These Bar Stools Are the Easiest Kitchen Upgrade You Can Buy

If you have a kitchen island or a high-top breakfast nook at home, bar stools are a necessity. They turn an ordinary dinner-prep surface into an instant gathering spot that feels a little more fun and informal than simply pulling up a chair around the kitchen table. When you have bar stools that look good and feel great, they may even become your prime dining spot at home.

The Best Bar Stools

What to Consider

Height

Your most important consideration when it comes to buying bar stools is their height — this is because bar stools can be easily confused with counter stools, which are shorter.

On average, bar stool seats are elevated 28 to 32 inches off the ground, though they can be a little higher, too. Counter stool seats usually don't exceed 28 inches from the ground. Bar stools will almost always have a ledge built into the frame for you to rest your feet so that they don't dangle. And while not every bar stool is adjustable, like the Homall Bar Stools, we particularly like these types, so people of all heights can raise or lower them to their most comfortable level.

Seat Shape and Width

For the sake of your and your household's comfort, we chose bar stools with backs for this guide. Even if the back is low, like the backs of the Araiza Bar & Counter Stools, it still helps provide a tiny bit more support to rest against for longer-term sitting. You'll also want to measure the width of the seat for peace of mind that the bar stools you're ordering won't feel like you're perched precariously on a seat that's too small. The bar stools in this guide range from 15 to 18.5 inches wide.

Sets

Finally, while you can certainly buy individual bar stools, if you're starting from square one with your seating, it makes far more sense to buy a set of them (or at least a pair!). Sometimes, you can even score a small discount by buying in multiples. We've denoted the number of stools in each set that you can purchase here.

Hanging out with your friends and family on your bar stools at home (perhaps with your bar cart nearby!) typically signals that good times are ahead. Make every casual get-together feel a little more celebration-worthy by getting one of these bar stool sets to complete your favorite gathering spot at home.