Study Table and Chair: The Heights That Match, and What to Buy Together

Buy the table and the chair as a pair, because one number ties them together: the seat should sit 10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm) below the table top. For the standard 30-inch (75 cm) study table that means an 18-inch (45 cm) seat, which is a normal dining chair height. Get that right and forearms rest flat on the table with shoulders down; get it wrong by three inches and the neck or the wrists complain within a week.

Heights that match

Who	Table height	Seat height	Gap
Child, 6 to 9	22 to 24 in	12 to 14 in	10 in
Child, 10 to 13	26 to 28 in	15 to 16 in	11 in
Teenager or adult	29 to 30 in	17 to 19 in	11 to 12 in

Feet should be flat on the floor. If the seat is right for the table but too high for the legs, a footrest fixes it; a shorter table does not.

Set or separate?

A study table and chair set is made to match, costs less than two pieces, and the chair height is already right. Buy separately when you want a chair with wheels and a back that reclines (for more than two hours a day), or when the table you want comes alone. A wooden chair with a straight back is fine for an hour of homework; it is not an office chair.

The chair

• Seat height stated, 17 to 19 inches for an adult.
• Seat depth 16 to 18 inches; deeper and the back of the knee presses the edge.
• A back that reaches the shoulder blades, 16 inches above the seat or more.
• Weight rating stated. A solid wood chair is 6 to 9 kg; a lighter one is not solid.

The table

30 inches high, 24 deep, 40 to 48 wide for one person. Study table sizes, drawers and storage in detail.

Study tables and chairs on Amazon India, highest scores