7 handy tips for buying new dining chairs

It happens to all of us at some point. You want to buy new dining chairs. Time for a new, fresh feel in your home. New chairs, new you. Your Pinterest board may already be packed with ideas. But don’t forget: there’s a practical side too! So check out our 7 tips before bringing new dining chairs into your home.

From a simple drink to an elaborate five-course dinner: it’s just not the same if you don’t have good places to sit. Can you picture it? ‘The drinks were lovely, but I got a wooden backside from that awful chair!’ or: ‘There wasn’t enough room, so I was dumped on a stool…’ You don’t want to think about it, right? You get it: good dining chairs are crucial. With our tips, you’ll truly bring dining-room thrones into your home.

1. Keep the dimensions in mind

Logical, you might think. If the chairs don’t fit under the table, they’re no use to you. But what exactly should you measure? The height, obviously. Any armrests play a major role here. If your chair has no armrests, it will almost always fit under the table. (Unless you buy a chair with a seat 5 metres above the ground.) Are there armrests? Then measure their height. Also measure the height of the table, taking the lowest point on the underside of the tabletop. Important: measure the width of the chairs too. Will 6 of them actually fit around the table? Or will everyone be sitting on top of one another?

2. Think about the number of chairs

Lovely, a gigantic table with 8 chairs around it. If you regularly host dinner parties where you play full house, that’s obviously very handy. But does that actually never happen? Then a huge table with 8 chairs takes up an awful lot of space. It can also feel a little empty if you sit alone or with just the two of you at such a table 9 times out of 10. It is handy when you’re having an argument, though. You won’t be so much in each other’s aura.

3. Look at the space you have

Not everyone has the luxury of a huge dining room. Is yours a bit of a tight squeeze? Then be realistic about the size of the chairs. Large armchairs with armrests and a wide seat may be lovely, but whether you have the space for them… You also want to be able to move your chairs. Slide them towards and away from the table. Get out easily when you urgently need to go to the loo, for example. Tip: for chairs without armrests, allow for a ‘sliding space’ of at least 60 centimetres. Do your chairs have armrests? Then allow at least 75 centimetres of sliding space.

4. Think about comfort

Is the dining room a place where you like to spend a lot of time? Because you don’t just eat there, but work there too, for example? The more you use the dining chairs, the more important comfort becomes. In that case, it’s always a good idea to go to a furniture shop and test the chairs. Do they have a comfortable seat? Are the chairs wide enough? Do they let you sit up straight comfortably, without sinking into them? And do the armrests feel comfortable or not? Some chairs may look incredibly fun, but be terribly uncomfortable. Believe me, sitting comfortably is more important than making your dining room look as though it’s been styled for an interiors magazine.

5. Take your build into account

Everyone is different. Some people have a long torso and short legs (speaking for myself). Others are shorter up top and longer below. Take your build into account when deciding what to buy. Is there a big difference in build between you and your partner? Then you may need a different chair model from your beloved. The same applies here: test, test, test. You won’t know what feels comfortable until you’ve sat on it. Another tip: if you place your feet flat on the floor and your knees are at the same height as the seat, you’ve found the right seat height.

6. Look at your dining table

Do you already have a fantastic dining table at home? If you would rather not get rid of it, it’s important to look at the type of dining table you have. What kind of chairs go with it? Dark wooden vintage chairs may not work perfectly with an ultra-sleek, modern Scandinavian-style dining table. But remember: sometimes mismatches are exactly what makes things fun. Just look at dining tables surrounded by all kinds of different chairs.

7. Choose your material

These days, dining chairs come in countless types of materials. You can opt for wood, but also metal, plastic, velvet fabrics… Taste obviously plays a major role here. But also think about what you find practical. Plastic chairs are probably the easiest to clean. Wipe them down and that thick spaghetti stain is gone. Just bear in mind that many materials can nowadays be treated with a special protective spray. These prevent stains from penetrating the fabric. Ask the retailer what options are available!

Also read:

• 8 cooking tips people learned from their loved ones and still use in the kitchen
• Grocery-shopping tips from professional chefs
• 7 handy cleaning tips for your kitchen

Sources: Leen Bakker, Eijerkamp, Hello Chair, Flinders