cozy while chewing  

Hello Whitespike..
I spend hours at my dining table listening to people droning on about "issues",as well as eating at it also.I have a mixture of chairs,Lane Etruscans which are beautiful but not comfy,two metal ones ditto.,a couple of really old upholstered ones ok to look at but comfy and a couple of stools for gatecrashers.After a couple of hours the numbness really sets in and doesnt get any worse!.I always put comfort below aesthetics, but thats just me.

Comfort is tops for me
For some reason I can't get visitors to my home to get out of the dining chairs. I know I'm a good cook but apparently I am so good that my guest become too dense to move. The table is also right in the middle of the floor plan and a great place to listen to music and look out the windows. So I needed my chairs to be comfy. I also come from a family of giants. I'm 6', my sister's 6'2" and her husband is 6'8"!. So I needed sturdy seating too. I have the 'Milan' chair from Room and Board. They look a lot like the Cab chair, were affordably priced and are a sturdy welded metal frame. And they are surprisingly comfortable to sit on.
http://www.roomandboard.com/rnb/collection.do?method=get&id=377420&cat=94

I think...
I think people have preconceived notions of the uncomfortableness of mid-century furniture. I don't know if I've ever sat in a dining chair that I would consider comfortable. I think the only reason your sis-in-law felt the need to speak up was because it WAS a mid-century design piece that "ordinary" people don't have. Just my two cents.

Olive
I like your chairs... and I love the Andover dining table (in blonde) in that photo!
I had considered the Saarinen side chairs, but want to avoid upholstery for obvious reasons. I considered getting two more Eames side chairs on eiffel bases (I have two) but the color of mine would be hard to match and I don't know how I feel about getting a set that isn't color consistent. Plus, the eames has a hard seat but a more comfy taller back. The Bertoia has a padded seat and a lower less comfy back. Nothing's perfect on either.
I have considered the Columbo plastic stacking chairs and the Panton S chairs. They are in my price range, but honestly a little 60s for me. I tend to prefer metal or wood or both.
I would love a set of DCW's or Prouve Standard chairs or Wegner wishbones ... but $$$

Eames
Hi Whitespike,
I've used both an Eames fiberglass chair, and an Eames DCM at my desk, where I sit for hours sometimes. I'm average size and both chairs fit me wonderfully. If you're worried about the padding for your guests perhaps an Eames/Modernica wire chair would work. The shape/base can match your existing chairs, but you'll have the option of adding padding. There's a place in Hong Kong that sells padding through Ebay - I'm not sure how high quality - but definitely priced right. They sell full pads, the bikini pads, and also some small circular pads that you can add to your existing Eames chairs. (I think they're called ModPointer)

Good advice. Thanks! More...
Good advice. Thanks! More than likely I will stick with my Bertoias. I just wanted to hear the general attitude regarding this.
I do like the idea of the Eames chairs, but honestly I would have Eames overload. I have a lot of Eames stuff already: lounge + ottoman, LTR side table, two Eames eiffel side chairs, an old armshell, and LCW, a wire chair rocker with bikini, and some other various side chairs....
I know I brought it up. Part of the reason I opted for Bertoia is that I love the wire aesthetic. They seem to disappear in a small environment.
I saw a group of thonet bentwood chairs on eBay that might be nice ... but again a hard seat. My take is, I would keep mine until the perfect thing came up ... I don't want to exchange cons for cons.
But either way - it's nice to hear ideas and what others are using.

So many choices with dining...
So many choices with dining chairs. For those who like to linger, comfort is usually going to be a factor.
While I love the look (and don't hate the feel) of the Bertoia side, the Magistretti Maui, the Eames DCW, etc., I have become accustomed, since like Olive, we tend to set at the table and look out windows, to using a more substantial chair with arms. This is a difficult order to find in the modern world. The Eames aluminum group is a good option, much better I feel than the Eames armshell with regard to comfort, and at least as easy on the eye as its counterpart. Another newer armchair I've found that works well and is still quite stylish is the Rubber Chair designed by Brian Kane for Metropolitan Furniture Company. Hope you are lucky enough to find something that appeals to both you and yours, and remember that old Ricky Nelson song, Garden Party, the difficulty of trying to please everyone.

The Saarinen upholstered...
The Saarinen upholstered chairs are a nice option, with or without arms, but I haven't ever found any in vinyl (stain resistant) in good condition. They are usually very reasonably priced used. White vinyl with wood legs would be snazzy....

Jimmiemartin...
These boys dining chairs are so cosy,and they will make to commission.
http://www.jimmiemartin.co.uk/INFOSTILETTO.htm

The Saarinen arm chair is...
The Saarinen arm chair is really nice. We are using a set of armchairs quite similar currently, but not one you will ever find in a design book, from Imperial furniture Co., which swivels, a nice option when you don't feel like picking up the beast and moving it a few inches.

not a fan of Bertoia...
...for sitting. I like to look at them, though.
I had a set of Kai Christensen chairs, the kind with the arm that angles back and turns into the rear leg. They were very comfortable---elastic web seat with padding and a swivel back that hit just in the right spot. But the design also lent itself to wobbliness. I got tired of them coming apart so I got rid of them and got a set of N. O. Møller chairs instead. They are not quite as comfy but are pretty darn good.

I like to linger at the dining table
So comfort is very important to me. My dining chairs must have arm rests (although I will acknowledge that armless chairs would look better with my cafe-style dining table) and allow me the ability to prop my feet on the radiator and tilt the chair back on its two hind legs while sipping wine and engaging in casual conversation.
These are my dining chairs, in white.
http://www.fritzhansen.com/composite-145.htm
I always thought that the Eames fiberglass rocker chair would make a great dining chair IF the seat height were about 2 inches higher.

DavidDC
I like that chair alot, and I like Magistretti as well. I can't seem to find this chair for sale. Where could one buy it and what is the price?

Found it.
I like that chair too.I found it here for £203 trade price (but we all know what that means!).Is it the right one?.
http://www.roundhere.co.uk