What does seat depth mean?

Asked by: Tom Alcala

Seat depth is the measurement taken from the back of a seating area to the front. This could include the cushion on a sofa or the seat on a dining chair, for example.

What is a comfortable seat depth for a chair?

The seat depth is the distance from the front of the chair or sofa seat to the back, around 20-inches for most people. For kitchen type chairs this seat depth is around 16 inches. If you are tall or long from the knees to the hips, you may need a deeper seat.

What is the average seat depth for a sofa?

21 to 24 inches

The inside seat depth is measured from the front of the seat to the back cushion, so it tells you how much sitting area is really available. An average sofa’s seat depth ranges from 21 to 24 inches, but you can find many options outside of that range.

How do you measure seat depth?

To Measure Seat Depth:



It is the length from the back of the buttocks to behind the knee. To measure it, place one hand on the back of the person being measured. With your other hand, place two fingers behind the patient’s knee.

What is the average depth of a chair seat?

16″ to 18″

(Listed dimensions are based on average-sized adults). Dining Chair: The seat height averages 18″ to 20″, seat width averages about 15-1/2″ in back and 18″ in front, and average seat depth is 16″ to 18″. If armrests are used, they should be 7″ to 9″ above the seat but able to fit under the table apron.

What makes a seat comfortable?

What makes a seat comfortable? Generally, seats should allow your body to be comfortable and not restricted. The seat design is critical for this: The seat height should not be so high so that your legs are left dangling!

How do you know if a chair is comfortable?

As a general rule, for a chair to be comfortable, it should have adjustable features, including seat height and depth, forward tilt, armrests and headrests, as well as lumbar support. Seat materials should provide adequate support for the lower back and promote a healthy posture.

How do you measure seat depth on a sofa?

So I start from the front of that back cushion to the front of the seat cushion. And on this one it's 25 inches 25 inches is fairly deep in fact it's a little over average as far as depth.

How do you know if a sofa will fit?

Compare the width of your doorframe with the height of your sofa allowing some wiggle room either side. This will determine if we can take the sofa through on its side. If the door width is greater than the height of your sofa, then it will fit through.

How do I know what size sofa to buy?

Simply remember the 2:3 rule instead. The sofa should be about two thirds the size of the entire room. If you decide to add in a coffee table too, that should then be two thirds the size of the sofa (if no chaise) or one third to half the size of the sofa if it has a chaise.

What does depth mean in furniture?

Width (Side to Side): The distance or length of the item that’s touching or stretches across the wall. Depth (Back to Front): The distance or length it comes out from the wall and into the room. Height (Bottom to Top): The length starting from the floor and going to the top of the piece.

What is a seat measurement?

The Hip, or Seat, measurement is the largest measurement around the widest part of your hips.

How do you know if a chair is too shallow for the sitter?

The depth of the seat should allow clearance from the front edge of the seat to the back of the occupant’s leg. A seat that is too deep will press against the back of the legs forcing the occupant to slouch forward. A seat that is too shallow may be unstable and feel precarious.

Should your feet be flat when sitting?

The ideal sitting position is to keep your hips slightly higher than your knees and with your feet firmly on the floor. However if you cannot rest your feet flat on the floor when a suitable chair height has been selected, it is important that a footrest is used in order that a comfortable posture can be obtained.

What is a good seat height for seniors?

around 18”

Seat height is also important and should be around 18” with the arm height around 26” so that they fit under the apron of the table. These are the baseline dimensions that we look for when selecting a chair that will be placed around a table.