Seating is a very naturally integral commodity in our lives. Like chairs and lounges, stools are pretty much very important if you come to think of it. Be it leisurely breakfast time or a reunion party, stools are the easiest way to make a long-lasting impression on someone. The style, elegance, and beauty of stools talk for themselves.
But is it really easy to choose when it comes to buying them? How are counter stools different from bar stools? Which one of them is better? What purposes does each of them fulfill?
If you are someone who’s bombarded with these questions when you go out to purchase or sell chairs to a wide variety of customers, then this blog is for you. In this blog, we will discuss what bar tools and counter stools are and how different they are.
Bar Stools: Everything You Should Know
What is a Bar Stool?
Literally speaking, a bar stool is a type of tall chair with a footrest to support its feet. Bar stools are now a part of luxury living in many ways. It is a very integral component of the dining and recreational industry and has seen growth as an exquisite fragment of furniture.
Different Bar Stool Heights
Depending on the purpose of usage, different bar tools have varying heights. Restaurants, bars, and homes have bar stools with different dimensions. But all of them are equally comfortable and relaxing. Let us see the different bar stool heights available in the market:
- Standard Bar Stool Size: Before determining which bar stool is the best for you to purchase, you should be aware of the dimensions of each bar stool. The standard bar stool size includes a seat heightened between 29 to 32 inches, paired with table heights of 41 to 43 inches. Bar tools with these dimensions can be used at bars, homes, or kitchen islands. Always make sure to give 6 to 10 inches of gap between two bar stools.
- Extra-Tall Bar Stool Size: Even though most of the time, the average bar stool size suffices as an alternative for bar tools, some possibilities may require bar stools with larger dimensions than the average size. For such occasions, we have extra tall bar stools which measure between 33 to 36 inches from the floor to the seat, paired with table heights of 44 to 47 inches.
Applications
We are well aware that bar stools are used as a seating arrangement in bars and other recreational places like clubs, kitchens, and restaurants. But there is more to it when we talk about the usage of bar stools. Let us see all of the popular applications below:
- Kitchen Counter: Adding bar stools at the kitchen counter creates an inviting place to sit and works as an additional sitting during house parties. You can work while your children scribble off their homework or you can enjoy a good cooking session with your partner in a more relaxing manner.
- Kitchen Island: Working in the kitchen, though fun, can be physically hectic and tiring. Now, you can add an elegant barstool to the island and enjoy a cozy dinner time with your loved ones, while making sufficient space for you to work and have leisurely family time with them.
- Pub-Table: Place a couple of bar stools around a table with pizza, fresh beer, a deck of cards, and Netflix. And now, you are good to go for a long night out with your favorite people.
- Bedroom: If you are someone who is enthusiastic about getting ready before you leave your house and follow systematic skincare, bar stools are your buddies. You can place a barstool in front of the mirror and have an instant vanity at minimal expenses.
- For Gaming: If gaming is your thing, you know how torturous it can be to sit at one place in an uncomfortable position only to have severe pain across your spine. You can use a bar stool to sit back and enjoy gaming sessions with your friends.
- Outdoor Patio: There are many times we want to sit outside and enjoy the weather with our family and friends, but having a typical patio set can be exhausting and tiring. With inexpensive bar-stools, you can create your own seating while enjoying morning coffee or evening tea.
Materials & Upholstery
The material you choose for your bar stools depends on the place they would be seated in and the environment they would be exposed to.
For example, conventionally, wood bar stools have been used to create a visual aestheticism and ensure strength and durability. The material to be used should maintain the continuity of the space they are placed in. Suppose, you want to place bar stools in the kitchen and its interior is highly metalized, metal bar stools would be a good choice.
For upholstery purposes, various materials can be used. Vinyl is believed to be the best option for upholstered bar stools. This is because it is durable, provides a rich variety of colors, and is easy to wash. However, it is expensive and may not be the first choice. In such a situation, we can always opt for the second-best option, leather. Leather is great for creating an upscale atmosphere.
However, if you have pets or children, avoid using lighter fabrics for upholstered bar stools. Heavier, thicker fabric in a dark shade would help you maintain them easily.
Common Features
- A Back: Even though this is not much of a common feature in a family of bar stools, since many bar stools are backless, the bar stools with the back are very comforting and prevent us from posture-oriented issues. These are more recommended by medical professionals and more comfortable to use in everyday life.
- Foot Rest: An area for our feet to rest while we enjoy is one of the most common features of bar stools. Having a footrest area relieves us from the pain of having our legs hanging out in mid-air.
- Scoot Ability: A good bar stool needs to be mobile rather than static so that you can scoot near to your partner or away from a third person who’s trying to interrupt you. Pivoting smoothly is necessary to function in bar stools.
- Stability & Style: When you are at a party or a social gathering, you would appreciate a bar stool that is stable in its structure. Sturdy bar tools can be very embarrassing at a social event, especially if we have drinks involved. Similarly, the functionality alone cannot benefit us, the elegance and fashionably pleasant appearance are highly expected.
Bar Stool Designs
It may seem like that there are limitations to style when it comes to bar stools, but in reality, there lies a horizon before you because fashion and luxury go hand in hand. There are many designs and varieties available in the market that would suit the seating of your own choice.
For gaming purposes, you can go with quirky, loud shades like neons and baby tones of lighter colors. For classic elegance, you can opt for a richer shade of brown, black, blue. For home parties and furnishing, it is your choice. Wood is a good and durable alternative for seating and furniture. While kitchen set-up may require metallic bar stools, depending on the furnishing of the room.
What kind of designs you want depends on the type of room you want to put it in, the colors you prefer, the vibe of the place, and the purpose of using bar stools.
Counter Stools: Everything You Should Know
What is a Counter Stool?
A counter stool is a type of seating arrangement where one can easily sit behind a counter. With a lot of styles and designs, counter stools can be used as bar counters, adjustable restaurant tables, kitchen tops, and counters, or as any dining settlement.
Counter Stool Heights
Counter Stools have an already defined standard size. They measure almost 23 to 28 inches from the floor to the seat and are paired with 35- to 37-inch-high countertops. Most of the kitchen countertops are designed in a way that their height matches with height of standard, usually used appliances. Because they are easily tucked under the tables, they are highly recommended for dining purposes.
Applications
We are well aware that counter stools are used as a seating arrangement in bars and other recreational places like clubs and restaurants. But there is more to it when we talk about the usage of bar stools. Let us see some unique uses of counter stools below:
- Entrance Table / Side Table: When you come home, do you need a place to put your keys? Did you ever find the need to place your tea cup next to your sofa? You may utilise modern counter stools as improvised little tables with a container for keys and some tablecloths, providing a good elevation for your small items.
- Seating on the Patio: Counter stool options are excellent for sitting on your enclosed patio.Make a relaxing spot for a cup of coffee, brunch by the patio, or an evening drink while watching the sunset.
- Bathroom Rack: A rotating counter stool can be a wonderful option if you need someplace to store your products or towels when you’re having a shower.This is also useful in establishments with public restrooms or bath facilities, such as gyms, or motels. A counter stool, rather than a standard towel rack, might serve multiple purposes.
- Stand for Plants: It might be tough to find a suitable location for plants in a home. They may be too dazzling on the window, and they can take a little too much room on the side table. You may use a modern stool as a stand for your plants!
Materials & Upholstery
Counter stools are made up of various sorts of materials to bring comfort to their furnishings in the space. The material you choose for your counter stools depends on the environment we want to expose them to.
For example, conventionally speaking wood stools have been used to create a visual aestheticism and ensure strength and durability. Suppose, you want to place counter stools in the kitchen and its interior is highly metalized, metal counter stools would be a good choice.
Vinyl is believed to be one of the greatest fabrics for any style of stool. It’s long-lasting, comes in a variety of colors, and gets cleaned easily. You can’t go wrong with vinyl to build your counter stools if you want long-term durability and the convenience of washing.
Leather was originally a pricey material used in upholstery, but it has recently become more accessible to the majority of households. Leather is resistant to scratches and splits, and it is not readily punctured. Leather counter stools are available in a range of patterns, allowing you to seamlessly match your room’s design.
Canvas is utilized for counter stools and upholstery owing to its durability. Canvas is available in a wide range of colors and patterns, making it easy to pick the right one for the space and other furniture sets. Canvas stools are simple to clean with water and soap, but meals should be avoided to prevent stains.
Common Features
- A Back: Some counter stools with the back are very comforting and prevent us from posture-oriented issues. These are more recommended by medical professionals and more comfortable to use in everyday life.
- Foot Rest: An area for our feet to rest while we enjoy is one of the most common features of counter stools. Having a footrest area relieves us from the pain of having our legs hanging out in mid-air.
- Scootability: A good counter stool needs to be mobile rather than static so that you can scoot near to your partner or away from a third person who’s trying to interrupt you. Pivoting smoothly is necessary to function in bar stools.
Counter Stool Designs
When designing your stools, simply consider what you want to achieve and how frequently your counter or bar stools will be needed. There are many designs and varieties available in the market that would suit the seating of your own choice.
You should look for something a little heavier and more sturdy if you want kid-friendly solutions. Imagine your little kid climbing its way up a frail tiny barstool… catastrophe awaited. Look for something weighing between 12 and 15 pounds because anything too heavy will prevent those small muscles from moving the stool.
If your family consists of adults only, heavier stools are usually better in terms of strength and durability. You can even experiment with a backless design for a bold and better look in your kitchen.
What kind of designs you want depends on the type of room you want to put it in, the colors you prefer, the vibe of the place, and the purpose of using it.
Counter Stools vs Bar Tools
Many people use counter stools interchangeably with bar stools. In reality, though, there are significant differences between the two on various fronts. They are different kinds of assets used in the same field, with different dimensions and purposes.
With people being unaware of the differences, they end up buying them randomly, without knowing the features and purposes they have been designed to fill. Let us learn what are the factors that make them unique and significantly distinct from each other.
The main bar stool counter stool difference is the difference in their heights.
While the height of a counter stool is usually between 24” – 29”, which is less than a bar stool, the average dimensions of a bar stool are usually between 30” and 36”. A bar stool is, hence, taller than a counter stool.
How to Choose the Right Bar Stools & Counter Stools for Your Business?
When choosing stools for commercial purposes, it is easier if we have a guide to help us navigate through do’s and don’ts. Buying bar stools in bulk costs a lot and we need to make careful decisions to ensure a high ROI. We bring to you a complete guide to choosing the best stools for your stool wholesaling.
Step 01: Define the Height
Now that you have decided to buy stools for your business purpose, you must define the height of stools you need. We saw how height would help us decide whether we want to have bar stools or counter stools. If you are still considering counter height stools vs bar stools, just understand it in terms of relative height. Bar stools are tall while the counter stools are shorter.
Once you are done defining the height, re-measure the stool and tables you are planning on buying just to be sure that the measured size of your stool fits in with the actual measurement.
Step 02: Consider the Functionality
There are so many options when it comes to bar stools and counter stools. You cannot choose out of them, randomly. There are endless reasons to reject a stool and go for some other. We have to focus on what is the use of the stool. If we are looking for flexibility, a swivel stool is good to go. But if it is used by someone who prioritizes comfort, stools with backs and armchairs are suitable for them.
Step 03: Choose Your Style & Design
Not every bar stool or counter stool is made for every scene, we have to select out the ones that attract our eye and instinct. There may be many bar stools and counter stools but our fashion tastes are always unique. Now is the step where you let your fashion intelligence choose for you. What kind of style you want to adopt is a fun thing to decide and the trickiest decision in the purchasing process. The style can be based upon individual choices or business requirements.
P.S.: Designers suggest using new, modern juxtaposing styles and adding a bit of texture to get the best result.
Step 04: Look Out for Quality and Calculate the Cost
As a business person, quality and cost matter to us equally. It is always advisable to purchase bar stools and counter stools from a reputed bar stool manufacturer like Keekea.
Check whether they have a mechanism of cross-checking the quality of products that are brought to them. If the quality checks and acknowledgment convince you, go ahead with an alternative where quality and finance can be negotiated. There shouldn’t be a compromise on either quality or affordability.
Step 05: Search for the Best Manufacturers Out There
When you are looking out at the lot, you always have the best out of them. Considering all these factors, explore the possibilities of having the best stool manufacturing company. You can look at the factory’s background, experience, certification, and production capacity to determine if this is the best supplier for you.
If you want to experience luxury, innovation, and craftsmanship in its exquisite form, Keekea is the place for you.
Conclusion
In this article, we saw the basics of bar stools and counter stools, the uniqueness of both, and how people wrongly use them interchangeably. There is a significant difference in both which if acknowledged, can lead to wiser decisions regarding the purchase. Ending with the factors that have to be considered while purchasing the right bar stools and counter stools for business, we saw how the right choice can have a long-lasting impression.
You can always contact a reliable manufacturer like Keekea to get all your queries answered, and get the best stools for your home, office, or your wholesale business. Contact Keekea today to get a free quote and one-stop OEM solution.
