The best dining chairs you can buy

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The best dining chairs you can buy

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

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  • Every dining room table needs a good set of dining chairs, so we've done the research to find the best ones you can buy online.
  • The Wynn Ladderback dining chairs from Pottery Barn are our top pick because they deliver timeless and flexible style with first-rate construction.

The best dining chairs are, of course, well-made, attractive, and comfortable. But beyond those basics, each buyer has a little something special in mind for their particular style and setting.

Many chairs are sold apiece as opposed to in sets, and prices range widely based on design, material, and quality. Whether you want traditional wooden chairs, sleek leather ones, or a super modern set, you can find great dining room chairs online.

Need just the right fit for a tight space or budget? Or a mid-century marvel to impress your guests? We've rounded up our favorite dining chairs from both well-known and lesser-known brands.

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Here are the best dining chairs you can buy:

Read on in the slides below to check out our top picks.

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Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Insider Picks team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com.

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The best dining chair overall

The best dining chair overall
Why you'll love it: The Wynn Ladderback chair has a timeless design, is impeccably made, and comes in 10 shades to match any dining room décor.

No matter what dining table you have or what décor the rest of your rooms feature, these wooden chairs from Pottery Barn will fit right in. Interior design aficionados with traditional taste will love the time-honored ladder-back design, which Pottery Barn points out has become an "American icon" thanks to the Quakers' furniture crafting tradition. However, originally, the concept was based on the older European "Windsor chair."

Those who are simply looking for an impeccably made and long-lasting dining chair have plenty to admire as well. Each chair, which comes in standard or arm-chair construction, is made of solid, kiln-dried wood, using a "mortise-and-tenon joinery" construction method, which is particularly good for stability. In fact, the weight limit on the chair goes up to 500 pounds.

Wynn Ladderback dining chairs aren't exactly cheap at between $299 to $349 apiece, but they're quite reasonably priced for the quality.

In addition to solid construction and a simple yet attractive design, you can choose between 10 natural wood shades to match whatever table or trim you already have. These warm and inviting finishes are applied by hand with a "layering technique" that leaves slight distressing in certain places. Basically, you end up with a classic chair design that looks like an antique but is somehow still in perfect condition.

Pros: Available in 10 shades, with impeccable construction, comes with or without arms

Cons: A bit pricey, and lacking in cushioning (though they can be bought separately)

Buy the Wynn Ladderback dining chair at Pottery Barn for between $299 and $349 each

The best mid-century dining chair

The best mid-century dining chair
Why you'll love it: The Caesar upholstered dining chair captures mid-century style for a much lower price than original vintage pieces.

Mid-century modern style is back in full force, and we’re not complaining. Getting your hands on vintage originals will cost you a pretty penny, but you can find furniture in a similar style for good prices. Langley Street, designers of mid-century-style furniture and décor, has a way of capturing the spirit of a vintage design, mixed with a little bit of contemporary flair.

The Caesar upholstered dining chair by Langley Street gestures at the traditional with a walnut wood chair back and a cut-out, curved ladder design. The chair has the classic pin legs that are so typical of mid-century design, and they're made from matching walnut wood. The plush upholstered seat comes in woven fabric. You can choose from gray or blue for a muted appearance, or go with the lovely avocado fabric for a pop of vintage color.

While these chairs look quite luxe, the Caesar upholstered dining chair is a relatively budget-friendly choice for your dining room set, at $120 per chair on Wayfair.

With the lower price, of course, comes a less-than-absolutely-amazing fabric seat made of polyester. It does look great and is super durable, but if you hate polyester, this pick isn’t for you.

Pros: Unique mid-century style at an affordable price

Cons: Weight capacity is listed at 250 pounds, and this design is not for polyester-haters

Buy the Caesar upholstered dining chair on Wayfair for $120.57 each (originally $169.99)
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The best industrial chic dining chair

The best industrial chic dining chair
Why you'll love it: West Elm's Slope Leather Dining Chair is as comfortable as it is sleek and modern.

Leather and metal mixed together in one gorgeous chair? Yes, please! Industrial chic design can seem a bit passé if it's not done right. But that's not a problem with this expertly-crafted design from West Elm.

With legs made from 0.5-inch diameter solid iron, you can trust the strength of the chair. The quality of the iron also just looks better than steel or composite metal. And while this same basic chair design is also available upholstered in fabric, we suggest you choose one of the seven rich shades of leather to achieve that lovely iron and metal effect.

The lighter brown shade called "saddle" looks particularly sophisticated with the dark iron. And this isn't just any leather, it's "top-grain aniline dyed leather," according to West Elm.

Aniline leather is generally thought of as the highest-end leather and is usually sourced from high-quality rawhide. It's very supple to the touch and looks especially rich close-up. Aniline leather is also an interesting choice for those obsessed with unique design, since it's made to improve in appearance over time. Touching and handling the leather will help produce a unique patina in every chair.

The slope leather dining chair from West Elm is made to last and look amazing, which is good considering the high $400 price per chair. That said, it may require upkeep over time. You should keep these chairs out of too much direct sunlight, and you may need to treat the leather occasionally.

Pros: Impeccable design and top-quality materials

Cons: The materials may require upkeep

Buy the Slope leather dining chair at West Elm for $279-$399 each

The best dining chair for small spaces

The best dining chair for small spaces
Why you'll love it: The Stakmore Arts and Craft Folding Chair is a great-looking option that can actually fold up for easy storage.

Hey, just because you live in a 225 square-foot studio doesn't mean you can't host a dinner party! The term "folding chair" might originally conjure up images of a scratched and banged-up metal seat or perhaps a rickety white plastic number that looks like it may collapse at any minute. But that's nothing like what you'll get if you purchase a set of Stakmore Arts and Crafts folding chairs.

When you live in a tiny home, most of your online furniture shopping searches are probably limited by the term "small space." But in this case, you'll be pleasantly surprised. These Arts and Crafts style chairs are constructed from solid wood and come in an oak, cherry, or fruitwood finish. The seat is finished off with an upholstered cushion that feels much softer than the plastic or metal folding chairs of yore.

They come with no assembly required and can hold a full-sized adult. While there's no listed weight limit, one buyer on Amazon said he had experience with the chairs holding up really well to guests around 300 pounds.

All in all, they look like sturdy, attractive chairs. But the surprise is that with a simple metal hinge system hidden under the seat, they can fold up almost flat (about eight inches wide) for storage. You could stash them in a closet, under a bed, or even behind a door.

With dozens of positive reviews on Amazon, perhaps the most common reaction among buyers is that they can't believe these chairs look as solid and inviting as they do, while still being able to fold up so compactly.

Pros: Inexpensive, sturdy, and folds up small for storage

Cons: Hinges can sometimes become stuck

Buy a set of two Stakmore Arts and Craft Folding Chairs on Amazon for $115
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The best budget dining chair set

The best budget dining chair set
Why you'll love them: The Camden wooden dining chairs offer a low price, great quality, and simple design.

Obviously, you still want impressive design and quality, even if you're on a strictly meager budget. The Camden wooden dining chairs in white wash made by TMS definitely deliver.

These aren't the absolute cheapest dining chairs you can buy on Amazon. That distinction is held by a pretty rickety folding plastic model. However, the Camden chairs come in a set of four for $126.57 with free Prime shipping.

They're also available in red, blue, and gray, at a slightly higher cost, but the classic white model is still affordable at about 30 bucks a pop. Plus, their slatted back design and solid-wood construction is really surprisingly good given the price.

They're easy to put together, versatile, will fit in a small space, and can stand a beating. Some reviewers mention that the assembly instructions are a bit confusing, but easy once you figure out the first one.

A couple of reviewers also mentioned that out of the package, one chair had a broken or cracked slat. But in the rare case that happens, Amazon will be able to correct the issue. Pretty much every reviewer mentions they're impressed with the quality for the price, and that these chairs are "a good deal" for the money.

The wooden seat has a bit of a curved cut-out for comfort. But if you want these chairs to be comfortable enough for long, leisurely dinner parties, you'll probably want to add cushions. They should be able to stay sturdy and support most adults. One reviewer mentioned they've been sitting on the chairs for a year at 210 pounds with no issues.

Pros: Solid wood and lasting quality at a very low price

Cons: Assembly instructions confusing, needs a cushion if you want maximum comfort

Buy a set for four Camden chairs on Amazon for $126.57 and up
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