What dimensions for a dining chair?

The dimensions below come from the European standard EN 1729, which links seat height to table height and user height, from the spec sheets of the brands featured in our dining chair collection, and from practical benchmarks named as such.

Chair dimensions

A chair is described by six dimensions: the seat height (from the floor to the top of the seat, measured at the front), the overall width (from edge to edge, including armrests), the overall depth (from the front of the seat to the back of the backrest), the total height (from the floor to the top of the backrest), the seat depth (from the front of the seat to the backrest) and, where applicable, the armrest height. Product sheets in the catalogue list them in this order; a product title often gives width x depth x total height, such as '50x45x77cm' for the HAY X-Line.

Standard chair dimensions

A typical dining chair measures 45 to 47 cm seat height, 44 to 55 cm wide, 48 to 55 cm deep, 76 to 86 cm tall. Of the twelve models in the comparison, recorded seat heights range from 44 cm (Normann Copenhagen Form, HKliving Wire) to 49.5 cm (HKliving Endless), with a median of 46 cm: this is the dimension that corresponds to a 75 cm table. The EN 1729 standard confirms the pairing: its size 6 combines a 46 cm seat with a 76 cm table, its size 7 a 51 cm seat with an 82 cm table.

Chair size

The right size is deduced from the table by the rule of 28 to 32 cm between the top of the seat and the underside of the tabletop: enough to cross one's legs, not too much to keep forearms horizontal. For a 75 cm table, the seat is therefore between 43 and 47 cm; for a 78 cm table, between 46 and 50 cm; for a 72 cm table, between 40 and 44 cm. An apron beneath the tabletop is deducted from the table height: a 75 cm table with a 6 cm apron behaves like a 69 cm table for the thighs.

Chair width

Between 44 and 50 cm without armrests, 55 to 60 cm with. Width determines the number of chairs: the practical benchmark is 60 cm of table edge per diner, which leaves 10 to 15 cm between two 45 to 50 cm chairs to push back without catching one's neighbour. Six 55 cm chairs require 330 cm of table edge, i.e. a 165 cm table on two sides; six 60 cm armchairs require a 180 cm table.

Chair seat dimensions

The seat itself measures 40 to 45 cm deep and 40 to 50 cm wide. A depth of 40 cm suits everyone; at 45 cm, a person under 1.65 m no longer touches the backrest with the lower back. Seat width matters for chairs with armrests: below 44 cm between the armrests, one feels squeezed. The backrest, finally, supports the lumbar region from 30 cm above the seat; a low backrest (Normann Knot, 72 cm tall) is elegant but less restful for a three-hour meal.

Dining table chair dimensions

To summarise the match with the table: seat height = table height minus 28 to 32 cm; number of chairs = edge length divided by 60 cm; armrests below the under-tabletop height. The table below gives the target dimensions for each table height.

Cross-legged chair

To sit cross-legged at the table requires a seat of at least 50 cm wide and 50 cm deep, without low armrests: these are the dimensions of dining armchairs and certain wide shell chairs, rather than those of a classic dining chair (40 to 50 cm). The Dutchbone Naida, with a 50 cm seat width and 47 cm depth, comes close.

Which chair with a wooden table?

With a solid wood table, two approaches work. Matching: wooden chairs in the same timber or a similar one (oak with oak or ash, walnut with walnut), with a cane, rope or fabric seat to break up the mass. Contrast: metal, polypropylene or coloured fabric chairs, which lighten an imposing table; the table's wood then remains the only warm material in the whole, which highlights it. Just avoid two timbers in similar but different tones, light oak and beech for example, which look mismatched. The models are in the wooden chair collection.

Which chairs with an antique round table

An antique round table is often lower (70 to 73 cm) and its central base frees up the legs: choose chairs with a 42 to 45 cm seat height, without armrests to slip around the top, and less than 50 cm wide to fit six around 120 cm. Very simple contemporary chairs (polypropylene shell, light wood, slender metal) bring out the table; matched period chairs give a more expected ensemble. Find the tables in the dining table collection and the top dimensions in our dining table guide.

Mismatched or matching chairs

Mismatching works under two conditions: an identical seat height within 1 cm, otherwise guests are not at the same level, and a common feature (colour, material or silhouette). A bench on one side and chairs on the other is the simplest variation: the bench seats three children where two chairs fit. The models are in the bench collection.

Armrests add comfort to long meals and help when standing up, but they require three checks. The armrest height, 63 to 68 cm on most models (65.8 cm on the Form by Normann Copenhagen, 67 cm on the Naida by Dutchbone), must remain lower than the table's underside clearance, otherwise the chair won't fit underneath and you sit too far away. The width, 55 to 60 cm, requires 65 to 70 cm of table edge per diner instead of 60. The width between armrests, finally, must exceed 44 cm. A common solution: two armchairs at the ends of the table, chairs without armrests on the long sides. All models are in the collection of chairs with armrests.

Wood

Oak, beech, ash, walnut: a solid wood chair weighs 4 to 7 kg, can be tightened and re-oiled, and lasts for decades; the CH24 by Carl Hansen & Søn, designed in 1949, is a prime example. A bare wooden seat requires a cushion for long meals; caning and woven cord are more flexible. The models are in the wooden chair collection.

Polypropylene and moulded shells

A moulded shell on wooden or metal legs weighs 3 to 5 kg, wipes clean with a sponge and often stacks: this is the chair for families and kitchens. The shape of the shell determines all the comfort; upholstered versions are available for long meals. Find them in the Kartell chair collection and the white chair collection.

Metal

Lacquered steel, chrome or wire: the slimmest chairs (45 cm wide for the X-Line by HAY, 47 cm for the Wire by HKliving) and the easiest to slip into a small space. The contact is cold and the seat is hard: allow for a cushion. The models are in the black chair collection.

The upholstered chair

Velvet, bouclé, fabric, leather: the most comfortable for a three-hour dinner, the widest too (53 to 60 cm) and the most susceptible to stains. Check the fabric's abrasion resistance, expressed in Martindale cycles: 30,000 cycles are sufficient for family use, 50,000 for intensive use; a removable or stain-resistant fabric makes life easier with children. Choose from the dining chair collection by filtering by material.

HAY (Denmark) covers all uses: the About A Chair shell with or without armrests, the Rey in beech, the X-Line in steel 45 cm wide, the stackable Élémentaire. See the HAY chairs.

Normann Copenhagen (Denmark) offers the Form shell, the Allez in moulded cane and models in recycled fibres, with well-documented seat heights of 43 to 46 cm. See the Normann Copenhagen chairs.

Kartell (Italy) is the brand for polycarbonate and polypropylene chairs, stackable and washable: Masters, Louis Ghost, Generic, Maui. See the Kartell chairs.

Carl Hansen & Søn (Denmark) has been manufacturing Hans Wegner's CH24 Wishbone since 1950, in beech or oak, with a hand-woven paper cord seat. See the brand Carl Hansen & Søn.

HKliving (Netherlands) offers upholstered chairs in fabric and velvet (Endless, Morden) and the Wire in steel wire, with seat heights of 44 to 49.5 cm. See the brand HKliving.

A 160 × 90 cm table at 75 cm height, with crossbar at 68 cm

Six diners at 53 cm of edge each on the long sides: chairs less than 48 cm wide are needed, without armrests, with a seat height of 45 to 47 cm. The Allez by Normann Copenhagen (45 cm wide, seat 45.5 cm) or the Rey by HAY (44 cm, seat 46.5 cm) will fit six. Armchairs with armrests at 66 cm would not fit under the 68 cm crossbar.

A 78 cm high table for tall diners

The 28 to 32 cm gap requires a seat height of 46 to 50 cm. As most chairs stop at 47 cm, look for models at 48 cm and above: Ridge by Zuiver (48 cm), Holy by Pols Potten (48 cm), Endless by HKliving (49.5 cm). With a seat at 46.5 cm such as the AAC 222 by HAY, the gap reaches 31.5 cm, which remains within the rule.

Oiled wood: damp cloth, oil once a year; tighten the base screws every year, it's the play in the joints that makes a chair squeak. Lacquered or varnished wood: soapy water, no abrasive. Caning and rope: dusting with a soft brush, never place weight on one leg or balance on two legs, which stretches the weave. Polypropylene: sponge and soap, no solvent. Fabric and velvet: soft brush vacuum cleaner every week, stain treated within the hour with a textile stain remover tested on a hidden area. Leather: dry cloth, nourishing milk twice a year. A well-maintained solid wood or steel chair can be passed down; fabric can be replaced or reupholstered after ten to fifteen years.

What The Cool Republic orders placed between January and September 2026 show in the Dining chairs collection. Shares are counted by number of orders, not quantities, so that one large purchase doesn't weigh more than another.

What's ordered most in 2026

• Colours: brown (19%), green (12%), silver (11%).
• Materials: steel (16%), chrome steel (10%).

Most requested brands

As a share of orders: HKliving (30%), Moustache (9%), Zuiver (9%).

Most ordered models since January

• Wire chrome metal chair, HKliving
• Babington beige fabric and wood chair, Dutchbone
• Endless 51.5x62.5x83.5cm yellow striped fabric and chrome steel chair, HKliving
• X-line 50x45x77cm chrome steel chair, HAY
• Bold Blue chair, Moustache

• Buying chairs before measuring the height under the apron: a crossbar at 66 cm blocks any armchair with armrests at 67 cm or higher.
• Fitting six 55 cm chairs around a 160 cm table: you need 330 cm of edge, or 165 cm per side; choose chairs under 48 cm or a 180 cm table.
• Pairing a 44 cm seat height with a 78 cm table: 34 cm difference, the forearms rise and the shoulders tense up.
• Choosing a seat depth of 47 cm or more for people of small stature: the backrest no longer touches the lower back.
• Mismatching chairs whose seat heights differ by more than 1 cm: guests are not at the same level and it shows.
• Choosing untreated light-coloured velvet with young children: opt for a fabric with at least 30,000 Martindale cycles, with a removable cover or stain-resistant treatment.