Modern dining chairs usually come down to three practical choices: moulded shell, moulded plywood, or a shell chair with a PU-padded seat. Shell chairs are the easiest to wipe clean and the simplest value buy, plywood gives a warmer furniture look and a lower, loungier seat shape, and PU adds a softer seat surface without changing the compact footprint.
On this page
- How do you choose between modern dining chairs in shell, plywood and PU?
- What matters most before you buy?
- How do the shop’s chair types compare?
- What do shells, plywood and PU cost, and how does delivery work?
- What mistakes do buyers make when comparing these materials?
- Every dining chair in the shop, measured (checked 24 October 2026)
- Frequently asked questions
In this shop, the Dining Chairs category has 17 models priced from €90 to €249, with an example size of 47 x 53 x 83 cm. If you are comparing dining seating across the wider range, the store also lists Designer Lighting with 4 models at €190–€479, Eames Office Chairs with 38 models at €179–€409, Eames Lounge Chairs with 39 models at €275–€1199, Le Corbusier with 8 models at €639–€849, Rocking Chairs with 3 models at €149, Accessories with 6 models at €139–€479, and Special Offers with 13 models at €90–€849.
How do you choose between modern dining chairs in shell, plywood and PU?
The right choice depends on how you use the table: frequent family meals usually favour wipe-clean shells, longer seated meals often favour a padded PU seat, and a plywood chair suits buyers who want a wood-led look and a more relaxed chair profile.
For everyday dining, a moulded-shell side chair is the most direct starting point. The shell sets sold here all share the same overall size of 47 x 53 x 83 cm and a seat height of 44 cm. The shell fixes to its beech legs with four screws, the Allen key is included, and the ABS shell has a fade-resistant UV coating that wipes clean.
Examples include the Set of Two Eames DSW Chairs Replica White at €109, 47 x 53 x 83 cm (W x L x H), the Set of Two Eames DSW Chairs Replica Light Blue at €109, 47 x 53 x 83 cm (W x L x H), the Set of Two Eames DSW Chairs Replica Black at €109, 47 x 53 x 83 cm (W x L x H), and The fantastic Set of 4 Eames DSW Chairs White Replica at €199, 47 x 53 x 83 cm (W x L x H).
If you want a softer seat surface but still want the same compact shell-chair footprint, the PU-padded version keeps the same 47 x 53 x 83 cm overall size and 44 cm seat height. The difference is the upholstered seat pad on the shell. The Set of Two Eames DSW Chairs Replica PU Leather Black is €90, 47 x 53 x 83 cm (W x L x H), and the Set of Four Eames DSW Chairs Replica PU Leather Black is €150, 47 x 53 x 83 cm (W x L x H).
Plywood is a different category. The Eames LCW Chair Replica – Plywood Black is €149, 56 x 62 x 68 cm (W x L x H). Across this moulded plywood lounge-chair style, the shop lists 4 versions at €149–€169, using five-piece moulded plywood with rubber shock mounts that flex as you sit and a chrome-plated steel spine. At about 56 cm wide and 68 cm high overall, it reads more as a low occasional or lounge-style seat than a standard upright dining chair.
If you are deciding between shell side chairs and shell armchairs, use the store’s separate guides for the moulded-shell side chair and the shell armchair with integrated arms. The armchair version listed by the shop is 63 x 60 x 83 cm with integrated armrests, so it needs more table clearance than the 47 x 53 x 83 cm side chair.
What matters most before you buy?
The decisive criteria are footprint, seat feel, cleaning routine, and whether the chair is meant for upright dining or a lower lounge posture. Most buying mistakes happen when shoppers choose by finish alone and ignore width, height, or how often the chairs will be wiped down.
Start with width. A side chair at 47 cm wide is easier to place in multiples around a table than an armchair at 63 cm wide. If you are laying out a round table, the shape and width matter more than the colour first; the store’s guide on dining chairs for round table layouts goes into that in more detail.
Next, think about surface and upkeep. ABS shells wipe clean and the shell models here have a fade-resistant UV coating. PU leather also wipes clean, but the seat has stitched upholstery rather than a single smooth shell. If you want the clearest explanation of padded shell seats, see Faux Leather Dining Chairs: What PU Seats Mean.
Then consider the visual effect. A white shell chair can keep the room lighter, black can create more contrast against pale tables, and plywood introduces a wood-face surface that feels closer to occasional furniture than to a compact dining shell. For more on room effect rather than specifications, the related reads on how dining chairs shape a room’s aesthetic and how dining chairs affect the dining set-up are useful follow-ons.
For design background only, the Design Museum is a neutral reference point on twentieth-century furniture and interiors.
How do the shop’s chair types compare?
The store’s own dining-related options separate clearly by material, footprint and price. The table below compares the categories and price bands exactly as listed by the shop, then shows the closest matching product examples where the shop publishes them.
| Type | Store option | Price | Size | What it suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moulded-shell side chair set | 4 listings in shell colours | €109–€199 | 47 x 53 x 83 cm; seat height 44 cm | Compact everyday dining, easy cleaning, buying in matching sets |
| PU-padded shell side chair set | 2 listings in black | €90–€150 | 47 x 53 x 83 cm; seat height 44 cm | Buyers who want the shell format with a softer seat surface |
| Moulded-shell dining armchair | 3 listings | €150 | 63 x 60 x 83 cm | Dining tables with enough clearance for arms and a wider chair stance |
| Moulded plywood lounge chair | 4 listings | €149–€169 | 56 x 62 x 68 cm | Lower, more relaxed seating; wood-led look rather than upright dining form |
| Dining Chairs category | 17 models | €90–€249 | Example 47 x 53 x 83 cm | Full dining-chair range across shell, PU and related styles |
One useful shortcut is this: if you need a standard dining-chair height and want to buy pairs or fours, start with the shell sets. If you specifically want wood as the visible surface, the plywood model is the wood-first option, but its 56 x 62 x 68 cm proportions put it into a lower chair category.
The shell-chair family is also covered in related guides if you want a deeper comparison before choosing a colour or quantity: Mid-Century Modern Dining Chairs, Plastic Dining Chairs: Comfort, Finish and Value, and the article on a set of four white shell chairs.
What do shells, plywood and PU cost, and how does delivery work?
The published pricing is straightforward: shell sets start at €109 for two, PU-padded shell sets start at €90 for two, and the moulded plywood chair starts at €149. Delivery terms are the same across the shop, so the buying process does not change by category.
Within dining seating, the current examples are: shell side chairs from €109 for two in white, light blue or black, €199 for four in white; PU-padded shell side chairs at €90 for two or €150 for four in black; moulded plywood chair at €149 for the black finish. The wider Dining Chairs category runs from €90 to €249.
Delivery is free, with no minimum order value, to the 25 countries available at checkout: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The price shown is the price paid, with no extra charge added at checkout and no customs or handling charge collected on delivery in these countries.
Orders are dispatched within 1–2 working days of confirmation and are delivered by DPD, fully tracked. Delivery typically arrives within 6–9 working days door to door, and tracking details are emailed as soon as the order is dispatched. The shop publishes one delivery window for all categories, and weekend delivery is not part of the standard service.
Most single-product orders ship in one package; larger items may arrive in several boxes, and multi-item orders may be split across deliveries but are dispatched together. Dining chairs need minor assembly, for example four screws per chair, with the Allen key supplied and instructions in the box. Each piece is inspected before it is boxed for dispatch.
Returns are also standard across the shop. You have 14 days from delivery to request a return, the item must be unused and in its original packaging, and nothing may be sent back without a return authorisation from support@decomica.com. For a change of mind, the refund is made minus a €40 return fee that covers DPD collection. If an item arrives faulty, damaged in transit or wrong, return collection is arranged by DPD from the customer’s door and the shop sends a replacement or a full refund. Every piece also carries a 2-year warranty against manufacturing defects.
What mistakes do buyers make when comparing these materials?
The most common mistakes are comparing only appearance, ignoring the actual dimensions, and treating a low plywood lounge chair as if it were the same thing as an upright dining side chair. Material matters, but size and intended use matter first.
Mistake one is assuming all chairs in this style family have the same footprint. They do not. The standard shell side chairs are 47 x 53 x 83 cm, the armchair shell is 63 x 60 x 83 cm, and the plywood lounge chair is 56 x 62 x 68 cm. Those figures change how many chairs fit, how much elbow room you have, and how the chair sits against the table.
Mistake two is buying only by colour. White, black and light blue shell sets are all available, and black PU-padded sets are available too, but finish should come after deciding whether you want a shell surface, a padded seat, or visible plywood. If colour is your next filter, the related pages on white dining chairs for practical everyday dining and matching black dining chairs to your table are better places to narrow that down.
Mistake three is overlooking assembly. These dining chairs need minor assembly. On the shell and PU-padded shell chairs, each shell fixes to its beech legs with four screws, and the Allen key is included. That is simple, but it is still part of the buying decision if you are furnishing quickly.
Mistake four is assuming all returns are free. They are not for a change of mind: the refund is made minus a €40 return fee that covers DPD collection. Faulty, damaged-in-transit or wrong items are handled differently, with free collection and either replacement or refund.
Finally, remember what these products are. Every product page states that the pieces are reproductions inspired by mid-century designs and are not made by or affiliated with the original licence holders. The D-series mesh office chairs are the shop’s own designs, but that is separate from the dining-chair range covered here.
Every dining chair in the shop, measured (checked 24 October 2026)
Every figure below is copied from the product page of the piece on 24 October 2026; click a name for the listing.
| Piece | Overall size (W × D × H) | Seat height | Material | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moulded-shell dining chair with wooden legs (DSW style), sold in sets | 47 × 53 × 83 cm | 44 cm | ABS shell with a fade-resistant UV coating that wipes clean; beech legs | set of four white €199, set of two white €109, set of two light blue €109, set of two black €109 |
| Padded PU-leather dining chair (DSW style), sets of 2 or 4 | 47 × 53 × 83 cm | 44 cm | PU leather pad on a moulded shell; wooden legs | set of four black €150, set of two black €90 |
| Moulded-shell dining armchair (DAW style) | 63 × 60 × 83 cm | — | injection-moulded ABS shell, fade-resistant, wipes clean; beech dowel legs | €150 |
| Moulded plywood lounge chair (LCW style) | 56 × 62 × 68 cm | — | moulded plywood (walnut, rosewood, ash or black finish) with a chrome-plated steel spine | €149–€169 |
All our dining chair guides
- Plastic Dining Chairs: Comfort, Finish and Value
- Wooden Dining Chairs: Plywood, Veneer or Solid Legs?
- White Dining Chairs for Practical Everyday Dining
- How to Match Black Dining Chairs to Your Table
- Easy-Clean Kitchen Chairs for Everyday Living
- How to Choose Dining Chairs with Arms for Your Table
- Dining Chairs Set of 4: What to Check Before You Buy
- Dining Chairs for Round Table Layouts: Shape, Width, Arms
- Faux Leather Dining Chairs: What PU Seats Mean
Frequently asked questions
Are shell chairs or PU-padded shell chairs better for everyday dining?
Shell chairs are the easier wipe-clean option because the ABS shell is a single hard surface with a fade-resistant UV coating. PU-padded shell chairs keep the same 47 x 53 x 83 cm overall size and 44 cm seat height, but add a softer seat pad that also wipes clean.
Is the plywood chair a true dining chair or more of a lounge chair?
The plywood model is lower and more relaxed in proportion at 56 x 62 x 68 cm, so it sits closer to a lounge or occasional chair format than to a standard upright dining side chair. If you need a conventional dining-chair height, the shell side chairs are the clearer starting point.
How long does delivery take for dining chairs?
Orders are dispatched within 1–2 working days of confirmation and delivered by DPD, fully tracked. The published door-to-door delivery window is typically 6–9 working days, and tracking details are emailed when the order is dispatched.
What if a dining chair arrives damaged or I change my mind?
You have 14 days from delivery to request a return, and the item must be unused and in its original packaging. For a change of mind, the refund is made minus a €40 return fee for DPD collection; if the item is faulty, damaged in transit or wrong, collection is free and the shop arranges a replacement or full refund.
Decomica sells reproductions inspired by mid-century designs, identified as such on every product page; they are not made, licensed or endorsed by the original manufacturers or licence holders. The D-series office chairs are Decomica’s own designs.
Last checked: 24 October 2026
Decomica Editorial
