Whether you are setting up a home bar, casual dining set, or are looking for seating for a countertop, the stools that you choose will become one of your most important home furnishings. To help you purchase the stools that meet your needs, we have compiled this guide to explain how to decide the stools that work best for you.

NOTE: Heights for stool seats are measured differently by each manufacturer. Since there is no industry standard, take the following helpful tips as a general guide that may not apply to your specific product.

First Things First... Measure Your Existing Counter or Table

  In order to determine what type of barstool or counterstool you need, measure the table or counter that they are intended to be used with. Measure the distance from the floor to the top of the table. It is recommended to have a 10-12 inch difference between your table top and seat (ex: a 42" table top works best with a 30" stool).

  It is also important to measure the overhang of the table. Tables with a wide overhang may need a certain height stool. For example, it might seem best to purchase a 32" stool for a 42" table, but if there was an overhang of 6", it might be more comfortable to use a 30" stool instead. Once you have these measurements, you are ready to decide what height or type of stool you need.

Get To Know the Barstool Lingo

Chairs and barstools, like other furniture, have industry-specific terms that you'll often see when browsing online. Knowing what types of stools will match your table or counter height is important before purchasing the perfect product.  Every person is different and therefore what works best will be different for everyone. It is important to think about what will meet your individual needs. A taller person may feel more comfortable with a bar height set. A smaller person may select a 32" stool for a 42" bar. The most important thing that you can do before making your purchase is to measure out the sizes of what you would be getting and make sure that it works for you.

Dining Height:

  Dining height tables are typically around 28"-30" high. Therefore, the dining chairs that match these tables usually have a seat that is 16"-18" high. However, you can also use shorter backless or swivel stools that measure 18" high.

Counter Height:

  Counter height tables are typically around 35"-36" high. Therefore, the counter stools that match these tables are usually in the 24-26" range. Counter height furniture is typically used in casual dining setups, pub sets, and home kitchen islands.

Bar Height:

  Bar height tables are typically around 40"-42" in height. Correspondingly, the bar stools are in the 28"-30" range. Bar height furniture is most commonly used with home bars but can also be found in some pub sets and counter set ups.

Extra-Tall or "Spectator" Height:

  Extra-Tall tables and bars are typically around 45"-48" high. Therefore, the tall bar stools that match these tables are usually in the 32-34" range. Spectator height furniture is typically used in commercial settings such as bowling alleys, pool halls, restaurants, and home bars.

Selecting the Perfect Number of Barstools

The last question many people ask: how many stools are enough? Knowing how much room to give each stool is important to creating the perfect bar or table environment. Here are some tips of the trade to allow for enough room in between stools:

• Stools ~16"-18" wide: allow for 21"-22' of space
• Stools ~19"-22" wide: allow for 24"-25" of space
• Swivel Stools or Stools with Arms: allow for even more space