Introduction
Whether a solid wood dining chair is comfortable mainly depends on how many centimetres the seat height differs from the table—most dining tables in Taiwan are 72 to 75 cm high, so subtract 27 to 30 cm from the tabletop to estimate seat height; durability depends on whether the chair is entirely solid wood and whether the joints use mortise-and-tenon construction. This article compares 9 solid wood dining chairs, priced from NT$4,680 to NT$36,400. If family members have very different heights and you want each chair to match the table height, consider the UCM Color Chair which offers three seat heights; if you want armrests to push off from when standing up, consider Yuanmu Wood Factory’s Shiguang Dining Chair; if your budget is around NT$5,000 and you want a fully solid wood chair, consider Chen-Jiao’s Healthy Solid Wood Dining Chair.
About the Editor
Solid wood dining chairs vs other materials
Common dining chair materials are solid wood, metal, plastic, and upholstered; they differ mainly in price, weight, ease of cleaning, and how they look after long use.
| Material | Price | Weight | Cleaning | How it ages | Seat feel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solid wood | Mid to high | Heavy | Wipe clean | Scratches can be sanded and re-oiled | Firm |
| Metal | Low to mid | Light | Wipe clean | Paint that flakes can rust | Firm; feels cold in winter |
| Plastic | Low | Lightest | Wipe clean | Long sun exposure causes yellowing and brittleness | Firm |
| Upholstered | Mid to high | Medium | Fabric absorbs spills and needs washing | Synthetic leather may peel in humid conditions | Softest |
Solid wood chairs’ downsides are higher price and heavier weight—you need more effort to pull them out, and the seat is firmer; in return they feel stable, and surface scratches or wear can be sanded and re-oiled, while the other three types usually must be replaced when damaged. Metal chairs can rust where paint flakes, plastic yellows and becomes brittle after long sun exposure, and synthetic leather peels after a few years in Taiwan’s humid climate. If you want a softer seat, add a cushion to a solid wood chair; among the nine chairs here, Yuanmu Wood Factory and UMU use wooden frames with fabric seat cushions, and UCM offers wooden, fabric, and leather seat options.
9 Solid Wood Dining Chairs Recommended

Yuanmu Wood Factory Shiguang Dining Chair
- Product positioning
- Ash armchair sold on consignment at Yuanmu Wood Factory showrooms; wood stain and fabric can be swapped
- Price
- NT$6,800
- Dimensions
- Seat width 50 cm, seat depth 53 cm, seat height 45.5 cm, armrest height 67.5 cm
- Materials
- Ash frame, fabric seat cushion
- Official information
- Taipei Dazhi showroom: No. 468, Section 2, Tiding Boulevard, Zhongshan District, Taipei City, Tel (02) 8501-5246
- Taichung Nantun showroom: No. 45-1, Section 1, Nantun Road, West District, Taichung City, Tel (04) 2376-7615
- In-stock lead time about 14 to 21 working days; consignment item, cannot be customized or have dimensions changed

UCM Color Chair
- Product positioning
- Curved single chair from Taiwanese furniture brand UCM offered in three seat heights
- Price
- Wood seat NT$4,680 / Fabric seat NT$5,280 / Leather seat NT$9,280
- Dimensions
- W 44 × D 50 × H 78.5 cm; seat heights — wood 45 / 42.5 / 40 cm, fabric and leather 48 / 45.5 / 43 cm
- Materials
- Beech, bent plywood laminate, cowhide or fabric, foam; available in 6 wood finishes
- Official information
- Website warranty information: standalone solid-wood structural pieces are covered for 5 years; upholstered parts 3 years
- Product number 3900308

Uwood Little Prince Dining Chair
- Product positioning
- Uwood Design’s ash solid wood dining chair, stackable for storage
- Price
- Not published on the official website; price upon inquiry
- Dimensions
- Width 50 × Depth 53 × Height 74.5 cm, seat height 45 cm
- Material
- Ash solid wood, all solid wood without veneer; also available in teak color WRDH016R-TK
- Official information
- Model WRDH016R
- Uwood Design also operates interior design and custom cabinetry
- Customer service Tel 0800-033-788

ALOT Living Hida no Takumi 050 Dining Chair
- Product positioning
- Handmade bentwood dining chair by SHIRAKAWA workshop in Hida Takayama, Japan
- Price
- Japanese birch, Japanese ash NT$32,300; walnut, Japanese walnut NT$36,400
- Dimensions
- W 50 × D 59 × H 91 cm, seat height 42 cm
- Materials
- Choose one of four wood species, oiled finish, extensive mortise-and-tenon structure
- Official information
- Origin: Hida Takayama, Japan
- Estimated lead time 2 to 3 months (± about 2 weeks)

Wooden Mania Basket Chair
- Product positioning
- In-house ash chair from Wooden Mania, a solid-wood dining table workshop
- Price
- Price not published on the official site; inquiry required
- Dimensions
- Seat height 44 cm, seat width 53 cm, back height 76 cm (depth not specified on official site)
- Material
- Ash (natural wood color)
- Official information
- Model B205
- Main products are solid single-slab dining tables and tabletops; sizes can be customized

Mountain Living Civil Chair
- Product positioning
- All-solid-wood chair by Air Division distributed by Mountain Living
- Price
- Teak, oak NT$11,500; walnut-colored teak NT$12,200
- Dimensions
- W 50 × D 57 × H 86 cm (seat height not listed on the official site; hand measurements may vary by ±2 cm)
- Materials
- Solid teak, walnut-colored solid teak, or European white oak
- Official information
- Model CIV260T

MUJI Wooden Round Chair / Oak
- Product positioning
- MUJI oak round chair with solid wood legs and veneered plywood backrest and seat
- Price
- NT$4,990
- Dimensions
- W 45 × D 51 × H 77 cm, seat height 42 cm
- Material
- Backrest and seat: plywood (oak veneer); legs: oak; glossy lacquer finish
- Official information
- Origin: Vietnam
- Warranty: 3 years

Chen-Jiao Healthy Solid Wood Dining Chair, Model A
- Product positioning
- Chen-Jiao’s North American oak solid wood dining chair, mortise-and-tenon joinery
- Price
- NT$5,300
- Dimensions
- W 43 × D 53 × H 86 cm, seat depth 40 cm, seat height 46 cm (approx. ±3 cm)
- Material
- North American FAS-grade oak, solid wood with no veneer
- Official information
- Model JK-M2121
- Check stock availability before ordering

UMU SHIGIYAMA Oak Fabric Dining Chair
- Product positioning
- UMU’s oak solid wood dining chair with fabric seat; bundle price available when paired with a dining table
- Price
- Single chair NT$11,900; 1 table + 4 chairs bundle NT$9,500 per chair; 1 table + 2 chairs NT$10,500 per chair
- Dimensions
- W 47 × D 56.5 × H 82.5 cm, seat height 44 cm
- Material
- Oak solid wood frame, dark gray water-repellent fabric seat
- Official information
- Origin: Vietnam
- In-stock orders ship in about 3 days to 1 month
- Shipping includes on-site assembly by a technician
| Brand | Style | Price | Seat height | Dimensions (W×D×H) | Material |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yuanmu Wood Factory | Shiguang Dining Chair | NT$6,800 | 45.5 cm | Seat W 50, Seat D 53 | Ash wood, fabric seat cushion |
| UCM | Color Chair | From NT$4,680 | 40/42.5/45 cm | 44 × 50 × 78.5 | Beech, bent laminated plywood |
| Uwood | Little Prince Dining Chair | Price on request | 45 cm | 50 × 53 × 74.5 | Ash solid wood |
| ALOT Living | Hida no Takumi 050 Dining Chair | From NT$32,300 | 42 cm | 50 × 59 × 91 | Birch, ash, or walnut |
| Wooden Mania | Basket Chair | Price on request | 44 cm | Seat W 53, Back height 76 | Ash |
| Mountain Living | Civil Chair | From NT$11,500 | Not listed on official site | 50 × 57 × 86 | Teak or European oak |
| MUJI | Wooden Round Chair / Oak | NT$4,990 | 42 cm | 45 × 51 × 77 | Oak legs, veneered plywood seat |
| Chen-Jiao | Healthy Solid Wood Dining Chair, Model A | NT$5,300 | 46 cm | 43 × 53 × 86 | North American oak solid wood |
| UMU | SHIGIYAMA Oak Fabric Dining Chair | NT$11,900 | 44 cm | 47 × 56.5 × 82.5 | Oak, water-repellent fabric |
Solid-wood dining chairs: check the wood, joinery, and seating feel
Check first whether the chair is entirely solid wood
Writing “solid-wood dining chair” on a product page doesn’t mean every part is solid wood; check the material section. In this article, Uwood and Chen-Jiao state “all solid wood, no veneer”; UCM uses bent plywood laminates for the chair body, and MUJI’s backrest and seat are plywood with oak veneer. Plywood and laminated boards are lighter and cheaper, but once the veneer layer is worn through it can’t be repaired; a fully solid-wood chair that gets scratched can be sanded and refinished with oil or paint.
Chairs joined with mortise-and-tenon are less likely to loosen
Chairs are pulled and leaned on daily, concentrating forces on the leg and back joints. Mortise-and-tenon means the wood pieces interlock with male/female joints; Chen-Jiao and ALOT state on their product pages that they use mortise-and-tenon or inserted tenons. Chairs held together only by screws tend to loosen over time. If the product page doesn’t state the joining method, ask the seller before ordering whether they use mortise-and-tenon or screws, and also ask whether the chair requires self-assembly on delivery.
Choose seat height according to your dining table height
Taiwanese furniture maker Woodenren’s dimensions list shows dining tables at 72–75 cm and dining chair seat height at 42–44 cm; expect a table height minus seat height difference of 27–30 cm so your thighs are close to horizontal when seated. Of the nine chairs in this article, the websites that list seat heights fall between 40 and 46 cm—measure your table height and subtract 27–30 cm to know which chair to pick. If you’re still choosing a table, check our solid wood dining table guide (in Chinese) and live-edge dining table guide (in Chinese).
Specs, common mistakes, and who each chair suits at a glance
- Spec comparison: Of the nine chairs, the websites that list seat heights place them between 40 and 46 cm, and prices range from NT$4,680 to NT$36,400; only UCM and MUJI explicitly state they use plywood, while the others are labeled solid wood. Uwood and Wooden Mania do not disclose prices.
- Who it’s for: If your budget is around NT$5,000, compare UCM, MUJI, and Chen-Jiao; for about NT$10,000, Yuanmu Wood Factory, Mountain Living, and UMU fall in that range; if you want Japanese artisan bentwood craftsmanship, ALOT’s 050 is over NT$30,000 per chair and has a 2–3 month lead time.
- Common mistakes: Ordering from photos alone and discovering the seat height doesn’t match the table on arrival; factoring in a bundle price but forgetting the table must be purchased too; and not asking lead times—Yuanmu Wood Factory has 14–21 business days for in-stock items, while ALOT’s preorders take 2–3 months.
FAQ
What seat height is appropriate for a solid wood dining chair?
How can I judge the wood quality of a solid wood dining chair?
Which is more durable: mortise-and-tenon joints or glued/screwed construction?
Do solid wood dining chairs require regular maintenance?
If my budget is limited, how do I choose between solid wood chairs and chairs made from other materials?
Can I use a solid wood dining chair at a table that doubles as a desk?
Conclusion
The differences between solid wood dining chairs, beyond price and style, mainly lie in how clearly the materials are specified, the joinery method, and the seat height. Two chairs both called “solid wood” can be entirely solid wood with no veneer, or just have solid wood legs while the seat is plywood; the more complete the material information, the more confident you can be about what you’re paying for. Match seat height to your table: a tabletop-to-seat distance of 27 to 30 cm prevents fatigue during long meals. If you already have a solid wood dining table, choosing the same wood species makes the set look more cohesive. Before ordering, measure your table height and confirm the joinery method, whether assembly is required, and the delivery time—imported or handmade items may take two to three months. For further comparisons, you can refer to the publicly posted chair dimensions and material descriptions on the official sites of UCM, Yuanmu Wood Factory, and UMU.
References
[2] Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection, Ministry of Economic Affairs: Draft notification on “Inspection regulations related to wooden assembled furniture products”
[3] UCM: Warranty information
[4] UMU: Shipping and delivery information