You have measured the table twice, the delivery window is locked in, and then the last question lands: chairs with arms, or chairs without? It sounds like a styling preference. It is not. Outdoor armchair dining changes how many people fit around your table, whether the chairs slide underneath when a February storm rolls through, and how much room you need to stack them away come autumn.
This guide works through the three things that actually decide it — clearance under the table apron, elbow room per person, and what pack-up looks like. It is written for Australian decks, courtyards and backyards, where chairs live outside through a Brisbane summer and get shuffled around far more than anyone expects. Browse the full range of outdoor chairs and benches as you read.
Outdoor armchair dining: what arms actually change
Arms do three useful jobs. They give you something to push against when you stand up, which matters more to older guests than anyone likes to admit. They give your elbows somewhere to land during a long lunch. And they visually fill out a table, so a big setting does not look sparse. If it is a lounge corner you are furnishing rather than a dining table, our guide to building an outdoor lounge from individual armchairs covers that side of the decision.
They also commit you to a bigger footprint and a fussier fit. The New Hampton Chair ($520) is a good example of the type, described on its product page as a full sized chair with arms. It is all-weather PE wicker hand weaved over an aluminium frame, with base and back cushions included. It measures 63cm wide and 77cm deep, with an arm height of 64cm and a seat height of 47cm. Hold on to those numbers, because they answer the next question.
The apron test: will the chair tuck under your table?
The apron is the rail that runs under the tabletop, joining the legs. It is the part people forget, and it is the part that stops an armchair sliding in. What matters is not the height of your table but the clearance underneath the apron.
Measure from the ground to the underside of that rail. Outdoor dining tables generally sit around 72cm to 75cm at the top, so a table with a 6cm apron leaves roughly 66cm of clearance. The New Hampton's 64cm arms slide under that with a couple of centimetres to spare. Drop the same chair under a chunkier table with a 10cm apron and it stops dead, sitting proud of the edge for the rest of its life.
Do this check before you order, not after. It takes one tape measure and thirty seconds, and it is the single most common reason people end up with chairs they cannot push in.
Elbow room: how many chairs fit around your table
The working rule for seating is about 60cm of table edge per person. Any narrower and shoulders start touching; much wider and the table feels formal. Most people assume armchairs blow that budget. Often they do not.
Compare two chairs in the range. The New Hampton is 63cm wide. The Manly Bistro Chair ($145), a moulded resin chair with no cushions to manage, measures 62cm wide and 56cm deep with a 47cm seat height and a 150kg load limit. One centimetre separates them across the table edge.
The real difference is depth. The New Hampton is 77cm deep against the Manly's 56cm — a full 21cm more. That depth does not come out of your seating count, it comes out of your walkway. On a narrow deck or a townhouse courtyard, 21cm per chair is the difference between guests squeezing past and guests knocking drinks over. Measure the space behind the chairs, not just the table.
Arms or no arms, at a glance
| Consideration | Chairs with arms | Chairs without arms |
|---|---|---|
| Long meals | Somewhere to rest elbows; easier to get out of | Comfort depends entirely on seat depth and back angle |
| Table fit | Must clear the apron, or it will not tuck in | Almost always tucks under, whatever the table |
| Walkway space | Usually deeper, so it eats circulation room | Slimmer front to back on a tight deck |
| Stacking | Rarely stacks; needs floor space in storage | Often stacks four or more high |
| Squeezing in one more | Hard, the arms set the spacing | Easy, shuffle along and add a chair |
| Best suited to | Covered alfresco areas used for long dinners | Small courtyards, balconies, and settings packed away seasonally |
Storage, stacking and the Australian reality
Here is where armless chairs quietly win. Arms and stacking rarely coexist, so a set of eight armchairs needs eight chairs' worth of floor space when the weather turns. Stackable chairs collapse that into one corner of the garage.
The Charlotte Chair ($283) is built for exactly that rhythm. It is a lightweight stackable sling chair with a padded textaline and olefin sling that is fully washable, which is worth having where food gets passed around. Sold one at a time, so you can add two more before Christmas without replacing the set.
If you would rather leave everything out year round, timber changes the calculation. The San Remo Chair ($457) is an armless teak chair, hand made from 100% FSC certified plantation Indonesian teak, and it is happy to stay where it is through the seasons. Like all teak it will age to a silvery grey unless you oil it or use a sealer — decide early, because the upkeep differs.
Climate matters too. In coastal New South Wales and Queensland, salt and humidity punish neglected cushions, so cushioned armchairs suit covered areas rather than exposed ones. In Melbourne and Adelaide, where a setting might sit unused from May to September, stackability is worth more than armrests. For a wider look at how sling, rope and cushioned styles compare before you settle on the arm question, read our guide to choosing outdoor dining chairs people stay in. You can also compare the whole outdoor dining chair range side by side.
Outdoor armchair dining — frequently asked questions
Do outdoor chairs with arms take up more space?
Yes, but usually in depth rather than width. Armchairs are often only a centimetre or two wider than armless chairs, so your seating count barely changes — what shrinks is the walkway behind the chairs. Measure the clear space between the table and the wall or railing before you decide.
Will an armchair fit under my outdoor dining table?
Only if the arm height is lower than the clearance under the table apron. Measure from the ground to the underside of the rail beneath the tabletop, then compare that to the chair's stated arm height. If the numbers are within a centimetre or two, choose armless — thermal movement and uneven paving will eat that margin.
Are armless outdoor dining chairs less comfortable?
Not automatically. Comfort comes from seat depth, back angle and padding, not from armrests. A padded sling chair like the Callala Bay Chair ($169) is designed around exactly that, with a white frame and a padded grey Textaline sling.
Can you mix chairs with arms and chairs without at one table?
Yes, and it is one of the oldest tricks in dining. Put the two armchairs at the ends of a rectangular table and armless chairs down the sides. You get the presence of arms where it shows most, and the tuck-in and squeeze-in flexibility everywhere else.
How much table edge should I allow per person?
Around 60cm per person is the practical minimum for comfortable eating. Go tighter and elbows collide; go much wider and conversation across the table gets harder. Check this against the chair width you have chosen rather than guessing.
Shop the range
The honest answer is that arms are a lifestyle choice and apron clearance is a maths problem — get the maths right and either style works. Compare individual chairs on their own, or see them matched to tables in our outdoor dining settings. We deliver Australia-wide, delivery is free on orders over $100, and installation is available on request if you would rather not build a set of eight yourself.
