Buyer guides
Chair seat depth and width: standard sizes in cm, and why shorter guests notice first
What seat depth and width are normal for a dining chair, why depth follows the shortest sitter, and real seat depths from 145 wooden chairs and armchairs.
The short answer
- Seat depth: about 39–45 cm for a dining chair, from the front of the seat to the backrest (source 1). Another guide gives 40–45 cm (source 2).
- Seat width: about 39–50 cm for one person (source 1). The same second guide gives 45–55 cm (source 2).
- Seat height is a separate question. See restaurant chair and table dimensions.
Why depth should suit the shortest guests
The body measure behind seat depth is the length of the thigh when seated: from the back of the hips to the back of the knee. A university ergonomics handout lists it as 43–52 cm for women and 45–54 cm for men, from the 5th to the 95th percentile (source 3).
If the seat is longer than a guest's thigh, two things can happen:
- they sit back, and their feet no longer reach the floor;
- they sit forward, and they lose the backrest.
A study of care home seating found exactly this with residents (source 4). So the rule is: choose depth for the shorter guests, not the taller ones. A tall guest on a shallow seat is still supported. A short guest on a deep seat is not.
A comfort study tested six seat depths with 36 students for 90 minutes (source 5). The most comfortable was 40.2 cm, the 5th percentile of the thigh length of that group. The deeper seats, up to 52 cm, were rated less comfortable.
Why width is about the arms
For width, the body measure is the width of the hips when seated. The same handout lists up to 46 cm at the 95th percentile, for both women and men (source 3).
- On a chair without arms, a guest can overhang the seat a little. Width is less critical.
- On an armchair, the arms set a hard limit. Ask for the width between the arms, not the overall width.
Seat depth in 145 real chairs and armchairs
We measured the seat depth of every chair and armchair in the RikoStyle range (source 6). Children's chairs, stools and duplicate listings are left out.
| Models | Seat depth | Usually | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banquet and event chairs | 13 | 35–46 cm | 40 cm |
| Restaurant and hotel chairs | 54 | 37–50 cm | 42.5 cm |
| Restaurant and hotel armchairs | 32 | 39–50 cm | 46 cm |
| Care home chairs | 16 | 43–52 cm | 46 cm |
| Care home armchairs | 30 | 44–54 cm | 46.5 cm |
"Usually" is the median: half the models are below, half above.
What this shows:
- Depth follows the use. Event chairs are the shallowest. Armchairs and care home seats are the deepest.
- Most of our chairs suit short guests. 45 of our 83 chairs have a seat of 43 cm or less.
- Armchairs are a different story. Only 6 of our 62 armchairs are 43 cm deep or less. If many of your guests are short, or older, check the depth before you choose an armchair.
The width we publish is the overall width of the chair, including the frame: 37–69 cm for chairs (usually 46 cm) and 47–68 cm for armchairs (usually 56 cm). It tells you how many chairs fit at a table. The seat itself is narrower. Ask us for the width between the arms of any armchair.
Checklist before you order
- Ask how depth is measured. It should be from the front edge of the seat to the backrest.
- Upholstered back? A thick back cushion makes the seat feel shorter. Sit on a sample.
- Armchairs: ask for the width between the arms. Compare it with your guests, not with the catalogue.
- Ask a short person to sit on the sample. Can they sit back against the backrest with their feet flat on the floor?
- Mixed guests? In a care home or a hotel lounge, a mix of seat depths can suit more people than one size.
Find the right depth
Every model page lists its seat depth. Browse all models, or download the Excel list and sort by seat depth. We offer our chairs to restaurants and hotels, interior designers, care homes, event rental companies, furniture retailers and importers, and we are looking for long-term partners in each of these groups.
Sources
- IKEA Indonesia, Dining chair sizes that feel right: checklist, types, and materials: https://www.ikea.co.id/en/inspirations/dining-chair-size-guide-for-your-home. Inches and cm as given on the page.
- Fiona Schot, Dining Chair Size & Dimensions 2026, Schots, 29 January 2026: https://www.schots.com.au/dining-chair-sizes-and-dimensions
- Grand Valley State University, Common Measurements When Deciding Which Chair is the Best Fit for You (body measurements, 5th–95th percentile): https://www.gvsu.edu/cms4/asset/30F6D8A1-9140-75C7-2CAACF4A83B9D5A8/seatingmeasurements.pdf. Inches converted to cm and rounded.
- Blackler A., Brophy C., O'Reilly M., Chamorro-Koc M. Seating in aged care: Physical fit, independence and comfort. SAGE Open Medicine, 2018: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5758957/
- Bahrampour S., Nazari J., Dianat I., Asghari Jafarabadi M., Bazazan A. Determining optimum seat depth using comfort and discomfort assessments. International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics, 26(3), 429–435, 2020: https://doi.org/10.1080/10803548.2018.1550912
- Dimensions as published on each model's page on rikostyle.com, November 2026.
