Wood bar stools for cafes

A wood stool at the window ledge is the first thing the 7 AM line sees. These 46 wood bar stools come with curved, slat, ladder, window, and padded backs, in wood, vinyl, or fabric seats. All are listed for indoor use, and each page lists the size.

Check the height twice

The examples on this page stand between 40 1/4 and 43 1/2 inches overall, back included. The seat sits much lower, and the seat height is the one that has to fit your ledge. Listed seat heights include 28, 29 3/4, and 30 inches, which suit a ledge at bar height or a little below it. For a lower counter, go to counter stools.

Do the arithmetic at the ledge: floor to the top of the surface, minus 10 to 12 inches, is the seat height you want. Do it twice. The second measurement is the one that catches the slope in an old floor.

Backs and arms

Curved backs lead with 16 stools. Upholstered backs come next with seven, then vertical slats with six and ladder backs with five. Square backs and window backs have three each. Eight stools have arms, which widen the stool, and six have padded backs.

If you like the slatted look, the ladder-back bar stools page narrows it down. A back that rises well above the seat can also block the sightline across a low counter, which matters if the barista works behind it.

Footprints along a ledge

The wood stools shown here are 17 to 19 inches wide and 19 1/2 to 20 1/2 inches deep. A six-foot window ledge fits three at 24 inches apart and two at 30, and the depth decides how much of your 36 inch aisle is left once someone sits. That is the arithmetic of a narrow shop: every inch of depth comes out of the walkway.

Seats, finish, and care

Wood seats appear on 44 stools, vinyl on 46, and fabric on 41, and many stools list more than one. 45 stools list upholstery options. A free swatch or a stain and finish sample from samples is the surest way to match a color. Finish and color lists get revised, so if you reorder, request a new swatch.

The warranty skips solid wood's natural movement and any use outdoors, so keep these inside.

Single stools range from $112 to $277. Draw the ledge in cafe plans, or try a wood bar stool listed at 17 inches wide, 20 1/2 deep, and 43 1/2 high against it first.