A single Eames Lounge Chair or Herman Miller Aeron is worth protecting properly. Whether you are shipping one chair or a full set of dining chairs, we handle designer seating with the same care and custom crating we apply to any high-value furniture piece.
Chairs are deceptively tricky to ship well. Their shape — with protruding legs, arms, and backs — creates leverage points that concentrate impact forces during transit. A molded fiberglass Eames shell is vulnerable to cracking at its mounting points. A Knoll Bertoia Diamond Chair has dozens of individual wire welds that can stress under pressure. A carved wooden accent chair has delicate details that are easily chipped or snapped.
Standard box-and-peanuts packing puts a designer chair at serious risk. The chair needs to be suspended in its crate — not resting on a bottom foam pad — so that the weight of the piece distributes across the foam rather than concentrating at the legs. This is the difference between a crate built by someone who understands furniture geometry and one that is not.
For sets of dining chairs, we build multi-compartment crates where each chair sits in its own padded bay, isolated from its neighbors, so a shift during transit does not cause contact damage between pieces.
Every step is oriented toward protecting the specific vulnerabilities of each chair type.
Foam inserts are cut to match the exact profile of the chair — legs, arms, base, and back. The chair is fully supported at all contact points, not just resting on a flat pad.
Exposed legs and armrests are individually wrapped before any foam or wrap contact. This prevents surface transfer from packaging materials and impact concentration at protruding points.
Fabric and leather upholstery is wrapped in breathable furniture blanket, never stretch film directly on fabric, to prevent compression marks, snagging, or heat transfer.
Chairs with removable bases (office chairs, swivel bases, Herman Miller mechanisms) are disassembled and each component packed separately. All hardware is bagged and labeled.
Dining chair sets of 4, 6, or 8 are crated in shared frames with individual bays — each chair protected from its neighbors, reducing freight cost versus individual crating.
Known fragile attachment points — shell-to-base mounts on Eames chairs, leg-to-seat joints on carved wood pieces — get additional foam blocking to prevent flex during transit.
From iconic mid-century pieces to contemporary luxury seating.
Yes. The Eames Lounge Chair is one of the most commonly requested designer pieces we ship. The shell-to-base mount and the ottoman leg connections are the known fragile points, and we build the crate specifically to protect these. We ship chairs to collectors, buyers, and galleries nationwide.
Multi-chair sets are crated in shared frames with individual bays. Each chair occupies a padded compartment and cannot contact adjacent chairs during transit. This is more cost-effective than individual crating for each chair while providing the same per-chair protection.
Yes. Older pieces with original upholstery, original finish, or known repair history are assessed before we commit to a crating approach. For very fragile vintage pieces, we may recommend additional support structures inside the crate. We will advise you honestly at the assessment stage.
Yes. We pick up from estates, showrooms, auction houses, and private sellers throughout Greater Austin and the surrounding area. We bring the right materials for the pickup — no blankets borrowed from a moving truck.
A single chair shipped locally in Austin typically starts at $150–$250. Long-distance crated freight depends on the chair dimensions and destination. A set of dining chairs runs proportionally. Call us at (512) 240-9818 for a free, specific quote.
Austin Crate & Freight serves the entire Austin metro — custom crating, white-glove pickup, and specialty freight for items that standard carriers cannot handle.
One chair or a full set — custom crating, white-glove pickup, and delivery anywhere in the US.