How do you feel about..

[k3am]

... dining tables with bench seating on one side?

AKA chime in on a difference of opinion between DH and I.

[dr.girlfriend]

I think it looks cool but I wouldn't want to be the one to sit there.

[InBetweenDays]

We had that for about 8 years. I like the look of it and it gave us more seating than chairs. I didn't mind sitting there at all, but when my parents were over they'd have a hard time getting in and out so they always sat in chairs.

The only reason we got rid of it was we had our table refinished and the bench no longer worked with it.

[lilac05]

They look nice, but I don’t like them unless it’s for children. My parents have one a really long one. It’s hard to get in and out when it’s full. Also, everyone on that side needs to be somewhat similar in size. In my 6’6” H sits next to my 6 year old, one is too close to the table and the other is too far away.

They are great, however, if you need to fit several kids in a smaller space.

[sandandsea]

These were my favorite as a kid. Now, not at all. People like sitting at different distances and readjusting, getting up and down, no back, sliding in, etc is all idk.....awkward....as an adult. I love the look but not at all practical IMO.

[RockNVoll]

They seem like a huge PITA.

[aprilsails]

Great for kids. Otherwise annoying. My Dad built one for our kitchen when I was a kid. Loved it.

However I’m not a fan at all for formal dining areas. Kitchen table or nook- sure, but make sure there are still some regular chairs available.

[mrsukyankee]

We will have using a bench for our kitchen table/pool table when we move into this house (I'm being optimistic). Partially so we can use the table for prep (we'll push the bench under) and also because we rarely use all 8 seats. We'll probably only use the bench a few times a year when we have friends over as we'll be standing for most of the night drinking/chatting anyway (or playing pool on the table).

[carmenere]

Nov 18, 2019 3:20:24 GMT -5 aprilsails said:

Great for kids. Otherwise annoying. My Dad built one for our kitchen when I was a kid. Loved it.

However I’m not a fan at all for formal dining areas. Kitchen table or nook- sure, but make sure there are still some regular chairs available.

Agreed. My grandma has had one forever because it's the only way everyone can fit in her dining room. It was great when I was a kid, but now that my cousins and I are adults (still the "kids" of the family, though) no one likes sitting there. 

But if you have kids and it would fit better than chairs, go for it. It doesn't have to be a forever thing, you can replace it with chairs when your kids outgrow it.

[bullygirl979]

I think it looks cool but I wouldn't want to sit there. I personally really like backed chairs for comfort and if you have a backed bench, it's impossible to get out.

[caddywompus]

We had one with our kitchen table when I was growing up. We had 4 kids, and we loved it and would argue about who got to sit there. As an adult it isn’t comfortable, so I’d say YES if you have kids, otherwise NO.

[nicolewi]

I like the look, but seems awkward to me for function.

[k3am]

Hmm.. I may have to conceed that in this rare instance, DH's stance is the popular one.

Bench seating is shown on close to 95% of the tables we looked at, so I was making the assumption that obviously people thought this is a great idea.

[redheadk]

I have it at dhs insistance and dislike it. It’s fine for the kids and it is nice we can squeeze an extra person there but it’s not as comfortable. I need to buy 2 more chairs so I can swap out. I’d like to buy upholstered chairs for the head and foot but it’s just too much going on with a bench and regular chairs.

Eta: our dining room table is small for the size of our house and I do like that we can shove it under the table out of the way.

[dottyblue]

It's horrible and I'll never do it. We spend a LOT of our time at the dinner table evenings and sitting on a bench makes my back hurt. We had benches when I was a kid and no one ever wanted to sit at them.

[tres3]

i have it. I like the look but hate the function.

[brooklyn]

We just bought one because we’re hosting thanksgiving in our new apartment. Without the bench, we didn’t have enough seating. I like that it fits under my table when not in use. My kid and little sister are the ones sitting on it for holidays, otherwise we just use chairs for everyday use.

[Deleted]

Definitely not for a formal dining space. Maybe for a kitchen with kids. I actually wanted one, but DH talked me down and I'm glad that he did. I have Hithcock Chairs in my kitchen and wanted to get the matching bench (which in my defense does have a back and armrests) but I now see just how inconvenient it would be if any of my kids had to share a seat. Team your H.

[boiler717]

We use one on one side of our kitchen table. It’s great for kiddos but agree it can be a pain with a group of adults

[bittybomb]

We have a table with bench and chairs in our kitchen but for our formal dining room I prefer the more traditional table and chairs. The bench in the kitchen is great - my daughter had 6 little girls over for a sleepover last night and because of the bench they could all squeeze around the table.

[treedimensional]

Hate.

[L]

It’s fine for a casual eating area/eat in kitchen. As the formal or only dining area, I hate it.