Chair height for a 75 cm table: 45 or 47 cm, and why you need a 28–30 cm gap

People choose a chair by its fabric and the shape of the backrest, and only check the height at home, when sitting at the table turns out to be uncomfortable. A seat that is too high and your knees hit the apron while your elbows lie on the tabletop. Too low, and you sit like a child at a grown-ups' table.

Let's look at the one figure everything depends on, and how to check it before you buy.

What chair height for a 75 cm table

A standard 75 cm dining table suits a 45–47 cm seat. Seat height is measured from the floor to the top of the seat, not to the backrest: the overall height of the chair (80, 90 or 100 cm) tells you nothing about comfort at the table.

Why the 28–30 cm gap is what matters

Comfort is not determined by the chair's height on its own, but by the difference between the seat and the tabletop: 28–30 cm. Your thighs need to fit into this space with a little room above them. Your elbows then rest level with the tabletop or slightly above it, and your shoulders don't rise.

• Less than 27 cm: your thighs touch the apron or the tabletop, and you have to push the chair back.
• More than 31 cm: the tabletop is at chest level, and eating and writing are uncomfortable.

An upholstered seat sinks a little under your weight, so for an upholstered chair you can safely go for the top of the range.

If the table isn't 75 cm

Tables can be 72, 76 or 78 cm high, especially older, designer or made-to-order ones. The rule is the same: subtract 28–30 cm from the table height.

Knee room and the apron

The second figure people skip: from your thigh to the underside of the tabletop, at least 18–20 cm. And here there is a tricky detail: the apron, the frame under the tabletop. It takes up 8–12 cm of height, so you need to measure not to the tabletop but to the underside of the apron.

If the table has a deep apron and the chair is upholstered and high, your knees will hit it even with the right gap to the tabletop. Then either a lower chair or a table with a slimmer apron.

How to measure at home in two minutes

• With a tape measure, from the floor to the top of the tabletop. This is the table height.
• From the floor to the underside of the apron where you will sit.
• Subtract 28–30 cm from the table height: this is the seat height you need.
• Check that there are at least 18–20 cm from the seat to the underside of the apron, plus the thickness of your thighs when seated.

With these three figures the manager will tell you straight away which model will fit as it is, and where it is worth changing the legs.

Height isn't the only thing to check

Even the ideal height won't help if there are too many chairs for the table. How many will really fit at your table and how much space you need behind the backrest to stand up are covered separately in the article how many chairs will fit at your table. It also gives the width of each of our models, from 48 cm on Dali to 60 cm on Sea.

If the table is also used for work, look at desk height for working from home as well: the rules for a laptop and paperwork are slightly different.

Stools at a kitchen island or breakfast bar are worked out differently; see separately: bar stool or counter stool.

Made for your table

Our chairs are made to order, so the leg height can be changed to suit a specific table, just as we make counter and bar versions of the same models. You choose the fabric and colour from the same collections as for sofas.

Send the manager the height of the table and of the underside of the apron, and they will advise the seat height for the model you've chosen and calculate the change if one is needed.

Mone chair Taco chair Sea chair

In brief

• A 75 cm table: a 45–47 cm seat
• The main rule: 28–30 cm between the seat and the tabletop
• A different table: subtract 28–30 cm from its height
• From your thigh to the underside of the apron: at least 18–20 cm
• Seat height is measured from the floor to the top of the seat, not to the backrest