How many chairs around a round table?

Count the circumference, not the diameter

At a round table, people sit along the edge. How many chairs fit therefore depends on the circumference: the diameter times 3.14. A table of Ø 140 cm has 440 cm of edge, a table of Ø 120 cm 377 cm.

Divide that circumference by the space each chair needs. To dine comfortably, allow 70 cm per person, with room for your elbows and a plate that does not touch your neighbour's. If you like to sit a little closer, 60 cm works.

How wide is your chair?

Most dining chairs without armrests are 42 to 50 cm wide. You want a little air between them, or the chairs bump into each other as you pull them in. Chairs with armrests or tub chairs are often 55 to 60 cm wide or more.

A simple rule: with wide chairs or chairs with armrests, count the comfortable number. With slim chairs without armrests, you can go up to the maximum. Measure your chairs at their widest point, usually at the armrests or the front of the seat.

A quick test at home: mark a circle on the floor with string or tape at the diameter of your table and place your chairs around it, with the front of the seat on the line. If they touch, choose a size up or count one chair fewer.

The number per size

This gives the following number of chairs per diameter:

On small tables the numbers are closer together than the circumference suggests. The smaller the table, the more sharply the edge curves, and the sooner the chairs touch at the front. More on each size in How many people fit a round table of 120, 140 or 160 cm?

One leg: no table leg between two chairs

With a four-legged table, the legs decide where the chairs can go. Whoever sits in the wrong spot has a leg between their knees. Our round tables stand on a single tapered leg in the middle. So you place the chairs wherever you like, evenly spaced, and simply move them a little closer when guests come. So choose the diameter for your usual number, and add an extra chair for a party.

That is also why an odd number works so well at a round table. Five or seven chairs look just as good as six or eight, and nobody sits on a corner. Looking for a table for six? Read A round table for 6 people.

Armrests and height

Chairs with armrests are best slid under the top when you are not at the table. Our tables are 75 cm high with a 4 cm top and no frame underneath. That leaves about 71 cm free under the edge. Armrests lower than that simply slide under.

Check the seat height as well. Ideally there are about 30 cm between the seat and the top of the table. How to measure that is explained in How high is a dining table? Not sure? Send us the dimensions of your chairs: we draw them in on the technical drawing we make for free after your quote. A round dining table of Ø 140 cm has a guide price of €2,799.