The Best Dining Chair Slipcover

Buying Guide

The days of see-through plastic slipcovers are long gone. Now you can find ones made for dining chairs that can give them totally new looks and extend their lives to save you from needing to buy new furniture.

They can be made from cotton, wool, linen and silk, but polyester is your best bet for the most durability and ease of washing. It’s affordable, durable, coordinates well with other fibers (like wool rugs and cotton tablecloths) and is wrinkle-resistant. Look for ones that have some Spandex added for stretch; around 15% of the latter works well.

Dining chair covers work best with parsons chairs because they have linear appearances, squared legs and no arms; this modern chair was initially designed for use with slipcovers. The covers are made with sewn-in elastic hems, so you slip the open end over the top of the chair and pull it down.

If your chairs have arms, you can get a full-coverage slipcover, which camouflages those and the legs. You should make sure to measure your chairs before ordering the slipcovers; the product listings show all the measurement ranges.

You’ll find these chair covers in countless colors and patterns to match every decor, and you can even change them up for special occasions since they’re so inexpensive. They’re usually sold in sets from two to eight covers, with prices under $100 unless you choose the most expensive materials. These washable slipcovers can be a lifesaver if you have young children, pets or messy adults at your table. They’re also used in restaurants and catering facilities for the same reasons: they’re easy to put on, remove and wash.

• Polyester/Spandex fabrics can be woven into different finishes, like chenille or synthetic suede.
• Always read the washing instructions before laundering your chair covers. You can’t add bleach, put them in the dryer or iron them in most cases.
• Fabric slipcovers can stain, so if this is a concern, choose dark colors or detailed patterns that can hide the marks; avoid light colors like white or tan.
• The covers fit best on rectangular seat cushions, but if you look hard enough, you’ll find ones that work on round cushions and other hard-to-fit chairs.
• Some slipcover sets come with individual pieces for each cushion.