Seat Dividers Ensure a Long Life For Your Seating

We are delighted to offer a universal collection of Seat Dividers to fit Linea, Park, Mall, Piatto and Aria seats and benches. Seat Dividers are now available for purchase with all new seating orders and can also be retrofitted to existing, in-use products.

Each Seat Divider is designed to fit snugly against one of three edge batten profiles, illustrated below.

What’s the Purpose of a Seat Divider? 

The key function of seat dividers is to provide a deterrent against skateboarders grinding along the edges of public furniture. The use of dividers significantly reduces the skateable surface, thereby extending the life of the product.

Dividers also serve as a subtle visual cue, segmenting a bench or seat into individual zones. This can create a sense of personal space, for the comfort and security of those seated.

Four Dividers in Pale Eucalypt finish on Park Seat with aluminium Curly Birch battens, Pale Eucalypt frames.

Designing Seat Dividers

Senior Industrial designer Pearson Bulmer said “We wanted dividers that were soft enough in form to feel inviting, but strong enough in function to protect and endure in the public domain. It was about finding that balance.”

“As with all our products, designing for durability was essential. The choice of stainless steel castings makes the divider deceptively strong, despite its slim silhouette.”

Seat dividers can be finished to complement other design elements.

Mall Seat Dividers: electropolished; matching batten colour; matching frame colour.

Best Practice Spacing Recommendation for Skate Deterrents

As a general best practice, Seat Dividers should be spaced between 600 mm and 800 mm apart, depending on the length and design of the seating or surface.

• 600 mm spacing is recommended for high-risk areas where skateboard use is prevalent.
• Up to 800 mm spacing may be suitable for lower-risk areas or where the deterrents are visually integrated into the design.

Spacing should also consider:

• Placement over any large flat surfaces vulnerable to skateboarding.
• Consistent alignment to maintain aesthetic appeal.
• Avoiding large gaps that could allow a skateboard to slide across.

Always tailor the final layout to the specific site conditions and risk level. In the absence of a formal Australian Standard, spacing recommendations are based on industry best practice, installation experience, and council design guidelines.

Linea seat with recommended divider quantity

Interviews with Skateboarders

To ensure Seat Dividers are positioned effectively when used as skate deterrents, we sought advice from skateboarders Justin, Jarrod, Andy, and Nathan, asking:

1. What is the minimum and maximum gap between obstacles that would still allow a grind or trick? 

All agreed that any dividers would annoy and disrupt their flow. Justin explained, “skaters typically like to jump onto a surface, grind along it, and then drop off the other end without stopping”. He suggested that placing dividers strategically at the start, middle, and end points would interrupt that movement, making it much harder to perform a full grind trick. Jarrod said a 600-800mm gap between dividers would be enough to deter him. 

2. How does the position of deterrents (edge vs. centre of the seat) impact skater behaviour?

Andy agreed that placing deterrents at even intervals, with a decent spacing for people using the seating, would be enough of a deterrent.   

3. Looking at the image below, do you feel 2 dividers is sufficient?

Andy said two evenly spaced dividers would be enough to be a real deterrent, while Nathan suggested that in very popular skating areas, more seat dividers, closely spaced, would be advisable. 

A common sense approach should always be taken. In a fixed setting like the one below, only the outward facing bench requires dividers.

Park setting with four evenly spaced Seat Dividers used on outward facing bench only.

Seat Dividers also fit curved seats and benches.