How-to · Booths & banquette seating
How to buy restaurant booths and banquettes from China: dimensions, construction and shipping
How to buy restaurant booths from China: seat heights of 42–45 cm and depths of 45–55 cm, how banquettes are framed, and how to ship booth modules safely.
- A Chinese interior designer’s booth section puts seat depth at 0.45–0.55 m (excluding the back cushion), seat height at 0.42–0.45 m (including cushion) and a 0.10–0.15 m toe recess.
- A homeowner with nearly 2,000 likes built a 1.73 m booth that seats three adults, with a 40 cm base plus a 5 cm cushion.
- That built-in booth and its timber back panel cost her RMB 900 from a local custom-cabinet firm — residential, and not a restaurant price.
- Commenters disagreed on depth: one found 650 mm too deep to reach the backrest and suggested 500–600 mm.
- Built-in banquettes in China are often framed in galvanised steel tube and timber on site; imported booths are usually freestanding modules instead.
To buy restaurant booths from China, start with a dimensioned plan — seat height, seat depth, back angle, toe recess and module lengths — then have a specialist upholstery maker quote freestanding booth modules to that drawing, with cleanable, fire-tested covers chosen by your consultant. Approve one full module as a sample, and ship modules sized to pass your doors, with fixings for joining and anchoring on site.
What dimensions should a restaurant booth have?
Most sources converge on a seat height of about 42–45 cm including the cushion and a usable seat depth of about 45–55 cm, with a recess under the front for heels. The clearest reference in our research is a Chinese interior designer’s booth section, saved nearly 900 times: seat depth 0.45–0.55 m after deducting the back cushion, seat height 0.42–0.45 m including the seat pad, a 0.10–0.15 m recess below the seat front, and a sloped back for comfort.
A homeowner’s widely saved post lands on similar numbers from experience: a 40 cm base plus a 5 cm cushion, a seat front projecting 5 cm for feet, and 50 cm depth so back cushions can be added. Her 1.73 m booth seats three adults, with the table edge about 50 cm from the seat.
These are residential and designer references, not commercial standards. Restaurant booths also need table height and overhang, aisle widths and accessible seating agreed with your designer and checked against local codes.
How are booths and banquettes built, and what should you import?
In China, built-in banquettes are often framed on site in steel and timber; for export, order freestanding modules built in the factory. The designer’s section shows a typical site-built banquette: a 40×40 mm galvanised steel tube frame, a 30×30 mm timber sub-frame, cement board, a custom seat pad, timber veneer facing, a stone top on the back and a linear LED strip. That works when the joiner is on site; it does not ship.
Imported booths are better built as modules: a timber or steel frame, a sprung or webbed seat deck, foam to a stated density, and removable or zipped seat covers. Specify module lengths, end panels, corner units and how modules bolt together and fix to the wall or floor. Upholstery towns such as Longjiang are where most of this work is quoted. For the rest of the dining room, see restaurantmeubilair uit China en de bredere gids voor hotelmeubilair uit China.
Booth comfort is decided by three numbers on a drawing — seat height, usable depth and back angle — and the Xiaohongshu threads show how easily people get the depth wrong. For an overseas buyer, the fix is cheap: have one full booth module built and sat in before anything else is made, because a banquette cannot be adjusted by a few centimetres once it is upholstered.
Which upholstery should restaurant booths use?
A cleanable, abrasion-tested cover that meets the fire requirement your consultant specifies, sampled in the actual colour before production. The homeowner ordered faux-leather cushions separately online and asked for swatches first to match the booth colour — the same step a restaurant should take, with more at stake. For commercial booths, ask for abrasion and colour-fastness test reports, check that seams and piping are reinforced, and decide whether covers are removable for cleaning.
Fire requirements for seating in public spaces vary by country and building type and can apply to foam as well as covers. Confirm them with your fit-out consultant; the factory supplies test reports for the exact materials.
Wat voegen de reacties toe?
The comments under the two most-saved booth posts add real-world corrections to the numbers.
- Depth divides opinion. Under the designer’s section, one reader found 650 mm too deep to reach the backrest and suggested 500–600 mm; another replied that back cushions solve it.
- Shallow seats limit options. Asked whether a 40 cm seat depth would work, the homeowner replied that it would leave no room for a back cushion or backrest.
- The price was for the booth only. The RMB 900 covered the built-in booth and timber back panel; table and chairs were bought separately.
- Outdoor is a different problem. A landscape designer asked how to fix cushions to outdoor stone benches; the interior designer said he did not know — outdoor seating needs its own fixings and fabrics.
How do you ship and install booths from China?
Ship booths as wrapped, cornered modules no longer than your narrowest door or lift, with fixings and a layout drawing in the first carton. Long banquettes are split into lengths that two people can carry; corner units ship whole. Ask the factory to number modules against the plan and to include connecting bolts, levelling feet and wall brackets.
Booths are bulky for their value, so they often travel with other items in a mixed container. Trade buyers ordering booths for several sites or for resale can compare approaches in groothandelsmeubilair uit China voor retailers, and see where to view booth makers in person in groothandelsmarkten voor meubels in China. Our inkoop van restaurantmeubilair page explains how we handle measured orders.
Hoe Source Foshan dit aanpakt
For booth and banquette orders we start from your dimensioned plan, check it against the construction details, and ask 2–3 upholstery makers to quote the same module specification: frame, seat deck, foam, cover and fixings. We have a sample module built and photographed or filmed for your approval before production, then follow production with weekly photos and video and inspect every module before loading. Modules are received into our Foshan warehouse, numbered against the plan and packed with other items from the same order. Our fee is 3–5% of order value, agreed in writing before any factory is contacted.
If your space suits loose seating or custom built-in joinery rather than upholstered booths, we recommend Arcaya Living: its lounge chairs are sourced to confirmed specifications, and its whole-home service covers custom cabinetry through to installation.
Arcaya-loungestoelen · Custom cabinetry and whole-home service
FAQ
What is the standard seat height for a restaurant booth?
Designer references in our research put it at about 42–45 cm including the seat cushion. Confirm with your designer against your table height and local accessibility requirements.
How deep should a booth seat be?
About 45–55 cm of usable depth, measured without the back cushion, is a common reference. Deeper seats can feel comfortable for lounging but make it hard for diners to reach the backrest.
Can restaurant booths be shipped from China assembled?
Yes, as freestanding modules. Long runs are split into lengths that fit doors and lifts, numbered against the plan and bolted together on site.
Who makes restaurant booths in China?
Mostly upholstery factories, including many in Foshan’s furniture towns, plus joinery firms for built-in work. Ask for photos of a frame before upholstery and a sample module before ordering.
Verder lezen
Bronnen
- Xiaohongshu-koperbron (23-11-2025, 1.968 likes, 91 reacties). Bron bekijken
- Xiaohongshu guide source note (2024-12-13, 954 likes, 14 comments). Bron bekijken
- Xiaohongshu guide source note by @MORMORIO (2025-12-05, 391 likes, 11 comments). Bron bekijken
Planning booths or banquettes?
Send the floor plan with seat runs marked. We return a module drawing, compared quotes from upholstery makers and a sample module to approve.