About A Chair AAC 213 chair by Hee Welling

HAY presents the AAC 213 as "the fusion of the natural elegance of a solid wood four-legged base and the softness of the upholstered shell." It shares the same dimensions and design as the AAC 212, including low armrests, and is available in standard or quilted upholstery.

The upholstered shell, and what the textiles are

The shell is the same as on the non-upholstered models—recycled molded polypropylene, according to the HAY product sheet—but here it is fully covered. Foam is placed over the shell and then dressed in the chosen fabric: it feels softer to the touch and sound is better dampened in busy rooms. On the downside, upholstery must be cleaned by dabbing rather than spraying.

The covers offered here: Hallingdal 65, a Kvadrat wool blend (70% wool, 30% viscose), the company's classic and highly durable fabric; Sense, HAY's aniline leather, which is dyed through: it shows the grain and develops a patina over time. The so-called quilted variants feature topstitching that compartmentalizes the padding: the stuffing does not shift over time, and the texture breaks up the solid surface.

Solid oak, and why it is mentioned here

The base of this model is made of solid oak, not veneer. The HAY product sheet states this explicitly (Water-based lacquered Solid oak), and the distinction is worth making: in the same series, the AAC 22, 23, 123, 222, and 223 are mounted on oak veneer. With solid wood, you can see the grain continue along the edges and it can be sanded down; veneer is a thin sheet glued onto a support.

Be careful, however, not to infer a price hierarchy from this: in this series, it is the shell that accounts for most of the price difference, not the type of base. The lacquer is water-based and solvent-free, available in a natural finish or stained black.