In Review: The Poly & Bark Verity Lounge Chair

Poly & Bark Verity Lounge Chair in Cognac Tan Leather – $526 w/ CYBER ($657)

Pricing Note: At post time Amazon also has these, on sale for $524 for Prime members, as long as you check the little $75 off coupon box before checkout. No word on when that sale ends though, and they can swing around in price on Amazon by quite a bit. 

Yes, you’ve seen this chair mentioned before on this site. It’s been mentioned enough times, in fact, that we thought it would be a good idea to get one in-house to test out in person. And by test out in person we mean lug around town to get some stylish shots so as to be worthy of the sartorial company of items featured here on Dappered. Note that you can get it at two places:

1. Direct through Poly & Bark. They have multiple leather colors over there (Cognac, Cocoa Brown, Olive Brown, Navy Blue, and Black)
2. Through Amazon. Just Cognac and Black available there though. But if you have Prime, it ships super fast.

Five available leather colors direct through Poly & Bark. (Amazon has just two.)

Sometimes ordering through Amazon is cheaper. Sometimes ordering through Poly & Bark is by far the better deal. It’s worth price checking each source before you consider buying.

This is an indoor accent chair. It’s not made for use outdoors.
But the lighting is just better out there, and the image is sufficiently absurd for Dappered.
Human shown is a thoroughly average 5’10″/185.

Construction

The frame of this chair, while very light (the entire chair weighs 26 pounds), seems very solidly constructed. The chair ships intact, no assembly needed, because that kiln-dried ash wood frame is fitted together without any visible hardware. The seams quietly come together, with the only clue being the grain of the wood moving in different directions. And there was only one visible spot where glue had seeped up from a joint on the underside of the chair. The wood itself is stained walnut, a common stain color that will be easy to repair should you get a scratch or gash in the frame. (These Minwax markers come in very handy for touching up stained wood furniture.)

Making our way around the chair: the top left shows how seamless the frame looks.
Top right shows glue that seeped from a joint.
Bottom left is a shot of one of the glides on the leg of the chair.
Bottom right shows off one of the curves of the frame.

The stitching on the leather cushion covers seems durable. A nice thick matching thread was used to stitch the panels of leather together. The covers themselves are removeable, allowing for cushion replacement, or easier leather repair if needed. It doesn’t seem like the task of getting the cushions out would be easy, but at least you have the option to cross that bridge when and if it comes to it.

Thick, color-matched thread was used to stitch the cushion covers together.

Another interesting feature on this chair is the way the bottom cushion fastens to the frame. It uses a carabiner style latch system (rather than the typical snaps). I don’t know if this is easier to manufacture, but it looks kind of cool. But herein lies the one details that lacks the finesse of the rest of the chair. The bottom straps of leather that house the rings for the carabiner attachment are stapled into the chair. This isn’t visible unless you’re looking under the chair, and this is probably one of the safest ways to attach the leather to the wood without splitting it, but it doesn’t look the prettiest.

The one area lacking finesse on this chair, but seeing as it’s located under the frame and no one will see it, it’s not that big of a deal.

Quality

Back to the frame of this chair, as mentioned before it’s constructed of kiln-dried ash wood. Ash is one of the best woods for furniture. It’s lightweight but hard, making it strong and durable. It also has an attractive grain, which when stained, adds a lot of beauty to a finished product. And there are lots of well thought out and intentional curves on this frame. They add to both the functionality (curved out armrests where elbows land) and beauty of the furniture.

Curvy, flared out arm rests create a little more space for resting elbows.

This chair, depending on the color you choose, will feature a pure or semi-aniline dyed full grain leather. The cognac, cocoa brown, and olivine green versions of this chair feature pure aniline. This is typically associated with a higher quality leather, but it also makes it more susceptible to scratches and stains. If you have a busy household with young kiddos, the semi-aniline versions of this chair could be a better choice, but you’d have to settle on black or blue leather (which also hold their own appeal). Here’s a quick explanation on the difference between pure and semi-aniline leather.

The curved frame and backrest slats add to the craftsmen appeal of this chair.
The seat cushion has a carabiner latching system to keep is securely fastened to the frame.

Rather than having just a few, thicker back slats, the rear part of the frame features several handsome slats that add to the look of the chair. This ensures that the chair looks decorative and craftsmen from any angle.

Comfort

I wouldn’t call this chair “cozy,” but it is definitely comfortable. The cushioning feels just right. It’s supportive, but has a pleasant amount of give. The cushions are made of high density foam. The Poly & Bark website claims that the seat has a feather down topper, but that doesn’t seem to be the case with the chair I received. Pretty sure there’s just a layer of polyester upholstery batting on top of the foam, but it’s still comfortable.

The chair features a 105 degree angle to the seat, encouraging correct posture. At 21″ deep, the seat is a comfortable depth for supporting the upper legs without cutting off your hamstrings or feeling awkward against the back of your knees. And while this chair is definitely lower to the ground, that ergonomic angle makes the height feel appropriate.

The wood armrests aren’t going to be able to match the cushy armrests of overstuffed recliners, but boy do they look better. And they are comfortable. As mentioned before, because the wood is flared out, there is enough surface area to comfortably rest your elbows. And hey, we’re not talking about a chair made for napping away the afternoon.

Go ahead, park your butt.

One final thing to note about the chair is the size. It’s fairly compact, and will fit well into smaller spaces. It boasts a lot of depth, but at only 31″ tall and 25″ wide, it’s on the smaller side. It’s plenty big enough to accommodate many body types, but if you like your furniture on the larger side, be warned.

Final Thoughts

The Verity Lounge Chair is a good option for those looking for a quality, attractive leather chair at a reasonable price. It’ll be especially good for smaller spaces, but can easily compliment a furniture arrangement in a larger room. The laid back style of the chair encourages relaxation while maintaining good looks. The pure aniline leather of the cognac tan version may not be the best for households with the potential for rough and tumble use, unless you want to create a lasting story through dings and “patina.” All in all, when this chair goes on sale, it’s well worth the price.

About the Author: Sarah is a long time member of the Dappered team, typically working behind the scenes editing posts, taking some photos, and keeping the books in good standing. Occasionally she’ll come out from behind the curtain to offer her two cents.

The Dappered Space is a series designed to help guys apply the sense of personal style they’ve developed to the space they inhabit. Watch for articles on furniture and decor sales & picks, advice on how to style a room or work space, and tackling creating a space that reflects your own (and perhaps a significant other’s) personal tastes. We’ll suggest items that can be sourced online, but always keep in mind that deals can be found at consignment and thrift stores, local stores with floor models, discount stores, and even yard sales.