Tolix-style metal chairs

Stackable, metal and small: that describes most of what's here. 29 Tolix-style chairs, every frame metal, 27 of them stackable, and 24 listed for patio use. Decide how many stay inside and how many go out to the sidewalk before you compare finishes.

What the listings say

Every chair has a metal frame, and all 29 carry the tolix style label. The seat is metal on 20 and wood on 3. Prices range from $91 to $126.

None of them lists upholstery options, so the choices are finish and seat. Metal finish swatches are free through samples. Colors do change over time, so hold a fresh swatch up against any chair you already own.

Footprints in the examples run from 14 by 14 inches to 20 by 18, with heights of 33 to 34 inches. A metal dining chair at the small end measures 14 by 14 inches and stands 34 inches high. Pair the chairs with a table near 29 to 30 inches high.

Read four lines on each page before you add a chair to the basket:

• The finish on the frame.
• The seat material, metal or wood.
• Whether it stacks.
• Whether patio use is listed.

Eight pieces of tables and chairs, in any mix, make the minimum order. Four chairs and two tables would fall short; six chairs and two tables would not.

Inside, outside and in between

Indoor use is listed on 27 chairs, and patio use on 24. That puts most of this group in play for a sidewalk table. A chair without a patio listing stays in, since indoor chairs left outdoors fade, swell or rust, and warranty coverage stops there.

Even a patio chair has chores. At season end, hose it off, give it time to dry out and either cover it or bring it in. With 27 stackable chairs in the group, that last step is a stack carried in, not a chair-by-chair haul. For the full outdoor range, see patio chairs.

What sits next to them

At 7 AM the chairs are the easy part. The ledge is the question. The matching Tolix-style bar stools cover that. For every metal frame in the catalog, whatever the style, open metal chairs. For the retro mix of chairs and stools, vintage bistro furniture puts them together.

Count what your floor holds in a cafe plan before you order a stack of twenty.