Choosing dining chairs, benches and island chairs

The dining table is where the family comes together, from a quick breakfast to a long dinner with guests, and the seats around it decide how those meals feel. Son&Bear is a Singapore furniture brand for modern living, and this guide shares how to choose dining chairs, when a bench makes more sense, and which height of island chair a kitchen needs. For table sizes, chair widths and the space to leave around a table, see our guide on how to measure for a sofa and dining table.

How do I choose dining chairs?

Start with how the table is used. Son&Bear's dining chairs, the Arano, Barcia, Bianca, Geneva and Lucia, each have a solid wood frame and a seat in Eco-Lux, woven fabric or Velora, so the real choices are arms, the backrest and the seat.

• Arms or armless: the Arano is the armchair of the collection, with two low, open arms that support your elbows through a long dinner, and it suits the head of the table. The Bianca and Lucia have no arms, so they push fully under the table between meals.
• The backrest: this decides how a chair feels an hour into a meal. The Bianca's high, shaped back is upholstered and set away from the frame, so it gives a little at your shoulders instead of pressing back. The Barcia's upholstered back curves forward at its ends to meet you at the sides. The Lucia's oval back is carried on a curved solid-wood rail, and the Arano and Geneva have shaped solid-wood backrests.
• Seat height: this runs from 42 cm on the Arano to 50 cm on the Geneva, so check it against your table before deciding.

Which seat material should I choose?

If the table is used every day, with children, pets and the occasional spilled drink, choose Eco-Lux. It is the same Eco-Series leather we offer on select sofas: it resists scratches and water, and wipes clean with a damp cloth. Eco-Lux, Eco-Tex and Eco-Prime make up the Eco-Series, Son&Bear's pet-friendly leathers. The woven fabric is softer to sit on and quieter in a room. Velora is a richly coloured upholstery, and you choose its colour at the showroom.

How do I match the chairs to my dining table?

The Arano, Bianca, Geneva and Lucia come in five wood colours: Natural Ash, Natural Oak, Walnut, Dark Walnut and Black. The Barcia comes in Walnut or Dark Walnut. Choose a colour to match your dining table or to set the chairs apart from it. If you are still deciding on the table top, our guide to sintered stone, solid wood and marble explains how they differ.

Should I choose a bench or chairs?

A bench is an easy way to bring the family together at the table. On the Austin Dining Table, a bench down one side fits more people than the seat count suggests. Between meals, the Alto, Austin, Juliet, Rumi and Tara benches tuck partway under their tables, which makes better use of the room.

Chairs, on the other hand, give everyone a backrest for a long dinner. You do not have to choose one or the other: you can set a bench on one side and dining chairs on the other.

Which bench goes with my table, and in what length?

The Son&Bear Alto, Austin, Hiro, Juliet, Levin, Rumi and Tara benches are each made to go with the dining table of the same name. They come in five lengths from 1.2 to 2.0 metres, all 35 cm deep and 45 cm high. Each comes in six finishes to match your table or contrast with it, and each can take a cushion in fabric, Velora or Eco-Lux Leather, one of our pet-friendly Eco-Series leathers. The Zaro, whose seat folds down into its legs, comes in three finishes and adds a 1.7 metre size, without a cushion.

The right length depends on your table, so bring its measurements to our showrooms in Bangsar or Kuching and our team will help you work out what fits. You can see every bench on our dining benches page, along with two pieces for extra seats when guests come: the folding Kraft Designer Bench and the Leon Stool.

What height should an island chair or counter stool be?

In many homes, the kitchen island is where the family has morning coffee, prepares meals and talks with guests. Start with the island itself: the height of its top decides which seat you need. The Son&Bear Lucia Plus island chair comes in two seat heights, 65 cm and a lower 55 cm. At our Kira island table, which stands 90 cm high in all four lengths, choose the 65 cm seat. For any other island or counter, measure it from the floor to the top and bring that number to our showroom in Bangsar or Kuching, where our team will help you choose. Both heights have a backrest, and the stretchers double as footrests, so a long sit at the island stays comfortable.

How do I pair island chairs with the Kira?

The Lucia Plus frame comes in Natural Ash, Natural Oak, Walnut, Dark Walnut and Black, five of the Kira's six wood colours, so you can match the chairs to the table or choose a contrast. Every Lucia Plus has a solid wood frame, and its seat comes in the same three materials as the dining chairs: Eco-Lux, woven fabric or Velora. For a kitchen used every day by children and pets, choose Eco-Lux. If you would like your dining chairs to match, the Lucia dining chair has the same oval backrest on a curved solid-wood rail.

See it in person

Chairs are easier to choose sitting down than from a screen. Son&Bear's Kuala Lumpur showroom is at 100 Jalan Maarof, Bangsar, open from 11am to 8pm every day with parking on site, and our Kuching showroom is at Galacity Prime, Jalan Tun Jugah, open from 10am to 7pm every day. Both welcome walk-ins with no appointment, and pets are welcome too. Try the chairs with wood and seat samples in hand, and bring your table's measurements and the height of your island or counter so our team can help you work out what fits. To check which chairs and benches are on the floor, message us before you set off.