Yahoo News 9 best benches for a functional upgrade to your living space
Our desire for relaxed family dining has given the humble bench a moment in the spotlight. Not just for open-plan kitchen set-ups, conventional dining spaces are increasingly embracing the casual long-seater, too.
And we’re all for the informality of a dining bench. By its very nature, it’s a barrier-breaker, encouraging us to be a little more sociable, especially when we’re wedged in for a cosy dinner with family or friends.
If you’re looking to team your kitchen or dining table with a bench or two, you’ll need to think carefully about maximising space. Consider buying a single bench for one side of the table with more traditional dining chairs on the other – this can prove a nifty space-saver as well as award your dining room a lovely, laid-back look.
If you are mixing and matching, measure up well to ensure your dining bench will tuck neatly under the table.
In the hallway, a fuss-free wooden bench can bring an edgy, industrial feel to our homes: think locker rooms or school hall-style pieces that put functionality at the fore. Not only do these look the part, but they can be a godsend when we’re scrambling to get our shoes and coats on each morning.
Similarly, a simple bench at the foot of the bed can be a handy addition when you’re getting dressed, without the bulk of a storage ottoman.
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How we tested
Because of its simple design, a bench is often unforgiving in its exposure of any shoddy woodwork. We put our top long-seaters to the test, looking for sturdiness, comfort and quality of craftsmanship alongside style and affordability. We tried our benches out in different set-ups from kitchen to dining room, hallway to bedroom, to see which worked best where.
The best benches for 2021 are:
Best overall – John Lewis & Partners poise 2 seater bench, oak: £499, Johnlewis.com
Best bang for your buck – Habitat etta 3 seater dining bench, oak: £195, Habitat.co.uk
Best for affordable style – La Redoute malu solid pine bench: £185, Laredoute.co.uk
Best for design lovers – Sternzeit grey cube bench, velvet line: £364, Bombinate.com
Best for comfort – Made adams dining bench, darby green: £199, Made.com
Best for a glamorous look – Dunelm kendall bench seat: £199, Dunelm.com
Best for rustic charm – Cult Furniture conner 3 seat bench, herringbone mango wood: £299, Cultfurniture.com
Best for sustainability – Next Home brooklyn reclaimed pine dining bench: £235, Next.co.uk
Best craftsmanship – Heal’s brunel bench, dark wood: £399, Heals.com
John Lewis & Partners poise 2 seater bench, oak
Best: Overall
Rating: 10/10
Dimensions: H46 x W145 x D42cm
Fashioned from a pale blond solid oak, and with a smooth lacquered finish, the poise bench offers a laid-back Scandi look, ideal for relaxed family dining. Fans of exceptional woodwork will appreciate the bench’s finer details such as the flawless joints and the curved edges. We loved the upside-down Y shaped legs, which match the dining table in the same range, adding sculptural interest underneath but also ensuring there’s no awkward knee knocking. This sturdy long-seater comfortably sits two to three.
Buy now £499.00, Johnlewis.com
Habitat etta 3 seater dining bench, oak
Best: Bang for your buck
Rating: 9/10
Dimensions: H12.5 x W153.5 x D42.5cm
Habitat’s affordable offering is made from a mix of solid oak and oak veneers, which thankfully keeps the price down. But you wouldn’t necessarily know this isn’t 100 per cent the real deal. The backless bench complements the brand’s etta dining table (£495, Habitat.co.uk) and we loved the way the angled, tapered legs of both perfectly match up, meaning there’s no interruption of clean contemporary lines. The extra-wide bench boasts a gently rounded top and a smooth finish, while a saturated wood stain brings out the natural grain of the material beautifully.
Buy now £195.00, Habitat.co.uk
La Redoute malu solid pine bench
Best: For affordable style
Rating: 8/10
Dimensions: H46cm x W110cm x D35cm
The beauty of this bench is its simplicity. Utilitarian in look and feel, the piece is made from solid pine, awarding it a warming mid-tone colour. But within that there are lovely variations in shade, with the material’s knots and natural grain on full show. This one might look raw and rustic but it has a smooth wax finish. With its chunky solid legs, the two-seater might not easily tuck into your dining table, so it’s worth measuring up properly. The bench arrives flat packed but boasts the simplest self-assembly.
Buy now £185.00, Laredoute.co.uk
Sternzeit grey cube bench, velvet line
Best: For design lovers
Rating: 9/10
Dimensions: H49cm x W118cm xD40.5cm
Contemporary and elegant, Sternzeit’s accent bench proves a handy addition to the hallway. In an attractive mix of materials, the bench features a slimline powder coated copper frame, a beech and plywood seat, and a plush velvet upholstered seat pad. Not unlike an old-fashioned telephone seat, this one’s perfect for a casual perch. We loved the bench for its sleek silhouette that doesn’t overwhelm a narrow space. Choose from a range of nature-inspired velvet shades. Stylish and practical in equal measure.
Buy now £364.00, Bombinate.com
Made adams dining bench, darby green
Best: For comfort
Rating: 8/10
Dimensions: H83cm x W140cm x D55cm
Marrying the back support of a dining chair and the causal form of a long-seater is Made’s offering. The adams dining bench is a chic mid-century inspired piece with its textured polyester upholstery and its solid birch legs that are both tapered and angled, Sixties style. This is a relatively affordable piece but the attention to detail is second to none: the bench’s delicate stitching keeps the look super neat and clean-lined. It’s worth noting that some backed benches come with arm rests whereas this one doesn’t, meaning it does tuck in neatly.
Buy now £199.00, Made.com
Dunelm kendall bench seat
Best: For a glamorous look
Rating: 8/10
Dimensions: H51cm x W110cm x D43cm
Bringing a casual aesthetic to a formal dining space, Dunelm’s kendall bench hits all the right notes. Upholstered in a soft touch velvet fabric, it offers a cosy seat, while its curved backrest gives you the feeling of being gently cocooned. That said, its broken design with the void at the back counters any bulkiness, keeping the look light and airy. We loved the mix of rich velvet and shiny gold metal accents, including the slimline tapered legs. This glamorous two-seater looks great when offset with a rustic wooden dining table.
Buy now £199.00, Dunelm.com
Cult Furniture conner 3 seat bench, herringbone mango wood
Best: For rustic charm
Rating: 8/10
Dimensions: H 51cm x W 110cm x D 43cm
While you might not be blessed with polished parquet flooring in the dining room, there are plenty of furniture pieces that celebrate the pattern and we loved this herringbone design. Crafted from mango wood with its rich variations tone, the bench – along with the brand’s matching dining table in the same range – mixes rustic charm with sleek and modern design. The black metal legs are nicely angled to maximise on legroom underneath, while the top is textured but at the same time, smooth.
Buy now £299.00, Cultfurniture.com
Next Home brooklyn reclaimed pine dining bench
Best: For sustainability
Rating: 9/10
Dimensions: H46 x W150 x D38 cm
This is a brilliantly chunky, rustic wooden bench that means business. We loved its simple utilitarian design and its organic makeup: as the name suggests, the piece is crafted from 100 per cent reclaimed and recycled timber. Because of that, the bench boasts a wonderfully rich visual texture with perfectly imperfect markings, from knots to original nail holes, as well as a varied colour palette. This one might not easily tuck in under the kitchen table but it is generously wide. Pile it up with colourful scatter cushions to up the cosy.
Buy now £235.00, Next.co.uk
Heal’s Brunel bench, dark wood
Best: Craftsmanship
Rating: 9/10
Dimensions: H46 x W130 x D40 cm
This is a beautifully crafted furniture piece from designer Rob Scarlett. With its slimline form, the bench is well suited to an elegant and minimal dining room set-up. Made from solid, dark stained American oak, this one’s all about the beauty of the wood and its arresting natural grain. But in a nod to mid-century modern design, the top material is offset with chic powder-coated metal hairpin legs. The brunel bench is reliably strong and sturdy – despite its dainty looking legs – and it boasts smooth rounded corners.
Buy now £399.00, Heals.com
The verdict: Benches
John Lewis & Partners’ poise 2 seater bench is a beautifully-made furniture piece that promises to bring a cool, calm, Scandi vibe to any kitchen or dining room set-up. While it is marketed as a dining bench, we found it works perfectly well as a standalone piece in its own right, whether in the bedroom or hallway. It’s not cheap but it is timeless in design. For those on a tighter budget, we were impressed with Habitat’s etta 3 seater dining bench. A handsome and well-made long-seater that belies its more affordable price tag.
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Now you’ve got the bench, take a look at our best extendable dining tables to pair it with
