Restaurant dining chairs

465 chairs live here, from padded dining-room frames to aluminum and resin pieces listed for the patio. Settle where the chair will stand first: inside, under a roof, or out in the open. Frame, seat and stacking come after that, and the sections below take them one at a time.

Inside, under a roof, or out in the open

Ask where the chair will stand before you ask what it looks like. Of the 465 chairs here, 394 are listed for indoor use and 124 for patio use. Only the patio-listed ones belong outside. A wood frame or an upholstered seat left in the weather fades, swells or rusts, and that exposure falls outside the warranty. Five of the patio chairs are listed for a covered patio only.

If the seat will see rain, start with patio chairs. Most of this page is the indoor side of the same door.

Frame first, then the seat

Metal is the largest group, with 183 frames, then wood at 115 and aluminum at 64. Aluminum with a wood look adds 36, resin 21 and steel 18. Seats split a different way:

• Vinyl covers 286 chairs, and fabric covers 205
• Wood seats appear on 122 chairs, metal seats on 34
• Faux rattan (31 chairs) and plastic teak (23) are patio materials

Open the metal chairs for the longest run of frames, or the wood chairs for a dining room. Frame and seat can mix, so a metal frame may carry a vinyl, wood or fabric seat. Upholstery options come with 254 chairs, so ask for a swatch before you settle on a color.

Heights, arms and stacks

Plan on a seat of 17 to 19 inches under a table that stands 29 to 30 inches. Listed heights here cluster at 18, 18 3/4, 18 1/2 and 19 inches, so most of the shelf fits that rule. Arms come on 118 chairs, a padded back on 137, and four swivel. Arms add width, so measure the clear opening under your table before you count on them. Price tags on single chairs run from $26 up to $566.

Stacking is listed for 133. That matters on a patio you clear every night, and the stacking chairs page gathers them. BIFMA certification shows on 68 listings, so read the page of the chair you pick.

Where to look next

A chair is half of a place at the table. Pair the count with the restaurant tables, or look at bar stools if a rail is in the plan. Save a shortlist to Patio plans and copy it forward for next spring.