Wood counter stools

A counter at 34 to 36 inches wants a seat near 24 to 26. Get that wrong and nobody is happy at 8 AM. 6 wood-framed counter stools are here, all with backs and all with upholstery options. Measure the counter first, then read the seat height on the page.

Seat height, not overall height

The heights shown on these listings are overall. Four examples stand 37 1/2, 37, 37 and 39 1/4 inches tall, and that includes the back. A 37-inch stool is not a 37-inch seat. Check the product page for the seat height, ask a specialist if you cannot find it, and aim for a 10 to 12 inch drop from counter top to seat.

A ladder back wood bar stool measuring 17 by 21 inches is one of the examples. The footprints run 17 to 18 1/2 inches wide and 20 1/4 to 21 inches deep, more depth than the backless stools take.

Backs, frames and seats

All the frames are wood. Backs vary: curved on 2, and one each in schoolhouse, vertical slat, ladder and window styles. Wood, vinyl and fabric seats are each listed on all of them, and every stool offers upholstery options. Prices range from $164 to $201, and all are for indoor use.

Color lists change, so ask for a swatch before you commit a row of stools to one color. Upholstery outside the listed options makes the stool a custom item. Those take longer, and once confirmed they are final.

How many fit on a counter

Say a 12-foot counter, which is 144 inches. At 30 inches center to center it holds four stools. Squeeze to 24 and it holds six. At 17 to 18 1/2 inches wide, these stools leave only about 5 1/2 to 7 inches between frames at 24-inch spacing, so test the tighter count before you order a row.

Then test the queue side. A row of stools only works if the person at the register can still walk past it, so mark the floor with tape, set one real stool on the spot and watch a morning rush go by before you commit to the count.

Counter or bar

Is your ledge 40 to 42 inches? That is bar height, and bar height takes stools of about 29 to 31 inches. Start with backless bar stools or modern bar stools and check each seat height. For more wood frames at that height, see wood bar stools. Everything else is in bar stools. Draw the row in a cafe plan and the stool count follows from the length of your counter.