Just before Thanksgiving you decided to order a new dining table and chairs to accommodate extra guests this year – new spouses, children ready to sit at the “adult” table, new neighbors who are still settling into their home, etc. It looked gorgeous online, but as you wanted things to be perfect for the big day, you and your family haven't stress-tested the comfort levels just yet with a preliminary meal or two. Dinner is almost ready and there are plans to have a game night for those who aren't struck by the need for a post-turkey nap.

Once you sit down to eat everyone is looking very happy and chattering away amidst the clinks of silverware against plates. Within ten minutes, one of the children begins to fidget and it seems like some of the adults are trying to eat faster. Everyone wanders away from the table after the meal, and it occurs to you that maybe if you'd done a bit more research, your back might not ache, the tush might not be quite as numb, and game night could have been a reality.

Read on, and with the knowledge you will gain from our guide this will never be your fate!

Fit to Sit

Before deciding what you want your chairs to look like, it is important to get a sense of how much space you have available for them. This is especially important if you already have an existing table and you wish to get new chairs.

It is good to keep the shape of your dining area in mind so that you can envision how the whole dining set-up will look. Once the measurements of the table and the room itself have been accounted for, you can start thinking about how many chairs you will need. Some rules of thumb:

• Be sure to leave 4 – 5 feet between the table and walls for people to sit and maneuver in.
• Make sure there are 24 – 30 inches between each chair for your guests' comfort.

Seat heights will determine how well your chairs fit to the table. If you are only purchasing chairs, measure from the underside of the table to the floor to discover how much of a clearance your chairs will have. Average tables measure 28 – 30 inches - but including aprons (the rail that is fitted between the legs to support the top of the table), most are 25 inches.

Most of the time you should have no difficulties fitting chairs to a table, but issues can arise if you intend to purchase dining chairs with arms – when placed at the ends of the table this creates a very elegant and formal scene. Be sure to incorporate space for them under the table, and be sure to keep in mind the space allowed between the legs. If your family is either a tall or a petite on the whole, it is a good idea to be aware of seat depths Not only does the proper seat mean a more pleasant seating experience for them, it also affects how your chairs will fit to the table.

A final tip on fit – always have comfort in mind. While some of you might intend to go shopping at physical stores, more and more often people are doing parts of  their shopping online and depend upon the reviews of pioneering consumers; some shop online simply because there are so many helpful reviews! That low backrest might look sleek, but how does it hold up to hours of studying at the table? Sure those cushions are comfy, but do they stand the test of time? Read through reviews carefully to make a more informed decision. Once you have your purchase you might even want to contribute and leave some helpful words on your own experience!

Style for Miles

Now that you have all the numbers crunched and you have a sense of what roles your chairs will play in your life, you can start thinking about the look of them. With the assumption once again that you will be incorporating chairs to an existing dining table, it is important to keep said table's style in mind as much as that of the room it resides in. You are certainly welcome to mix highly modern metal high-back chairs with a shaker style table, but it might start to grate at you after a while!

While one should definitely keep needs in mind over trends, it has become increasingly popular to mix and match the chairs themselves. This is especially handy when you are working within a budget or only one or two of your chairs need to be replaced. Even if your budget is more along the lines of “the sky is the limit”, it can be a very bold statement and lend an extra bit of fun to the dining area. A less risqué option is to choose armchairs different from the side chairs, as this way you get the mixed feeling with a touch more cohesion.  The key here is for you to enjoy the aesthetics of your decisions for a long time to come.

The Bottom Line

The seat of your chair has to look good and feel good, right? Then there is the whole question of durability.... While you're probably aware that children and upholstered furniture don't always mix the best, there are an increasing number of manufacturers offering easy-to-clean options for a more family-friendly product. So what then is the best way to go? Many chairs (such as the Ladder-back) offer a woven seat, but if you're looking for some cushion, chances are you will encounter the following:

•  • Fabrics: As mentioned above, one of the best fabrics for a kid-friendly dining chair is microfiber. Any tightly woven fabric is going to wear better and resist stains more successfully. You can go with more traditional velvet or silk if you are looking for something a little more elegant, or compromise with a nice cotton/poly blend!
•  • Leather: By far the most durable choice, leather actually improves by softening with age and proper care. There are several types of leather for you to keep in mind while shopping: top- or full-grain is from the upper section of the hide and will wear better than most other kinds; Aniline leather is delicate, soft and supple but is highly susceptible to sunlight and liquid stains; corrected-grain has been sanded or buffed to remove imperfections, then given a new grain; split leather is what is left once the top-grain has been removed from a hide, then given an embossed grain; suede is made from split leather, with the grain completely removed – it is less expensive than other types of leather, but also far less durable.

Finishing Up

The following are some of the most popular types of dining chairs, and should help to outfit you with some general idea for what sort of chair will suit your needs from a purely visual standpoint.

•  • Chippendale: Originating from 18th-century British furniture maker Thomas Chippendale, they are known for their pierced splats (center back support), yoke-shaped top rails, curved and elaborately carved parts, upholstered seats and even ball-and-claw feet. While traditionally crafted from mahogany, they can be found in walnut, maple, cherry, pine, ash, cedar, beech and even tulip.
•  • Ladder-back: Also known as Shaker Style or Slat-Backs, they feature rail-and-stile backs (which replace the usual splat) and often have woven seats. This is a very popular choice for a country dining area.
•  • Midcentury: As one can gather from the name, these come from the mid-20th century, with a broad range of designs from the 1940s to the 1970s. Modern (Mod), retro... you name it. Glass, metal, resins, plastics/vinyls and leather are all hallmarks of this era.
•  • Queen Anne: These chairs are also based on an 18th-century design. They are recognizable by the urn-shaped splat and the crest rail along the back. Designs tend to be generally very delicate and restrained.
•  • Regency: Can also be called Empire or Duncan Phyfe; they feature saber legs (these are curved to resemble a cavalry saber), scroll backs and squared tops. This design is 19th-century in origin, but duplicated repeatedly in the 20th-century. These tend to be massive and bulky with bold carving, and they are usually made from rosewood or mahogany.
•  • Windsor: While straight out of England, this is a chair that has been highly popularized by Americans since the mid 18th-century. Generally delicate, they are often crafted from pine, maple, hickory, ash or birch. The back is made from spindles that are enclosed with a curving rail at the top; the seat is usually generous and accommodated by stretcher-supported legs.