How to Choose the Best Dining Chairs for Your Home

Quick Answer: How Do You Choose Dining Chairs?

The best dining chair is one that fits your table, feels comfortable for the way you dine and suits the demands of your home. Look for the right seat height, a supportive back, a sturdy frame and a practical material. For smaller rooms, choose compact, armless chairs that tuck neatly beneath the table.

Dining Chairs Buying Guide: What Should You Consider?

Before choosing a colour or fabric, think about how your dining chairs will actually be used.

A chair for occasional dinner parties can prioritise design and luxurious upholstery. A chair used every morning for breakfast, homework and family meals needs to be comfortable, durable and easy to maintain.

Once you've narrowed down these practical details, you can start exploring different colours, shapes and finishes.

You can also explore our range of dining chairs to compare upholstered, curved-back and contemporary styles.

What Is the Best Dining Chair?

There isn't one dining chair that's best for every home. The best choice depends on how often you'll use it, the size of your room and the level of comfort you want.

For everyday family dining, a supportive upholstered chair in a hard-wearing fabric is often the most versatile option. It gives you more cushioning than a solid seat while still being practical enough for regular use.

If easy maintenance is your priority, wooden, plastic or wipe-clean faux leather chairs may be better suited to busy kitchens and homes with younger children.

For longer meals and entertaining, look for a well-padded seat, supportive curved backrest and enough seat depth to sit comfortably without feeling perched on the edge.

Small dining spaces have different priorities again. Slim, armless chairs that tuck completely under the table can make much better use of the available floor space.

In other words, don't simply look for the "best dining chair". Look for the best dining chair for how you live.

What Fabric Is Best for Dining Chairs?

The best fabric for dining chairs depends on whether you value durability, easy cleaning, softness or style.

Polyester and Woven Fabric

A practical everyday choice that's generally hard-wearing and easy to maintain. Tightly woven fabrics work especially well in busy family dining areas.

Velvet Dining Chairs

Soft and luxurious, velvet adds rich colour and texture. It can show dust and pressure marks more easily, so it may need a little extra care.

Chenille Dining Chairs

Chenille feels soft and cosy, with a textured finish that suits warm, relaxed interiors. Check the care instructions for everyday use.

Bouclé Dining Chairs

Bouclé has a soft, looped texture that's ideal for curved statement chairs. It can trap crumbs more easily than smoother fabrics.

Leather and Faux Leather Dining Chairs

Smooth and easy to wipe clean, leather and faux leather are practical choices for busy dining spaces and homes where spills are common.

What's the Best Material for Easy-to-Clean Dining Chairs?

Smooth, wipe-clean materials such as wood, moulded plastic and faux leather are usually the easiest to maintain.

If you prefer upholstered dining chairs, choose a tightly woven or easy-clean fabric. Heavily textured materials such as bouclé may need more care because crumbs and spills can settle into the surface.

What Height Should Dining Chairs Be?

Many dining chairs have a seat height of around 45–48cm, designed to work with dining tables around 70–76cm high.

You need enough space between the seat and tabletop for your legs to sit naturally without the chair feeling unusually low.

The table's apron or frame also matters. A chunky section underneath the tabletop can reduce available legroom even when the overall table height appears suitable.

If you're choosing dining chairs with arms, measure the arm height too. The arms need to clear the underside of the table if you want the chairs to tuck fully underneath.

Before ordering, compare the chair's:

• Seat height
• Overall width
• Seat depth
• Arm height, where applicable
• Overall chair height
• Table height and distance between its legs

A few minutes with a tape measure can prevent a dining set that looks perfect online but feels awkward once it's assembled.

Best Dining Chairs for Small Spaces and Apartments

The best dining chairs for small spaces combine compact dimensions with low visual weight.

Armless chairs are particularly useful because they usually tuck further beneath the table and don't require as much clearance when people sit down.

Slim legs and open-backed designs can also make a dining area feel less crowded because you can see more of the surrounding floor and room through them.

Avoid automatically choosing the smallest chair you can find, though. A tiny chair that's uncomfortable won't make a small dining room more enjoyable. Look instead for efficient proportions: a comfortable seat without oversized arms, an excessively deep base or a bulky backrest.

Round or pedestal dining tables can also work particularly well in compact areas because there are fewer corners and table legs to navigate.

If space is limited, consider dining benches too. A backless bench can often be tucked completely beneath the table and provides flexible seating when guests visit.

Are Dining Benches Good for Small Spaces?

They can be. Backless dining benches can often tuck beneath a table when they're not needed, helping keep walkways clear. They're also useful when you occasionally need to seat an extra person.

Can You Mix Different Dining Chairs Around One Table?

Yes. Mixing dining chairs can create a relaxed, individual dining space. Keep at least one element consistent, such as colour, upholstery, timber or general proportions, so the arrangement feels purposeful rather than random.

Common Dining Chair Buying Mistakes

One of the biggest mistakes is choosing chairs purely because they look right with the table. A beautiful chair that's too tall, too wide or impossible to tuck underneath will quickly become frustrating.

Overcrowding is another common problem. Being able to physically squeeze six chairs around a table doesn't necessarily mean six people can sit there comfortably.

Don't overlook maintenance either. A highly textured pale fabric may look right for your room, but it may not be the right choice if the dining table is used by young children several times a day.

Finally, don't assume your chairs and table have to match perfectly. Proportion and a deliberate connection between materials or colours usually matter more than buying everything from one matching set.

Quick Tips for Choosing Dining Chairs

• Measure your table before shopping for chairs.
• Check seat height as well as overall chair height.
• Measure between the table legs, not just the tabletop.
• Choose armless designs when space is tight.
• Prioritise supportive padding if you regularly sit at the table for long periods.
• Choose smoother or easy-clean materials for busy family dining areas.
• Use curved chairs to soften angular dining tables.
• Mix chairs and benches through a shared colour, timber or leg finish.
• Avoid oversized chairs simply because you have a large table.
• Choose materials that suit your lifestyle rather than the latest trend.

Find the Right Dining Chairs for Your Space

The best dining chairs balance comfort, proportion, durability and style.

Start by measuring your dining table and available space, then think about how often your chairs will be used and how easy you need them to be to maintain. From there, you can decide whether upholstered fabric, velvet, wood or another material makes the most sense.

And remember, your chairs don't have to match your dining table perfectly. A well-proportioned mix of chairs, tables and benches can often create a more interesting and practical dining space.

Explore our collection of dining chairs at Bed Kingdom to find a style that works around your table and your everyday life.