Mobility
Folded size: the number that decides the boot
Folded is three dimensions, and they do not matter equally. The thinnest edge decides whether a chair goes into a car; the volume decides how much of the van it eats.
Every listing says “folds compactly”. Almost none say what compact means in millimetres. That is the number a distributor's customer asks about in the shop, and the number that decides whether a chair sells to someone with a hatchback or only to someone with an estate car.
Two numbers, two different questions
When a chair is folded you get three measurements. They answer different questions:
- The thinnest edge decides whether it slides into a boot opening or a stairwell.
- Length × width × height decides how much floor space it takes once it is in there.
A chair that is thin but long goes under a parcel shelf. A chair that is short but thick does not, even though its volume may be smaller.
What our six actually measure
| Model | Folded (mm) | Volume | Thinnest edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| JYW002 | 625 × 320 × 670 | 134 L | 320 mm |
| JYW5919 | 545 × 320 × 770 | 134 L | 320 mm |
| T100 | 720 × 560 × 350 | 141 L | 350 mm |
| JYW5903 | 610 × 350 × 790 | 169 L | 350 mm |
| JYW001 | 630 × 440 × 785 | 218 L | 440 mm |
| JYZ300 (rollator) | 640 × 255 × 340 | 56 L | 255 mm |
Read it as a shape, not a score. The two lightest chairs tie on volume at 134 litres, but JYW5919 is 80 mm shorter folded — that difference is often the difference between fitting across a boot and not.
The T100 result is counter-intuitive
The carbon chair is not the smallest folded chair in the range. It is the thinnest — 350 mm — because the frame folds flat rather than into a block. For a customer who wants the chair to lie under a parcel shelf or stand against a wall, thin beats small. For a customer loading a van with four chairs, volume beats thinness.
How to test it before you order
Take the folded dimensions, cut three pieces of cardboard to those lengths, and tape them into a box. Put it in the boot of the car your market actually drives. This takes ten minutes and settles an argument that otherwise runs for a whole season of returns.