Measuring Guide

The most important thing to consider when choosing your new bar stools is where they will be used, to ensure you get the right height seat for your bar, counter or table. There's no point falling for a beautiful 30 inch bar stool if your kitchen island is only 36 inch high, as no matter how stylish it looks, there won't be room for your legs! The appropriate height for your seats is determined by the height of the surface you'll be sitting at. Before you begin shopping, it's essential that you measure the distance from the floor to the top of your home bar, kitchen counter or pub table, taking into account any overhang. As a general rule, you should allow a gap of 10-13in between the seat and the countertop. For example, if your bar is 40in high, it would be best to buy stools with a seat height of 30 inch depending on what you think would be most comfortable for you and other people using the stools on a regular basis.

Counter height stools generally have seat heights of 24inc to 26inc as counters are typically 35 to 37in high. They are commonly seen in casual dining areas, at kitchen islands or breakfast bar counters.

Bar height stools are designed for use with 40-42in high bars or counters, and are used in various settings, from the kitchen or home bar to an outdoor deck or patio. The seats are usually between 28-30in tall.

Extra tall bar stools are needed in home bars and commercial settings where the countertop is 45-48in tall. These stools have higher seats than regular bar stools, between 34-36inc.

Spacing

Once you've worked out how high you want your seats to be, you'll need to figure out how many bar stools you should order. The limiting factor in deciding this is how much space is available in your room. As a guide, it's advisable to leave a distance of 26-30in between each stool, remembering that stools with arms might need slightly more space. When deciding where to position your stools, take note of the location of things like walls, doorways and other furniture. Yes, it would be great to make sure you're never short of seats, but having too many bar stools, especially in high traffic areas, will just make your room seem cramped.