How Many Chairs Fit Around a Dining Table?

By Alexandra PetterssonReviewed by Alexander TjernströmUpdated

Short answer

60 cm
Table per chair
70 cm
With armrests
6
chairs at a 180 cm table

As a rule of thumb, allow 60 cm of table edge per chair, or 70 cm for chairs with armrests. A 180 cm table seats six, three on each side, and a 240 cm table eight. If the table is at least 90 cm wide, add one chair at each end; we recommend 90 cm of floor behind every chair.

Dining chair Sella in black leather around a modern dining table with large windows overlooking greenery.
Sella chairs with armrests around a long dining table.Sella Dining Chair · from €489
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Part of the guide to Dining Chairs

The number of chairs a dining table seats comes down to one measurement: how much table edge each person gets. Too little and every dinner is a negotiation over elbows; too much and a long table feels half empty. This guide gives the space per chair, a chart of how many chairs fit each common table length with and without armrests, when you can seat people at the ends, how round tables compare, and how much room to leave around the table. Every figure is in centimetres, with the seating for our own Ann and Luna tables.

How many chairs fit around a dining table?

As a rule of thumb, allow 60 cm of table edge per chair, or 70 cm for chairs with armrests.

Elegant dining setup featuring Karin dining chair in dark oak, a refined choice for contemporary dining spaces.
Karin chairs in dark oak around an Ann table.

Divide the length of the table by that figure, round down, and double it for the two long sides. A 180 cm table seats six armless chairs, three on each side, or four chairs with arms.

The chart gives the count for the common table lengths. It covers the long sides only; seats at the ends are covered further down.

Chairs per table length, long sides only
Table lengthChairs without armsChairs with arms
120 cm42
140 cm44
160 cm44
180 cm64
200 cm64
220 cm66
240 cm86
280 cm88
300 cm108

How many chairs fit your table

Table shape
Chairs
Seats at the ends

6chairs

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The rule: allow 60 cm of table edge per chair, 70 cm with armrests, plus one chair at each end of a table at least 90 cm wide. Round tables: the diameter times 3.14, divided by 70 cm.

How much space does each person need at a dining table?

As a rule of thumb, each person needs 60 cm of table edge and about 40 cm of table depth for a place setting.

That is why a dining table for two rows of guests is normally 80 to 90 cm wide: two place settings plus room in the middle for dishes. At 60 cm per person there is room to eat without touching elbows; at 70 cm the table feels generous, and chairs with armrests need that much to pull in side by side.

The width of the chair matters less than you might think. Our slimmest chairs, Bella and Isabell, are 43 cm wide, and the gap they leave is what makes 60 cm comfortable. Sella and Erik, with armrests, are 50 cm and 54 cm wide and need the full 70 cm.

Can you seat people at the ends of the table?

Yes, one chair at each end, if the table is at least 90 cm wide and the legs leave room for knees.

The ends are where the table's design decides the count. Legs at the four corners take space from the chairs nearest them, which can cost a seat on a short table. Legs set in from the ends, or a pedestal, free up both the corners and the ends.

A chair with armrests at each end is a classic way to mark the host's seat, while the long sides take slimmer armless chairs. Our guide to dining chairs with arms explains how to combine the two.

How many chairs fit around a round table?

A round table of 110 cm seats four comfortably, and one of 140 cm seats six.

Round tables are measured around the edge instead of along it: multiply the diameter by 3.14 and allow 70 cm per person for comfort, or 60 cm when you need to squeeze in one more guest. Because nobody sits at a corner, a round table often fits one more person than a rectangle of the same area.

Our guide to chairs for a round table has a full chart by diameter and the chair shapes that suit a circle best.

How much space do you need around a dining table?

We recommend at least 90 cm between the table edge and the wall or nearest furniture, and 110 cm where people walk behind seated guests.

90 cm is enough to pull a chair out and sit down. Where the dining area is also a route through the room, the extra 20 cm lets someone pass without everyone standing up.

Add those allowances to the table and you have the room size: a 180 x 90 cm table with 90 cm on every side needs a space of 360 x 270 cm. If the room is tighter, our guide to dining chairs for small spaces covers the chairs and table shapes that give the most seats per square metre.

Erik dining chairs in solid dark oak styled in a minimalist Scandinavian kitchen interior with floor-to-ceiling windows, handcrafted oak furniture, and soft natural Nordic light.
Erik chairs with room to pull out behind them.

How many chairs do our Ann and Luna tables seat?

Our Ann oak table seats four at 160 cm, six at 240 cm and eight at 280 cm; our round Luna seats four at 110 cm and six at 140 cm.

Those ratings are deliberately generous. They leave room for chairs with armrests and for the table legs, so a set of Sella or Erik chairs fits as comfortably as armless ones.

Both tables are 76 cm high, the height every by Crea dining chair is made for. You can see the full range in our dining tables, and the dining chair height guide explains why the seat height matters as much as the count.

Ann Dining TableSeats four, six or eight · from €2.699View Ann

Seating in three numbers

60 cm
Table edge per chair; 70 cm with armrests.
90 cm
Table width lets you seat one chair at each end.
90 cm
Floor behind every chair; 110 cm where people pass.

As a rule of thumb, allow 60 cm of table edge per chair, or 70 cm with armrests, so a 180 cm table seats six. Add a chair at each end if the table is at least 90 cm wide. We recommend 90 cm of floor behind every chair, or 110 cm where people pass. Every by Crea dining chair is made in our own factory in Malmö, Sweden, delivered fully assembled and covered by a 10-year warranty.

Frequently asked questions

How many chairs fit a 180 cm table?

Six chairs without arms, three on each side, or four with armrests. Add one at each end if the table is at least 90 cm wide.

How many chairs fit a 160 cm table?

Four, two on each side, with or without armrests. With a chair at each end it seats six.

How much space do you need per dining chair?

As a rule of thumb, 60 cm of table edge per chair without arms and 70 cm with armrests, plus about 40 cm of table depth for each place setting.

How many chairs fit around a round table?

A 110 cm round table seats four comfortably and a 140 cm table six. Allow 70 cm of edge per person, 60 cm at a squeeze.

How much space should be between a dining table and the wall?

We recommend at least 90 cm so a chair can be pulled out, and 110 cm if people walk behind seated guests.

How big should a dining table be for eight people?

At least 240 cm long with armless chairs, four on each side, or 180 cm long and 90 cm wide with one chair at each end.

Shop the chairs in this guide

All dining chairs
  • Made in Malmö, Sweden
  • Delivered fully assembled
  • 10-year warranty
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