Dining Chair Height: What Seat Height Fits Your Table?

By Alexandra PetterssonReviewed by Alexander TjernströmUpdated

Short answer

17.7 to 18.9 in
Seat height
28.5 to 30 in
Table height
10 to 12 in
From seat to tabletop

A standard dining chair has a seat height of 17.7 to 18.9 in, made for a table 28.5 to 30 in high. What decides comfort is the gap: keep 10 to 12 in between the seat and the tabletop, and at least 8 in between the seat and the underside of the table or its apron.

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Dining chair Karin in dark oak wood frame beside a modern dining table with candles.
Karin in dark oak, with a 19.7 in seat.Karin Dining Chair · fromFrom $639

Seat height is the one measurement that decides whether a dining chair works at your table. The overall height of the chair, the shape of the back and the style of the legs all vary, but the seat has to sit a set distance below the tabletop, or you end up perched above your plate or sitting with your knees against the apron. This guide gives the standard seat height, the gap to keep between seat and table, which seat heights suit which table heights, how armrests fit under the top, and how dining height compares with counter and bar height. Every figure is in inches, with the seat height of each by Crea dining chair.

What is the standard dining chair height?

The standard seat height of a dining chair is 17.7 to 18.9 in, measured from the floor to the top of the seat.

DINING TABLE · 30 IN 18.1 in 30 in 11.8 in 10.6 in seat height table height to tabletop thigh room DINING TABLE · 30 IN 18.1 in 30 in 11.8 in 10.6 in
Side view. An 18.1 in seat at a 30 in table leaves 11.8 in up to the tabletop and 10.6 in of thigh room under the 1.2 in top. Keep 10 to 12 in, and at least 8 in.

Measure at the front edge of the seat, where your thighs rest, and on an upholstered chair measure to the top of the cushion. The overall height, to the top of the backrest, varies with the design and has no effect on how the chair fits the table.

The chart below gives the seat height of each of our dining chairs and the gap it leaves below a 30 in tabletop, the height of our own dining tables.

Seat height per by Crea dining chair, and the gap below a 30 in tabletop
ModelSeat heightOverall heightSeat to tabletop
Sella, with armrests 18.1 in31.9 in11.8 in
Bella 18.1 in31.9 in11.8 in
Isabell 18.1 in31.9 in11.8 in
Erik, with armrests 18.9 in29.9 in11 in
Karin 19.7 in29.9 in10.2 in

How much space should there be between the seat and the table?

Keep 10 to 12 in between the top of the seat and the top of the table.

Less than 9.8 in and your legs meet the table; more than 11.8 in and you sit low, reaching up to your plate like a child at an adult's table.

The second measurement is thigh room: at least 8 in between the seat and the underside of the tabletop, or of the apron if the table has one. Our dining tables are 30 in high with a 1.2 in top, so the underside sits at 28.7 in. An 18.1 in seat leaves 10.6 in of thigh room there, and Karin's 19.7 in seat leaves 9 in. Aprons on other tables can hang 3.1 to 4 in below the top, so measure to the lowest point before you choose.

Dining chair Karin with oak wood frame and greige bouclé cushion beside a stone dining table.
Karin in oak with a greige bouclé seat, 19.7 in from the floor.

What table height do dining chairs fit?

Dining chairs fit tables 28.5 to 30 in high, the standard range for dining tables.

30 in is the classic height and the one we make our Ann and Luna tables to. Many older tables, and many Scandinavian ones, are a little lower, at 28.5 to 29 in, and suit a seat at the lower end of the range.

Applying the 10 to 12 in rule gives the chart below: the seat heights that work at each common table height, and which of our chairs fit.

Seat height for each table height, keeping 10 to 12 in from seat to tabletop
Table heightSeat height that fitsOur chairs
28.5 in 16.5 to 18.5 inSella, Bella, Isabell
29 in 17.3 to 19.3 inSella, Bella, Isabell, Erik
30 in 18.1 to 20 inEvery model

Do dining chairs with armrests fit under the table?

Chairs with armrests fit under the table when the armrests sit lower than the underside of the tabletop or apron.

That is the one extra measurement to take before buying a chair with arms. Measure from the floor to the lowest point under the table's edge, then compare it with the arm height of the chair.

Sella's armrests are 25.2 in high and Erik's 26.4 in, so both slide under any table with 27.5 in or more below the edge, including our own at 28.7 in. If your table has a deep apron, a chair without arms, or with arms at the ends of the table only, is the safer choice. Our guide to dining chairs with arms covers the trade-offs.

Detailed view of solid oak dining chair backs with refined craftsmanship in a soft Scandinavian interior setting.
Erik's armrests sit at 26.4 in, low enough to slide under a 30 in table.View Erik
Erik Dining ChairArmrests at 26.4 in · from $679View Erik

How does dining chair height compare with counter and bar height?

Dining chairs have a 17.7 to 18.9 in seat, counter stools 26 in and bar stools 30 in, each sitting about 10 to 12 in below the surface it serves.

The three are not interchangeable. A dining chair at a 35.5 in kitchen island leaves you with the counter at chest height, and a counter stool at a dining table puts your knees above the tabletop.

If you are furnishing an island or a kitchen counter rather than a table, our bar stool height guide gives the same rule for counters and bars, and counter stools vs bar stools explains which of the two your island needs.

Which seat height is best for tall or short people?

Most adults sit comfortably on a 17.7 to 18.9 in seat; tall people are more at ease around 18.9 to 19.7 in, and shorter people at 17.7 to 18.1 in.

The aim is feet flat on the floor with the knees at roughly a right angle and the thighs resting on the seat, not lifted off it.

In a household with very different heights, pick the seat for the table first and let the tallest person decide within that range. Karin, at 19.7 in, is our tallest seat and suits tall households at a 30 in table; Sella, Bella and Isabell at 18.1 in suit most people and lower tables. For a longer look at what makes a chair comfortable through a whole dinner, read comfortable dining chairs.

Dining chair height in three numbers

18.1 in
Seat on Sella, Bella and Isabell; 18.9 in on Erik, 19.7 in on Karin.
10 to 12 in
Between the seat and the tabletop.
8 in
Thigh room under the table or apron, at least.

Choose a seat of 17.7 to 18.9 in for a table of 28.5 to 30 in. Keep 10 to 12 in from seat to tabletop, and at least 8 in of thigh room under the table or apron. Our chairs are made for our own 30 in tables: an 18.1 in seat on Sella, Bella and Isabell, 18.9 in on Erik and 19.7 in on Karin. Every one is made in our own factory in Malmö, Sweden, delivered fully assembled and covered by a 10-year warranty.

Frequently asked questions

What is the standard height of a dining chair?

The seat of a standard dining chair is 17.7 to 18.9 in from the floor. The overall height, to the top of the backrest, varies with the design and does not affect how the chair fits the table.

What seat height do I need for a 29.5 in table?

A seat of 17.7 to 19.7 in, which leaves the recommended 10 to 12 in between the seat and the tabletop.

How much clearance do you need between a chair and a table?

Keep 10 to 12 in between the seat and the tabletop, and at least 8 in between the seat and the underside of the table or its apron, so your thighs fit.

Can I use counter stools at a dining table?

No. A counter stool's 26 in seat is 8 in too high for a 30 in table. Dining tables need a 17.7 to 18.9 in seat; a 35.5 in counter needs counter stools.

How high are the armrests on a dining chair?

On our Sella they are 25.2 in high and on Erik 26.4 in. Both slide under a table with 27.5 in or more below the edge.

Are all by Crea dining chairs the same height?

No. Sella, Bella and Isabell have an 18.1 in seat, Erik 18.9 in and Karin 19.7 in. All of them fit our 30 in dining tables.

Shop the chairs in this guide

All dining chairs
  • Made in Malmö, Sweden
  • Delivered fully assembled
  • 10-year warranty
  • Try a chair at home
  • Made in Malmö
  • Fully assembled
  • 10-year warranty
  • Try a chair at home
Isabell Dining ChairFrom $479 Shop