Bar stools come in a wide range of heights, colours, prices, materials, and with or without swivelling seats.
Since there are so many options to sort through, it can feel like a daunting task to find the best bar stool for your kitchen, dining space, or lounge area. That’s why we’ve created a list of the most impressive bar stools around.
Hopefully, these bar stools will inspire your interior designer side and fuel your creativity!
1. Temple & Webster Vintage-Style Barstool
Showcasing a vintage retro look, these barstools are cool, casual, and perfect for contemporary kitchen themes. They feature a comfortable curved seat as well as a footrest. Each stool has a solid steel tube base and elmwood seating surface.
With a 66cm seat height, these stools fit well beneath most kitchen countertops and islands. They’re fairly easy to assemble as well, simply bolt the legs to the seat’s base. Plus, with this set of four, you’ll be able to create a matching look in your kitchen.
2. Artiss Wooden Leather Kitchen Stools
If you need a stool that will fit under any countertop or dining island, this is a good option to think about. It has a versatile 89 -115cm height-adjustable design that blends with a range of home environments.
Its elegant wooden material construction, chrome accents, and black padded PU leather seat give it a premium timeless look. This swivel stool also features a sturdy 40cm steel base, gas lift lever, and heavy-duty footrest.
3. Dover Mason Loyan Bar Stool
A minimalistic Eastern Japanese inspired bar stool, this is a subtle yet elegant choice that can add savvy charm to almost any home design theme or chic country kitchen. The high-quality wood frame is painted white with distressed edges and the curved seat is made of natural whitewashed solid wood.
If you already have light coloured furniture in your dining room or kitchen, this simple, functional, and classy stool is a great choice. Made of sturdy wood for long-lasting utility, this barstool also features footrests and measures 37.5 x 37.5 x 64.5. It will easily fit under most kitchen island edges.
4. Elwood Adjustable Barstools
These height-adjustable swivelling leather bar stools are versatile, comfortable, and stylish. Since this is a stool set of 2, you can easily create a symmetrical look in your kitchen, dining room, or lounge space. With their rotating swivel functionality, you’ll get a good view of any room.
Their padded faux leather upholstered seats are definitely some of the best options for those who value comfort in a bar stool. Also, each fake leather bar stool in this set of 2 can be adjusted from 61.5cm – 83cm with a gas lift mechanism. Finally, these chairs have durable footrests, powder-coated metal frames, and sturdy 38.5cm bases.
5. Replica Tolix Large Bar Stool
This sturdy bar stool can add some café inspired style to your kitchen design. It comes at a great price, measures 66cm high, and is durable and well-made. Additionally, this stool is available in a range of colours that can coordinate with various interior themes and furniture styles.
Choose from metal bar stool colour variants like white, rust (a brown-grey colour), or black. If you’d prefer a wooden seat and metal frame, there’s also a black and wood option available.
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6. Artiss Vintage Industrial Bar Stool
Showcasing a stunning and unique mid-century aesthetic, this vintage stool can give your modern living space a note of industrial style. It has been constructed with premium materials like full-grain elmwood and steel.
Additionally, this stool has 360-degree swivel motion and is fully adjustable. Since it can be lifted from 70-90cm, it would fit well under any kitchen counter height of 105cm or more. This is a great option for any vintage modern kitchen, lounge room, office, or home bar.
7. Tolix Replica Bar Stools with Timber Seat
These café inspired stools come in a value-packed set of four. Each stool in this set measures 65cm x 40.5cm x 40.5cm. As versatile Xavier Pauchard replicas, they can add a stylish interior design element to essentially any kitchen space. These chairs also fit nicely with coastal or rustic country aesthetics.
8. Dover Mason Tractor Bar Stool
From the Dover Mason Collection, this stool has a sculpted look with a full-grain timber top. The base is made from strong curved metal and the seat is made of genuine mango wood with a subtle contour to add comfort.
As a classic tractor-seat stool, this piece adds utility and mid-century rustic style to any room. It also has a footrest and measures 46 x 40 x 68cm.
9. Ikea Bar Stool with Backrest
From the Ikea INGOLF series, this versatile stool would look great in any kitchen, hallway, dining room, or even in a bedroom. It features a large supportive backrest and is made entirely of pine wood. Also, this stool features an antique stain and a clear acrylic lacquer finish, so it will stand up well to wear and tear.
As one of the best stool options for those who need versatility in their furniture, this is a great product for essentially any living space.
Bar Stool FAQs
Bar stools can help you create a composed look in your kitchen, home bar, dining room, or lounge. Below, we’ve answered some FAQs about this type of furniture so that you can find the best product options for your home.
Whether you’re sitting at a breakfast bar, serving counter, or dining table, comfort is key. The most comfortable bar stools will feature padding, backrests, footrests, or all three. In a dining chair or stool, backrests allow you to recline more easily, while footrests let you lean forward to access a more comfortable position. Padding also goes a long way toward improving comfort and many non-padded seats can be fitted with cushions.
Additionally, when stool surfaces are made of wood, contouring can vastly improve your seating comfort. Stool seats that are contoured can more easily accommodate natural seating positions. This will ensure that your back and rear are comfortable as you talk, dine, or rest.
Bar stools are taller than counter stools. Typically, a bar stool will be between 12-15cm higher than a counter stool. This makes a bar stool the best choice for traditional bar counters, which can be anywhere from 101-103cm tall. While some counter stools will work for lower bar heights, bar stools are usually the best option for most home bars and kitchens. The best bar stools for versatile seating will also feature adjustable mechanisms that can be custom-fitted to match any bar height.
Matching your bar stools with your cabinets definitely adds a note of appeal that many people love. With that being said, bar stools do not necessarily have to match cabinets. It’s more important to ensure that both your cabinets and your furniture blend together harmoniously. So, take some time to note colours that will go well together.
For instance, creamy white colours go well with honey, oaky, and amber tones. Neutral wood goes well with forest green and navy blue tones. Beige and tan work beautifully with ivory and antique white. Cherry and red mahogany wood tones blend wonderfully with black and silver metallic finishes.
From floor to seat, barstools generally measure 60-67cm. Floor protectors and cushioned seats can add height as well. As such, you should pair each stool with kitchen tables or counters that measure 90-105cm in height.
This will give you a total height difference of between 30-38cm, which is plenty of room to accommodate your legs. For an open and inviting look in your kitchen, you can position each stool between 20-30cm from dining surfaces.
