Pub furniture - as much as we all might like to pretend otherwise - has to put up with a lot, from near-constant use in the busiest establishments, to being dragged around by customers who need an extra seat, or by staff clearing an area for dancing or other entertainment.
Not all pub furniture is treated equally - stools are likely to be moved around the most, whereas sofas tend to remain fairly stationary - and you might have a different kind of clientele who treat your tables and chairs with a little more (or less) respect than most, too.
All of this should influence what you look for when buying pub furniture, and whether you choose, for example, the most delicate of bentwood furniture designs, classic spindle-backed wooden chairs, or sturdy seats built out of screwed-together blocks of wood that will withstand the greatest amount of abuse.
There's nothing wrong with opting for durability over elegance, especially in a traditional pub environment, where few customers are likely to be expecting opulent surroundings, but are more likely to want furniture that is reasonably comfortable and in a good state of repair.
But that doesn't mean you have to compromise too much, as even the strongest of pub furniture often has comfort designed into its shape and structure.
Ergonomically designed wooden chairs moulded to the shape of the human form can accommodate customers even without the need for cushioned upholstery or other such padding.
Where a cushion is desired, it can be securely fixed in place with brass studs or other such fixings, helping to add a sense of luxury or opulence to the chair while simultaneously making it stronger during extended periods of use.
And you can select your preferred fabric for the cushions, meaning they can be matched to existing furniture you have in place, or used to introduce a specific colour or pattern into your premises.
There are, of course, other options too - chrome or metal pub furniture can be a durable choice for beer gardens or bistro-style settings, while all-fabric chairs whose frame is entirely upholstered are increasingly popular in many modern pubs.