How Many Chairs Fit Around a Dining Table?

Divide the length of the table by that figure, round down, and double it for the two long sides. A 180 cm (71 in) 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.

That is why a dining table for two rows of guests is normally 80 to 90 cm (31.5 to 35.5 in) wide: two place settings plus room in the middle for dishes. At 60 cm (23.5 in) per person there is room to eat without touching elbows; at 70 cm (27.5 in) 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 (16.9 in) wide, and the gap they leave is what makes 60 cm (23.5 in) comfortable. Sella and Erik, with armrests, are 50 cm (19.7 in) and 54 cm (21.3 in) wide and need the full 70 cm (27.5 in).

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.

Round tables are measured around the edge instead of along it: multiply the diameter by 3.14 and allow 70 cm (27.5 in) per person for comfort, or 60 cm (23.5 in) 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.

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 (30 in) 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.