A lower lounge bench or footstool will not do: plates end up at chin height.
What height should a dining bench be?
The same as a dining chair seat. Our tables are 30 in high with 28.7 in under the top. Wilma and Alva sit at 18.1 in, which leaves about 10.6 in between the seat and the underside of the top: enough for legs, not so much that the table feels high.
How long should a dining bench be?
Shorter than the space between the table legs, so it can slide under when nobody sits there. On a 63 in table that is about 11.8 in shorter than the top.
Measure between the legs of your own table before ordering, minus the legs themselves. Ann's legs sit 4.9 in in from the short ends. On a long table, a single long bench looks better than two short ones with a gap.
| Table | Bench | Seats on the bench |
|---|---|---|
| 63 in | 51 in | 2 adults, or 3 children |
| 94.5 in | 51 in, or custom Wilma up to 63 in | 2 to 3 |
| 110.2 in | Custom Wilma 63 in | 3 |
How to pair a bench with dining chairs
One side is the usual choice: a bench against the wall, chairs on the open side where people walk. Two benches look tidy but everyone must climb in, and older guests prefer a chair with a back.
A bench has no backrest. For long dinners, put chairs at the ends.
Dining bench with or without a back?
Ours are without. Wilma and Alva are backless dining benches, and that is a choice, not a missing part. A backless bench slides right under the table when nobody sits on it, people can step over it from either side, and it keeps the room open because nothing rises above the table top.
A bench with a back is more comfortable for a long dinner, but it stays out from the table, needs its own wall and is harder to get in and out of in the middle. If backs matter, put the backless bench on the wall side, where people lean back against the wall, and dining chairs with backs on the open side and at the ends.
Oak or upholstered?
Solid oak Alva matches Ann, Melker, Diana and Luna oak finishes exactly, because it is the same oak and the same lacquer. A bare wood seat is the easiest to clean under children.
Wilma in vegan leather is softer for long meals and still wipes clean. Boucle is the most comfortable and least forgiving of spills.
Match the height, clear the legs
- 63 in table
- 51 in bench
- 110.2 in table
- custom 63 in Wilma
- Knee room
- about 10.6 in
