9 Storage Ideas for Folding Chairs

Having your own custom folding chairs for events and gatherings can be super convenient. You’ll save on rental fees, never have to worry about if your local event center has enough of them for you in stock, and you don’t have to plan as far ahead. Even having a few chairs for outdoor seating can be a great idea.

However, storing those chairs can be a challenge. There are three important things to consider: where you will store the chairs, how you will store them, and how you will protect them while they are being stored.

Here are nine storage ideas for folding chairs, and how to keep them looking and working like new.

Where Can I Store Folding Chairs?

You can probably think of a lot of places to store folding chairs. But there are some that you might not think about right away. Here are some to consider.

1. In a closet or storage room: If you have a spare closet or storage room, this can be a great place to store folding chairs. Just be sure that you can make adequate space for them, but that they won’t interfere with other items you might take in and out of the closet more often. For example, you may be able to store them behind or beside cleaning supplies or in one side of a coat closet.
2. In a shed or other detached storage building: If you have an outdoor shed or a detached building designed for storage, either can provide a good place for storing folding chairs. Just be sure the place where you store them is dry, and they will not get damaged by the elements.
3. Under a bed: If you have a bed with a lot of clearance underneath and without other items being stored there, you can use that space to store folding chairs. Just be sure to measure the height of the chairs and the clearance under the bed to make sure they'll fit.
4. In a basement or attic: If you have extra space in your basement or attic, this can be a good place to store folding chairs. Just make sure to store them in such a way that they will not get knocked over or damaged by children or pets.
5. In a pantry or utility room: If you have a pantry or utility room with shelving, you can use this space to store folding chairs. Just be sure to store them on shelves that are strong enough to hold the weight.
6. In a shed or greenhouse: If you have an outdoor shed or greenhouse, this can be a good place to store folding chairs. Be sure to take care that if you have plastic chairs, they are not exposed to too much heat, which can cause them to warp over time.
7. Under a stairwell: If you have a stairwell with a lot of clearance underneath, that space can make a great storage area. A word of caution: where the stairs slope, there’s often less clearance for additional chairs, so be sure to measure and use your space wisely.
8. In a trailer, SUV, or car trunk: If you have a car with a large trunk or an SUV with a lot of storage space, you can use this to store folding chairs when they're not in use. This can be a pain if you also have to use that space for transporting other items. A trailer set up specifically to store items you use for events is sometimes a better choice.
9. In a garage or carport attached to the house: If you have a garage or carport attached to your home, you can store folding chairs here. Just be sure to keep them out of reach of children or pets and protect them from the elements.

Any of these places will work as a location for storing folding chairs, but as important as where they are stored is how you will store them. Here are some tips for protecting your chairs when they are not in use.

How to Storage Tips for Folding Chairs

For each place you might store folding chairs, there are some specific tips for keeping them clean, safe from damage, and ready to use at your next events.

Stacking

Folding chairs can be stacked vertically against a wall, so they are in a leaning position. You can fit several chairs in a small space this way, but they are easier to knock over when they are stacked this way. This works best if you are storing other items above the folding chairs, such as hanging clothes on a high-mounted rod.

You can also stack folding chairs horizontally, one on top of another. The biggest difference? You will need more space going up than sideways, but you will need a minimum footprint depending on the type of chair you’re stacking. This method works best when storing chairs beside or behind something else, or under furniture.

Storage Bins or Bags

For storing folding chairs you can also use bins or bags. There are some pluses and minuses to each. While both will keep out dust and keep your chairs clean, you may want to choose one over another depending on where and how you are storing chairs.

Storage Bins

Storage bins have solid sides and usually lids, and are easy to stack. You can either purchase large clothing bins from nearly any big box hardware store, or you can order bins specifically designed to store folding chairs.

The biggest pro is that because your chairs are enclosed in a bin, they are the most protected they can be. The primary con? Bins take up a lot of space on their own, so you will not be able to fit as many chairs in the same location as you would by stacking them by themselves.

Bags

Bags are more flexible, can be stored in more places, and take up less space on their own. However, bags are not as stable when it comes to stacking, so if you have several bags, you might have to get creative to make them work in any given location. Usually horizontal stacking will work the best.

Also, bags are more susceptible to wear and tear and to getting dirty or dusty, and may be harder to clean than bins. You’ll have to determine the best option for you.

Covering Folding Chairs

Instead of containing them in boxes or bins, you can also cover a stack or stacks of folding chairs with a tarp or large pieces of plastic or cloth, like moving blankets. This method takes up less space, and can be just as effective in protecting the chairs you have in storage depending on the location.

Bonus Tip: Using Furniture

Large pieces of furniture often provide you with a space under them which can save you room in your storage area and provide some protection as well. In your garage or workshop, chairs could be stored under a large workbench, for example. Or they could go under large cabinets or shelves running along the upper section of a wall.

Don’t be afraid to get creative. In fact…

Other Creative Storage Ideas for Outdoor and Folding Chairs

If you have just a few folding chairs, there are often little nooks that you might overlook, places where some chairs might fit, and space you might not be using anyway.

For example:

• That space beside your refrigerator
• The bottom or top of a pantry space
• Beside the washer, dryer, or chest freezer
• In a closet in an office area, where you are not storing clothes or other items.
• Behind a couch that sits against a wall
• Behind other large pieces of furniture
• Under benches

If you look around your home and the storage you already have, you can probably pinpoint other locations where folding chairs can be stored.

General Upkeep

Just like anything else you own, there are certain basic maintenance tasks that should be performed on folding chairs and steps to take to ensure they are protected when they are being used, as well as before and during storage.

Cleaning

First you should clean your folding chairs before you put them away, and then at least inspect them when you use them again, especially if it has been a while. Here are some cleaning steps: 

1. Start by removing any dirt, dust, or debris from the chairs. You can do this by wiping them down with a dry cloth or using a vacuum with a brush attachment.
2. Next, fill a bucket with warm water and add a mild detergent. Mix the solution together until it becomes sudsy.
3. Dip a cloth or sponge into the soapy water and use it to scrub the chairs. Be sure to pay extra attention to any areas that are particularly dirty or stained.
4. Once you've scrubbed the entire chair, rinse it off with a cloth or sponge and clean water. Be sure to remove all the soap suds.
5. If your chairs have cushions, remove them and clean them separately. You can either spot clean any dirty areas with a mild detergent or wash the entire cushion in a washing machine.
6. Let the chairs and cushions air dry completely before using or storing them.

Remember, you may not have to perform all of these steps both before and after you store your chairs, especially if you place them in bins or store them in bags. But be sure to check them for function and damage. You don’t want someone to sit in a broken chair. 

Storage Tips

While where and how you store folding chairs is important, there are some other basic guidelines:

• Avoid extreme temperatures, either heat or cold. Either can seriously damage chairs.
• Avoid overly wet environments. These can cause rust, mold, or other damage. Even if you have your chairs in bags or bins, if they are not airtight, humidity can still impact them. 
• Avoid overly dry and hot environments. Heat can cause chairs or the various parts of them to warp or even crack, making them not only useless, but potentially dangerous. 
• Do check on your chairs from time to time. Make sure they are still stacked properly, and that nothing about the storage environment has changed, like a leaky roof or something similar.