Measure from the floor to the underside of your counter or bar, then choose a seat at least 25 cm lower. That gap leaves room for your legs. As a reference, counter stools have seats of about 58 to 71 cm, and bar stools about 74 to 81 cm. Always compare the seat height on the product page, not the overall height or the product name.
Six stools on this page fall in the counter range. The Elbow Style Counter Stool is lowest at 58 cm. The Series 7 Counter Stool, plain or upholstered, sits at 66 cm, the Wire Bar Stool at 67 cm, the Elbow Style Bar Stool at 68 cm and the Erik Buch Bar Stool at about 69 cm. Three of these are called bar stools, but their seats suit a kitchen counter or island.
Eight stools fall in the bar range. The Wishbone (Y) Barstool sits at about 74 cm and the CH 23 Barstool at 74.8 cm. The four Beetle Style barstools sit at 75 to 76 cm, and the Series 7 Barstool, plain or upholstered, at 76 cm.
The LEM Barstool adjusts from 70 to 80.5 cm and swivels, so one stool can move between a counter and a bar. Its back rises only 5.5 cm above the seat. For the Wegner and Jacobsen designs, the matching dining chairs are on their designer pages.
Most stools here have a full back. The Beetle Style barstools stand 118.5 cm tall with a 76 cm seat, and the Wishbone and CH 23 stand about 105 cm. Two are backless: a steel stool 61 cm tall, and the Joy Stool at 51 cm, which is a low perch rather than a bar stool; lower stools are in the modern stool collection. Only the four Series 7 stools list stacking.
Seats range from bare paper cord on the Wishbone and CH 23, and plain plywood or polypropylene on the Series 7 and Beetle Style, to leather on the Elbow Style and LEM, velvet or faux leather on the Beetle Style, and a leather pad on the Wire Bar Stool.
Widths decide how many fit along a counter. They run from 35.5 cm on the LEM Barstool and 40 cm on the Erik Buch to 55 cm on the Wishbone, Elbow Style and Series 7. Four Erik Buch stools take 160 cm of counter; four Series 7 stools take 220 cm, before any gap between them. For dining seating, see the wider chair collection.
The seat height. Counter stools have seats of about 58 to 71 cm for kitchen counters and islands; bar stools have seats of about 74 to 81 cm for taller bars. Product names are not a reliable guide: on this page the Wire Bar Stool, Elbow Style Bar Stool and Erik Buch Bar Stool all have counter-height seats of 67 to 69 cm.
Four do. The Elbow Style Bar Stool has an Italian leather seat and the Elbow Style Counter Stool a leather seat, both on solid walnut and oak frames. The LEM Barstool has an Italian leather seat on stainless steel, and the Wire Bar Stool a leather pad. The Beetle Style Barstool in antique brown is faux leather. Their product pages list a dust cleaner for care, and the LEM also a damp cloth.
Yes. The Joy Stool is 51 cm tall and 34.5 cm across, with a polypropylene seat shell, knitted fabric and a wear-resistant rubber base. It is a low stool rather than a bar stool, so it does not suit a counter. For other low and occasional stools, see the modern stool collection.
Yes, the LEM Barstool. Its seat adjusts from 70 to 80.5 cm and swivels, on a stainless steel frame with an Italian leather seat. It is 35.5 cm wide, the narrowest stool on this page, and weighs 18 kg. It arrives with the top to be fitted to the base, and its product page lists it as commercial quality.
Four designs. The Wishbone (Y) Barstool is solid beech in the version shown, with ash, oak, walnut and maple versions listed on its page. The CH 23 Barstool is solid ash, the Erik Buch Bar Stool solid maple, and the two Elbow Style stools combine solid American walnut and oak. The Wishbone and CH 23 both have paper cord seats.
The Beetle Style barstools come fully upholstered in velvet or half upholstered in fabric, over high-density foam. The Series 7 Barstool and Series 7 Counter Stool both have upholstered versions alongside the plain plywood ones. The Erik Buch Bar Stool has a cotton and polyester seat on solid maple, and the Joy Stool a knitted fabric seat.
Most have one. Fourteen of the 17 stools here have a full back, from the Erik Buch, which rises 18.5 cm above its seat, to the Beetle Style, which stands 118.5 cm tall. Two are backless: a steel stool 61 cm tall and the low Joy Stool. The LEM Barstool has a low back, 5.5 cm above the seat. Check that a tall back clears any shelf or sill behind it.
Nine of the 17 arrive fully assembled, including the Wishbone, CH 23, Elbow Style, Erik Buch and all four Series 7 stools. The four Beetle Style stools need the seat fitted to the base, and the LEM Barstool its top fitted to the base. The Joy Stool needs basic assembly, and the Wire Bar Stool and the steel stool come with instructions.
Some pieces and finishes are held in stock for faster dispatch, including several Series 7, Beetle Style and Erik Buch stools. Each product page shows its current lead time under the Add to Cart button, and it can change with the finish you choose, so check the version you want before you order.
The product pages credit pieces to Hans J. Wegner, Arne Jacobsen, Harry Bertoia, Erik Buch and Shin and Tomoko Azumi. These are reproductions: each product page states that the item is not manufactured by or affiliated with the original designer or associated parties. Customer support can answer questions about a specific stool.
