Dining Chairs Buying Guide

Finding a perfect fit

The first step in how to buy dining chairs is to measure your dining space. As you measure the dimensions of your room, consider the shape of your room. The shape of your dining area can greatly affect the size and style of the chairs.

Remember to measure your table in the room as well. You'll want diners to have enough space with the table and the chairs.

• Include 18 inches to 24 inches of space away from the table to sit down and scoot chairs up to the table.
• Include 24 inches to 30 inches of space between chairs.
• Include 4 feet to 5 feet of space between the table and the walls.

As you browse through dining chairs, take a look at the seat dimensions. The depth of the chair seat may affect how much space is left between the chairs, table and walls.

Seat height and width

The height of the seats will also determine how well your chairs fit. If you already have a table, measure from the underside of the table to the floor to see how much clearance you have. The average table measures 28 inches to 30 inches with table aprons (the rail that runs between the legs to support the table top) about 25 inches from the floor.

Typical seat measurements include:

• Seat height from floor: 16 inches to 17 inches
• Seat width: 15.5 inches in back to 18 inches in front
• Seat depth: 16 inches to 16.5 inches
• Chair back height from seat: 12 inches to 20 inches
• Armrest height above seat: 7 inches to 9 inches

Generally your dining chairs will fit just fine beneath your table. Complications come when you purchase dining chairs with arms. If you cannot push your chair under the table without the arms hitting the table apron, you have a problem. Measure your table and calculate how much clearance you will need for arm chairs.

Another consideration with arm chairs is the distance between the table legs (on square or oval tables). The distance between the arms and the distance between the table legs will need to be compatible to fit well.

A comfortable fit

Since you are online shopping for dining chairs, you won't be able to sit in the chair and test its comfort level. However, you can read the reviews of other buyers and through them have an idea of how comfortable a chair will be.

Another tip to finding a comfortable dining room chair is to make sure that the seat depths is ample for you and your family. If your family is full of tall people, you will want the seat depths to be a little deeper than normal, as well as the chair back height to be a bit taller.

Wood dining chairs

Most dining room chairs are made from wood. Wood is naturally elegant and matches most dining room d?cor. To further match your existing furniture, take a look at common wood dining chair styles.

• Windsor chairs and arrow-back chairs: Windsor chairs are a classic style that feature turned and angled legs, turned stretchers between legs and a carved saddle seat. The back of the chair has turned spindles. With arrow-back chairs the spindles resemble arrows.
• Slat-back chairs: These dining chairs are simple with one or more wide flat vertical slat supports on the back and straight legs.
• Ladder-back chairs: These chairs are similar to slat-back dining chairs but have horizontal supports resembling a ladder.
• Parsons dining chair: This chair is a tall dining chair with an upholstered rectangular seat and back. There are several variations of this dining chair, including oval shaped and Parsons dining chairs that are completely upholstered. Parsons dining chairs are very elegant in the dining room.

When you are shopping for wood dining chairs, look for solid wood construction. Plywood is a flimsy material for chairs that has a tendency to warp. Medium density fiberboard (MDF), although not commonly used for chairs, should also be avoided. Many good quality dining room chairs are made with solid wood and, if upholstered, should include quality furniture foam and fabrics.

Some wood chairs may have veneers as well as solid wood. Veneers are a less expensive way to include expensive woods on furniture. Veneers and inlays can be very beautiful and give your dining room an expensive look and feel.

Metal and plastic dining chairs

When you picture metal dining chairs, you probably are picturing a retro style dining area. If this is the style you are going for in your home, metal/plastic combination dining chairs would fit in well. However, be cautious; look for metal or plastic chairs with a sturdy design that is still comfortable. Metal chairs should be light enough to move without sacrificing sturdiness.

Some metal chairs are just as elegant as their wood dining chair counterparts. Steel and wrought iron dining chairs have designs that range from fancy to simplistic. Usually these chairs are upholstered to make them more comfortable. Many wrought iron dining chairs are made to accompany matching dining tables, and they look spectacularly elegant together.

Be careful to balance style with comfort. If you love the look of a metal or plastic dining chair, ask yourself if that style will be comfortable for sitting during dinner. Will it invite guests to linger after dessert? Or will it discourage them from having dessert all together?

Dining chair upholstery fabrics

Most upholstery fabrics you will find are cotton/polyester blends or leather, but they are not the only upholstery fabrics available.

Dining chair fabrics

Cotton/poly blends combine the best of both fabrics; the comfort and softness of cotton with the durability and easy cleaning of the polyester. Some upholstery fabrics are more delicate than others, such as velvet and silk.

Tightly woven fabrics and blends wear better and last longer than loose-weave fabrics. Microfiber is a good material for households with kids because it is easy to care for and resists stains better than most other fabrics.

Dining chair leathers

Leather is a favorite upholstery material because it is very durable and is easy to care for, and leather softens and improves over time. Understanding a few leather keywords will help you identify the best leather dining chairs for your money:

• Top-grain/full-grain: This refers to the upper section of a hide that contains the skin layer. Full-grain leather is made from the best raw hides. This leather has not been corrected and will wear better than other varieties. The finest leather chairs are made from full-grain leather.

• Aniline leather: This refers to high quality hides that have been treated with aniline as a dye. Aniline leather is also called naked leather. Aniline leather is delicate, soft and supple leather. Aniline leather is particularly susceptible to discoloration by sunlight and liquid spills.
• Corrected-grain: This is any top-grain leather that has been sanded, buffed or corrected to remove any imperfections on the surface. After correction, an artificial grain is applied. Even though corrected-grain leather is made from top-grain, once it is corrected it is no longer referred to as top-grain. The hides used in corrected-grain leathers aren't as high quality as top-grain leathers. Most corrected-grain leather is used to make pigmented leather.
• Split leather: This is leather that is made from the hide after the top-grain has been removed. Split leather has an artificial layer applied to the surface and is embossed with a leather grain.
• Suede: This is made from split leather. The strongest suede is made from grain splits (has the grain completely removed) or from a fresh split. Suede is soft and fuzzy on both sides. It is less expensive and less durable than top-grain.