UK-made • 10-year rot-proof guarantee
UK-made • 10-year rot-proof guarantee
Highty didn’t start in a design studio.
It started with our own mums and dads.
We saw beautiful chairs that looked the part —
but felt harder to get out of than they should.
And once you notice that, you can’t unsee it.
Back then, we were walking around garden centres and large retailers noticing something odd.
Every chair was almost exactly the same height.
The same proportions.
The same assumptions.
But the people buying them weren’t the same.
My dad is 6'4".
My mum is 5'8".
Why were they expected to sit in the same chair?
After a hip operation, Mum was stronger on one side than the other.
Her knees weren’t what they once were.
Getting up sometimes came with that quiet little grunt — the one people pretend you didn’t hear.
It wasn’t dramatic.
It wasn’t a complaint.
It was just unnecessary effort.
And once you notice that, you start asking better questions.
We’re not a volume furniture importer.
We don’t chase trends.
We design carefully, refine constantly, and build with long-term use in mind.
Because we imagine our own family sitting in it.
And that changes the standard you hold yourself to.
Often it’s the son or daughter who notices.
They go round for a cup of tea and see what Mum and Dad are actually sitting on.
Usually something bought years ago. A bit low. A bit soft. A bit harder to get out of than it used to be.
They’ll suggest changing it.
Mum and Dad will say they’re fine.
And they usually are — but they’re also holding on to their independence.
No one wants to feel like they suddenly need different furniture.
We see that all the time.
What tends to happen is this: once they try a chair that’s simply the right height for them, everything feels easier. Standing doesn’t need that little forward rock. Knees don’t take the strain. There’s no small grunt when getting up.
It’s a bit like changing an old phone for a new one.
You didn’t think the old one was that slow — until you use something that just works properly.
It’s not dramatic. It’s just smoother. Easier.
And quite often they say, “I didn’t realise how much effort that was."
That’s the moment that matters.
Because it was never really about a chair.
It was about keeping everyday things feeling straightforward — and staying independent without thinking about it.
When it feels easier, it feels right.
