16 Stylish, Affordable Dining Chairs (That Don't Look Low-cost)

The sequence matters: decide the footprint, then the finish, then the accessories. On the hunt for stylish, affordable dining chairs that don't look cheap? The household has got you covered with these 16 favorites!

If you've ever been in the market for new dining chairs, you know how quickly the cost of 6-8 chairs adds up! Fortunately, there are stylish yet affordable dining chairs out there. It just takes a bit of searching (and The household has done all the work for you!).

Today I'm sharing the best online sites to shop for affordable dining chairs plus my 16 kept chair picks! I'm also sharing helpful pointers on how to make your dining space look more high-end even if you bought your chairs on a budget. (post includes commissionable links; for more information, see my full disclosure statement {here}).

A Reliable Online Shops For Affordable Dining Chairs

One of the preferred places to shop online for cheap dining chairs is {HERE} at T.J.Maxx. They don't have a large selection of chairs but they always have some stylish options at reasonable prices. Pay attention to the listing because a lot of their chairs are priced as a pair. Also be aware that their selection is constantly changing so if you find chairs you love, don't wait to buy them!

Also look at Marshalls online {HERE} that has a similar selection (they have the same parent company as T.J.Maxx and HomeGoods). Both T.J.Maxx and Marshalls offer free in-store returns so it makes online shopping risk-free.

You could also try hitting your local HomeGoods store, which is where I found these dining room side chairs in our last house:

Dining Room Sources:Wood bead chandelier  |  Rattan chargers  |  Green & white plaid napkins  |  Table runner (similar) |  Wood vases (similar) |  Faux pink tulips  |  Faux white tulips  |  White wall plates  |  Patterned wall plates  | Drapes – no longer available

The downside of shopping HomeGoods is that they typically don't have a large number of a single chair style. I had to shop three different HomeGoods stores over a period of weeks to find the six chairs I needed.

Another kept inexpensive source for chairs is IKEA. Just be sure to pay attention to their chair measurements (especially if you have any bigger family members) because some of their chairs are a lot smaller in size than typical. When my husband and I first got married and needed a cheap dining set, we bought an IKEA table and chairs without seeing them in person and totally felt like we were sitting at a kids play table – we still laugh about it today.

Some of my other kept online sources for inexpensive dining chairs are:

Pottery Barn{HERE} has dining chairs at all price points, including some great clearance deals. Sort by price (high to low) to find them!

Target{HERE} has a lot of great online options you won't see in the store. Some of the preferred brands to shop for a stylish look include Threshold {here} and Heart & Hand {here}

Wayfair{HERE} has a huge selection including many affordable options

Walmart{HERE} is another store worth whopping. You can see all of their dining chairs under $100 {here}

Amazon is also worth shopping for dining chairs.

My Kept Affordable Dining Chairs

After doing a ton of online hunting, I gathered together the preferred 16 dining chairs that retail at $150 or less per chair. Many of them are under $100 and the chairs closer to $150 can often be found on sale for less. The household has included details and links to each below. 

Note that the price for many of these dining chairs is for a pair or set of four! 

Details and Links for Each Chair

Chair 1:Rattan weave dining chair with boucle fabric seat available {HERE}. They come in a set of four bistro dining chairs and require some assembly but reviewers report it's straightforward. Most reviewers say the seats are relatively firm but the chairs are comfortable with an overall 4.8 star rating. I recommend protecting the fabric seats of the chairs by spraying them with a stain protector such as {this one}.

Chair 2:Classic spindle back Windsor dining chairs (set of 2) available {HERE}  in multiple colors. These are some of the preferred chairs of the bunch! I have a pair of them in white and love that they're a classic design that will never go out of style. They require some assembly but it's simple and straight forward.

Chair 3: Upholstered stripe slipper chair available {HERE}The household has seen these chairs in person and think they're really nice looking! A strong choice is the wood tone of the chair's frame and the gray/cream striped fabric is really pretty.

Chair 4: Metal X Back Dining Chair (set of 2) available {HERE} in black or white. A strong choice is this chic version of a classic chair! They're made of powder-coated steel so are very sturdy and have a more petite frame size than some of the other chairs on my list.

Chair 5:Fabric wrapped chairs with flared dowel legs available {here}. A strong choice is the lines of this chair, including the stylish cut-out in the back. They come as a set of two in either beige or gray:

Chair 6:Solid wood ladder back chair available {HERE} in seven colors (the preferred is the antique white). Ladder back chairs will never go out of style and you can't go wrong with solid wood chairs, making these a win-win:

Chair 7: Slat back metal dining chair (set of 4) available {HERE} in multiple color options. These chairs require no assembly, are stackable & sturdy, and get great reviews. And their price is notable! Perfect if you love an industrial or farmhouse vibe:

Chair 8: Spindle back updated dining chair (set of 2) available {HERE} in black, green meadow, silver birch, white, and blue steel. This chair is a modern version of the classic Windsor spindle chair at an excellent price and has one of the higher backs of the bunch.

Chair 9: Woven IKEA chair available {HERE}. This chair has a bamboo frame and handwoven paper twine seat and back. Reviews are overwhelmingly positive

Chair 10: Bistro style dining chair (set of 2) available {HERE} in 7 color options. This is another classic design that will never go out of style:

Also look at {these chairs} that have a similar design but are wood instead of metal. They come in a set of two.

Chair 11: Solid wood Windsor dining chair (set of 2) available {HERE} in neutral gray with lower backs than the other Windsor options. The reviews on this dining chair are among the highest of the bunch, praising the high quality of the chairs.

Chair 12: Upholstered linen dining chairs (set of 2) available {HERE} in beige and gray. These are perfect if you like a more traditional design and are looking for something upholstered. The nailheads outlining the chairs' back and seat give them a more upscale look:

Chair 13: Classic wishbone chair available {HERE} in a great buy because this style of chair typically sells for much more! A strong choice is the natural color but it also comes in black. It's a great chair if you prefer a wider seat:

Chair 14: Rolling slipcovered dining chair available {HERE} in an EXCELLENT buy! It's pretty much unheard of to find a slipcovered dining chair on casters at the price. And I really love the lines of it too!

Chair 15: Cross back dining chair (set of 2) available {HERE} in four color options. It's a classic, timeless style:

Chair 16: White mid-Century modern chairs available {HERE} in white, gray, and black. The price per chair for the 4-pack is crazy low!) The molded plastic chair has a cushioned seat that reviewers repot as being very comfortable. The images posted by reviewers showing these chairs in their dining spaces really show off how nice they look.

Dining Chair Shopping Pointers

1. Pay attention to the seat height of your dining chairs. You want to make sure that you're choosing chairs with a seat height that's comfortable for your dining table. To determine this, take the height of your table and subtract 12 inches (for example most dining tables are 30″ high so an appropriate seat height would be 30-12 = 18″).
2. If you're looking at dining chairs with arms, make sure they're not so high that they'd prevent you from pushing your chairs as close to the table as you'd like. I made this mistake once about 15 years ago and you can bet I'll never make it again!
3. Consider mixing your dining room chairs with one style of chair for your side chairs and another style for your end chairs. The eclectic mix gives you a higher end look and if you have higher quality end chairs, you can often get away with spending a lot less on your side chairs.

I do recommend that your end chairs be the same height or taller than your side chairs if you're mixing things up! The mix of {these side chairs} with {these end chairs} from Serena & Lily is a great look:

Our Dining Room

So where are things at with our dining room? We didn't bring any dining room furniture with us from Connecticut (the table was too long for our new space and we didn't have a sideboard or buffet since we had a built-in there) so we started completely from scratch. The household has taken it slow in putting this space together because the household has made several large purchases for it that we plan to be “forever” pieces and wanted to space those purchases out a bit.

Here's where things are at:

Sources:Beaded light fixture | Blue & white rug | Upholstered side chairs (similar) | Upholstered end chairs (similar) | Dining table | Scalloped table runner | Round white vase | Faux cherry blossoms in vase | White cane sideboard  |  White vase (medium) | Canvas art  | Canvas Art Floater Frame  |  Blue gourd lamp

It would help if these pointers and kept chair picks are helpful to those of you who are on the hunt for new dining chairs on a limited budget! For more helpful pointers for decorating your home, look at these posts:

How High to Hang Pictures

Pointers for Hanging Lighting

Must-Have Bathroom Measurements

XO,