Restaurant Chair Dimensions: Seat Height, Width and Depth Explained
Typical restaurant chair dimensions are a seat height of 450–500 mm for a 760 mm table, a 250–300 mm gap from the seat to the underside of the table top, a seat depth of roughly 380–470 mm and, for the published contract chairs compared here, overall widths of 420–600 mm.
Key takeaways
- Size the chair from the table: the seat-to-top gap is the figure that decides comfort.
- Arms add width and height; check the arm top clears the table apron.
- Published contract chairs in this article range from 420 mm to 600 mm overall width.
- BS EN 16139:2025 gives recommended chair dimensions in an informative annex, as guidance rather than requirements.
- Put every agreed dimension on the specification drawing so the sample and production can be checked against it.
A chair that looks right in a showroom can still be wrong in your room: arms that hit the table edge, knees jammed under a thick top, or a frame wide enough to cost you a cover on every banquette run. Most of these problems are dimensional and avoidable. This guide explains the measurements that matter when you specify restaurant chairs, gives published guide figures and real product dimensions, and shows how to check a sample before you approve production. All figures are in millimetres and are attributed to the guide, standard or product page they come from.
What are standard restaurant chair dimensions?
There is no single legal size for a restaurant chair, but published guidance clusters around a few figures. The table brings them together with what to check on site.
| Dimension | Guide figure | Where it comes from | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dining table height | 760 mm | Inside Out Contracts | Your actual table, including top thickness |
| Dining seat height | 450–500 mm | Inside Out Contracts | Measured on the sample, seat cushion included |
| Seat to underside of top | 250–300 mm (about 260 mm optimum) | Inside Out Contracts | Measure to the apron or dropped edge where present |
| Seat depth | 380–470 mm | HSE HSG57, cited by Wheels for Wellbeing | Smaller guests can still reach the backrest |
| Armrest above seat | About 200 mm | BS 8300-1:2018, cited by Wheels for Wellbeing | Arm top clears the table edge |
| Backrest above seat | At least 300 mm | BS 8300-1:2018, cited by Wheels for Wellbeing | Lower-back support position |
| Poseur table / stool seat | 1,100 mm / 800 mm | Inside Out Contracts | Footrest height on the stool |
The Inside Out Contracts figures come from its seat-to-table guide (Inside Out Contracts). The accessibility figures were compiled for public seating by Wheels for Wellbeing, which cites BS 8300-1:2018, Inclusive Mobility and HSE guidance (Wheels for Wellbeing). They are not restaurant-specific rules, but they give a sensible reference for guests who need support.
Seat height and the seat-to-table gap
Seat height on its own tells you little; the gap between the seat and the underside of the table is what guests feel. Inside Out Contracts recommends 250–300 mm, measured from the seat to the base of the table top, or to the dropped edge on tables built with one, and describes 260 mm as the optimum for comfort.
Work it through with your own tables. A 760 mm table with a 30 mm top leaves 730 mm to the underside. A 460 mm seat then gives a 270 mm gap, comfortably inside the window. Add a 100 mm deep apron rail, and the clearance under the rail falls to 630 mm, so the gap to the rail is only 170 mm. That is why a chair that suits a slim pedestal table can feel cramped at a heavy farmhouse table. If you are choosing tables at the same time, decide the apron detail before you fix the chair.
Upholstered seats compress when sat on, and timber seats do not. Agree with your supplier where seat height is measured (for example, at the front edge of the seat, uncompressed) and record it on the drawing.
High tables and poseur seating
For high seating, the same principle applies at a different scale. Inside Out Contracts gives 1,100 mm for a standard poseur table and 800 mm for the matching stool seat. Counter and bar heights vary more than dining tables, so see our bar stool height guide before ordering stools.
Seat width, depth and overall footprint
Overall width decides how many chairs fit along a table edge or a run of tables, and it varies more than seat height. Three published products, one in two versions, show the spread:
- A bentwood side chair from Warner Contract Furniture is listed at 420 mm wide, 530 mm deep and 880 mm high, with a 460 mm seat (Warner Contract Furniture).
- Style Seating’s SPO aluminium chair is reported at 450 mm wide without arms and 540 mm with arms, 560 mm deep, 900 mm high, with a 460 mm seat height and a 400 by 400 mm seat (Hotel Designs).
- A stacking aluminium chair sold by Brakes Catering Equipment is listed at 600 mm wide, 495 mm deep and 780 mm high, with a 450 mm seat (Brakes Catering Equipment).
In the SPO example, adding arms adds 90 mm of width. Across a long run, that difference can decide whether a table edge takes two chairs or three. Seat depth matters for comfort: HSE guidance cited by Wheels for Wellbeing gives 380–470 mm, and the same summary suggests deeper seats are hard for smaller people to use with the backrest. Overall depth also matters for aisles, because splayed back legs project beyond the seat and the backrest.
Arms, backs and accessible seating
Armchairs help guests sit down and stand up, but they need room. BS 8300-1:2018, as cited by Wheels for Wellbeing, places armrests around 200 mm above the seat, extending at least 80% of the way to the front of the seat, and a backrest at least 300 mm above seat level. On a 460 mm seat, a 200 mm arm puts the arm top at about 660 mm. That clears a 730 mm underside on a slim-topped table, but not the 630 mm clearance under a deep apron, so the chair will sit out from the table.
If you want armchairs at apron tables, consider a lower arm, a shorter arm that stops before the table edge, or a table design without a deep rail. A sensible mix for many dining rooms is mostly armless side chairs with some armchairs in the same frame and finish, placed where less mobile guests can reach them easily.
What do the standards say about chair dimensions?
BS EN 16139:2025, the European standard for the safety, strength and durability of non-domestic seating, applies to seating for adults up to 110 kg and includes an informative annex of recommended chair dimensions (BSI). FIRA International notes that the recommended dimensions in Annex G were updated in the 2025 revision (FIRA International). Informative annexes are guidance rather than pass-or-fail requirements, so they are a reference point for designers, not a substitute for checking chairs against your tables.
How to measure a sample chair
When the pre-production sample arrives, measure it against the specification drawing rather than by eye:
- Seat height at the front edge, with and without a person seated if upholstered.
- Seat depth from the front edge to the backrest.
- Seat width at the front and overall width at the widest point, including arms.
- Overall depth, including any splay of the back legs.
- Arm height above the floor, then test it against the actual table and apron.
- Back height and the position of lower-back support.
- For stacking chairs, the height of a stack of the number you intend to store.
For the wider decisions around frames, upholstery and fire standards, read our buyer’s guide to restaurant chairs.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the standard seat height for a restaurant chair?
A dining chair seat is usually 450–500 mm from the floor, paired with a 760 mm table, according to Inside Out Contracts. The published contract chairs compared in this article sit at 450–460 mm, but always check against your own table.
How much space should there be between the chair seat and the table?
Allow 250–300 mm between the top of the seat and the underside of the table top, with about 260 mm often described as the most comfortable. Measure to the apron or dropped edge if the table has one.
How deep should a restaurant chair seat be?
Seat depths of roughly 380–470 mm are cited in HSE seating guidance, as summarised by Wheels for Wellbeing. Deeper seats can leave smaller guests unable to reach the backrest, so test samples with several people.
Do chair arms fit under a standard restaurant table?
Only if the top of the arm sits below the underside of the table top or apron. With arms around 200 mm above a 450–460 mm seat, the arm top is around 650–660 mm, so a deep apron on a 760 mm table can block it.
Sources
- In the know: seat height to table height guide, Inside Out Contracts (accessed 28 October 2026)
- Benches and seating in public spaces, Wheels for Wellbeing (accessed 28 October 2026)
- BS EN 16139:2025 Furniture. Safety, strength and durability. Requirements and test methods for non-domestic seating, BSI Knowledge (accessed 28 October 2026)
- New version of non-domestic seating standard BS EN 16139 published, FIRA International (accessed 28 October 2026)
- Style Seating’s SPO range now suitable for severe contract use, Hotel Designs (accessed 28 October 2026)
- Ella Bentwood Dining Chair, Warner Contract Furniture (accessed 28 October 2026)
- Stacking Aluminium Chair, Brakes Catering Equipment (accessed 28 October 2026)