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Corner Bench Seating at a Glance

When I had the Corner Nook store, the people buying an L-shaped bench paired it with a rectangular table, and nook buyers went for four legs over a pedestal. That’s the kind of table I like, too. Ours at home is a rectangle on legs, a lot like Muji’s beechwood one.

As for the bench itself, if it were my corner, I’d pick one with a back.

Corner Banquette Seating With a Back

Three of the four benches here fit the bill, and each one’s worth a look. All of them are firm, so you sit up on them rather than sink in, which suits a kitchen table just fine.

Best for most kitchensLark Manor Ehrhart Tufted Back Corner Bench

Best for: a roomy corner and a dining table of standard height.

If breakfast at your place means the whole family at once, the Ehrhart is made for five. Its seat is high enough that you sit up at your plate instead of reaching for it.

It’s sturdy and holding up well to daily use, shoppers say, and that button-tufted back makes a plain kitchen corner look finished!

Specs73.37 W x 62 D x 33.5 H in

Size

73.37 W x 62 D x 33.5 H in

Seat height

19.5 in

Back

14 in above the seat (overall height less seat height)

Legs

6.75 in

Holds

400 lb

Seats, per the brand

5

Made of

Polyester tweed over foam, solid rubberwood frame and legs

Pieces

3, reversible for a left or right corner

Storage

None listed

Weight

123.48 lb

Assembly

Full assembly, tools included, two people suggested

Warranty

6 months, limited

Best mid-century lookBaxton Studio Daymond Corner Bench

• Home Depot See price
• Wayfair See price sold as the Hilley

Best for: a smaller corner and a mid-century kitchen.

Does one wall of your corner run short? The Daymond’s L is only 53.5 inches on that side, and it still seats three.

That’s plenty for a small kitchen, and the retro look is a lovely bonus!

Specs74.4 W x 53.5 D x 31.5 H in

Size

74.4 W x 53.5 D x 31.5 H in, as an L

Seat height

17.3 in

Back

14.2 in above the seat

Holds

750 lb on Wayfair’s listing, 300 lb on Amazon’s

Seats, per Wayfair

3

Made of

Tan faux leather over foam, rubberwood legs, MDF

Pieces

2, a corner bench and an armless bench

Weight

96.6 lb

Assembly

Full assembly

Warranty

30 days, limited

Best for a lower tableBaxton Studio Arvid Corner Bench

Best for: a lower dining table and a gray tufted look.

Of the three benches with a back, the Arvid’s rises the most above the seat, so you get a little more to lean on.

And if gray isn’t your color, it comes in dark brown faux leather at Amazon and tan at Home Depot!

Specs53.5 W x 26.4 D x 31.5 H in, as listed

Size

53.5 W x 26.4 D x 31.5 H in, as listed. The L’s second side isn’t published

Seat

16.5 in high, 20 in deep, per Baxton Studio

Back

15 in above the seat, per Baxton Studio

Legs

10 in

Holds

750 lb

Seats

4

Made of

Gray polyester, button tufted, over solid rubberwood, plywood and MDF

Pieces

2, a corner bench and an armless bench

Weight

97 lb

Warranty

30 days, limited

A Backless Corner Breakfast Nook Bench With Storage

Best without a backLark Manor Eslick Corner Bench

• Wayfair See price
• Target See price sold as the Linon Tobin

Best for: a kitchen that needs storage more than a back to lean on.

Running out of room in the kitchen cabinets? Both sides of the Eslick lift up, so the whole L doubles as a cupboard!

With no back, it’s only 16.5 inches deep. That lets the table sit closer to the wall and gives you more room on the open side.

It’s bare pine, and shoppers say they top theirs with a cushion. I’d add a pad, too.

Specs62.4 x 62.4 in, 18.2 in high

Size

62.4 x 62.4 in, 18.2 in high

Each side of the L

62.4 in long from the back corner, 16.5 in deep

Seat

45.5 in wide per side, 18.2 in high

Back

None

Storage

Lift tops on soft-close hinges, 45.2 W x 11.1 D x 15.2 H in inside

Made of

Solid pine

Holds

500 lb in Wayfair’s specs, 600 lb in its description and at Target and Amazon

Seats

5 per Wayfair, 4 per Target

Pieces

1, builds facing left or right

Assembly

Full assembly, two people

Warranty

6 months at Wayfair and Target, 60 days at Amazon

What did not make the cutAt least 20 benches

At least 24 corner benches were considered, and at least 20 were cut.

The Maniscalco is a straight bedroom bench and the Adayla a straight entryway bench, so neither one turns a corner. The Selby is the Eslick again, sold with a set of cushions.

The Cariana comes in three pieces that don’t connect, and its back can work loose.

Should an L-Shaped Banquette Come in One Piece or Several?

Either one works. How the bench fits your kitchen matters more than how many pieces it comes in.

A one-piece L, like the Eslick, builds as a single shape facing left or right, so there’s nothing to line up once it’s together. The Ehrhart’s three pieces face either way, too.

The Daymond and the Arvid make their L-shaped banquette from two pieces, a corner bench and an armless one. A set in pieces is easier to move around later, whether you’re sweeping behind it or rearranging the kitchen. You may also see a seam where the pieces meet, and on the Ehrhart a gap can show between the corner piece and the bench.

Each side of an L is measured from the back corner, so that’s where the tape starts along each wall. The Ehrhart and the Daymond run long on one wall and shorter on the other. The Eslick is the same length on both, so it’s easy to picture in your corner.

How High and How Deep Should the Seat Be?

Aim for a seat that leaves 10 to 12 inches up to the tabletop. At a standard 30 inch table, that’s a seat 18 to 20 inches high.

The Ehrhart and the Eslick both land there. A pad adds height, so a thin one keeps the Eslick in range. The two Baxton Studio benches sit lower, and the Daymond’s seat comes in under a dining chair’s.

At a lower table, closer to 28 inches, it flips. The Daymond and the Arvid line up nicely, and the Ehrhart sits a little high.

Depth matters for long meals. A comfortable seat runs 18 to 22 inches deep, and the Arvid’s 20 sits right in that range. The Eslick is shallower, more of a perch for a quick breakfast than a seat for lingering.

How Much Back Do You Get?

Close to the same on all three. Their backs rise 14 to 15 inches above the seat, right in the middle of the 12 to 18 inches a banquette back usually runs.

The Arvid’s goes highest, and on the Ehrhart the back can feel a touch short. A back takes up space, too. The Arvid is a lot deeper than the backless Eslick, and in a tight kitchen that comes out of the walkway on the open side of the table.

For anyone who lingers over a second coffee, that space is well spent.

Baseboards and a Corner That Isn’t Square

A bench you buy stops at the baseboard, so it stands out from the wall by however thick the baseboard is. That’s usually 1/2 to 3/4 inch, and in a corner it happens on both walls at once. Built-in banquettes solve it by taking the baseboard off or building around it.

Corners in older homes are rarely perfectly square. Even a square bench can look crooked once it meets a wall that isn’t, and the gap shows toward the end of one side.

People building a banquette in place fill those gaps with caulk or wood filler. With a bench you buy, a small gap at one end is just how older walls are.

Where to Go Next

Corner Bench Questions

I sold contract-grade furniture from 2016. More about who runs it.