Bar stools are stylish alternatives to your standard kitchen chairs. Regardless of the design you choose, they offer convenient extra seating and enable you to take advantage of counter space for eating or working. However, for your stools to be fully functional, you need to select the appropriate bar stool height.
Rely on this guide to assist you as you determine which stool is going to work with your counter.
Counter or bar stools?There's a difference between counter- and bar-height stools, so you should know which one you need for your space before starting the selection process. If you're looking for a taller stool, narrow your options to bar-height products, which are usually about 30 inches tall. If this isn't high enough for your counter, there are also extra tall bar stools that measure at around 34 inches. If you need something shorter, counter-height stools are rarely taller than 27 inches, but you can find short- or table-height stools measuring as short as 16 inches. Although it doesn't seem like a few inches shorter or taller will have a large impact on the functionality of your stool, you'll notice a few problems if you choose the wrong height, as bar tables and counters can have various heights as well.
How do you know which one need?Having a counter or bar isn't going to determine which type of stool you need, as a counter-height option may work best for a bar table and vice versa. You'll have to measure your table or counter to see whether you need a bar- or counter-height stool. Counter-height stools are the best choice if your counter or bar is 36-39 inches high, while those that are between 40 and 45 inches tall would work best with bar-height stools. If your table is particularly short - about 28-30 inches - look for a short- or table-height product.
