Best Wooden Crossback Chairs, 2024 Buying Guide

Cross Back Chairs That Fit Your Style & Budget

For inexpensive wooden crossback chairs that are incredibly comfortable and stylish, here are the best options for your budget!

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Buying a new set of dining chairs is no easy feat.  Also, the cost of dining chairs can quickly add up.  After all, you can’t buy just one dining chair, you are going to need a full set of 6 or 8!

Fortunately, crossback chairs check all the boxes when it comes to trendy but affordable dining room chairs.  Also called X-back chairs,  these beauties are very ergonomic to give you and your family comfortable seating for years to come.   All the dining chairs mentioned here are less than $150 a chair!

This post might be helpful to you if you:

• Want beautiful dining chairs that have a classic but stylish look
• Want reliable reviews from others that have long-term experience with various brands of crossback wooden chairs
• Want the best wooden crossback chairs for back support and comfort

The Best Crossback Chairs On A Budget

What are Crossback Chairs?

Dining chairs play such an important role in your home’s decor, not just from the perspective of rounding out the look of your dining room.  But their functionality is critical to the comfort of your family.

Crossback dining chairs are often known for their solid construction with distressed accents that look great with rustic farmhouse decor.  They feature an x-back, curved legs, and a woven rattan seat for a natural style.  The seat adds extra cushioning and a nice contrast against the wood.

 

The Best Wooden Crossback Chairs for 2024

Available in 8 different finishes to choose from, this wood chair gives you lots of options to help you coordinate with your home’s style and dining table finish.  Whether your style is modern farmhouse, French country, or traditional, this chair is such a great statement piece bringing lots of rustic charm to your dining room while still being incredibly comfortable.  This is the same dining chair I use at my desk and I can personally attest to its sturdy construction and comfort.

Several reviewers were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the chairs as well as their comfort.   One remarked that they looked at the same chair at a high-end furniture store for over $250 but were so pleased they found a better option online.

This chair has a natural tan dining seat that offers comfortable support while eating at a dining table or working at a desk.  These chairs are crafted with solid elm wood making them lightweight but sturdy.  The legs are bowed and the cross-back frame is complemented by the curved apron detail making them comfortable, casual dining chairs.

Be aware that one reviewer that ordered 8 black chairs noticed an odor but said that it dissipated after a few days. 

Best Crossback Counter Stool (International Concepts Chairs)

To extend the same look from your dining table to the kitchen counter or work island, we recommend the Eleanor X-back counter stool.  No chair is as famous as Thonet’s bentwood café model and Safavieh’s counter stool captures the look in weathered oak with a graceful frame, rattan seat, and authentic cross-back arch brace in black metal. This counter-height seat has a height of 24 inches giving you the same look and back type as traditional cross back wooden chairs but a different size.

One reviewer said the following: “I have been searching for these farm-rustic style counter height stools ever since I saw them at a restaurant in Finland. These chairs are very much in fashion these days and a favorite of many lifestyle bloggers and home decor sites. However, the blogger-recommended ones are very expensive (~$200 onwards) on various online shopping sites.  I was very happy to find them on Amazon at such an affordable price.” 

Something to be aware of is that the listing mentions two different seat heights in the title but the actual height of these counter-height stools is 24 inches. Check out the product page below for several color options including ash wood.

Best Crossback Bar Stool

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE 9 COLOR OPTIONS

With its willowy frame and iconic cross-back inspired by Michael Thonet’s classic bistro chair, the Franklin barstool by Safavieh is ideal in your kitchen or great room.  Crafted of solid American oak, including the X arch brace, this casual barstool is finished with a seat of rattan caning. No assembly is required.

Several reviewers remarked on the fine workmanship and rich color.  Something to be aware of is that the ivory color is more cream than white as in the photo. 

Don’t forget the Felt Pads!   Since these chairs have small legs you need to protect your floor from being scratched. 

Tip for Dressing Up Casual Dining Chairs

If you love the look of crossback chairs but want a more formal feel, try this trick!  You can use the cheaper chair options above for the longer sides of your dining table.  Then, get a dressier upholstered chairs for each end.  The end chairs will be statement pieces that dress up the look of your whole room but you still save by using a more inexpensive option for your side chairs.  Here are some upholstered dining chairs: Formal Dining Chairs.

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The History of Wooden CrossBack Chairs

Crossback chairs were originally used in 20th-century French bistros.  They are very similar to bentwood chairs in terms of their lower supports, but they have flattened strips of wood that cross in the back as opposed to the rounded arcs.

Such a unique aspect of cross-back chairs is how they were originally made.  The wooden parts were made by heating beechwood slats to 212 degrees F, pressing them into curved cast-iron molds, and then drying them at around  158 degrees F for 20 hours.

Different Sizes and Colors of Wooden Cross back Chairs

 Crossback Bistro Chairs on a Budget

You probably have seen cross-back chairs more as dining sets but I also use one as my vanity chair because it’s comfortable and doesn’t take up a lot of space.  I have a friend that uses one at her craft desk for the same reason.  The standard crossback dining chair has a seat height of 18.5 inches.

Crossback Counter Stools & Bar Stools

They can also be used as counter stools and bar stools.  The typical height of a counter stool is 23 – 28 inches while the typical bar stool height is 29-32 inches according to Hayneedle’s Bar Stool Buying Guide.

Crossback Color Options

X back chairs come in a variety of color options to work with your table and style including distressed grey, ivory, natural, walnut, ivory, and black dining chairs.

 

Stackable Crossback Chairs

Stackable cross-back chairs are also an option for those that want to store them for occasional large family gatherings or wedding venues.  You often see cross-back chairs at weddings and receptions because of their rustic but elegant style and lightweight comfort.  Later, we’ll discuss the difference between stackable cross-back chairs and non-stackable.

The Best Wooden Crossback Chairs: 4 Benefits

What Makes a Comfortable Dining Chair Versatile for Your Style

What I love most about these elegant dining chairs is their versatility.  Although you often see them with modern farmhouse accents, they look beautiful with almost any home decor style!   They look as at-home with a farmhouse trestle table as they look with French country or coastal decor.

No matter how amazing a dining set looks or how well they coordinate with your decor, nothing is worse than having a sore back from sitting in an uncomfortable chair.  How frustrating would it be to spend hundreds of dollars on a cute dining set only to find out that your family and guests are miserable sitting in them?

Are X-Back Chairs Comfortable?

Not only are cross-back chairs comfortable, but they are also ergonomic, which is ironic because they don’t look nearly as comfy as they truly are.  As someone with lower back problems, I was presently surprised by the lumbar support provided with wooden pieces that make the curved x.  In searching for the best dining room chair for lower back pain, cross-back chairs were often listed as a great desk chair or dining chair for those with back issues.

Most cross-back chairs do not have a fully upholstered seat but do have padding under the rattan making them more comfortable than a regular wooden dining seat.  If you need some extra support, you can always add dining cushions which are more easily cleaned than upholstered dining chairs.  

 

The Best Stacking Chairs

Crossback chairs have become the hottest trend in wedding seating and some are even stackable!  But you have to know what to look for when you buy.  If you are looking to buy a large number of crossback chairs for yourself or if you are a wedding venue looking to buy wholesale, you definitely want to make sure the x-back chairs you buy are stackable.

You can see here that crossback chairs without the piece that wraps around are stackable.  Be sure to keep that in consideration when buying them wholesale to make storage easy.  Later I’ll share the best source for wholesale x back chairs.

 

Easy to Maintain & Clean

Crossback chairs are a great option for families with young kids.  Other dining chairs might be fully upholstered or have upholstered seats making them hard to clean when there are inevitable spills.  Crossback chairs are easy to wipe down since they are almost all wood and the padded rattan is easy to keep clean.

 

7 Things to Look for In Finding The Best Wooden Cross Back Chairs

 

Best Dining Chairs for Family Use – DURABILITY!

One of the most important factors we looked at in picking the best cross-back chairs, is durability.  When I bought my last set of dining chairs, the first thing my daughter did was stand on the lower cross bar between the legs and I heard a “snap!”  That was within 15 minutes of having the chairs delivered!

Solid Wood Construction

Fortunately, the x-back chairs listed today are all solid wood and have really solid construction with no lower cross bars!  They also come pre-assembled which is so much easier and I think it contributes to their sturdy construction.  Often chairs that need assembly eventually become wobbly as screws loosen and they need tightening.

Affordable Modern Dining Chairs

All of the dining chair options I’ve listed are under $100 making them very affordable even when you have to buy a large set of 6 or more.  If you need more than 10 chairs, I list options for buying them wholesale so you can get an even better deal.

Comfortable, Casual Dining Chairs

As someone with lower back problems, comfort is a major consideration for our dining chairs.  Their padded seats and lower lumbar support of cross-back chairs make them naturally comfortable but some brands are better than others!

Coordinating Crossback Chairs with Table Finishes

We considered cross-back chairs that come in several color options so you can coordinate easily with your existing table whether you built it yourself or bought it from a high-end showroom!
The x back chairs listed come in 4 color options: distressed walnut (more of a gray), ivory, black and natural.  If your table has a driftwood finish, the distressed walnut is a good choice, and the natural works well with any stain.

The Right Chair Height

There is actually a lot of variability in seat height with dining chairs so make sure the cross-back chair you are considering works well for your table.  An easy way to figure this out is by first measuring your table height.  Say my table height is 30 inches.  Then subtract 12 inches to find your ideal chair height give or take a couple of inches.  (30-12=18 inches)

Not only is it a great dining chair but it also works really well as a desk chair as you can see in my post here: DIY Desk Out of A Door

Arms or No Arms?

One consideration is if you want armrests on your dining chairs.  Be sure to measure your table height from the bottom of the apron (if it has one) to the floor.  You want to make sure the armrests have clearance under the apron when pushed in.

 

FAQ’s: The Best Wooden CrossBack Chairs

Can you rent cross back chairs for events?

If you want to rent crossback wooden chairs for a wedding or large event, check with your local party rental company. They are a great option especially if you need them for outdoor use as they are moved easily with chair dollies. Cross back restaurant chairs like standard Standard Chiavari Chairs are usually from the same supplier and might not be the quality you’d want for dining room chair sets but are great for an event. Some have metal bracing so they are stackable for easy storage and the wood seats may or may not have a seat pad. Wooden cross-back chairs are a better option for corporate events than Chivari chairs.

Want a Cross Back Chair with a Padded Seat?

If you want a more padded seat, you can buy cushions for cross-back chairs that tie on.   They will give you more padding than the cushion under the rattan and will also be easily removable to clean.  It can be hard to find smaller cushions that fit the  wood cross back chairs mentioned above, but this listing a single chair option in small:

Crossback Chair Cushions in Small

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Crossback Chair Manufacturing Process

 

Final Thoughts on the Best Wood Crossback Chairs

X back dining chairs have classic appeal and will never go out of style.  Wooden cross back chairs are the best options when you want an elegant look with classic appeal. The curved lines of these beautiful chairs make them the perfect addition to your home whether you need them for a rustic farmhouse style or a more elegant look. There are also great options if you are looking for a counter stool and bar stool.  No matter if you love farmhouse style, coastal, or French country decor, cross-back chairs offer form and function for any budget!

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Best Wooden Cross Back Chairs: Dining Chairs, Counter Stools & Bar Stools