Chair seat height

[Random Orbital Bob]

What's industry standard height for the seat of a chair folks ie floor to bit your rear rests on? I'm getting anywhere from 17" to 20" on those in my home. Wondered if there's a standard at all?

 

[Racers]

Only if you have industry standard people.

:wink:

Pete

 

[Phil Pascoe]

(Too) Many moons ago at school it was 18" at the front 17" at the back. You're not going to suit everyone perfectly whatever you do.

 

[Sgian Dubh]

What's industry standard height for the seat of a chair folks ie floor to bit your rear rests on? I'm getting anywhere from 17" to 20" on those in my home. Wondered if there's a standard at all?

450- 460 mm (~18") is pretty standard. The standard varies a bit, and for a custom designer maker the height of a chair seat (and other detailing such as cushioning, seat angle, etc), can be tailored for a specific individual for a specific function. But for a dining chair intended to fit a wide percentile of the population ~18", as already mentioned, is typical. The corollary is that dining table height is usually set somewhere between 250 and 300 mm (10" - 12") above seat height to provide a comfortable eating (shoulders not hunched up for example) along with enough room for the thighs if a rail between 75+ mm and ~100 mm (3" - 4") wide is included in the design.

You could also spend some time doing your head in looking at anthropometric data, but this isn't always necessary, especially if you note measurements of various furniture examples to establish what has worked well in the past, or reasonably well, and what hasn't or doesn't. There's masses of anthropometric data out there on the internet if you want to look for it by the way. Slainte.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

thanks chaps, most helpful.

 

[Steve Maskery]

One of the anthropomorphic problems is that as a species we are getting taller, and much of that increase is in the legs. So what was a comfortable chair for your 5'8" grandad may not be so comfortable for your 6'2" grandson.
S

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Steve's point is good, of course.
Many designs would allow you to make the chair an inch or so higher than you planned and cut them down afterwards if needed? No reason why not, and it's a damn sight easier than going in the other direction .

 

[Steve Maskery]

Steve's point is good, of course.

I like the "Of course" bit!

Many designs would allow you to make the chair an inch or so higher than you planned and cut them down afterwards if needed? No reason why not, and it's a damn sight easier than going in the other direction .

Actually an inch is an enormous amount. You can easily tell the difference of 1/2". Similarly changing the rake of the seat by a couple of degrees is quite noticeable. But yes, if you do not have any shape at the bottom (a foot, a taper, a curve or flare) then lowering the chair is easier than raising it.

In an issue of FWW a million years ago there was an article about a couple who had built a chair skeleton that was adjustable in every dimension. Height, width, rake etc. So they could set it up and people could say what they liked and dislike before they commissioned.

When I made my dining chairs, I deliberately made them a tad higher than the ones I had before (made by my dad, post WW2). The front rail is 565mm from the floor. The padded seat adds a bit more. Yhey are very comfortable.

But.

In order to accommodate the raised thigh, the table apron also has to be higher, which means either narrower or the whole table is higher. I opted for the latter. I can't remember what it came out at, I no longer have it, but the figure of 30.5" comes to mind.

That was a mistake.

It's all very well making a table that is comfortable to sit at, but you do have to get it through the door and a standard UK door width is 30". OK, these days there are other options, but is is the de facto standard in many traditional houses. So most tables were built to 29.5". See the small but significant difference? I could get the table in and out only by removing the top from the underframe, and given that the room doorway was in an inconvenient position WRT the geometry of the hallway it was a right royal pain.

So all these various dimensions are linked. It can become a cat's cradle of considerations.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I once made 6 x 29.5" tables for a place that had 30" door linings. Then I realised that the doorstops were 3/8"...

 

[bugbear]

I once made 6 x 29.5" tables for a place that had 30" door linings. Then I realised that the doorstops were 3/8"...

Not a problem. The right tool solves everything.

BugBear

 

[Jacob]

.....
It's all very well making a table that is comfortable to sit at, but you do have to get it through the door and a standard UK door width is 30". OK, these days there are other options, but is is the de facto standard in many traditional houses.

No it isn't standard at all - there is no standard - it's very variable. 30 ish is common, but the opening would then be 29 ish so your 29.5 table wouldn't go anyway. Unless you did the sensible thing which would be to carry the table in sideways and weave the legs round the frame (if the hall way and the table design permits it) which means you can get a normal 4 leg table through even though it's wide and taller than the door opening width

So most tables were built to 29.5". ....

Really? News to me. They seem to come in all shapes and sizes and removal man have ways of doing things with huge pieces of furniture!

Chair height "standard" is about 18" but there are huge variations. Not surprising - people sit at all heights from floor level, cushion, smqll pouffe, stool, chair, high stool etc etc and tables may be found to match.

 

[John15]

I'm currently making an Oak dining table 750mm (29.5") high. I copied the old one so the height should be OK. The chairs to the top of the rails are 17.5" at the front and 16.75" at the back. The upholstery adds another 15mm. They were my parents bought in 1939. I don't know if the average person has grown much in the last 75 years.

John

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

.....
It's all very well making a table that is comfortable to sit at, but you do have to get it through the door and a standard UK door width is 30". OK, these days there are other options, but is is the de facto standard in many traditional houses.

No it isn't standard at all - there is no standard - it's very variable. 30 ish is common, but the opening would then be 29 ish so your 29.5 table wouldn't go anyway. Unless you did the sensible thing which would be to carry the table in sideways and weave the legs round the frame (if the hall way and the table design permits it) which means you can get a normal 4 leg table through even though it's wide and taller than the door opening width

So most tables were built to 29.5". ....

Really? News to me. They seem to come in all shapes and sizes and removal man have ways of doing things with huge pieces of furniture!

Chair height "standard" is about 18" but there are huge variations. Not surprising - people sit at all heights from floor level, cushion, smqll pouffe, stool, chair, high stool etc etc and tables may be found to match.

Blimey, I didn't expect the Spanish Inquisition.......Nobody expects......

 

[Phil Pascoe]

You should have known better...

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

our 3 weapons are fear, surprise and a near fanatical dedication to the pope.....I'll come in again