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I have four of IKEA's GILBERT. I find them surprisingly comfortable, and I am the kind of person who has zero patience for uncomfortable dining chairs. I compute from one of mine on a daily basis even though there are several other seating options available in the same general area.
Mine are the dark wood finish so I can' comment on clean-ability.

We considered these with the same requirements in mind. The Gilbert has a seam between the back and the seat, making it way less convenient to wipe down. The Jake is seamless.

My studio uses the Gilbert chairs and they are quite comfy to sit in. We don't find the seam a hassle to clean but we also don't clean them everyday... For the price, they're a great buy.

I have a couple of Gilberts and though they'd look better seamless, I like them because they're surprisingly comfortable.

I have the Jake office chair at home and I'm fairly satisfied with it. The back isn't as flexible as I'd like it to be, but I love the sleek style. The Gilbert looks nice too, and probably cheaper.

They're both the same price. I'd go with the seamless Jake if you've got wee ones.

May I also suggest the Tendy Dining chair.

http://www.stacksandstacks.com/html/109147_tendy-dining-chair-set-of-4.htm

It is essentially the exact same chair as the Jake, but less expensive by close to $100 (for a set of 4). Also, you can find them on a lot of websites with free shipping if you just do a google search.

We have 6 of the "Gilbert" in a light wood finish, and even my husband (who isn't always onboard with my modern sensibilities and wasn't thrilled when I ordered them) sheepishly remarked during dinner that they are "crazy comfortable." And it's true! The slight lumbar curve in this chair molds perfectly to the lower back. I have a 2-yr. old who uses these chairs daily, and a quick wipe-down with a damp cloth works like a charm. Also, and most importantly for our family, these chairs are stackable! *Trust me, it will make mopping up after your kiddos in the dining room a breeze.

i've got four of the white gilberts. they look great, really, but damn they don't take weight very well. me, i'm like a wife sitting on her husband's lap. get me? the chair never feels very sturdy, but for now they'll do.

ikea won out over the cheapie knockoffs at interior advanced designs (or whatever that place is...i ordered something from them and it was broken, they suck bigtime, never responded to emails, etc).

I was looking for a chair like this for a long while and was really elated to find these:

http://www.amazon.com/Lightweight-Stackable-Natural-Muller-Dining/dp/B0002KNLGI

I also wanted something that was seamless but couldn't afford the Jake. I ordered these from Vision Decor through Amazon and they came quickly and in great shape. I think it's tough to beat $150 for the set.

i have sat on the gilbert and really liked it. it is a little bit springy behind your back. a really nice chair for an affordable price.

thanks for all the input, everyone. so it sounds like the gilberts are more comfortable? they do look like they "rock" a bit more in the back.

thanks also for the alternate suggestions. the tendy chairs look great for the price point!

We have the Jake Chairs 2 kids under 5 and the mess they make wipes right off. I bet the Ikea chairs would be similar to clean. A tip: European Furniture Warehouse on Grand usually has a buy 3 get 1 free sale and you can pick up thier version of the Jake chair (you pay too much at Room and Board) and get 4 for the price of 3. But the Ikea chair is quite nice too.

i've had 6 of the gilberts in white for about 3 years - and they are comfortable, sturdy (which consistently surprises me), and easy to clean.

we have the Jake chairs at the restaraunt that I work at. It is a busy place with lots of kids as well as messy people. hehe. they always wipe down easily, even if it the food has been sitting on the chair for a while. People always compliment how comfortable they are even though they don't look like they would be. good luck either way!

morgante, do you remember the price on those?

eryn, do you work at ping-pong? :) or any restaurant on broadway, for that matter!

i've never had to clean my gilbert, but it is a very comfortable chair

Comfort: I have had 6 IKEA white Gilberts for the last 3 years or so...they are comfy, especially with the added pad (I found this useful as I work all day on my laptop at the dining table and find it helps the me not get a numb bum) but otherwise very comfortable, even when I was pregnant! The fact that there is a little give in the back makes them more comfortable I think. My husband is 6 ft 1 & I am 5 ft 6 and we both are comfortable with the height of the seat as well but we are not particularly large/heavy people, so that might make a difference.

Cleaning: They are indeed very easy to clean - most stuff just wipes off but, yes, some things get stuck in the join & require a little bit more effort to remove (like a vacuum).

Unfortunately, 3 years and endlessly wiping the kids mess has meant some of the white colour is wiping off the chairs, particularly on the edges but it looks like they could be quite easy to repaint after a light sanding.

Storage: As someone else said, they are also stackable, which, if you don't have a lot of space OR only entertain large groups occasionally is very useful.