Bar Stool Height Guide: 66 cm, 76 cm or a Custom Seat Height

The result is the seat height we recommend. For the two most common counters that gives two answers: a kitchen counter or island of 89 to 92 cm needs a 66 cm seat, and a bar counter of 99 to 102 cm needs a 76 cm seat.

The table below applies this rule to every counter height you are likely to meet. The two rows marked Standard are the seat heights every by Crea bar stool comes in; the other three are counters where a custom seat height gives a noticeably better fit than forcing a standard one.

Bar height means a surface around 100 to 110 cm, the height of a home bar, a raised breakfast bar or a pub counter. A counter stool therefore has a seat of about 66 cm, and a bar stool a seat of about 76 cm.

The words are used loosely in shops and in search results, which is why many people end up with the wrong height. In the United States, "counter stool" and "bar stool" are two different products, typically with seats of 61 to 69 cm and 71 to 81 cm. In Britain, "breakfast bar stool" usually means a counter-height stool despite the word bar. In Sweden, Germany and France one word covers both, so the seat height in centimetres is the only thing to trust. At by Crea every model comes in both a 66 cm and a 76 cm seat, so you choose the stool you like first and the height second. If you want the full comparison, read counter stools vs bar stools.

In our experience, that is enough for most adults' thighs to rest level with a little clearance, and it lets you pull the stool in close enough to eat comfortably. Below 20 cm most people's knees touch the counter when they turn; above 30 cm most people find themselves reaching up to the surface.

Two details shift the number slightly. A soft, thick cushion compresses by a centimetre or two when you sit, so an upholstered seat can sit at the upper end of the range. And a footrest that is far below the seat pulls your thighs down and needs a little more room than one at the right height. Our guide to legroom and knee clearance goes through the full geometry, including what a shallow island overhang does to it.

It is the height most families use for breakfast, homework and long dinners that end up at the island, and it is the easier of the two heights for children and older guests to get on and off.

Seat height is the same across all eight by Crea models, but the overall height is not: a backless stool disappears under the counter while a stool with a full backrest stands well above it. The table lists the total height of each model in its 66 cm version, which matters for sightlines in an open-plan room and for tucking a stool under a window ledge.

Raised counters are common where the island doubles as a screen for the cooking side of the kitchen, and in home bars and restaurants.

The 76 cm seat is the same stool with a taller frame, so the overall heights below are 10 cm above the 66 cm versions. Note that a tall stool with a full backrest reaches over a metre in total, which is worth checking against low shelving or a window behind the counter.

On Bruno, our steel stool with armrests, the armrest tops sit at 86 cm on the 66 cm seat and 96 cm on the 76 cm seat, which is below the counter heights those seats are made for, so they tuck under a standard counter or island without touching. If your overhang carries a support rail or a thick apron, compare the armrest height in the dimensions tab with your own clearance first.

A backrest does not affect the fit under the counter, only what you see above it. Backless stools such as Eva and Svea slide completely under the worktop and keep a small kitchen open; stools with a full backrest such as Philip stay visible and give the support most people want for sitting longer than a quick coffee. Our guide to backrest vs backless stools walks through that choice on its own.