient’s feet higher than the head.

Bariatric recliners can support 750 pounds or more. Ideal for larger patients, these recliners have much wider seats than standard options and limited recline for the safety of both the user and caregivers.

Pediatric recliners are designed to accommodate children comfortably. As you might expect, this type of recliner is typically built smaller than average for use in the children’s wing. Many options are equipped to support gaming systems so that the patient can stay busy during what may otherwise be an uncomfortable or even frightening visit to the doctor.

Office boards come in many styles, which means there are many options and narrowing it down can be tough. First, consider what type of room you’ll use the board in and how often you’ll use it. Next, read our comprehensive guide to find the best board for you and your office.

Type 

Whiteboards have a glass, melamine, or porcelain surface meant to be written on with a dry erase marker. You can find whiteboards in any area of the office as they’re ideal for expressing temporary messages to coworkers.

Chalkboards, otherwise known as blackboards, are green or black and meant to be written on with chalk. Although chalkboards were once commonplace, they have been widely replaced by whiteboards over the last several years and are now rarely seen in office settings.

Interactive boards have a touch screen and work with projectors to help meeting facilitators better express their ideas by interacting with graphs and other graphics during presentations.

Presentation boards are wall-mounted cabinets with doors that swing open to reveal a whiteboard and/or corkboard that can be used during meetings but neatly tucked away for a clean look when not in use. Presentation boards are commonly used in private offices.

Bulletin boards are open or enclosed boards with a fabric, vinyl, or cork surface used for pinning up paper and other lightweight items with thumbtacks. Bulletin boards are used in many areas of the office but are especially useful in common areas for announcements.

Announcement boards are enclosed bulletin boards. They typically have a glass door that keeps posted announcements visible while protecting them from theft or damage from the elements in an outdoor setting. The door or doors may be lockable.

Message centers are freestanding multi-bulletin board units that display information on all sides. These are typically seen in common areas, including outdoor spaces where people are expected to approach from all angles.

Map rails are thin strips of cork or fabric material made to run along a wall. These are commonly used in classrooms and hallways for displaying student artwork, learning materials, and, of course, maps.

Directory boards, also called letter boards, are fabric boards with grooves that hold specially made letters. These boards generally help visitors in a lobby find a specific office in a large building.

Construction

Melamine is a plastic material commonly used as a whiteboard surface. Melamine is budget-friendly and lightweight, but this type of surface is more susceptible to staining, ghosting, and denting, so you may need a replacement every few years, depending on how frequently it’s used. Melamine boards often feature a steel backing that makes them magnetic.

Porcelain (or ceramic) is another common whiteboard surface. Although more expensive than melamine, it offers greater durability and resistance to scratches and stains. Like melamine, porcelain boards are easy to write on and often magnetic, but because porcelain is less porous, the surface is less likely to succumb to ghosting.

Glass is not porous at all, which makes it the most durable and most expensive option. Markers erase easily without smudging or ghosting, so these boards should last for many years. Glass markerboards are usually frameless and available in many colors, which gives them a modern appearance most offices desire.

Cork is a lightweight substance obtained from the outer layer of a cork oak tree. This material is often used as the surface on bulletin boards since it easily holds thumbtacks. Plus, cork grows back very quickly, making it a sustainable material.

Rubber behaves similarly to cork but is often preferred due to its eco-friendly design. Rubber is also better at withstanding the outdoor elements and does not support the growth of mold, mildew, and bacteria in damp areas.

Fabric is another common bulletin board material. It’s often preferred due to the variety of colors and patterns available. Fabric is often preferred over cork because it better hides pinholes caused by thumbtacks.

Vinyl bulletin boards are weatherproof and easy to clean, making them ideal for outdoor use.

Special Features

Eco-friendly boards are manufactured using recycled materials such as milk jugs and water bottles. It’s common to find eco-friendly outdoor boards since recycled materials are usually weather-resistant.

Enclosed boards have a door, which is usually made of glass and may be lockable. These are ideal for use outdoors where weather resistance is needed and in areas where announcements need to be protected from potential theft.

Mobile boards roll on casters, which are often lockable to keep the board in place while in use. Mobile boards are often used in conference and training rooms with ever-changing layouts and as partitions between workstations.

Reversible boards have a whiteboard surface on both sides or a whiteboard surface on one side and a bulletin board surface on the reverse side.

A breakroom is more than a room for employees to sit and eat during lunchtime. It’s a getaway. It’s a space for coworkers to chat, chow down, and chill out. Workers need time in the middle of the day to get their minds off the job and relax a little, and providing a breakroom that’s inspiring and relaxing is the best way to get the batteries recharged and reenergized for the afternoon. So, where do you begin? This comprehensive guide to breakroom furniture should help.

Breakroom Tables 

Dining tables come in 2 heights—standard height, counter height, and bar height. All 3 are great options for a breakroom, and many businesses use a combination of 2 heights or even all 3 to create an interesting look and give users some options. Also include some ADA height tables (between 28" and 34" tall with at least 27" of knee clearance between the floor and underside of the table) to ensure your breakroom is wheelchair accessible.

Outdoor tables, including picnic tables, are great additions to outdoor spaces. Who doesn’t want to enjoy Mother Nature on a beautiful summer day? Equipping your outdoor space with weather-resistant furniture will give your employees plenty of options.

Coffee and end tables are ideal for lounge areas with sofas and loveseats. A well-placed coffee table or end table can be the finishing touch on a cozy spot, providing room for beverages and reading materials.

Breakroom Seating 

Café chairs and bar stools usually have a simple design that’s meant for breakrooms and restaurants. These seating options come in a wide variety of styles, including stackable options and nesting chairs, so you can create a look you’ll love in your office.

Benches and booths are great for seating multiple people in an area without taking up too much room. Whether you choose built-in booths or mobile benches, your employees will appreciate the extra seating options. 

Lounge seating is ideal for breakrooms because it provides a cozy space for employees to relax during their breaks. Lounge seating can include club chairs, sofas, loveseats, ottomans, and other soft seating commonly found in residential living rooms. While upholstery provides a more homelike feel, vinyl is much easier to clean, so consider which is more important before making your decision.

Breakroom Storage

Storage cabinets can be small or large and come in a huge range of styles. For the most part, your breakroom storage will come in the form of upper and lower cabinets, similar to what one might see in a residential kitchen. Mobile storage carts and credenzas are also viable options. 

Coat racks are smart additions to breakrooms of any size because they provide a designated spot for employees to hang coats and umbrellas, keeping your lunchroom looking tidy.

Magazine racks provide a designated spot for reading materials in the room. With magazine racks, your space won’t get cluttered with magazines spilled all over your tables, and employees will know exactly where to go to grab something to read during their break.

Refrigerators and beverage coolers are, of course, key components of the functioning breakroom. Make sure the refrigerators in your office are the right size and that you have the right number of them to support the number of employees in your business.

Breakroom Accessories

Waste receptacles and recycling stations should be added to your breakroom in an easy-to-see location so that everyone can easily tell where to toss their bottles, cans, and trash. 

Floor mats are especially necessary for a breakroom if you have a door to your lunchroom leading outside. A floor mat will trap dirt and debris before it gets inside. It can also prevent employees from slipping on a wet floor after a hard rain or snowfall.

Cleaning products and paper products are essential for keeping the breakroom neat and tidy. Equip your lunchroom with sanitizer and soap so that the space can be cleaned regularly. You should also keep paper products like plates and napkins on hand for employees who may need them to enjoy lunch.

Artwork comes in a vast and varied assortment to match the rest of the furniture and décor in your space. Measure your walls before deciding what type of painting or print to place on your walls.

Clocks aren’t totally necessary in a breakroom, but employees certainly appreciate them. Add one to your breakroom (or a couple if you have a large breakroom) so employees can easily tell when break time is over.

Acoustic dividers can keep sound within a confined space, making them especially beneficial in a breakroom where employees spend a lot of time chatting and making noise. Adding these specially designed tiles to your breakroom entry will keep the sound in and prevent echoing and amplification of noise from disturbing workers outside of the room.

Well-Designed Breakroom Advantages

A well-designed breakroom provides employees with a reprieve from their busy work life, improving morale and making the office an all-around better place.