Talk:Key:bench:type

"Default" type and separated seats

The most widespread value is "seated". I wonder what is meant by this: Is it a kind of default value (for benches with a longer, continuous seating area) or is it a type of bench in which individual seats are separated from each other? A distinction between "normal" benches and those with separate seats would be necessary. For me, the specification of seats=* is sufficient as an indicator for separate seating areas. If there are no separate seats, seats=* should not be used - if necessary, length=* or bench:length=* could be used instead, from which the number of people who can sit here can be determined. Anyway, we should add good sample pictures. --Supaplex030 (talk) 12:20, 2 September 2020 (UTC)

I would assume that the most widespread value for bench:type indeed means "this is a normal bench". Whether it has armrests or a seats tagging seems irrelevant to that: one can sit on it and be seated; it's a quintessential bench, like the one shown on Tag:amenity=bench called Bench.jpg

> If there are no separate seats, seats=* should not be used

When to use the Key:seats tag sounds like a thing to discuss on Talk:Key:seats (or mailing list, forum, etc.). Consider that the page describes seats as "An estimate of the number of people that can comfortably sit", as in the verb "it seats seven persons" rather than the countable "there are seven seats" noun, in case that helps

Lucgm (talk) 22:13, 29 April 2026 (UTC)

I agree, seated seems to me to indicate regular seated bench, as that is the only one that makes sense. As for segregation of the seats, we have seats:separated=yes/no to indicate that. Also, e.g. bench:type=swing and other types could also be seats:separated=yes (or no), which confirms that interpretation. Also, one could check imagery around benches tagged with bench:type=seated like e.g. this one which shows regular seating bench with non-separated seats. I therefore propose documenting it as such mnalis (talk) 14:56, 25 May 2026 (UTC)

Do you think we can remove the "meaning unclear" notice on the main page then? I'm not sure what the practices are on the wiki in this regard Lucgm (talk) 20:32, 29 May 2026 (UTC)

I'd recommend waiting for (say) 2 weeks; and if nobody produces counter-arguments just go ahead and describe it up on the main page and remove the notice.

You can also use that time to browse Panoramax (or Mapillary or Wikimedia Commons) images near such bench:type=seated (see e.g. this overpass query for easy first list) to assure yourself; or you could even try contacting people who have been adding those if you want to be really sure, but for this particular tag it does not seem there is such ambiguity which would require that. mnalis (talk) 21:41, 31 May 2026 (UTC)

"lounger" type

In most cases, "loungers" should be tagged with amenity=lounger. But sometimes they are actually benches on which you tend to sit in a lying position (see the picture). It would be a good sample picture for bench:type=lounger (without amenity=lounger).--Supaplex030 (talk) 12:56, 2 September 2020 (UTC)

Or is it like amenity=seat and amenity=bench: A lounger for more than one person is a bench with bench:type=lounger?--Supaplex030 (talk) 13:01, 2 September 2020 (UTC)