Why Are Dining Chairs So Expensive? (Find Out Now!)
Your dining room is often thought of as the central hub in your home. It’s where you and your family gather for meals, games, meetings, and spending valuable time together. It’s also the room that holds some of your most expensive furniture, including your dining table and dining chairs.
Dining chairs are expensive because of the material they’re made of and the labor involved with making them. They are also a long-term investment that many people hope to hold on to for the rest of their lives. Dining chairs are made to be long-lasting, strong, and durable but also to be decorative and aesthetically pleasing.
Dining chairs are some of the most used and most essential pieces of furniture in your home. As a result, many people don’t like to skimp on money. It’s important to have dining chairs that are comfortable, beautiful, and durable. Each of these individual qualities costs cash, and putting them in the same package is why dining chairs are costly.
Why are the Factors Affecting Dining Chair Cost?
Dining chairs usually cost a pretty penny, and here are the reasons why.
The Cost of Material
The cost of a dining chair is closely linked to the material that it’s made out of. The most common and expensive dining chair material is hardwood. Hardwood is the most costly because it’s the longest-lasting, the most durable, and the sturdiest option for dining chairs.
It’s also important to note that there are different degrees of wood when it comes to hardness. Cherry and pine are harder woods and will therefore be more expensive. Spruce and acacia wood, on the other hand, are softer and don’t carry as high of a price tag. It doesn’t mean that they aren’t good options. It just means that they’re not as good as cherry and pine.
Dining Chair Materials and Their Cost- Hardwood – Anywhere from $200 to $1,000 for a single chair
- Upholstered – Anywhere from $200 to $500.
- Metal – Anywhere from $40 to $150.
- Plastic – Anywhere from $25 to $150.
The Cost of Labor
Labor costs are another huge determining agent of how much a dining chair costs. One of the reasons hardwood chairs cost the most is that they take longer to design and build. Hardwood chairs also require more skills to make, which means that the workers often get paid more.
Upholstered chairs are next in line of cost once again because of what they’re made of and because it takes longer to make them. It takes a skilled seamstress time and effort to upholster a chair, and the material they’re made of also costs more than metal or plastic.
The Cost of Shipping
A common feature across the board with dining chairs is that they’re expensive to transport and ship. Most companies that produce dining chairs other household furniture don’t ship by air unless their products are going overseas. The weight and size of dining chairs make it impractical to ship them by any means outside of ground transportation, which adds to their overall cost.
The Decor and Design Factor
Dining chairs are also available in many different designs and colors made to fit any room. Your dining chairs and table are often the centerpieces of the dining room, and it’s important that they look exactly as you want them to. For this reason, many companies offer custom-made dining chairs so that you can have exactly what you want. Having this will cost more than buying a pre-fabricated dinette set.
What’s the Difference Between High-Quality Dining Chairs and Low-Quality Ones?
The biggest difference between high-quality dining chairs and low-quality ones is what they’re made of and how they’re made. Handmade, custom, hardwood furniture will almost always be more expensive than any of its counterparts. High-quality dining chairs are made of strong, sturdy, and long-lasting material. They should be able to stand the test of time and the weight of anyone sitting in them.
Low-quality dining chairs are often pre-fabricated and made out of plastic or particleboard. There’s nothing wrong with these types of dining chairs as long as you know what you’re buying when you buy them. It’s a mistake to purchase cheap, low-quality furniture of any sort if you don’t plan to replace it every couple of years. High-quality dining chairs are a long-term investment where you don’t ever plan to replace them.
How Much Should I Expect to Pay for Dining Chairs?
The best way to shop for dining chairs is to pre-determine what your budget is and stick to it. High-quality dining chairs are great investments, but they’re not worth going broke over. Here’s what you can expect to pay for high or low-quality dining chairs.
Cheap Dining Chairs
Cheap dining chairs can be bought at most stores, including Target, Wal-Mart, Lowes, Menards, and pretty much any other retail store similar to the ones I listed. The chairs at these stores are pre-fabricated and usually made of plastic, metal, or particleboard. Most of the dining chairs at these stores range in price from $25 per chair to $100 per chair.
While they might be pre-fabricated, it’s still possible to find beautiful and charming dining chairs for a low price. IKEA, Target, and home improvement stores often offer a good mix of cool design and considerable sturdiness. While they won’t offer anything as high-quality as high-end furniture stores, they have good options to fit any budget.
Expensive Dining Chairs.
If your budget allows for some extra spending and you want high-quality dining chairs, there is no shortage of options available to you. Furniture stores such as Ashley Furniture, Arhaus Furniture, and Crate & Barrel, among many others, offer high-quality dining chairs. Whether you want something that is modern and trendy or a timeless hardwood classic, these stores have a good mix of everything.
Another good option is to go straight to the manufacturer. There are a host of companies that offer custom-made furniture made of wood, metal, or that’s upholstered. For the best and most custom dining chairs, going straight to the people who make it is the best option.
Qualities to Look for With Dining Chairs
No matter what your desires or budget are, there are always certain qualities that you should look for with dining chairs.
Matches the Mood of the Room
Many people place beauty and decor above comfort and durability. Purchasing dining chairs that are trendy and match your taste is important to bring a dining room together. You can get the most expensive and comfortable chairs available, but they’ll stick out like a sore thumb if they don’t look good in your dining room.
Adds Character
Dining chairs that add character are also a popular option right now. Unfortunately, character and trendiness often come at the cost of comfort and durability. If that’s what matters most to you, however, then there are plenty of affordable dining chair options.
Comfort
If you’re like me and like most guys out there, comfort is number one on the priority list. Finding a dining chair that’s comfortable isn’t hard to do, but it often comes at the cost of character and trendiness. However, if you look hard enough, it might be possible to find a dining chair that checks every box on this list. I can guarantee that it won’t come at a low price, though.
If you plan on frequently using your dining table and chairs, however, comfort is crucial. People are much less likely to spend a large amount of time in a dining room if the chair they have to sit in is uncomfortable.
Durability
Durability is the most prominent feature with expensive and high-end dining chairs. Hardwood, softwood, and upholstered chairs are usually the most durable, which also makes them the most expensive. You won’t find durable and long-lasting dining chairs at stores like Wal-Mart and Target, and you’ll have to be willing to spend the big bucks.
Finding the right chair to match your desires is difficult but definitely possible. Make sure that you do your research and know what you want before making a final decision on which dining chairs you purchase.
Related Questions
Is it possible to find cheap dining chairs that are durable, comfortable, and trendy?
Finding cheap dining chairs that check all of these boxes is extremely difficult, but it might be possible. The only way to do this, however, is likely to buy secondhand furniture. Buying high-quality, secondhand dining chairs at a discounted price is not only possible but easy if you frequent thrift stores and garage sales.
Do high-quality dining chairs retain their value?
A big advantage of high-end dining chairs is that they retain their value. Many times, you can sell a handmade hardwood dining chair for the same price that you bought it ten years earlier.
Final Thoughts
Dining chairs are important pieces of furniture, and you don’t want to rush buying them. It’s important to purchase dining chairs that are within your budget and that fit your needs. Whether you’re after chairs that are trendy and add character or if you want pieces that will last a lifetime, it’s vital that you’re patient until you find what you want.
Before I started writing, I worked for 6 plus years in the plumbing, electrical, and HVAC business. I was primarily an HVAC installer but also worked as a plumber and electrician. Now I'm a copywriter, focusing on home improvement content and guides.
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