No the arms just raise up so its really easy for clients to get in & out of the chair without having to step over the foot holder

I would not describe this chair as extra wide, although, I have not had problems with the width. There is open space under the arm rests, which allow for more "spill." If there was a need for more width, the arm rests could be put to allow for more room, although this might not be a very comfortable option for any length of time. As for the weight capacity, the chair itself is not very heavy, especially the base. I have had some clients who had their feet on the foot rest and leaned forward to reach my station(just an arms reach), and the chair has rocked forward as the base lifted off the floor. Yikes! On occasion, I have had a larger client pumped higher in my chair, and I have been nervous that it might rock at that point, so lowered them. It didn't happen in this setting, but it crossed my mind. :) Overall, clients comment on how comfortable the chair is, and it is easy to keep hair cleaned out of it.