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"People often select a chair based on its looks and whether or not it will go with their decor," says Kathleen Styga, a sales associate at Raymour & Flanigan Furniture in Latham.

"Picking the right chair for your dining pleasure is equivalent to tire-kicking," says Pat Bowling, director of communications for the American Furniture Manufacturers Association in High Point, N.C. "You should sit on it, pull it up to the table and sit back all the way to see if you have enough back support and if your feet can touch the floor. When you find one you like, sit on it for a while, to see if you still feel comfortable after a period of time, rather than hopping from one to another."

With Bowling's advice in mind, I set out to find the perfect chair.

The first thing you need to remember when buying a table and chairs, is no two people are alike. While you may be quite comfortable perched upon a straight-backed chair with no padding on the seat, someone else may feel quite uncomfortable. It's a rare chair that will suit all body types and be attractive enough that you'll want to look at it for the next 20 years.

"Always think size and age when selecting a chair," says interior designer Michel Patterson, owner of Hudson River Fine Interiors in Loudonville. "Some dining chairs have narrow seats and others are very large. Select something that is comfortable for a variety of sizes."

Slick seats

If your taste runs toward wood furniture, you'll find many styles from which to choose. But beware, some of those smooth seats are so slick I had to hold on so I didn't slide onto the floor when I tried to sit back. This could be problematic if you want to use your hands to eat.

If you select a padded seat, make sure the cover is removable, so the upholstery can be changed, says Madeline Pelletier, manager of Thomasville Furniture at Northway Mall in Colonie.

"You can order new slip seats for our chairs, which is very convenient," says June Gaus, sales manager at Ethan Allen Home Interiors in Schenectady. "We are always interchanging the seats on our showroom chairs."

Many chairs are designed with an opening between the back and the seat, which not only offers little in the way of lumbar support but also may cause the bottom of the chair back to cut into the small of your back.

"Manufacturers are noticing this complaint and are narrowing the gap at the lumbar area," says Alex Gonzalez, showroom manager at Raymour & Flanigan. "This way, they have combined style with comfort."

Since Mother taught me to sit up straight, my personal preference is to have contact with the back of the chair when I'm dining. Unfortunately, some chairs are constructed with the backs set permanently in a slightly reclined position -- a perfect feature if you want to look at the chandelier all night.

Weight, too

Just as comfort, practicality and style are key in the selection of a chair, so is its weight. You shouldn't break out in a sweat every time you try to move the chair. Save those exercises for the gym.

Gaus points out that oak and maple are heavy woods, but cherry is a light wood.

A chair doesn't always have to be heavy to be a quality chair, says Pelletier.

"A better-made chair will have corner blocks in each corner of the underside of the seat," she says. "The blocks help to hold the seat together by distributing your weight evenly. Make sure they are screwed in place rather than just glued, because the blocks are a guarantee for the life of your chair, under normal usage."

Colin Stair, owner and president of Stair Galleries & Restoration in Claverack, Columbia County, says that when you buy a chair, you are basically buying a set of legs.

"Unless you are absolutely in love with antiques," says Stair, "buy reproduction chairs." Stair has antique Regency chairs with saber legs, which tend to break over the years. "Unless you are a family of supermodels, buy something that's made well and strong to hold up with daily use. Stay away from caned seats unless you use a slab of plywood between the seat and a cushion."

Extra chairs

Most people buy four or six chairs and often end up wishing they had bought a few extra for holiday entertaining or family get-togethers.

"You should always buy more chairs than you think you'll need, especially if you entertain a lot or have an extended family," says Adam Sanboeuf, manager of Raymour & Flanigan. "This might only mean two more chairs."

You could wait and buy more chairs later, but because wood is hard to match and can fade if exposed to sunlight, the new chairs may not match the ones you bought originally.

If space is a problem, consider placing the extra chairs in another room.

"Dining room armchairs can be stored in the living room as occasional chairs," says Patterson. "These two rooms often open up onto each other, so you can coordinate the fabric to blend with both rooms.

"With so much wood in a dining room, upholstered armchairs add a little punch."

Armchairs are not only used by the host and hostess, says Patterson, but are good for anyone who might have physical difficulties getting up off a chair.

"If you can't afford to buy extra chairs, consider slipcovers for your kitchen chairs, so they look like they belong at the dining table," says Patterson. "Seasonal slipcovers are very decorative, especially around the holidays."

Match game

And don't worry about all the furniture matching. "Some of the best dining rooms are a mix of furnishings," says Stair.

One more thing to think about: If your chairs are too comfortable, your guests may linger till the wee hours.

Frances Ingraham Heins can be reached at 454-5502, or at fingraham@timesunion.com.

Tips on protecting chair upholstery

We eat off of it, and now we can sit on it, too.

DuPont Teflon, the stuff that has lined nonstick pans for decades, can now be applied to upholstery fabric. And, once treated, liquids will bead up and solids will slide off your furniture, according to the manufacturer.

"You can continue to use beautiful fabrics without the disappointment of it getting ruined," says Rosemary Burgher, owner of Empire Antiques & Design in Latham. "The fabric is immersed in a chemical bath between the printing and finishing stages." This, says Burgher, "locks and seals the surface of the fiber to create a barrier."

Fabrics are available pretreated, or some fabric mills are offering Teflon coating as an in-house service. The downside to buying untreated fabric and having it done, says Burgher, is that you have to pay shipping costs to have it sent out and returned to you or your upholsterer.

Most fabrics can be sealed with Teflon, but it's best to check with a designer to make sure the fabric you've chosen is compatible with the treatment.

Teflon can be applied to fabrics two ways: as a spray and as a bath.

If the fabric is for slipcovers that will be washed, the treatment will last through three to five washings before the fabric has to be recoated, says Elizabeth Bartlett, an interior designer in Nassau, Rensselaer County.

The spray can also be used on upholstered pieces that were not Teflon-treated to begin with, says Bartlett. "You can spray it on yourself, like you would with Scotchgard. Although spraying it on velvet, suede or faux suede could change the nap or color.

"In that case, it's better to buy the fabric precoated at the factory and upholster the chair or buy a chair with Teflon fabric on it already."

Although superficial spraying helps, it's not as effective as having the fabric dipped in the Teflon solution at the factory, Bartlett says. Factory coatings should last for the life of the fabric.

The Teflon coating costs an additional $3.50 to $7 per yard and there are minimum order requirements.

-- Frances Ingraham Heins

Experts give advice on how to extend the life of a chair

Chairs will last a very long time, even centuries, if you know how to buy, handle and care for them.

* If you have children, hardwoods including walnut, oak, ash, maple, birch, cherry, beech and poplar are good choices. Then again, perhaps, plastic or metal is in order.

* Don't tip backward in a chair because it weakens the legs and the back, says Colin Stair, owner and president of Stair Galleries & Restoration in Claverack, Columbia County.

* Never place wood pieces next to a heat source or in a sunny exposure, because excessive heat can cause joints to dry out and the wood to crack or check.

* Don't place wood chairs in a damp area either. Excessive humidity can cause grain and joints to swell, resulting in warping.

* Area rugs under dining furniture should be large enough to hold the chairs when they are pulled out from the table for seating. This prevents the chairs from catching on the edge of the rug.

* Adam Sanboeuf, manager of Raymour & Flanigan in Latham, suggests using metal or nylon glides on the bottom of wooden legs so it's easier to move them across a surface.

Glides are also an easy way to make a chair level on an uneven floor or if you have cut the legs down to fit the chair to the table.

"Place a washer over the tip of a glide before nailing it into a specific leg to prevent the chair from wobbling on an uneven floor," says Sanboeuf.

-- Frances Ingraham Heins