What Size Linear Pendant for a Rectangular Dining Table?
TL;DR: For a rectangular dining table in an Australian home, a 120cm linear pendant suits a 4-seater table and a 150cm linear pendant suits a 6 to 8 seater. Hang the base of the bar 75 to 90cm above the tabletop, centred along the table's length. The bar should always be shorter than the table, never equal to it or longer.
Rectangular dining tables and linear pendants are made for each other: both are long in one direction, so one fixture can light the whole table evenly instead of leaving the end seats in shadow. The question people get stuck on is which length to buy. Order a bar that is too short and the table looks under-lit at both ends. Order one too long and it overhangs the table edge, which looks like a mistake and puts the light where nobody is sitting. This guide gives the two numbers that matter, the drop height to pair with each, and the one hard constraint that decides it.
Which linear pendant length suits which dining table?
Two bar lengths cover almost every Australian dining table. Read it off the number of seats, then sanity-check it against your table's measured length.
| Table seats | Typical table length | Linear pendant length | Drop above tabletop |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 seater | About 1.2 to 1.5m | 120cm | 75 to 90cm |
| 6 seater | About 1.8m | 150cm | 75 to 90cm |
| 8 seater | About 2.2 to 2.4m | 150cm | 75 to 90cm |
| 10 seater and longer | Over about 2.8m | Two 120cm bars in line | 75 to 90cm |
Why a single bar stops being the answer past about 2.8m
A 150cm bar centred on a 3m table leaves roughly 75cm of unlit table at each end, which is a full place setting on both sides. At that point two 120cm bars hung in line, evenly spaced along the table, light every seat instead. This is the same rule we apply to long kitchen benches.
The one hard constraint
The bar must be shorter than the table. A fixture that matches or exceeds the tabletop length reads as an error from every angle in the room and throws light past the edge onto the floor. Leave a clear margin at both ends.
How high should a linear pendant hang above a dining table?
Hang the base of the bar 75 to 90cm above the tabletop. This is the single most useful number in the whole exercise and it does not change with table size.
Working it out from the floor
A standard Australian dining table sits about 75cm high at the tabletop. Add a 75 to 90cm drop and the base of the pendant lands roughly 150 to 165cm above the floor. That is below standing eye level, which is intentional: seated diners get light on their plates and faces without a bare lamp glaring across the table at them.
Where in the range to sit
Use the lower end, closer to 75cm, on a standard 2.4m ceiling so the fixture still reads as part of the room rather than floating. Use the upper end, closer to 90cm, on a 2.7m or 3m ceiling where a shallow drop would look stranded. These are the four different measurements people mix up most often: ceiling height, table height, drop above the table, and the length of the bar itself. They are not interchangeable.
Should you size a linear pendant as a percentage of the table?
No. Percentage rules apply to arrangements of separate pendants, where the total span from the outer edge of the first to the outer edge of the last is measured as a share of the table length. A single linear bar comes in fixed manufactured lengths, so you choose the closest available length below your table length rather than calculating a proportion.
What the percentage rule is actually for
If you are hanging two or three individual pendants in a row instead of one bar, aim for a total span of about 60 to 70% of the table length, spaced evenly, with the outer two pendants roughly in line with the end seats. That is a genuine rule and it belongs to that arrangement only. Our guide to choosing one bar or several separate pendants works through that decision in full.
Why the distinction matters when you order
A 150cm bar over a 2.4m table is 62% of the table length. A 120cm bar over a 1.5m table is 80%. Both are correct for their table. Any single percentage band would have ruled one of them out, which is why the fixed-length approach is the one to use for a bar.
Does the same guidance apply to a round table?
No. A linear bar over a round table lights a strip across a circle, leaving the curved edges dim and the proportions awkward. Round tables want a round or cluster fixture roughly one half to two thirds of the table diameter. If your table is round, start with our guide to the best pendant light for a round dining table instead.
Oval and extendable tables
Treat an oval table as rectangular and size the bar to its longest dimension. For an extendable table, size for the length you actually use day to day, not the fully extended length you use a few times a year. A bar sized for the extended table will look oversized for the other 360 days.
How to specify it correctly in one pass
Measure the table, not the room
Take the tabletop length in centimetres. Choose the bar length from the table above. Only the table length decides the bar length; the room dimensions decide whether you also need other light sources in the space.
Check the ceiling will take the drop
On a 2.4m ceiling, a 75cm drop above a 75cm-high table uses 150cm of the 240cm available, leaving plenty of clear head height around the table. There is no clearance problem over a table because nobody walks under it, which is what makes a dining table the easiest place in the house to hang a statement fixture. Walkways are the opposite case and need 2.1m of clear height beneath the fitting.
Confirm the install requirement
A hardwired pendant must be installed by a licensed electrician in line with AS/NZS 3000. Check the fixing point can carry the weight before the electrician arrives, particularly on a plasterboard ceiling with no batten or joist behind it.
Where to start
The Modern Linear LED Pendant Light comes in exactly the two lengths this guide calls for, 120cm and 150cm, in matte black or brushed gold. It is fully dimmable by remote with two layers of light, an ambient glow along the bar plus fixed downward spotlights, and an adjustable drop set for Australian 2.4m to 3.0m ceilings. For other shapes and styles of fixture over a dining table, the dining room chandeliers collection covers the alternatives, and our pendant size guide for dining tables handles non-linear fixtures.
Frequently asked questions
What size linear pendant do I need for a 6 seater dining table?
A 150cm linear pendant. A 6 seater rectangular table is typically about 1.8m long, and a 150cm bar centred on it lights all six place settings while leaving a clear margin at both ends. Hang the base 75 to 90cm above the tabletop.
Can a linear pendant be the same length as the dining table?
No. The bar should always be shorter than the tabletop. A fixture matching or exceeding the table length overhangs the edge, looks like an error from across the room, and throws light onto the floor instead of onto place settings.
How high should a linear pendant hang over a dining table?
Hang the base 75 to 90cm above the tabletop. On a standard 75cm-high Australian table that puts the base roughly 150 to 165cm off the floor, below standing eye level, so seated diners get light without glare across the table.
Is a linear pendant suitable for a round dining table?
No. A bar lights a strip across a circle and leaves the curved edges dim. Round tables suit a round or cluster fixture about one half to two thirds of the table diameter. Treat an oval table as rectangular and size to its longest dimension.
What if my dining table is longer than 2.8 metres?
Use two 120cm bars hung in line and evenly spaced along the table. A single 150cm bar on a 3m table leaves about 75cm of unlit table at each end, which is a full place setting on both sides.
The short version
Choose 120cm for a 4 seater and 150cm for a 6 to 8 seater, hang the base 75 to 90cm above the tabletop, and keep the bar shorter than the table. Past about 2.8m of table, switch to two 120cm bars in line. Those four numbers settle almost every rectangular dining table in Australia.
Written by William Walker.