Great question — and I’m genuinely glad you asked it, because it gets to something much deeper than just furniture. I’ve seen those benches too. You know the ones: a beautifully crafted slatted seat in a park or bus shelter, but right in the middle there’s a hunk of metal or a dividing armrest that makes it impossible for anyone to lie down. It’s a design choice that sends a very clear, very cold message: you’re welcome to sit for a bit, but don’t you dare get comfortable. That whole approach is called hostile architecture, and honestly, it’s just not who we are.
So let’s put it plainly: no, our outdoor benches do not have that feature. Not a single one of our standard models comes with a middle armrest designed to prevent sleeping. You’ll find sturdy, weather-resistant end armrests on many of our pieces — those are there for genuine accessibility reasons, giving older folks or anyone with mobility issues something solid to push up from. But a hostile bar slicing through the middle of the seat? Never. We won’t design it, and we won’t sell it. Here’s why.
When we create a bench, we imagine it living in a real community. A place where a tired parent might need to stretch out for two minutes while their kid runs wild on the playground. A spot where a night-shift worker, dead on their feet, can catch a short rest waiting for the first bus. A public space where a homeless person, who may have nowhere else to go, can at least lie down safely for a while without being actively pushed away by the very environment around them. Removing that option isn’t design — it’s exclusion dressed up as tidiness. And we think public spaces should be held to a higher standard.
That doesn’t mean we ignore practical concerns. We know cities worry about wear, maintenance, and benches being occupied for long stretches. But we believe those challenges call for compassionate solutions, not punishing ones. More public toilets. More shelters. More affordable housing. Better social support. Not a metal bar that says “you don’t belong.” A bench shouldn’t be a weapon of social control.
So when you sit on one of our benches, you’ll find clean, comfortable lines, generous seat depth, and a subtle curve that supports your back without dictating exactly how you use it. You can sit sideways, you can lean back with a coffee, a kid can curl up, and yes — someone can lie down. That’s intentional. We design for durability, for beauty, and for the full messiness of being human. We design for the community we want to live in.
Next time you see a bench with that middle armrest, you’ll know what it’s really saying. And when you see one of ours, you’ll know it’s saying something entirely different: “Stay a while. Rest. You’re welcome here.”