What Is Shape Posture Seating's Bespoke Seating Service?

Updated

Shape Posture Seating's Bespoke Seating Service is a tailoring service for people whose needs are not fully met by a standard ergonomic chair. Rather than choosing only from the existing chair range, you work with Shape to adjust a chair to your personal requirements. It is the right route when an off-the-shelf model is close but not quite right; if a standard chair already fits you well, the bespoke service is unnecessary.

Who the service is for

Shape describes its standard ergonomic chair selection as meeting a wide variety of needs, but notes that "some degree of tailoring is required to get the perfect fit." The bespoke service exists for that gap.

Typical situations where it is worth asking about bespoke tailoring:

  • Body proportions outside the standard range — for example, a very tall or very short user whose knee height or back length does not match typical chair dimensions.
  • A specific posture or support requirement that a standard adjustment range cannot reach.
  • A chair that is almost right — you have identified a model you like, but one or two elements need changing.
  • Workplace equipment recommendations — where a DSE or workplace needs assessment has already identified a seating requirement.

If you simply need a good ergonomic chair and have no unusual fit issues, start with the standard range and the quick-ship chairs and desks instead.

How the process works

The published information describes the service at a high level rather than as a fixed step-by-step procedure:

  1. Start a conversation with Shape. The company presents the service as working with you to find the right solution, so the first step is explaining your requirements — your body dimensions, the tasks you do, and what has not worked before.
  2. Identify a base chair. Because bespoke work builds on the existing range, the discussion will typically begin from a model that is closest to your needs.
  3. Agree the tailoring. Shape states that with tailoring it will "more than likely be able to find a solution that meets with your personal requirements" — note the qualified wording: the company presents this as a strong likelihood, not a guarantee.
  4. Confirm the specification before ordering. Since bespoke items are tailored to you, make sure dimensions, components and intended use are agreed in writing before the order is placed.

Shape's contact number for advice is 01629 814656, and the site also offers showroom visits — useful if you want to try base models before committing to tailoring.

How it relates to the rest of Shape's offer

The bespoke service sits alongside, not instead of, the standard product lines:

Service What it covers When to use it
Standard ergonomic chairs Off-the-shelf models, including quick-ship chairs Your needs fit a standard model
Bespoke Seating Service Tailoring of chairs to personal requirements Standard models do not give the perfect fit
DSE assessments Display Screen Equipment assessments by Shape's assessors You need a formal workplace assessment
Bespoke seating assessments Assessment focused on seating requirements You need your seating needs professionally identified
Specialist mobility chairs VELA and Mercado Medic chairs with braking systems, easy-roll castors and electric hi-lo lift You need mobility-focused seating

A practical sequence for many users is: assessment first (DSE or bespoke seating assessment), then equipment specification, then either a standard chair or bespoke tailoring depending on what the assessment identifies. Shape notes it can also provide an assessment for equipment only, where a DSE assessment has already been carried out and an equipment requirement raised.

What to check before you commit

  • Lead time and cost. The published pages do not state pricing or delivery times for bespoke work. Ask directly, since tailored items normally differ from quick-ship stock on both counts.
  • What can and cannot be changed. Not every component of every chair will be adjustable; confirm which parts of your chosen base model can be tailored.
  • Assessment vs. tailoring. If your needs are complex — for example involving neurodiversity or mobility — ask whether a formal assessment should come first, as Shape offers both DSE and neurodiversity workplace needs assessments.
  • Try before you buy. A showroom visit lets you test base models; for bespoke work this reduces the risk of an expensive mismatch.

The clearest way to decide is a direct conversation: describe your height, build, working pattern and any specific discomfort, and ask Shape which standard model comes closest and what tailoring would add. That answer will tell you whether bespoke is genuinely needed or whether a standard chair plus correct adjustment is enough.