Cantilever Dining Chairs: How They Work and Who They Suit

Cantilever chairs are one of those designs most people recognise without knowing the name. A chrome tube, a seat that seems to hover, and no back legs at all. They have been around for close to a century and still look modern, which is why we keep a few in our range.

This guide explains how a cantilever chair works, what to check before you buy one, and how our three cantilever designs, the Vienna, the Roscoe and the Daniel, sit with our dining tables.

How a cantilever chair stays up

A normal chair has four legs, one under each corner of the seat. A cantilever chair has none at the back. Instead, one continuous frame runs from the seat down to the floor at the front, then turns and runs back along the floor. The seat is held from the front and below, and the floor rail acts like a long foot that stops the chair tipping.

That is the whole trick. Because the load is carried by the bend in the frame rather than by legs directly underneath, many cantilever designs have a slight give when you sit or lean back. How much depends on the tube and the build, and it is part of why people either love them or prefer something rigid.

The other thing the frame does is change how the chair looks in a room. With no back legs, the space under the seat reads as open, so a row of cantilever chairs looks lighter than the same number of four-legged chairs.

Our cantilever chairs

Vienna

The Vienna is the most classic of the three. A rattan-style cane back sits in a wood-effect surround, over a padded faux leather seat, on a polished chrome cantilever base. It comes in tan and green, sold as a set of 2.

• Height: 83cm
• Seat width: 44cm
• Seat height: 45cm (as listed on the green)
• Weight capacity: 136 kg per chair

Roscoe

The Roscoe takes the same idea in a slightly softer direction. The back is a slanted rubberwood frame filled with synthetic PP+PE rattan, the seat is button-tufted brown PU faux leather, and the base is chrome-plated tubular steel with a 2.5 cm diameter, in a C-shaped frame. It is sold as a set of 2.

• Height: 82cm
• Width: 48.5cm
• Depth: 45.5cm
• Seat height: 47cm
• Weight capacity: 136 kg per chair

Daniel

The Daniel is described on its product page as a cantilever frame, but it looks quite different from the other two. The frame is black powder-coated metal with a crossed leg design, and the back is a curved, horseshoe shape that wraps around you, with raised sides on the seat. Floor protectors are fitted to all four feet, and two of them are adjustable for uneven floors. It comes in brown or grey faux leather, or white boucle.

• Height: 75cm
• Seat height: 50cm
• Seat width: 48cm
• Width: 52cm in brown and grey
• Weight capacity: 120 kg

The Daniel is the choice if you like the cantilever idea but want something more enclosed and upholstered, closer to a small tub chair than a cafe chair.

Which tables suit cantilever chairs

The floor rail is the thing to plan around. On a table with a leg at each corner, the rails of neighbouring chairs can meet those legs as you push in. A table on a central base leaves the floor clear, and all three of our dining tables are built that way.

• Aaronsburg, 120cm round. A pedestal base with angled legs keeps the edge free, and the table seats four. Four Vienna or Roscoe chairs around it works well, and the round top suits the curved lines of the chrome. It also comes in a black marble effect.
• Dakota, 140cm x 77cm. The black X-shaped base leaves the corners clear. Using the usual guide of about 60cm of table edge per diner, that gives room for two chairs along each long side.
• Pimlico, 80cm square, in oak effect, walnut effect or black. The pedestal-style base sits inward from the corners, so one chair on each side pulls in properly. It seats four.

All three tables are 75cm tall. A gap of roughly 25cm to 30cm between seat and tabletop is comfortable for most people, and the Vienna, Roscoe and Daniel all fall within that. The Vienna sits lowest of the three and the Daniel highest, which matters if you plan to mix them. Our guide to dining chair seat height goes into this properly.

Who cantilever chairs suit

Small rooms. The open base makes a set of chairs look lighter, which helps in a kitchen-diner or a narrow room. Our small dining room ideas guide has more on keeping a tight space feeling open.

People who like to lean back a little. The slight give many cantilever frames have is comfortable over a long meal.

Mixed schemes. Chrome and cane sit happily alongside wooden chairs, so a pair of Vienna or Roscoe chairs at the ends of a table of four-legged chairs is an easy way to add interest.

Who might prefer a four-legged chair

• Chair-rockers. Anyone who habitually tips back on a chair will find a cantilever feels different, and is better off with a rigid frame.
• Very uneven floors. A long floor rail can find the dip in old floorboards. The Daniel, with two adjustable feet, is the better bet here.
• Heavy daily dragging on soft floors. Lift rather than drag, as you would with any metal-framed chair.

Looking after a cantilever chair

For the Vienna, clean the chrome with a soft cloth and a mild detergent, wipe the faux leather seat with a damp cloth, and dust the cane with a soft brush. The Roscoe wipes clean with a damp cloth, since both its faux leather and synthetic rattan are listed as water-resistant. For the Daniel, a damp cloth and no abrasive cleaners, and check the adjustable feet now and then. On all three, check the fixings periodically and tighten if needed.

For more on seat materials, see our guide to dining chair fabrics for family homes, and if you want to combine a cantilever pair with another style, read mixing dining chairs around one table.

You can see every chair we sell on our dining chairs page, with free delivery to mainland UK and 30-day returns.