What Are Bleacher Seats?

Bleachers are long rows of bench seating arranged in a tiered manner to enable those seated in the back to see over the heads of those seated in front. Bleachers vary in size, material composition and in whether or not they are transportable. Bleachers are commonly found at private and professional sports fields, stadiums or arenas and serve the function of allowing a greater number of fans to view an event.

  1. Origin of Name

    • According to legend, a writer for the Chicago Tribune coined the term "bleachers" in 1889. Wrigley Field is the baseball stadium where the Chicago Cubs play, and the bleachers there are located in an uncovered area past the outfield fence. Due to the sun beating down on the seats in this area, which were originally made from wood, the color of the seats began to fade or "bleach." Hence, "bleachers" became their name.

    Range of Types

    • Bleachers can be small, modular structures that are easily moved from one event to the next, like from a Little League championship game to a county fair. This type of bleacher has as few as three seat rows and can be rented from a local or national bleacher company. On the other end of the spectrum, bleachers can be large, permanent structures with many rows and columns of seats, such as in a stadium. Stadium bleachers are attached to the walls and the floor and are arranged so that columns of seats alternate with columns of steps that fans can use to get to their seats.

    Materials

    • Wood was originally used for permanent bleachers, which are affixed to the floor and the walls of the stadium. However, the wood bleachers started to sag over time as the planks began to warp from use and exposure to moisture. Therefore, most bleachers today are made from molded plastic seats in an aluminum frame. Temporary, modular bleachers are usually made entirely from aluminum because it is a lightweight material that is fairly easy to transport.

    Comfort

    • Traditional bleachers do not have backs to their seats, so they can be uncomfortable to sit on for long periods of time. Some new styles of bleachers feature individual plastic seats attached to the bleacher benches as a way to try to curb discomfort. These seats either have fixed backs and bottoms or have backs or bottoms that fold up and down. Some fans will bring small seat pads that they can place on top of their portion of the bleacher bench. Seat pads are especially useful on cold days if sitting outdoors on a aluminum bench, since the bench will absorb the cold.