Bar Stool Height Guide

Finding the right bar stool height can seem overwhelming with thousands of bar stools to choose from. This guide will help you find a bar stool at just the right height that will perfectly fit your home and provide a comfortable, stylish way to enjoy your space.

You bar stool height will vary depending on the height of your bar or counter, but generally you want about 12” of space between your bar stool and your bar or counter surface. As bar stools are taller than counter stools, bar stool height typically range from 29” to 32” which counter height stools are commonly 23” to 28” tall.

How High Should a Bar Stool Be?

A bar stool should be tall enough that it allows sit comfortably at the bar or counter but provide sufficient space so that your legs fit beneath the counter without rubbing. Typically you want at least 12” of space between the seat of the bar stool and the counter height in order to provide comfortable clearance.

12" gap between counter and stool

To determine how tall your bar stools should be, measure the height of the bar or counter that you plan to put the bar stools at. Then subtract 12” to create a general height that your bar stools should be. There is some wiggle room so you can look at bar stools that aren’t exactly 12” less than your bar or counter height.

What is the standard bar stool height?

While bar stool height varies with the height of the bar, standard bar stools are usually between 29” and 32” tall. This bar stool height range is ideal for bars that are between 41” and 43” high.

Standard Bar Stool Height

What is the standard counter stool height?

Standard counter height stool height is typically 23” to 28” high which fits comfortably with counters which are 35” to 39” tall. This will provide about 12” of clearance to comfortably sit at your counter while eating and relaxing. For example, if you

For example, if you had very tall counters, such as 48” counter height, you should consider bar stools that are about 36” tall in order to comfortably sit at these counters. Similarly, for 45” counters, you should be looking at bar stools that are about 33” high.

What bar stool height is best for a kitchen island?

Kitchen islands counters are typically 36” tall. If you use the 12” of clearance rule, this would mean that your bar stool height for kitchen islands would be about 24”. Always measure your own island to determine how tall your bar stools should be.

 

kitchen island bar stool height

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