ICS 97.140  
 
Reference number  
DRS 433: 2019  
© RSB 2019  
  
 RWANDA 
STANDARD  DRS  
433  
 
1st edition  
2019 -11-dd 
 
Furniture – Chairs and tables for home 
furniture - Functional sizes  and 
performance requirements  
   
DRS 433: 2019  
©RSB 2019  - All rights reserved                  ii 
 In order to match with technological development and to keep continuous progress in industries, 
standards are subject to periodic review. Users shall ascertain that they are in possession of the latest 
edition  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
© RSB 2019  
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized 
in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without 
prior written permission from R SB. 
Requests for permission to reprodu ce this document should be addressed to : 
Rwanda Standards  Board  
P.O Box 7099 Kigali -Rwanda  
KK 15 Rd, 49  
Tel. +250 788303492  
Toll Free: 3250  
E-mail: info@rsb.gov.rw  
Website: www.rs b.gov.rw  
ePortal: www.portal.rsb.gov.rw   DRS 433:2019  
iii                ©RSB 2019  - All rights reserved  
 Contents  Page 
Foreword  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  iv 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  1 
2 Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  1 
3 Terms and definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  1 
4 Dimensions for home tables and chairs  ................................ ................................ ....................  4 
4.1 Dimensions for home tables  ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 4 
4.2 Dimensions for home chairs  ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 5 
5 Requirements for strength and durability for home tables and chairs  ................................ .. 5 
5.1 Requirements for strength and durability for home tables ................................ ......................  5 
5.2 Requirements for strength and durability for home chairs  ................................ .....................  6 
6 Marking  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........  6 
 DRS 433: 2019  
©RSB 2019  - All rights reserved                  iv 
 Foreword  
Rwanda Standard s are prepared  by Technical Committees and approved by R wanda Standards Board (RSB) 
Board  of Directors in  accordance with the procedures of RSB, in compliance with Annex 3 of the WTO/TBT 
agreement on the preparation, adoption and application of standards.  
The main task of technical committees is to prepare national standards.  Final Draft Rwanda S tandards adopted 
by Technical committ ees are ratifie d by me mbers of RSB Board of Director s for publication and gazettment as 
Rwanda Standards.  
DRS 433 was prepared by Technical Committee RSB/TC 54, Timber, furniture and engineered wood . 
Committee membership  
The following organizations were represented on th e Technical Committee on Timber, furniture and engineered 
wood (RSB/TC 54) in the preparation of this standard.  
Action pour le Development de l`Artisanat au Rwanda (ADARWA)  
Association pour la défense des droits des consommateurs au Rwanda  (ADECOR)  
Association pour la Promotion des Artisans du Bois (APROAB)  
GIZ Eco — Emploi  
Integrated Polytechnic Regional Centre (IPRC) Kitabi  
Kalka and Partners Ltd  
Manumetal Ltd  
Mass Design Ltd  
Ministry of Trade and Industry (MINICOM)  
National Industrial Research an d Development Agency (NIRDA)  
New Forest Company (NFC) Ltd  
REAL Contractors Ltd  
Rwanda Education Board (REB)  
Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA)  DRS 433:2019  
v                ©RSB 2019  - All rights reserved  
 Rwanda Public Procurement Authority (RPPA)  
Rwanda Water and Forestry Authority (RWFA)  
Straw Tech  Building Solutions  
University of Rwanda – College of Agriculture, Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medecine (UR – CAVM)  
University of Rwanda – College of Science and Technology (UR – CST)  
Rwanda Wood Value Chain Association/Private Sector Federation (WVCA/P SF) 
Rwanda  Standards Board  (RSB) – Secretariat  DRS 433: 2019  
©RSB 2019  - All rights reserved                  vi 
 Introduction  
Despite the Rwandan growth trend, the wood sector has not been developed as required to produce high quality 
wood products and vigorous competitive market. The quality of wooden furniture is high ly affected by the quality 
of timber, standardized production chain, quality control mechanism and grading rules. The lack of aforesaid 
factors results into market dominated by poor quality wooden furniture, compromised safety and unfair 
competition at the  market.  
The emerging market dynamics show that consumer’s preferences have gradually shifted from furniture made 
by local timbers to the imported ones, which is considered as a limiting factor to the development and growth of 
the wood economy in Rwanda.  
To ensure a positive trade balance in wood market there is a dire need to improve and ensure quality of domestic 
wood products.  
This Standard is one of a series prepared on furniture in Rwanda. The series currently consists of the following:  
DRS 433  Furnit ure – Chairs and tables for home furniture - Functional sizes and performance requirement s 
DRS 434  Furniture - Tables - Test methods for the determination of sta bility, strength and durability  
DRS 435  Timber in joinery — General requ irements  
FDRS   413  Furniture — Quality and grading of wooden furniture  
FDRS 423  Furniture – Chairs and tables for office furniture – Functional sizes and performance requ irements  
FDRS 424  Furniture  – Specifications for bedsteads  
FDRS 425  Furniture – Storage units - Functional sizes, stability, strength a nd durability  
FDRS 426  Furniture - Chairs and tables for educational institutions - Functional sizes and performance 
requirements  
FDRS 427  Round and sawn timber – Nomencl ature of timbers used in Rwanda  
 DRS 433:2019  
1                ©RSB 2019  - All rights reserved  
 Furniture – Chairs and tables for home furniture - Functional sizes  and 
performance requ irements  
1 Scope  
This Committee Draft S tandard specifies the basic functional sizes for chairs  and tables used as home furniture. 
This standard includes requirements for strength and dura bility, but does not include requirements for materials, 
design, construction or quality.  
2 Normative references  
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of  their content constitutes 
requirements of this document.  For dated references, only the edition  cited applies. For undated references,  the 
latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.  
RS ISO 7173:1989, Furniture – Chairs and stools – Determination of strength and durability  
FDRS 427 :2019  Round and sawn timber – Nomenclature of timbers used in Rwanda  
DRS ISO 21016, Office furniture – Tables and desk – Test methods for the determination of stability, strength 
and durability.  
DRS ISO 21015, Office furniture – Office work chairs – Test m ethods for the determination of stability, strength 
and durability.  
3 Terms and definitions  
For the purposes of this standard, the follow ing terms and definitions apply .  
©RSB 2019  - All rights reserved                  2 
 3.1 
home chair  
chair with or without armrest, cushioned or not, used for seating at home  
3.2 
armchair  
chair with si de supports for a person's arms  
3.3 
recliner chair  
armchair or sofa that reclines when the occupant lowers the chair's back and raises its front  
Note  The backrest of a recliner chair can be tilted back, and a footrest may be exte nded by means of a lever 
on the side of the chair, or may extend automatically when the back is reclined.  
3.4 
dining chair  
chair used at a dining table  
Note  a dining cha ir can have armrests or not  
3.5 
sofa/Love chair  
upholstered  seat for two people or more with back and armrests  
3.6 
easy chair  
upholstered armchair for lounging  
3.7 
bar stool  DRS 433:2019  
3                ©RSB 2019  - All rights reserved  
 stool for customers to sit on at a bar  
3.8 
rocker chair  
chair mounted on rockers or springs, which can rock back and forth  
3.9 
coffee table  
table placed in front of seating  
3.10 
console table  
table designed to be placed against or fixed to a wall usually designed to hold a TV and/or storage  
3.11 
dining Table  
table where meals are served  
3.12 
centre table  
table of any shape usually kept in front of a sofa as a centre piece  
3.13 
end table  
small table placed beside a s ofa or other piece of furniture  
3.14 
card table  
table for playing cards, typically having legs that fold flat for storage and a baize surface   
©RSB 2019  - All rights reserved                  4 
 3.15 
writing table  
table desig ned or used for writing at home  
3.16 
drum table  
table having a cylindrical top with drawers or shelves in the skirt, on a central post with three or more outwardly 
curving legs  
3.16 
hallway / Entry table  
table fitted against a wall  
3.17 
sewing table  
table or desk used for sewing  
4 Dimensions for home tables and chairs  
4.1 Dimensions for home tables  
Table 1 provides dimensions for home tables (dimensions in millimetres).  
Table 1 – Dimensions of home tables  
Type of  table  Height  Length  Width/Depth  
Card table  660 - 762 762 -914 762 - 914 
Coffee table, round  381 - 432 914 - 1067 (Diameter)  914 - 1067 (Diameter)  
Coffee table, rectangular  381 - 432 914 - 1524  457 - 610 
Console table  710 1219 -1372  406 -457 
Dining table, rectangular  710 - 762 1524 -2032  914 - 1067  
Dining table, roun d 710 - 762 1016 Minimum Diameter  1016 Minimum Diameter  
End table  457 - 610 610 -711 457 -508 
Writing table  711 -762 914 - 1016  508 - 610 
Centre table  430 - 500 1040 - 1200  560 -650 
Drum table  Minimum 400  910 Diameter  910 Diameter  
Hallway/Entry table  860-910 860 - 1830  41 - 51 DRS 433:2019  
5                ©RSB 2019  - All rights reserved  
 Sewing table  660 Any 430 Minimum  
4.2 Dimensions for home chairs  
Table 2 provides the dimensions for home chairs (dimensions in millimetres)  
Table 2  ̶  Dimensions of home chairs  
Type of chair  Seat height  Seat width     
Back  Front  Seat depth  Backrest 
height  Recline angle  
Dining chair  405 -430 381 -400 381-455 405 -420 305 -505 Max 5 Degrees  
Sofa chair/Love 
seat 350 -450 1420 -
1520  1420 -
1520  455-555 381 -455 Max 25 Degrees  
Easy chair  405 380 380 405 381-405 95 -120 Degrees  
Bar stool  710 -760 381 -455 305 – 405 
(Rectangular)  
255 - 355 - 
405 - 430 
diameter ( ff round)  
Rocker chair  405 -430 457 -560 405 - 457 1015  - 
Recliner chair  450 -510 760 - 930 510 - 600 735 95 – 180 Degrees  
Armchair  450 - 560 960 -980 520 -620 390 -450  
Note 1:  If armrests are used on a dining chair, they should be between 18 mm to 23 mm above the seat.                                                 
Note 2:  For easy chair, the recommended armrests shall have 13 mm to 20 mm in height and 5 mm to 10 mm in width.                
Note 3:  A full size sofa measures about 230 mm in width.  
Note 4  For rocker chair, in a stationary position the seat back should tilt back approximately 25 degrees from the vertical with a s eat 
to seat back of about 95 degrees, the runners commonly have a horizontal extension of about 762 mm with a curvature radius of 915 mm 
to 965 mm.  
5 Requirements for strength and durability for home tables and chairs  
5.1 Requirements for strength and durability for home tables  
When a home table is tested in accordance with ISO 21016, then  the following requirements should be met.  
a) The horizontal displacement of the top from its original position shall not exceed 5 mm,  
b) No deformation, gap, fracture or apparent loosening of a joint intended to be rigid sh all develop,  
c) The recorded deflection shall not exceed 0,5 mm per 0,1 m2 of area of the top being tested,  
d) No loosening of the top at any securing point shall be evident,  
e) The table successfully withstands the static load and overbalancing forces a pplied.   
©RSB 2019  - All rights reserved                  6 
 5.2 Requirements for strength and durability for home chairs  
When a home chair is tested in accordance with RS ISO 7173 and ISO 21015 , there shall be  
a) No fracture or cracking of any member, component or joint,  
b) No loosening of joints intended to be rigid , 
c) No free movement of any components that exceeds the free movement noted in the initial  
d) No deformation or wear of any part or component that will   affect the chair’s  function,  
e) No  audible noise developed during testing,  
f) No deterioration of the operation of any movable or adjustable parts,  
g) No overturning movement of the chair and its components.  
6 Marking  
On the underside of table tops or under the seat of chairs and tables there must be:  
1) The manufacturer's name, trade name or trade mark;  
2) The date o f manufacture or the production batch identification number or letter.  
3) Timber species used following RS XXXX, Round and sawn timber – Nomenclature of timbers used in 
Rwanda.  
The information must be presented in clear and legible marking and in a manner  that will not impair the finish 
and strength of the article.  
 DRS 433:2019  
7                ©RSB 2019  - All rights reserved  
 Bibliography  
[1] EN 1728, Furniture – Seating –Test methods for the determination of strength and durability, 2014  
[2] Indian Institute of technology, Kanpur, Technical specifications, 2015  
[3] Eckelman, C .A. Performance testing of side chairs, 1999.  
[4] RS ISO 7172:1988: Furniture — Tables — Determination of stability  
[5] ISO 7174 -1:1988, Furniture – Chairs – Determination of stability - Part 1: Upright chairs and stools  DRS 433: 2019  
 
Price based on  6 pages  
©RSB 2019  - All right s reserved