20 of the best timeless wooden dining chairs

When it comes to creating a beautiful dining area, many people assume the table is the most important element. But in my experience it’s actually the chairs which make or break the scheme. They’re normally the most eye-catching feature, and of course their level of comfort has a huge impact on whether the space is enjoyable to use. After all, there’s no point having a set-up that’s stunning to look at if you can’t bear to sit there for more than a few minutes at a time!

Finding the right dining chairs can be tricky. The vast array of choices can seem overwhelming, and there are all sorts of different factors to consider. So to make things easier, I’ve picked out 20 of the best options below, focusing on wooden chairs with a timeless aesthetic – and I’ve now updated the selection and price information for 2024.

These are all designs that you can invest in with confidence, knowing that they’re not going to date – in fact some of them were created back in the 1940s, 1950s or even earlier, yet they look just as stylish today as they did when they were first launched. They’re also incredibly versatile, fitting with ease into a wide variety of room styles and settings, and most of them are available in several different finishes. And to help you select the perfect chair for you and your home, I’ve included a few handy tips towards the end of the post.

1. Ton ‘Chair 14’, designed by Michael Thonet in 1859, from £339, Att Pynta. Available in black, dark brown and natural beech, and with or without a cane seat; the matching ‘Chair 30’ has armrests
2. ‘Soft’ chair, designed by Thomas Bentzen in 2019, from £469, TAKT. Available in oiled oak, matt-lacquered ash and black-lacquered ash
3. ‘J77’ chair, designed by Folke Pålsson for FDB in the 1960s and now made by HAY, from £209, Nest.co.uk. Available in black, white, dusty grey, stone grey and natural beech
4. CH24 ‘Wishbone’ chair, designed by Hans J. Wegner for Carl Hansen & Søn in 1949, from £524, Nest.co.uk. Available in oiled beech, oiled walnut, oiled oak, white-oiled oak, soaped beech and soaped oak, as well as numerous painted finishes
5. FDB Møbler ‘J80’ chair, designed by Jørgen Bækmark in the 1950s, from £544, Nordic Nest. Available in oiled oak, lacquered oak, smoked oak and various painted finishes [AD – affiliate link]
6. ‘Cross’ chair, designed by PearsonLlyod in 2019, from £289, TAKT. Available in oiled oak, smoked oak and black-lacquered oak, and with or without an upholstered seat
7. ‘J39’ chair, designed by Børge Mogensen for Fredericia in 1947, from £470, Utility Design. Available in oiled oak, soaped oak, black-lacquered oak, soaped beech, lacquered walnut and several painted finishes
8. Ercol Originals ‘Windsor’ chair, designed by Lucian Ercolani in the 1950s, from £465, Heals. Available in clear matt ash, dark-stained ash, light-stained ash, black, white, oceanic blue and forest green
9. ‘Linea Akademia’ chair, designed by Wesley Walters and Salla Luhtasela for Nikari in 2019, from £684, Nest.co.uk. Available in oiled oak, black-stained oak and light lacquered oak
10. Solid ash ‘Stacking’ chair, designed by Lucian Ercolani in the 1950s, from £310, L’Ercolani. Available in clear, dark, oak-on-ash, vintage red, ochre, dark blue, off-white, grey and black stains
11. ‘Herman’ chair, produced by Ferm Living in collaboration with Herman Studio, from £485, Nordic Nest. Available in oak, dark-stained beech, white-oiled beech, black, red-brown and grey [AD – affiliate link]
12. Audo Copenaghen ‘Merkur’ chair, originally designed for the Oslo Stock Exchange by Skogstad & Wærnes, £555, Nordic Nest. Available in natural oak or black; there are also versions with armrests and upholstered seats [AD – affiliate link]
13. ‘Galb’ chair, £525 for a set of two, La Redoute. Available in oak, walnut and black; there’s also a version with armrests [AD – affiliate links]
14. ‘In Between SK1’ chair, designed by Sami Kallio for &Tradition in 2013, from £400, Nordic Nest. Available in white-oiled oak, smoked oak, black-lacquered oak and oiled walnut; the matching ‘In Between SK2’ has an upholstered seat [AD – affiliate links]
15. ‘CH23’ chair, designed by Hans J. Wegner for Carl Hansen & Søn in 1950, from £825, Utility Design. Available in oak, walnut or a mix of both
16. ‘Cover’ chair, designed by Thomas Bentzen for Muuto in 2013, £399, Nordic Nest. Available in oak, black, green and grey; there’s also a version with armrests [AD – affiliate links]
17. ‘Betty TK1’ chair, designed by Jakob Thau and Sami Kallio for &Tradition in 2019, £445, Nordic Nest. Available in oak, smoked oak and black; there are also versions with armrests, and upholstered or wooden seats rather than webbing [AD – affiliate links]
18. ‘Post’ chair, designed by Cecilie Manz for Fredericia in 2020, from £880, Utility Design. Available in lacquered ash, lacquered oak and black lacquer, and with or without an upholstered seat
19. ‘Drawn HM3’ chair, designed by Peter Hvidt and Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen in 1956 and now made by &Tradition, from £490, Nordic Nest. Available in white-oiled oak, black oak or walnut; the matching ‘Drawn HM4’ has armrests [AD – affiliate links]
20. ‘OW58’ chair, designed by Ole Wanscher in 1958 and now made by Carl Hansen & Søn, from £1,182, Aram Store. Available in soaped oak, oiled oak, white-oiled oak or walnut, and with numerous upholstery options

Tips for choosing dining chairs

The first thing to consider is size, so measure your table to work out what width of chair and how many will fit (leaving enough space for people to move their arms around without knocking into each other). Table and seat heights tend to be fairly standard (around 70-75cm and 45cm respectively), but it’s worth doing a quick check on that too, as you’ll need a difference of 25-30cm or so. Also make sure you take any armrests into account – they can take up extra width and might prevent the chairs from tucking beneath the table when not in use (something which could cause problems in smaller spaces).

Above: the ‘In Between’ chair, designed by Sam Kallio in 2013 and already a classic

Comfort is of course another key factor. If you’ll be sitting on the chairs for a long period of time then you might want to consider an option with a cushioned seat, but even non-padded chairs can be wonderfully comfortable if they’re designed with ergonomics in mind. The iconic CH24 ‘Wishbone’ chair is one such example – I’m currently using one as my office chair and can happily lounge in it for hours on end! In general, curved backrests and seats tend to be a little more supportive as they ‘hug’ the body, but it depends on individual preferences so always try potential chairs out in person if you can, and keep track of what you find most comfortable when dining in restaurants or other people’s homes.

Above: the CH23 and CH24 ‘Wishbone’ chairs – two iconic designs by Hans J. Wegner, often dubbed ‘the master of the chair’ due to his considered and innovative approach 

When it comes to aesthetics, traditional design rules state that the chairs and table should be of a similar style and finish, but I think introducing an element of contrast can look fantastic – perhaps a rustic farmhouse-style table with sleek mid-century chairs, or a pale oak table with dark-stained chairs. And remember that the chairs themselves don’t need to match – in fact the mismatched look is incredibly popular and certainly adds a touch of character and informality to a dining space. If you’re unsure how to make it work, then a fail-safe plan is to choose different designs with similar finishes, or stick to the same series of chair but have versions with armrests at each end of the table and versions without on either side. In my dining room, I have black HAY J77 chairs against an oak table, with contrasting metal Bertoia chairs at the ends, and I’m really happy with the combination.

Above: two examples of contrast in action – dark-stained ‘J39’ chairs against a pale oak table, and my own dining room with black wooden ‘J77’ chairs plus metal ‘Bertoia’ chairs

Finally, if space is particularly tight – or if you want a couple of additional chairs to bring out when you have guests – you might want to consider a stackable or foldable design that can easily be stored away. The Muuto ‘Cover’ chair, &Tradition ‘Betty’ chair, TAKT ‘Cross’ chair (shown below) and L’Ercolani ‘Stacking’ chair are great examples.

Please note this post contains affiliate links (all clearly marked), which means I will receive a small commission on any resulting sales. You won’t pay any more by clicking on these links than you would by visiting the websites directly.

Image seven by Abi Dare; all other photography via the brands mentioned above