What Is AFRDI Tested Furniture Anyhow?

When you’re searching for new commercial cafe furniture and looking online, there’s a pretty strong chance that sooner or later you’re going to come across an item that’s been ‘AFRDI tested’ but what exactly does this mean and more importantly how does it affect your purchasing choice?

Firstly the term AFRDI is an acronym for the Australian Furnishing Research and Development Institute and as the name suggests it’s an independent non-profit organisation which provides rigorous testing, product certification and research for both buyers and sellers of commercial and residential furniture. What this means is that any furniture (either commercial or for the home) that’s been AFRDI tested is going to be of a certain level of quality.

So why is this important for cafe owners?

When a cafe owner purchases commercial grade furniture that’s been AFRDI tested they can be guaranteed furniture which has been rigorously tested specifically for that environment. In other words it’s more likely to be built to last to last. It’s important to note however that high prices don’t always reflect quality. On the contrary, you can purchase commercial-grade cafe furniture at bargain prices that have the AFRDI seal of approval. As a result the term ‘you get what you pay for’ doesn’t always apply, just so long as it’s been AFRDI tested.

Okay so getting back to the point on why this is important to cafe owners – Purchasing large quantities of tables and chairs is one of the most expensive outlays that any cafe will have so it makes great sense to buy something that’s going to last. The only way you’re going to guarantee that is if your furniture matches a certain standard of testing, hence the blue tick (the AFRDI seal of approval).

What exactly does the institute test for?

Although they look for different factors in different furniture, in commercial cafe chairs they look for criteria such as

• A high level of strength and durability – Is the cafe chair able to easily withstand the stresses and strains of a bustling cafe
• Imperviousness – Can it withstand drink spills, hot liquids and greases without ruining the overall look of the furniture.
• Protective abilities – Is the furniture likely to fade or rust

At Cafe Furniture Brisbane we have a wide range of indoor and outdoor commercial cafe furniture in stock many of which have been AFRDI tested. So if you’re looking for furniture that’s going to last then check out our website further. Alternatively if you can’t find what you’re looking for, then contact us on 07 3205 1616 and let our expert staff help you find the perfect cafe furniture for you.