Ester conference chairs by Pedrali around a boardroom table

Seat and back are quoted on two separate lines: Ester by Pedrali, design Patrick Jouin

Pedrali

Patrick Jouin

Task chair
Ester An icon of Italian design Task chair
£ 2,141

What did you have in mind?

Trade terms for professionals and design studios

Open the Pedrali price list at the Ester page and the first thing you notice is the shape of the table: every model carries two rows, one marked seat and one marked back. They are priced separately because they can be specified separately — one fabric on the seat, another on the backrest, with a stated surcharge for the double-colour upholstery. It is a small piece of grammar with a large consequence in a boardroom: the row of conference chairs can read as one tone from the doorway and another from the table, or a client's brand colour can sit on the back only, where the camera sees it.

Underneath, the chair is deliberately plain. A steel inner frame carries elastic belts; over it Pedrali moulds flexible polyurethane at 60 kg/m³, rated class 1 IM for reaction to fire, then covers it in fabric. Around the table you use the two four-legged codes — the 690 armchair at 66.5 cm (26.2 in) wide with the seat at 46.5 cm (18.3 in), and the 691 side chair at 48 cm (18.9 in) and 7 kg (15.4 lb). Everywhere else the same shell simply sits higher or lower: 43-51 cm (16.9-20.1 in) once it is on the gas column, 65 cm (25.6 in) at the lower stool height, 75 cm (29.5 in) at the taller one, 45 cm (17.7 in) in the lounge armchair. The pouf is the one piece a single person carries, which is why it is the one that keeps getting carried. Specified in one tone the row reads as furniture; specified in two it reads as a decision, and everyone at the table notices which one it is.

Technical information based on data declared by the manufacturer.

Collection: Ester, design Patrick Jouin
Manufacturer: Pedrali, Italy
Seat and backrest: steel inner structure with elastic belts; moulded flexible polyurethane, density 60 kg/m³ (3.7 lb/ft³), fire-retardant class 1 IM; fabric cover
690 armchair: 66.5 × 58.5 × 59 cm (26.2 × 23.0 × 23.2 in), height 82 cm (32.3 in), seat 46.5 cm (18.3 in), 9.5 kg (20.9 lb) — die-cast aluminium legs
691 side chair: 48 × 54 cm (18.9 × 21.3 in), height 85 cm (33.5 in), seat 48 cm (18.9 in), 7 kg (15.4 lb)
Swivel versions: 695 (59 × 59 cm / 23.2 × 23.2 in, height 82-90 cm / 32.3-35.4 in, seat 43-51 cm / 16.9-20.1 in, 15.5 kg / 34.2 lb) · 695F (height 81.5-86 cm, seat 46-50.5 cm, 15 kg) · 696 high back (59 × 62 cm / 23.2 × 24.4 in, height 88-96 cm / 34.7-37.8 in, 16 kg / 35.3 lb) · 696F (height 88.5-93 cm, 15.5 kg); Ø60 mm gas-lift column, four-star die-cast aluminium base Ø720 mm (28.3 in), swivel castors Ø60 mm, chromed inner column on request; supplied knock-down
Barstools: 698 (43 × 47 cm / 16.9 × 18.5 in, height 100 cm / 39.4 in, seat 75 cm / 29.5 in, 8.5 kg / 18.7 lb) and 698_H650 (42.5 × 46 cm, height 90 cm / 35.4 in, seat 65 cm / 25.6 in, 8 kg / 17.6 lb) — tapered steel tube legs, Ø20 mm steel footrest
Ester Lounge 699: 76.5 × 74 cm (30.1 × 29.1 in), height 73.5 cm (28.9 in), seat 45 cm (17.7 in), 14.8 kg (32.6 lb)
693 pouf: 42 × 37 × 37 cm (16.5 × 14.6 × 14.6 in), 3.3 kg (7.3 lb)
Leg finishes (690, 691, 698): titanium, brushed nickel, brushed bronze, antique brass
Swivel frame finishes: black powder coated or polished aluminium
Glides: silver polypropylene as standard; on request felt /FLT for wood, ceramic and marble, or /POM for carpets and rugs
Upholstery: fabric categories G, H, N and P with the exclusions printed in the price list; seat and back can be ordered in two different fabrics
Strength tests: EN 1728:2012+AC2013 and EN 16139:2013 level 2, declared by Pedrali on 690, 691, 698 and 699
Reaction to fire: class 1 IM on every Ester model; the declaration of conformity must be requested in writing with the order and covers that supply only
Emissions: UL 2818 GREENGUARD, product certified for low chemical emissions, declared in the price list
Packing: one piece per carton — 0.38 m³ (13.4 ft³) for 690 and 691, 0.405 for the swivels, 0.305 for the stools, 0.48 for the lounge, 0.07 for the pouf
Environment: steel with at least 33.2% recycled content at origin, aluminium 94%; end-of-life recyclability declared at 50.5% on the 690 and 45.1% on the 691
Warranty: 24 months on manufacturing flaws and defects, declared by Pedrali
Company certifications: ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 14064-1
Made in: Italy

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San Benedetto del Tronto (AP), Italy · +39 0735 753833 · info@lamercanti.com
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When it is the right choice

  • Boardrooms where the same chairs are read from two distances: seat and back can carry two different fabrics on one order line.
  • Rooms in use for hours: the shell is moulded polyurethane at 60 kg/m³ over a steel frame with elastic belts.
  • Schemes that run from the table to the waiting area: the same shell exists on legs, swivel column, stool and lounge base.

When another solution suits better

  • For a desk worked all day at a screen: EN 1728 is declared on the legged versions, not the swivels → Task Office Chairs
  • Where the seat has to be wiped down often: every Ester version is upholstered in fabric, with no washable shell declared → Designer Chairs

Documents and Catalogues

Pedrali Seating Catalogue Pedrali Outdoor Catalogue Ester Technical Datasheet Pedrali Fabrics & Leathers

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FAQ

Can the backrest be a different colour from the seat?
Yes. Pedrali quotes the two parts on separate lines and lists a surcharge for double-colour upholstery, so the specification is a standard order line rather than a special. Both parts still have to sit inside the fabric categories allowed for Ester.
Which version belongs at the table and which at the desk?
The four-legged 690 and 691 belong at the table: fixed seat height, no castors, nothing to adjust while the meeting runs. The 695 and 696 have a gas-lift column and castors, which is what an individual workstation needs and a boardroom rarely does.
How is the swivel base built?
A Ø60 mm column with a gas lift sits in a four-star die-cast aluminium base 720 mm across, on Ø60 mm swivel castors with black tyres and chromed or black side discs. A chromed inner column is available on request.
How far does the column travel?
On the 695 it moves between 430 and 510 mm, on the 695F between 460 and 505 mm, which also changes the overall height. Shell, base and finishes are identical on both.
Does the stool come in more than one height?
Two. The 698 has its seat at 750 mm with an overall height of 1000 mm; the 698_H650 sits at 650 mm and 900 mm overall. Both use tapered steel tube legs and the same Ø20 mm footrest.

How to prepare the order documentation for Ester

Five steps to close the specification of an Ester order — codes, cover category, finishes and paperwork — before the confirmation is issued.

Write the Ester codes down
Use the codes rather than the model name: 690 for the armchair, 691 for the side chair, 695 or 696 for the swivel, 698 or 698_H650 for the stool. The code carries the geometry; the name does not.
Fix the cover category first
Choose the category — G, H, N or P — before the colour, and read the exclusions printed in the tariff: some references inside a category are not available on Ester, and that is the one line an order cannot correct later.
Name the two covered parts
If they take different references, write both on the order line. Pedrali records it as a two-tone item, so it has to appear that way in the confirmation.
Name the leg finish
Titanium, brushed nickel, brushed bronze or antique brass on the four-legged and stool versions; black powder coated or polished aluminium on the swivel frame. The finish is per order, not per room.
Ask for the declarations in writing
If the project needs the class 1 IM reaction-to-fire declaration, request it in writing when the order is placed: Pedrali issues it for that supply. La Mercanti attaches it to the file with the technical sheets.

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