14 Best Dining Chairs, Tested and Reviewed By AD’s Editors (2026)

No dining space—whether it’s a formal room or a tiny breakfast nook in your kitchen—would be complete without at least one of the best dining chairs. Eating from the comfort of your couch is all well and good, but having a grown-up set of dining chairs is a sophisticated way to keep some extra seating options on hand, whether you’re hosting a few friends or a full-blown bash.In a world with countless chair types (and one too many knockoffs), honing in on the right style can feel overwhelming. To steer you in the right direction, our team is on hand to tell you about what’s been surrounding their dining tables. Scroll down for their unfiltered opinions on the best dining chairs, period.Featured in this articleA Contemporary PickGillian Segal for Moe's Villetta Dining Chair (Set of 2)Read moreAn Angular OptionArticle Meja Dining ChairRead moreBest Dining BenchSundays Company Form BenchRead moreWooden Dining ChairsMetal and Leather Dining ChairsUpholstered Dining ChairsMore Dining Chairs We LoveDining Chair FAQsWooden Dining ChairsHerman Miller Comma Dining ChairMaterials: Solid walnut, oak, or painted beech frame, steam bent plywood with Grade A wood veneer back, upholstered seat: wood core; 0.5-inch foam padding; Maharam pace leatherDimensions: 29.5"H x 19.5"W x 18.5"DHerman Miller’s cushy Comma dining chair takes after the punctuation mark with an upholstered seat that invites you to pause. Associate commerce director Lori Keong took it for a spin during this year’s Seat Week and called out the enhanced comfort level compared to typical wooden options for extended periods of sitting or noshing. “The circular seat base perfectly rounds out the rest of the design, from the steam-bent backrest that curves around your back to the slender legs that look exceptionally pleasing to the eye,” she says. Meanwhile, the midcentury color palette it comes in (from this handsome rusty red to a completely colorblocked, Kindercore red and blue) feels just right for a dining room that has personality and polish. “If you happen to be one of those people who works out of a dining chair rather than a traditional seat on wheels, you could do a lot worse, looks-wise, than this.”Ton Salt ChairMaterials: Solid beech wood, molded plywood, and wood seatDimensions: 33.2"H x 17"W x 18.5"DTon’s Salt chairs are thin and slim in a way that makes them perfect for dining tables of all sizes. “When I bought four of these chairs for my apartment in 2021, I was worried that the black paint might chip,” contributor Madeleine Luckel told us. “So far that hasn’t happened at all, but I am starting to think that the paint on some of the seats is thinning.” In order to prevent floor scratches, Luckel also added felt pads to the bottom of the legs, noting that it was a bit tricky cutting out patches that were small enough to fit the areas, but ultimately the added protective measure has paid off in the long run. “If given the opportunity, I’d buy these chairs again! I could see myself having them for years and purchasing more of them down the line to build out my dining-chair set if I ever have the space,” she adds.Carl Hansen & Søn Wishbone ChairMaterials: Solid wood frame, wooden legs, and paper cord seatDimensions: 29.13"H x 21.64"W x 19.68"DSenior digital design editor Zoë Sessums snagged her wishbone chairs at a small antique sale in Maine, and after repairs to the paper cord seats, the Danish beauties were as good as new. Designed by Hans Wegner in 1949, the fan favorite CH24 seats (AKA wishbone chairs), followed the Dane’s self-described “process of purification and of simplification,” with a no-frills hardwood frame and woven seats fashioned from paper string. Widely recognized throughout AD’s archives, the timeless design is a versatile fit for varying design tastes, according to Sessums. “After an attempt at restringing the seats (letting my partner do 99% of the work), I can say just how skillfully and thoughtfully the chairs are constructed,” Sessums said. “The sculptural frame is elegant, available in 48 material and color options, and will absolutely last you a lifetime of dining delight.”Hay Rey ChairMaterials: Beech wood frame, molded plywood seat and back, beech top, and veneer die-cast aluminum bracketsDimensions: 31.5"H x 17.5"W x 19.5"DAccording to contributor Sydney Gore, Hay’s Rey chair is “hands down one of the most comfortable wood chairs.” A must-have for fans of contemporary modern design regardless of what aesthetic you’re into, Gore told us the seats are more than ideal dining chairs; after all, who wants to feel uncomfortable while they eat? “Trust me, you won’t find a better stackable chair with a screwless wood-to-metal connection. For people like me who live in small spaces where every inch counts, the Rey Chair is a godsend.” The timeless piece is even available in a junior version for kids, and if you really want to flex on friends, enemies, and lovers, just know the Rey Chair is a permanent fixture in the Swiss Museum of Design in Zurich.Frama Chair 01Materials: BirchwoodDimensions: 17.7"W x 17.3"D x 31.9"HA beautiful set of stacking chairs will seldom disappoint you, especially if you’re looking for a smart way to maximize seating options in more modest spaces. Enter: Frama’s Chair 01, which answers all your ugly chair woes with beautifully austere, Scandi-inspired wooden silhouettes. Drawing inspiration from trademark designs seen in Nordic auditoriums and churches, the petite Chair 01 encourages great posture with its sturdy silhouette, according to commerce editor Audrey Lee.“I’ve always had a fixation with Frama goods and this chair is quite comfortable as far as wooden designs go,” she says. The secret in the sauce? “Despite its more rigid appearance, there are lots of subtle, curved edges that support long periods of sitting, plus a slightly rounded backrest that helps with creating a more welcoming accommodation for your spine.” At 5’1, Audrey found Chair 01 was the perfect size, though she admitted larger and taller sitters might not find the seat as comfortable. “The only thing I’d love to see is an optional seat cushion, to really level up the comfort,” says Lee.Vintage Traditional Swedish Campus ChairMaterials: Steel and woodDimensions: 30” H x 18”W x 19”D, seat height, 17”Commerce writer Julia Harrison describes the Lammhults Campus Chair, originally designed in the 1990s, as lightweight, sinewy, sleek, and (most importantly for small dining rooms) stackable. She was drawn to these chairs for their minimal frame. “For those of us who suffer from bulky dining room tables and tiny living spaces, these chairs engage negative space to lighten the visual weight of an otherwise cluttered space,” she says. The chrome legs and wooden back look like a true vintage relic, something you scoured the markets for, instead of finding with ease for under $500. They’re more comfortable than they look, too. Harrison remarks that the silhouette is slightly undulated, so your back and behind rest naturally along the subtle curve instead of needing to adjust every five minutes. “You might not suspect a chair of wood and steel to suit four hours of typing away, but I can attest to the contrary—it's built for a person to sit comfortably, and without structural parameters.”Trieste Folding Chair by Aldo JacoberMaterials: Solid woodDimensions: 18.5ʺW × 17.72ʺD × 29.13ʺHLiving in a small New York apartment has its drawbacks, a lack of living space being one. But commerce director Lori Keong found a solution in vintage folding chairs. “I bought some vintage, MoMA-worthy Aldo Jacober ones all the way from Slovenia a few years ago (hot tip, you can score good deals from Etsy dealers in Eastern Europe), and they are my favorite chairs to date,” she says. Sturdy and easy to move, these chairs have only gotten better with age, maintaining their handsome natural wood finish. “There’s something so visually clean and singular about the angular alignment of the legs, which neatly fold flat when you need to make space,” she continues. You can shop a number of iterations of these chairs across secondhand sellers like Etsy, 1st Dibs, and even Facebook Marketplace. They come in a variety of wood tones, colors, and materials (Keong has even found some with cane seats and wooden slats). She recommends options with thicker seats or all-wood slats for a more comfortable perch for all-night dinner parties.Sundays Company Form BenchDimensions: 59" W x 15" D x 17" HMaterials: Solid oak woodColors: Oak, American walnutA single chair gives everyone their own seat, but sometimes a more communal approach feels right—especially one that can pull double duty outside of hosting dinners. Arzbaecher agrees, having picked up the Sundays Form bench to add flexibility to her apartment’s dining area. Sundays specializes in streamlined, high-quality pieces, and this one is no exception. A minimalist silhouette and wide legs give this seat a versatile look, with enough room for two or three friends. “The solid wood of this model makes it feel not only stable, but also emphasizes the natural variations in the oak,” she says. The Form isn’t specifically a dining bench, leaving it free to float from room to room as needed: “While it’s currently serving at my dining table, the ease of this bench’s shape makes it feel like something that I’ll take with me from home to home, whether that be at a table, in an entryway, or at the foot of a bed.”Metal and Leather Dining ChairsKnoll Bertoia Side ChairMaterials: Steel frame and baseDimensions: 21.75"H x 19.75"W x 28.75"DWith indoor and outdoor appeal, the versatile Bertoia side chair has modern chops to dial up the interest in any area of your home. “I love the sleek piece for an industrial moment indoors,” says Sessums. With welded steel grids that make up the seat, the icon of midcentury-modern design comes in a variety of colors (with powder-coated finishes to hold up outdoors) and has sturdy, changeable seat cushions that also suit any number of hue preferences.“In my personal opinion they hold up as a perfect dining chair,” Sessums adds. Launched in 1952, the steel wire seat series is the only furniture Italian-American artist Harry Bertoia ever designed, but its impact has proven to be lasting. Our styling tip? Place the chairs in a sun-drenched spot to admire the geometric shadows cast by the sculptural seats.MR Chair Armless with Leather Sling SeatMaterials: Polished chrome frame, leather back, molded clear-plastic glides with twin-pin snap-in constructionDimensions: 31"H x 19.25"W x 27.25"DA man of the mindset that less is more, the Bauhaus-era MR chair is Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s reimagining of a classic cantilever style. “Since I prefer not to work from a desk at home, I spend most of my day at the dining table sitting in this chair, and, once I take a seat, my cheeks are glued to it,” Gore told us of her vintage MR10 chairs purchased from Carefully Curated. According to long-standing Knoll lore, the MR chairs were intended to be “a modern derivative of 19th-century iron rocking chairs,” meaning that you can really lean back while sitting in one of these without breaking them too. “What has surprised me the most about this chair is that it’s as functional as it is beautiful, and that’s the power of good design. The MR Chair is an investment that is 100% worth making.”Upholstered Dining ChairsGillian Segal for Moe's Villetta Dining Chair (Set of 2)Dimensions: 19.8"W x 21.9"D x 33"HMaterials: Solid ash wood, high-density foam, fabric upholstery (82% Polyester,18% Acrylic)Seat depth: 18.25"Colors: Deep pink, white stripeShopping producer Lauren Arzbaecher is typically more a fan of Shaker-esque dining chairs, but the finishes and deep seat of these Gillian Segal-designed chairs wooed her. “I was surprised to find myself besotted with this upholstered design,” she says. “The spherical finials echo the craftsmanship of older woodworking styles while the overall shape brings a more eclectic style that feels more novel.” Crafted from solid ash wood, these seats are sturdy but don’t nearly look as formal as fully upholstered options. Arzbaecher chose the pink upholstery and paired the chairs with a similarly hued table to imbue her rental with warmth. They’re also wildly comfortable, no matter how you prefer to sit. “I often sit criss-cross up on chair seats—just hypermobility things—and the sizable depth of these chairs makes that not only possible, but comfortable,” she says.Article Meja Dining ChairDimensions: 30"H x 21.5"W x 22.5"DMaterials: Solid rubberwood, walnut veneer, plywood, steel, foam, and 100% polyester upholsterySeat depth: 18"Colors: Walnut, oak, and white oak with buff or caramel upholsterySenior shopping editor Nashia Baker describes these Scandi dining chairs as “simple, streamlined, and 1960s-inspired.” Boasting an angular silhouette paired with a rounded, almost barrel-like back, Article’s Meja chairs can’t be pinned down to a specific design aesthetic, but that’s part of the charm. The rich, walnut stain skews midcentury, while the tan upholstered seat feels warm and contemporary. “They’re even a bit sculptural, but not so much so that they’re nicer to look at than to sit on,” says Baker. “My friends always gravitate to this part of my apartment now for work sessions and sangria nights, and even after sitting for hours, no one’s said a thing about the seats feeling stiff.” They’re also just as durable as they look. Baker opted for white-glove delivery, which included assembly, and the four chairs took about 30 minutes in total to assemble. “The chairs stay in place without shifting, and even after accidentally spilling some juice (granted, it was watered-down lemonade) on the upholstery, a quick wipe-down kept it from staining,” she says.West Elm Adler Slipcover Dining ChairMaterials: Solid and engineered wood, yarn dyed linen weave slipcoverDimensions: 24"W x 24"D x 31"HWest Elm’s Adler dining chairs have a subtle slipcover you can remove in one piece and clean, which makes it an obvious choice for spaces that support modern dwellers and messy diners like our contributor Blake Bakkila. “Since my toddler has mastered the stumbling sprint (usually with blackberries in hand), we have to be prepared for everything, especially when it comes to spills and messes,” she says. Slipcover options include linen weaves (only suitable for spot or dry cleaning), as well as washing machine-friendly chenille tweed and chunky bouclé. Thanks to West Elm’s white-glove service, Bakkila told us delivery was also a breeze, with the chairs arriving on time and placed straight from the truck right into her dining room. “They’re substantial pieces that offer just enough support in the seat cushion, plus the curved silhouette wrapped around my lower back like a gentle hug. After testing two at the ends of our dining room table, we’re already talking about nabbing three more to replace our three existing chairs.”Whit Dining Chair (Set Of 2)Materials: Ash wood with upholsteryDimensions: 17"W x 20.5"D x 36"HThere are some real stars among Lulu and Georgia’s collection with Sarah Sherman Samuel, including the maximalist Whit dining chair that can just as easily stand its ground as an accent chair for your living room. “We have a tulip-style dining table, and the sculptural frame of these gorgeous, modern dining chairs mimics the same curved shape of the table,” says contributor Kelsey Borovinsky. She describes the seats as elegant and minimalist, with the padded bouclé upholstery lending a touch of warmth. “We love to continue sitting at the table long after we have cleaned our plates, and these dining chairs are incredibly comfortable while still keeping a low profile in our small space.”More Dining Chairs We LoveBodyform Chair by Peter Danko (Set of 4)For anthropomorphic design lovers, the Bodyform chair reminds us of a stick figure come to life. Dreamed up by American artist and designer Peter Danko, you’ll still score points with furniture insiders and design nerds with this silhouette, but the exaggerated curves are ideal for bringing some humor to your dining setup.Lulu and Georgia Judson Dining ChairThe Judson dining chair, with its tapered back and ball feet, is a modern take on the upholstered dining chair, sans slipcover. The overstuffed form ensures hours of comfort, and the lush velvet is a welcome material departure from the dining area’s traditionally wood-heavy palette.Andalusia Indoor/Outdoor Woven Dining ChairReminiscent of something you’d only dream of finding in an antique market, the Andalusia dining chair dishes out a healthy dose of character. With a structured rattan seat and wrought iron accents, it brings old-world charm to an otherwise formal dining setup. As a bonus, these chairs are outdoor-friendly should you wish to take dinner alfresco.Surf Sling Untanned Leather Dining Chair by VUUEA modernist pick with the laid-back vibe of a surf lodge (hence the name), this dining chair can effortlessly elevate a breakfast nook. We like how the polished stainless steel frame contrasts against the leather’s often rustic connotations. While the sling seat may look relaxed, it’s designed to offer plenty of support without feeling stiff or upright.Dining Chair FAQsWhat are the most comfortable dining chairs for long meals?Upholstered dining chairs, or chairs that include a seat cushion, are likely the most comfortable dining room chairs to sit in for lengthy meals. Consider chairs with a higher back to help support your spine, a plush seat, and a seat height where your knees rest at a comfortable angle. Think of a dining chair like a less technical office chair. You still want a sense of ergonomic comfort, elbows comfortably at table height, and allow your feet to be flat on the floor. But you’re not sitting in it for eight full hours a day, so there’s some wiggle room in the aesthetic prowess you can allow.What are the most durable materials for dining chairs?For a dining chair that will last for years to come, consider a form made from solid wood or metal. Wood has been used for centuries to craft seating, and if you look around any antique store, many of those pieces are still in perfectly working condition. Metal is a bit more resistant to wear and tear (no warping, staining, or cracking here), but these pieces can rust if left outdoors or exposed to too much moisture. Fabric dining chairs, either fully upholstered or just with a seat cushion, can often sag and stain over the years, losing their plush shape and losing their color due to sun exposure.