A garden bench can look beautiful and still be uncomfortable to sit on. That is often not because of the material but because of the dimensions: the seat is too low to get up from easily, too high so your feet barely touch the ground, or so deep that your back doesn't reach the backrest. This article explains how high a garden bench should be, how seat height, seat depth and cushion thickness together determine comfort, and how to measure at home in a few minutes what suits you. It also lists the actual seat heights of the benches in our comparison, so you can compare them directly.
In brief: there is no official minimum height, but many garden benches sit around 40 to 45 cm. The benches in our table have seat heights ranging from 35 to 49 cm. Lower means lounging, higher makes it easier to stand up. Also look at seat depth and cushion thickness, measure your favourite chair and do the short test.
What is seat height and what is normal?
Seat height is the distance from the floor to the top of the seating surface. With a bench that has cushions, it matters whether that measurement was taken with or without the cushions. More on that below.
There is no official minimum height for a garden bench. However, many garden benches sit somewhere between 40 and 45 cm, roughly like an ordinary chair. A commonly used rule of thumb is that you sit comfortably when your feet are flat on the ground and your upper legs are roughly horizontal, with your knees at hip height or slightly lower. How well that works depends on your height and leg length, so the ideal height differs from person to person.
- Lower than about 40 cm: your knees are higher and you lean further back. Lovely for lounging, but getting up takes more effort.
- Around 42 to 45 cm: the height of many ordinary chairs. Comfortable for long periods of sitting and handy at the table.
- Around 47 cm and higher: you sit more upright and get up more easily. For shorter people, the feet sometimes don't reach the ground as well.
Garden bench seat heights compared
You can see how big the differences are in practice in this table of available garden benches from Garden Impressions. The seat height comes from the product information, as does the length of the bench (from left to right). You can find current prices on the product pages.
| Garden bench | Seat height | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Lincoln 3-seater (lounge) | 35 cm | 230 cm |
| Tirolo lounge bench | 41 cm | 225 cm |
| Levanto three-seater (lounge) | 42 cm | 226,5 cm |
| Jondal park bench | 42,5 cm | 125 cm |
| Montreal tete-a-tete | 42,5 cm | 146,5 cm |
| Barcelona sport bench | 43,5 cm | 120 cm |
| Tennessee 3-seater | 47 cm | 225 cm |
| Milwaukee three-seater | 48 cm | 195 cm |
| Bruno park bench | 49 cm | 150 cm |
There is 14 cm between the lowest and the highest bench. That may seem little, but you feel it straight away: on the Lincoln you sit low and relaxed, on the Bruno you sit upright and can get up again in no time. Do note that for most benches, the listing doesn't say whether the seat height was measured with or without cushions.
Seat height, seat depth and cushions together
Seat height alone doesn't tell you how a bench will feel. Three measurements work together:
- Seat height: determines how your knees sit and how easily you get up.
- Seat depth: the distance from the front edge of the seat to the backrest. If that is greater than your upper leg, you can't reach the backrest without slumping. A commonly heard tip is that a few fingers' width of space should remain between the front edge of the seat and the back of your knee. The Levanto lounge bench has a seat depth of 61 cm and the Tennessee 3-seater as much as 65 cm: plenty of room to sit with your legs tucked up. The Milwaukee is more upright at 53 cm.
- Cushion thickness: a thick cushion feels soft, but also sinks further down. The Levanto has seat cushions of 25 cm, the Tirolo 16 cm, the Tennessee 13 cm and the Milwaukee 10 cm. The thicker and softer the cushion, the lower you end up sitting compared with the stated measurement, if that was taken without any load.
That is why a low, deep bench with thick cushions feels so different from a high bench with a firm seat, even if the difference in seat height on paper is only a few centimetres. If you're unsure about cushions, read buying garden cushions: what to look for.
Compare not only the seat height but also the seat depth with your own upper leg. A bench that has the right height on paper can still feel uncomfortable if you can't reach the backrest.
How to measure at home what suits you
You don't have to guess. With a tape measure and a chair you like sitting on, you'll know in a few minutes which measurements suit you.
Choose a chair or bench, indoors or outdoors, that you sit on comfortably for long periods and get up from easily. Those measurements are your starting point.
Measure from the floor to the top of the seating surface, in the middle of the seat. If it has a cushion, also measure while someone is sitting on it. That way you can see how much the cushion sinks.
Measure from the front edge of the seat to the backrest. Then sit down yourself with your back against the backrest and see how much space remains between the front edge and the back of your knee.
Put your measurements next to the seat height, seat depth and cushion thickness of the bench you're considering. Check whether "incl. cushions" is stated next to the seat height. With a thick cushion and no such note, you'll often sit a little lower in practice.
Measure the height to the underside of the tabletop. Sit on your chair and see how much space your upper legs need. A low lounge bench suits a low lounge table, and a bench at chair height suits a dining table.
It works the same way for garden chairs. You can read more about seating comfort in which garden chair is the most comfortable.
Test: which seat height suits you?
Answer four short questions and see which seat height best suits how you use it.
Which seat height suits you?
What do you mainly use the bench for?
- Lounging for a long time with a book or a drink
- Drinking coffee and chatting, sometimes eating at the table
- Sitting for a moment, putting on shoes or enjoying the view
How easily do you get up from a low chair?
- No effort at all
- Fine, as long as it isn't too low
- I'd rather not go too low, I like to push off from an armrest
What's placed next to the bench?
- A low lounge table or nothing at all
- A dining table or lounge-dining table
- Nothing, the bench stands freely in the garden or by the front door
How do you prefer to sit?
- Sunk deep into soft cushions
- Upright with support for your back
- Upright on a sturdy seat
Low and deep lounging (around 35 to 42 cm) You're looking for a lounge bench with a deep seat and thick cushions, such as the Levanto (42 cm) or the Tirolo (41 cm).
Standard seat height (around 42 to 45 cm) A bench at ordinary chair height suits you: comfortable for long periods of sitting and easy to use at the table, such as the Jondal park bench (42.5 cm) or a sport bench by your table.
Sitting higher, getting up easily (47 cm or more) Choose a higher bench with a sturdy seat and armrests, such as the Milwaukee (48 cm) or the Bruno park bench (49 cm).
Garden benches by seat height
Below are a few benches from the range, from low to high. All measurements come from the product information.
Low and deep: Levanto three-seater lounge bench (42 cm)
The Levanto is a true three-person lounge bench with an aluminium frame. With a seat depth of 61 cm, armrests 12 cm wide and seat cushions 25 cm thick, you sink into it wonderfully. The seat height is 42 cm.
Levanto three-seater lounge bench
Note: because of the deep seat and thick cushions, this isn't a bench to pop onto quickly. Shorter people often add an extra back cushion.
Lounging with slightly firmer cushions: Tirolo (41 cm)
The Tirolo lounge bench has an aluminium frame in taupe with TPU upholstery, seats three people, has a seat depth of 60 cm and seat cushions 16 cm thick.
Tirolo lounge bench taupe
Standard height: Jondal park bench (42.5 cm)
The Jondal is a two-seater park bench with an aluminium frame in carbon black and light teak Vironwood. With a seat height of 42.5 cm and a seat depth of 56 cm, you sit upright, at the height of an ordinary chair. It weighs 12.7 kg and is 125 cm long.
Jondal park bench carbon black
Higher and more upright: Milwaukee three-seater bench (48 cm)
The Milwaukee has an aluminium frame with hand-woven half-round wicker in vintage willow. The seat height is 48 cm, the seat depth 53 cm and the armrests are 63 cm high. You get two back cushions and two seat cushions, and the seat cushions are 10 cm thick.
Milwaukee three-seater garden bench wicker
Why: a high seat with armrests and not overly thick cushions. Pleasant if you want to get up easily.
The highest in the overview: Bruno park bench (49 cm)
The Bruno is a two-seater park bench in aluminium, taupe, with a sand-coloured cushion. At 49 cm, this is the highest seat in our table. The bench is 150 cm long and 90 cm high.
Bruno park bench aluminium taupe
Also worth a look:
Lincoln: extra low, 35 cm
View bench →
Tennessee: 47 cm, deep
View bench →
Barcelona sport bench 43.5 cm
View bench →
You'll find more choice in our lounge benches, wooden garden benches and aluminium garden benches. Still unsure about the material? Read the comparison of garden bench materials, or take a look at the top 10 garden benches of 2026. Not sure whether you need a bench, a lounge set or a garden set? The selection guide will help you decide in a few questions.
Checklist for your purchase
- I have measured the seat height of my favourite chair or bench
- I know whether the stated seat height is with or without cushions
- The seat depth suits the length of my upper legs
- I have checked how thick and how soft the cushions are
- Getting up should be easy: armrests are a plus
- The bench suits the height of my table
- I have marked out the length of the bench on my terrace
How to choose quickly
- Mainly lounging: choose low and deep, around 35 to 42 cm
- Sitting normally and at the table: choose around 42 to 45 cm
- Getting up easily: choose 47 cm or higher, with armrests
- Thick cushions: expect to sit a little lower than the measurement without load
Common mistakes
Choosing based on the photo alone
In a photo, a lounge bench and a park bench don't look that different. The specifications show that there can easily be 14 cm of difference in seat height. Always check the measurements.
Forgetting the cushions
A 25 cm cushion sinks further down than a 10 cm cushion. If it doesn't say whether the seat height was measured with cushions, don't blindly assume you'll be sitting at that height.
A bench that is too deep for shorter people
With a seat depth of 60 cm or more, not everyone can reach the backrest. You then slump down. An extra back cushion helps, but a less deep bench is often more comfortable.
A lounge bench at the dining table
At an ordinary dining table, you'll sit in a low lounge bench with your chin almost level with the tabletop. For a dining table, choose a bench at chair height or a sport bench.
Trying it out in person is still the best test
Go to a shop and sit on a few benches, and measure your favourite chair at home. With those two sets of measurements, you'll quickly know which seat height suits you. Then keep your bench looking good with the tips in maintaining your garden bench.
Frequently asked questions
How high should a garden bench be at minimum?
There is no fixed minimum height for a garden bench. Many garden benches sit somewhere between 40 and 45 cm, just like many ordinary chairs. In the table, the seat heights range from 35 cm for the Lincoln lounge bench to 49 cm for the Bruno park bench. The lower the bench, the more you recline and the more effort it takes to get up.
Which seat height is comfortable if getting up is harder for you?
Choose a higher bench with a firm seat and armrests to push yourself up from. The Milwaukee three-seater bench (48 cm) and the Bruno park bench (49 cm) are the highest in the table. A low lounge bench with thick, soft cushions is actually harder to get up from. If you are unsure, try sitting on it first.
Are cushions included in the seat height?
This varies by product. Sometimes the listing explicitly states "seat height incl. cushions", as with the Lincoln (35 cm), but often it does not say. A seat cushion also compresses when you sit down, and thick lounge cushions compress more than thin ones. If you are unsure, measure your current bench with someone sitting on it and compare that figure with the dimension in the specifications.
Which seat height suits a garden table?
At a dining table you want to sit upright with enough room for your thighs under the tabletop. Measure the height from the floor to the underside of the tabletop and compare it with the seat height plus your thigh clearance. The Barcelona sports bench (43.5 cm) is designed to be used at a lounge-dining table. A low lounge bench is better suited to a low lounge table.
How do I measure the seat height of a bench or chair?
Measure from the floor to the top of the seat surface, at the centre of the seat. For a bench with cushions, do this twice: once without any weight on it, and once with someone sitting on it. This shows how much the cushion sinks, so you can make a fair comparison between the specifications of different benches.
