I Tried Levity’s Scandinavian Dining Chair with Machine Washable Upholstery

By Emily Farris

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When I had kids, I accepted the fact that—like going to a restaurant without a reservation and sleeping in on weekends—I was done with upholstered dining chairs for at least a decade. But then Ruggable, maker of the direct-to-consumer machine washable rugs, launched a line of furniture with removable upholstery that can go in the wash too.

The brand is called Levity and the website promises “life-proof designs” with stain-proof covers. And if there’s any life that can test such claims, it is most certainly mine.

I have two small children, a burly husband who’s often messier than my toddler, and a 90-pound rescue dog who steals food from the table whenever he thinks no one is watching. So to see if Levity’s furniture was really all that life proof, I ordered two of the Scandinavian Dining Chairs (the daintiest looking option on their site). And because I’m brave, and I take product testing very seriously, I chose off-white covers.

My chairs arrived flat-packed (like furniture from Ikea), and while the first one was a little trickier to assemble than I anticipated, I had them both put together and set up within an hour. In the subsequent hour, my two-year-old managed to smash a blueberry into one of the seats. I picked it off and wiped the fabric with a wet scrubby and it came right up.

The blueberry was the first and last mess I attempted to remove from the seats, even though the manual suggests spot-cleaning spills and splatters as they happen. I also encouraged my first grader to make one of the new chairs “his,” and over the course of the next six months the cover on his seat went from off-white to a shade best described as “gray camouflage.”

When I finally removed the fabric covers—which was easy to do after popping the seat pad and backrest off of the frames—I tossed the upholstery into the washing machine on a delicate cycle with a little bleach-free detergent, as per the instructions. And even though it’s safe to tumble-dry them on low, I let them air-dry.

The covers went back onto the seat pads as easily as they came off, and save for one barely there gray streak (which I suspect was black paint from a Halloween craft) my chairs looked as good as new. It’s possible that if I’d wiped up the mysterious black spot when it happened, or even pre-treated it with a stain remover, it would have washed out, too.

Because I’m married to someone with a bigger body, I’m hyper aware of a chair’s construction—and the fact that most furniture isn’t actually made to hold everyone. When considering a new chair, I look at not just the weight limit, but also how wide the seat is, how ergonomic the back rest is, and what material the frame is made of. And of course, none of that really matters if the chair doesn't feel like it will securely support the weight of a big-and-tall adult.

I’m pleased to report that Levity’s Scandinavian Dining Chair checks all the right boxes in this department. The frame is made of solid wood, the padded seat is wide and comfortable, and even though I was responsible for assembly, the whole thing feels super sturdy. I also don’t worry about my kids tipping one over when they’re “sitting” on their knees or otherwise not behaving like absolute angels at the table.

Levity currently sells dining chairs in three basic designs: my modern Scandinavian-style chair, a classic Parsons-style chair, and a recently-introduced armless wingback. The Scandinavian and classic chairs are available with both white oak and walnut wood finishes, while the wingback has an additional option for a black finish on the legs. That may seem like a pretty limited selection (I’d love to see something Art Deco inspired), and it is until you look at all of the different options for covers. Though not every fabric is available for every chair, there’s enough pattern and color variety to accommodate most design preferences—and last month the brand launched a cover collaboration with designer Jonathan Adler.

The best part of the removable upholstery—well, other than the fact that it’s machine washable—is that you can transform the look of your chairs simply by changing the covers.

For something so sturdy and versatile, Levity’s Scandinavian Dining Chair is a steal at just $199 per piece. That price even includes your first cover set, though you can expect to shell out an additional $40 per chair if you want one of the Jonathan Adler designs.

Levity’s affordable Scandinavian Dining Chairs are a great option for homes with small kids, messy adults, and ornery pets—or for anyone who wants an affordable upholstered dining chair that’s modern, sturdy, and easy to keep clean.