Bar stools for restaurants and bars: the right height, the right spacing, and how many fit

The problem

A new bar opens. The stools look great in the catalogue. On the first night, guests sit down and their knees hit the bar top. Or the opposite: they sit so low that their chin is at the level of their glass.

A bar stool that is only a few centimetres wrong is uncomfortable for every guest, every night. And unlike a chair, nobody can fix it by moving it.

Rule 1: 25 to 30 cm from the seat to the bar

Two sources, one from a US contract chair maker and one from a UK furniture retailer, give the same rule:

• Leave 10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm) between the seat and the underside of the bar top (source 1).
• "The seat of the stool should sit 25–30cm lower than the underside of the counter or bar" (source 2).

So: measure from the floor to the underside of your bar top, and take away 25 to 30 cm. That is the seat height you need.

Typical heights, so you know what to expect (sources 1 and 2):

Your surface	Typical height	Stool seat
Kitchen-style counter	about 90 cm	about 60–70 cm
Bar or bar table	about 105–110 cm	about 71–81 cm
Extra-tall bar	110 cm and more	85 cm and more

The sources differ by a few centimetres, and real bars are built by hand. Always measure your own bar, not the drawing.

Rule 2: about 60 cm of bar per guest

• Allow 24 inches (about 60 cm) for every person (source 1).
• For more comfort, 60 to 75 cm of counter per person (source 2).
• Stools with arms or swivel seats need more space between them (source 2).

Quick count: divide the length of your bar by 60 cm for a busy bar, or by 75 cm for a relaxed one.

Bar length	Stools at 60 cm	Stools at 75 cm
3.0 m	5	4
4.2 m	7	5
6.0 m	10	8

Don't forget the ends of the bar: a guest at the corner needs room for their knees too.

Three more things to check

1. A back or no back? A back gives guests support on a high seat, which matters for a long dinner at the bar. A backless stool tucks fully under the bar and keeps the line clean.
2. The footrest. On a high stool, guests rest their feet on the footrest, not the floor. Sit on a sample and check it.
3. The same family as your chairs. A bar stool from the same model as your dining chairs makes the room look planned. Several of our models come as a chair and a bar stool.

Which RikoStyle stool fits your bar

We make 19 wooden bar stools. Here they are, from lowest to highest seat, with the height of the bar underside each one suits under Rule 1 (source 3):

Model	Seat height	Fits a bar underside of	Overall height	Back
Quorum low barstool	650 mm	90–95 cm	960 mm	Yes
Tina barstool	750 mm	100–105 cm	1110 mm	Yes
Ayana barstool	760 mm	101–106 cm	1070 mm	Yes
Daisy barstool	760 mm	101–106 cm	1150 mm	Yes
Ema barstool	760 mm	101–106 cm	1080 mm	Yes
Maggie barstool	760 mm	101–106 cm	1070 mm	Yes
Repton barstool	760 mm	101–106 cm	1040 mm	Yes
Sarah barstool	760 mm	101–106 cm	1170 mm	Yes
Clio barstool	770 mm	102–107 cm	1070 mm	Yes
Niko barstool	770 mm	102–107 cm	1020 mm	Yes
Pony barstool	780 mm	103–108 cm	1010 mm	Yes
Kassia barstool	780 mm	103–108 cm	1030 mm	Yes
Christina barstool	790 mm	104–109 cm	1040 mm	Yes
Klara barstool	790 mm	104–109 cm	1010 mm	Yes
Sofia barstool	790 mm	104–109 cm	1090 mm	Yes
Milena barstool	810 mm	106–111 cm	1110 mm	Yes
Liliana barstool	820 mm	107–112 cm	1090 mm	Yes
Eliza barstool	830 mm	108–113 cm	1110 mm	Yes
Cube barstool	860 mm	111–116 cm	860 mm	No (backless)

• For a kitchen-style counter: the Quorum low barstool.
• For most bars: the stools from 750 to 790 mm.
• For tall bars: Milena, Liliana, Eliza and Cube.
• Matching bar table: the London bar table is 110 cm high.
• Your logo on the back: possible on the Eliza, Klara, Maggie and Quorum low bar stools. Read logo cut-out chairs.

For dining chairs and tables, see our restaurant chair and table dimensions guide.

We offer these stools to restaurant, bar and hotel owners, interior designers, furniture retailers and importers, and event rental companies, and we are looking for long-term partners in each of these groups. Send us the height of your bar and we will suggest the models that fit.

Sources

1. Grand Rapids Chair, Things Designers Know: Restaurant Chair Height, Table and Chair Distance & More: https://grandrapidschair.com/inspiration/blog/things-designers-know-restaurant-chair-height-table-and-chair-distance-more/. Inches converted to cm and rounded.
2. Lakeland Furniture, Bar Stool Size Guide: Height, Width & Spacing Explained: https://www.lakeland-furniture.co.uk/blog/post/consider-things-buying-bar-stools
3. Dimensions as published on each model's page on rikostyle.com, November 2026.