You need to buy a new set of dining chairs, but you’ve quickly realised that this is easier said than done. Who’d have thought that something so simple would require extensive research?! You may believe that it’s as easy as picking the first dining chairs you see, but that’s not the case. This is a serious decision that demands much thought – so here are the main things to consider when buying dining chairs.
Comfort vs Style
Naturally, you want to pick dining chairs that help you personalise your home and add to the aesthetic appeal. With that in mind, you may be inclined to prioritise style over anything else – but is that the right thing to do?
Some people may disagree, but it’s a bit like buying a sofa based on looks alone, rather than comfort. You’ll sit on your dining chairs every single day, so they need to feel comfortable. Otherwise you just don’t have a good time while eating – and everyone will always complain.
Find the balance between comfort and style; look for dining chairs that meet your style desires, and then pick the ones that are comfortable enough for regular use. For example, a nice dining table bench may look stylish, but it’s hardly comfortable for you to use every day. You’re better off with a chair of the same style, only it has better back support and a softer cushion at the bottom.
The Size Of Your Dining Table
You can discount dozens of dining chairs by taking the size of your dining table into account. All it takes is a quick look at this collection of Shawcross Furniture dining chairs to see that they come in all shapes and sizes. Some chair styles will only let you fit one chair on each side of a rectangular table – but others are compact enough to let you fit two on the longer sides.
Think about it; you’ve bought a dining table that says it can seat six people, but the wrong chair choice could mean you’re restricted to four. What’s the point in that?!
Measure your dining table and consider how many people you can conceivably fit around it. This will determine which chairs are suitable for your situation – and which ones you can forget about as they’re simply too big. Take the height of your table into consideration as well; you don’t want to pick chairs that are quite low down if the table is higher than normal.
See, it’s more complicated than you initially realise! The best starting point is to take all the necessary measurements, think about how many people you want your table to seat, and then go from there.
How Easy They Are To Maintain (Important For Parents)
Dining chairs come in a bustling multitude of design options and styles. This means you’ll come across a wide range of materials and upholstering, such as:
- Fabric
- Leather
- Wood
- Metal
- Plastic
- Suede
- Velvet
To reinforce this point, some chairs may be fully upholstered in one material, or they could include a combination. For example, you may see a chair with a velvet seat cover, but a metal frame and legs. Or, you could have one that’s entirely leather apart from the legs.
Why does any of this matter? Because you want to pick chairs that are easy to look after, and this means your choice of material/upholstery is a big deal. It’s especially important for parents with young kids; they will almost certainly spill things on the dining chairs or risk damaging them.
Ideally, you want your dining chairs to:
- Be easy to wipe clean and avoid stains
- Not tear or rip easily
- Withstand regular use
You’ll have to do some research into this, though leather and faux leather tend to have the best all-around balance. It’s worth actually visiting a furniture shop so you can see these materials in the flesh and get a sense for which ones are the easiest to look after.
The Amount Of Space Available
Where are you placing your dining table? If you’re lucky enough to have an older home, then it may come with a dedicated dining room. These rooms are less common in modern houses, which tend to lean towards kitchen-diners or living room-diner spaces. With a proper dining room, you don’t have to worry about the amount of space available, as you can usually fit any chairs in this room alongside your table.
Those of you without this luxury will need to consider one key thing:
- Will there be enough space for your chairs and your dining table?
It’s something to think about when you look at the size of your dining table and debate how big your chairs should be. If you have ample space for a table and chairs, then you may prefer the largest chairs you can get away with to help fill up the dining area, or it looks too empty. If you’re restricted – perhaps you rent, and you’ve got a small space for a table in the living room, then you need chairs that fit around the table when tucked in.
As you can imagine, the need for tucked-in chairs will limit what you can choose from, so don’t underestimate the importance of this consideration!
How Long You Plan On Needing Them
You might think this is an odd thing to focus on, but some families don’t need a long-term dining table and chairs. This will most likely be a thing if you’re stuck renting a flat or a small house before you buy something. Sometimes, you only plan on living in a home for a year or so – and this means you buy furniture that fits the home but won’t come with you when you eventually leave and find a better place.
In that particular case, is it worth spending money on a high-end dining table if you know you’ll get a new one in a year or two? No, probably not – especially if you’re forced to buy a smaller table because there’s not a lot of space, which means you’re forced to buy chairs that fit the table and the space available.
For people in that situation, it’s better to find something affordable that you’re happy to part with and sell or recycle at the end of your tenancy. However, if you’re in your forever home, then you need to prioritise quality and pick up a set of dining chairs that are built to last.
This all might seem like a lot to take in, but it’s genuinely not as complicated as it looks. You simply need to be more mindful of the space available to you, the size of your dining table, the maintenance demands and whether this is a permanent or temporary purchase.
