Dining Chairs

How to choose the right dining chairs

With so many different styles, materials and finishes, finding the perfect dining chair comes down to a few simple decisions. If you’re expecting to enjoy long relaxed dinners, investing in the comfort of upholstered options would be a sensible option, or potentially enhance your chosen chair with the comfort of a seat pad as an affordable alternative. Also keep in mind how many chairs you want and how they will fit around your dining table, slimmer chairs can fit in easier around a smaller table, but ideally need at least 60cm per person, more if the chairs have armrests.

What’s the right dining chair material for you?

Boucle

If comfort and style is a key part of your decision, a boucle dining chair will be worth considering. Boucle chairs offer comfort and a clean, stylish and popular choice from our range of upholstered dining chairs.

Faux Leather

Easy to wipe clean, faux leather dining chairs offer a stylish and practical option. Easy to clean, durable and available across modern and traditional designs, they are a particularly good choice for busy households and homes with children.

Wood

One of the most popular and versatile choices, a wooden dining chair can suit anything from farmhouse dining rooms and kitchens to contemporary open plan spaces. Wooden frames come in a variety of coloured finishes and can be paired with a seat pad for added comfort. For a more premium finish, an oak dining chair is a timeless and hard wearing option that adds warmth to any dining room.

Velvet

A velvet dining chair offers a tactile, luxurious finish available in many colours, from rich jewel tones to soft neutrals. Velvet pairs beautifully with both wood and metal frames, making it a versatile statement piece that suits a wide range of dining spaces.

Finding the right style

Picking the right look for your dining room comes down to personal taste and how you want to style your room. Use our filters to explore our range, from modern and industrial dining chairs for a contemporary edge, to the warmer and more relaxed feel of farmhouse or mid-century styles. If you have a specific colour in mind, browse by shade, from versatile grey and black dining chairs to bolder options like green and orange dining chairs.

Frequently asked questions

What height should dining chair seats be?

Our range of chairs typically have a seat height between 45-48cm, which allows plenty of legroom to sit comfortably as our tables are generally around 75cm tall. It is worth noting that some tables have slightly lower ledges under the main table surface which could prevent chairs with higher armrests from sliding under fully.

Are Dunelm dining chairs sold individually or in pairs?

Most of our range of dining chairs are sold in pairs, although we do have many available individually as well, which can be ideal if you are looking to create a mix and match style around your table. Use our Set Size filter to shop by number of chairs.

Tall back or short back dining chairs?

A high back dining chair provides more support, making it ideal for longer dining sessions, and can make a real style statement at the table. That said, low back dining chairs have their own appeal. Their smaller profile can make a space feel more open, making them a popular choice as kitchen chairs or to use where space is at a premium.

Do chairs have to match the table?

More and more homes are mixing and matching the styles in their dining setup. The chairs don't necessarily have to match the table, and they don't even have to match each other. While matching table and chairs is a classic approach, mixing different styles is a great way to create a more personal look.