Best Modern Dining Chairs

Modern dining chairs divide into two lineages: the molded-shell tradition Charles and Ray Eames pioneered in 1948, and the joinery-forward Scandinavian tradition Hans Wegner refined in the Wishbone Chair of 1949. Both originals are still in production. This guide covers where to buy them, and three well-made chairs at a fraction of the price that borrow nobody’s design. Here’s how to choose.

The Originals

Two chairs, each made by the company that holds the design. Prices were checked at Design Within Reach in September 2026.

Eames Molded Plastic Side Chair (Herman Miller)

Authorized · Charles and Ray Eames, 1950 · $535

The shell chair in its current polypropylene form, with a choice of bases including the wood dowel legs (the DSW). It stacks, wipes clean and weighs almost nothing. At $535 it is also the least expensive way to own a licensed Eames design.

CH24 Wishbone Chair (Carl Hansen & Søn)

Authorized · Hans Wegner, 1949 · from $885

Steam-bent solid wood and a hand-woven paper cord seat. More than 100 manufacturing steps go into each one, and it shows in the joints. A set of four is a serious purchase, but these chairs are routinely passed down.

$80 a Chair or Less, Imitating Nothing

Most inexpensive “modern” dining chairs online are copies of the two chairs above, and ADI does not link to them. These three are sold in pairs, use solid wood, and follow types that no single designer owns: the curved upholstered side chair and the spindle-back Windsor, which English and American workshops were making for two centuries before anyone thought to call furniture modern.

Quick Decision Guide

• Best original on a budget: Herman Miller Eames Molded Plastic Side Chair: the licensed shell chair, and it wipes clean.
• Best heirloom purchase: Carl Hansen & Søn Wishbone Chair: solid wood and paper cord, made to outlast the table.
• Best for long dinners: VASAGLE Upholstered Chairs: padded seat and back, which makes a real difference when people sit for two hours.
• Best for kitchens: PrimeZone Windsor Chairs: all wood, nothing to stain, and at home in almost any room.
• Best soft look: COLAMY Upholstered Chairs: rounded and fully upholstered.

Full Comparison

Chair	Best For	Price (Sept 2026)	Key Feature	Link
Herman Miller Eames Molded Plastic Side Chair	Licensed design, easy care	$535 each	The original shell chair	DWR
Carl Hansen & Søn Wishbone Chair	Heirloom purchase	from $885 each	Steam-bent wood, paper cord seat	DWR
VASAGLE Upholstered	Long dinners	about $150 a pair	Padded seat and back band	Amazon
PrimeZone Windsor	Kitchens, mixed rooms	about $130 a pair	Solid rubberwood spindle back	Amazon
COLAMY Upholstered	Soft, rounded look	about $160 a pair	Wrap-around upholstered back	Amazon

What each chair is actually good at

Eames Molded Plastic Side Chair

Pros: One-piece polypropylene shell that cleans with a damp cloth; stackable on some bases; a choice of wood dowel, wire and metal leg bases. Cons: A hard seat for guests who linger unless you add the seat pad, which raises the price.

Wishbone Chair

Pros: Solid wood, a hand-woven seat that can be rewoven when it wears, and a shape that looks better every decade. Cons: The price, and a paper cord seat that dislikes spills.

VASAGLE Upholstered Chairs

Pros: Padded seat and back, solid wood legs, neutral fabric. Cons: Fabric needs quick attention after spills, and the back band is a style some people find less supportive than a full back.

PrimeZone Windsor Chairs

Pros: All wood, nothing to stain, and a type with three hundred years of proof behind it. Cons: No padding; add seat cushions for long meals. Assembly required.

COLAMY Upholstered Chairs

Pros: Fully upholstered, wide seat, and a well-reviewed track record. Cons: The low back gives less upper-back support than a taller chair, and light fabric shows wear first.

Why the chair you eat in is a design argument

The shell chair started as a competition entry. In 1948, the Museum of Modern Art ran an “International Competition for Low-Cost Furniture Design.” Charles and Ray Eames entered a molded seat shell shaped to fit the human body, and won second prize. The material that made mass production possible was fiberglass, which had been used in military aircraft radomes. By 1950, Zenith Plastics was producing fiberglass shell chairs for Herman Miller. The chair that now costs $535 began as a brief to make something affordable.

Hans Wegner took the opposite approach. The Wishbone Chair (CH24), designed in 1949 and in continuous production by Carl Hansen & Søn since 1950, requires more than 100 manufacturing steps. The hand-woven paper cord seat takes roughly an hour per chair and uses about 120 meters of cord. Wegner was reportedly inspired by portraits of Danish merchants sitting in Ming Dynasty chairs. The design is not democratic in the way the Eames shell is. It argues for craft continuity: the time and skill embedded in an object are part of what the object is.

Both arguments are still available at their source. If neither price works, a well-made chair of an anonymous type is a better buy than a copy of either, and it will not pretend to be something it is not.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the standard seat height for a modern dining chair?

The industry standard is approximately 18 inches (457mm) from floor to seat surface, which is designed to pair with standard dining tables measuring 28 to 30 inches in height. The functional range is 17 to 20 inches. Chairs at 17 inches work better with lower tables, while 19 to 20 inch seats need taller tables to keep comfortable leg clearance.

How do I know if a dining chair will fit my table?

Measure the distance from the floor to the underside of the table apron or tabletop frame, not the tabletop surface. You want at least 9 to 12 inches of clearance between the seat surface and the apron. As a rule, allow 24 to 26 inches of table edge per person; that number determines how many chairs fit the table perimeter, not just whether an individual chair is the right height.

How much does an authentic Eames shell chair cost?

Herman Miller is the licensed maker in North America and Vitra in Europe. At Design Within Reach in September 2026, the Eames Molded Plastic Side Chair listed at $535 and the armchair at $645. The original fiberglass shells went out of production in favor of polypropylene, and Herman Miller has since reissued fiberglass versions.

What is the difference between a DSW chair and a DAW chair?

DSW stands for Dining Side Chair / Wood base. DAW stands for Dining Armchair / Wood base. The nomenclature follows a system: the “D” prefix indicates dining height, the second letter indicates whether the chair has arms (A = armchair, S = side chair without arms), and the final letter indicates the base type (W = wood dowel legs, R = rod/Eiffel base, X = X-base, C = contract base). Side chairs are more common at dining tables because they take up less lateral space; armchairs work better at the heads of a table.

How many dining chairs do I need for a table that seats six?

Six chairs for a table that seats six. The more useful question is whether the table can actually accommodate six chairs at 24 to 26 inches of edge space per person. A 72-inch rectangular table seats six at the sides plus two at the ends. If the ends are too narrow for a standard chair, bench seating or stools at the short ends avoid crowding.

What materials are easiest to clean for dining chairs?

Molded plastic or polypropylene shell chairs clean with a damp cloth; spills wipe off without penetrating the surface. Painted or lacquered wood, like the Windsor pick above, is nearly as easy. Upholstered chairs need a faster response to spills, and fabric absorbs liquid quickly. For households with children or frequent entertaining, hard seats have a clear practical advantage, and seat cushions can be washed separately.

For iconic furniture design context, see the full hub. For office seating that pairs with these chairs, see our guide to best modern office chairs.