Knowledge Base

Buying Guide: Bar Stools Behold, the mighty bar stool. Versatile, statement and useful for everything from eating breakfast to attending life drawing classes, the bar stool is a great addition to both domestic and commercial spaces. At Where Saints Go, we are big believers in bar stools that are equal parts stylish and comfortable, which is why we have so many of them. You’ll find wooden bar stools, metal ones, ones with handstitched leather seats and ones fitted with footrests and gas-cylinder, lever-powered height adjusters. Many of our bar stools are also exclusive to us, which means you won’t find them anywhere else. With so many choices on offer, we know it can be overwhelming to choose the right one for you, so we’ve compiled this handy bar stool buying guide. Read on to discover how to go about choosing a bar stool, and all of the important things you need to consider. Stool Location The first thing that will help you determine what stool to go for is where you’re planning on putting it. Is the stool for a kitchen? Games room? Bar? Different locations will have different requirements. In the kitchen, for example, you might want to go with a bar stool that is easy to clean and child-friendly. In a bar or socialising space, comfort and back support will become more of a priority. Once you’ve chosen your location, you can focus on the type of aesthetic you want to create. For example, if you’ve got a modern, minimalist-style kitchen, you’ll probably want a clean, simplistic bar stool that follows suit. Alternatively, if you’re designing an eclectic bar space, you might want a luxurious coloured velvet bar stool to make a statement. Style of Bar Stool We’ve all got our own tastes, and our homes, whatever shape and size they may be, are usually a perfect reflection of our personality. For that reason, it’s okay to be picky about bar stools, we’ve got enough choice to suit everyone. If your home pays homage to a particular era, such as Mid-Century Modern, you’ll love statement bar stools that touch on key trends of the 50s and 60s with cantilevered bases and architecturally pleasing V-legs. If it’s a traditional space inspired by heritage and peppered with eclectic antiques, you might prefer rustic, natural wood stools in a farmhouse style or those with a classic Thonet style. Bar Stool Seat Height The height of your bar stool is arguably one of the most important factors, as this will ensure you can use it with your desired counter/worktop/surface. The seat height can hugely impact comfort when sitting on a bar stool. Too low, and you’ll be struggling to reach the surface, too high and you’ll be worsening your (probably) already awful posture. To make sure you get everything right when it comes to seat height, please refer to our Seat Height Buying Guide, which takes you through all of the necessary steps. You can also refer to the graphic down below, which takes the standard sizing of the three most common surface hights and gives you the ideal seat height range for all of them. Surface Surface Height Seat Height Dining Table 75cm 45 - 48cm Kitchen Bar 90cm 65 - 70cm Commercial Bar 100 - 110cm 75 - 80cm Low Stools for Tables If you’re looking to get the bar stool effect but at a kitchen or dining table, a low bar stool is perfect. Another area where they come into their own is in creative office or workshop spaces where unobstructed access and effortless 360 views are essential. We have a range of low bar stools that are perfect for this sort of environment, along with adjustable stools that could also work. The Correct Height for Kitchen Stools The standard, across-the-board average for kitchen worktops is 900mm, or 90cm. Across the complete Where Saints Go range of bar stools, you’ll find heights varying from 60 to 80cm, giving you plenty of choice. You’ll also be able to ensure that your legs have a comfortable amount of room, which is essential. Stools for Commercial Bars Commercial bars generally stand at around 110cm, taller than domestic worktops and surfaces. Due to the height difference, commercial bar stools will usually have a heavier base to provide more sturdiness. They also have a host of other factors to take into account that are required for contract furniture such as flame retardant upholstery and hospitality environment standards. We won’t bore you with it all here, but if contract furniture is something you’re looking for, we suggest taking a look at this really good blog article on what we offer. Bar Stool Width There’s nothing worse than squeezing into an uncomfortable seat, or battling with your loved one for elbow space at breakfast, which is why you need to take into account seat width. There are lots of different seat widths available across our bar stool range, with most of them offering upwards of 40cm. To work out your ideal width, you’ll need two figures. The length of your bar / worktop and the number of seats you wish to put under it. All you then need to do is divide the length of your bar by the number of your seats. You will also need to leave 15cm between each stool to allow for plenty of movement and elbow room. These measurements for all of our chairs can be found under the ‘dimensions’ tab of each product website. To see this in action, imagine you have a bar length of 4m (400cm) and want to put 4 chairs there. You’d divide 400 by 4 to get 100cm. Then, you’d need to consider the 15cm for either side of each stool, which would add up to 60. Subtract 60 from 100 and you’re left with 40, meaning that 40cm is the ideal width for your stools. You can repeat this process for any length of bar and number of bar stools using this formula: LENGTH OF BAR ÷ NUMBER OF STOOLS = ANSWER 1 15 × NUMBER OF STOOLS = ANSWER 2 ANSWER 1 − ANSWER 2 = IDEAL SEAT WIDTH Stools with a Backrest The age-old question: to backrest, or not to backrest? For the ideal combination of ergonomics and aesthetics, you might opt for a bar stool with a backrest. The exact height varies, but is always measured from the top of the seat pad to the top of the backrest. Our backrest heights range between different styles, but the important thing to consider is how the backrest will work with your environment, as anything from 20cm upwards will stand out and above the average kitchen worktop. When the backrest is visible, it often becomes a focal point that draws the eye away from the worktop and to the stool itself. With this in mind, if you’re choosing a stool with a backrest, you’ll want to look at the rear of the stool to make sure that the most visible part (and the part that you’ll see from the rest of the room!) is in line with your aesthetic. For example, the Hague Bar Stool has a fairly tall backrest height at 37cm and a smooth, plain leather back available in a choice of colours, allowing you to suit it to your space. If you want a bar stool that can be tucked away and saves on space, you’ll need to opt for a plain, backless stool that can be positioned easily under any surface. These types of stools range from rustic wood farmhouse stools to vibrant velvet and brass bar stools. For a happy medium of support, comfort and space-saving, you might like to consider bar stools that have a small lip on them for security, such as the Buddy. A good rule of thumb is that the bigger the seat of the bar stool is, the more space it will occupy, which you should keep in mind when shopping. This is also a factor when it comes to bar stools with armrests, as these are obviously a much more bulky option, but what they take up in space, they also provide in comfort. If you have the space and are unsure which sort of style to go for, refer back to what you’ll be using the stool for - if you’re likely to be sitting in it for a long time and will want to recline and relax, you’ll be better off with a supportive backrest. On the other hand, if you just want to momentarily perch on the stool for a quick coffee, you’ll be safe with a backless model. Other Dimensions to Consider Once you’ve got the stool style, height and seat decided, there are three other parts you should take into consideration. These are the seat depths and footrest height. Seat Depth & Overall Depth On our ‘dimensions’ tab for each product, you’ll find the general depth measurement as well as the seat depth measurement. The general depth is the overall depth of the seat, which tells you how much space it will take up. The seat depth, as you may have guessed, is the part of the seat you can sit on, which subtracts the depth of any backrest. Footrest Height Have you ever sat on a bar stool and thought ‘this would be really comfy if the footrest was just a smidge lower or higher?’ That’s why footrest height is actually very important, and we provide this for each applicable stool because we want our Saints to be truly comfortable. You can also determine an approximate width of the footrest by looking at the overall width of the stool itself.