How to choose dining chairs

Start with your table, then count the chairs. The chairs here measure 46 cm to 60 cm across, so allow about 60 cm of table edge for each one and a little more for a chair with arms. A standard dining table stands 75 cm high; a seat between 46 cm and 50 cm leaves room for your knees, and most of our chairs sit in that band. Mai sits lower at 40 cm, Piper higher at 51.5 cm. If you are buying for a bench on one side of the table, look at our dining room furniture for the rest of the set.

Check the weight limit as well. Most chairs on this page are rated to 130 kg; Scout and Queens take 150 kg. You will find both figures on every product page where the maker has tested them.

Dining chair materials

Velvet dining chairs

 Velvet is the largest group here, from the Smith pair at the lower end to the Tara, Nova and Mai ranges. Velvet shows colour well and suits a dining room better than a kitchen where sauce travels.

Faux leather dining chairs

Smith Caramel, Smith Graphite and Queens use a PU faux leather that wipes clean with a damp cloth. Pick these for a kitchen table or a house with small children.

Linen and fabric dining chairs

Piper and Maggie use a linen-effect weave, Shay a linen blend in four versions with and without arms, and Naples a grey linen on oak legs with a 92 cm high back. Cleaver pairs tweed with a cantilever metal frame; Scout and Hettie use a cotton blend.

Wooden dining chairs

 Fitzroy is a beech bistro chair in black or white, sold in pairs. Ashton folds flat on an ash frame with a rattan seat and back, so it stores in a cupboard between visits. Riva and Venice put a moulded or velvet seat on oak legs.

Dining chairs with arms

The chairs with arms on this page are Cleaver and Carlo in two colours each, Shay in anthracite and stone, and Hettie with a skirted base. Carvers run 53 cm to 59 cm wide, so they take more table edge than a side chair. Measure the gap under your table top before you order; the arms need to clear the apron if you want to push the chair in.

Sets of 2 or single chairs

Most of the chairs here arrive as a set of two in one box. Buy two sets for a table of four, three for six. The single chairs, Alba, Shay, Mai, Fallon, Lina and the others, let you add one carver or match an odd number of seats.

Colours

Black is the biggest colour group, then grey, cream and beige. For something stronger there is forest green on Alba and Lina, burnt rust on Tara, vintage pink on Lara and a yellow Louvre. Legs come in matt black, gold, oak, chrome and stainless steel; the filter on the left narrows the page by each.

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Frequently asked questions

What seat height should a dining chair be?
For a 75 cm table, a seat between 46 cm and 50 cm from the floor works for most adults. Most chairs on this page fall in that band. Mai sits at 40 cm and Piper at 51.5 cm, so check the figure on the product page if your table is taller or shorter than standard.

Are your dining chairs sold in pairs?

Most are. A set of two arrives in one box, and the product title says so. Alba, Shay, Mai, Fallon, Lina, Amari, Piper, Maggie, Ashton and Hettie sell as single chairs. Use the Number of Pieces filter to see one group or the other.

How much weight can the chairs hold?

Most chairs on this page are rated to 130 kg by the maker. Scout and Queens are rated to 150 kg. The limit appears under Weight Capacity on each product page where it has been tested.

Will a dining chair with arms fit under my table?

Measure from the floor to the underside of the table top, including any apron, before you order a carver; the arms need to clear it if you want to push the chair in. Our carvers are 53 cm to 59 cm wide, so leave more room at the table edge than you would for a side chair.

Do the chairs need assembling?

Some arrive with the legs to fit and some come built. The Assembly Required line on each product page tells you before you order, and we deliver dining chairs across the UK.