Distance Between Bar Stools: How Far Apart Should They Be?

That gives each person room for their elbows and lets them get on and off without moving their neighbor. Slim stools with seats of about 15.7 in, such as Svea, Eva, Ebba and Freja, need only 19.5 in; seats over 19.7 in wide need 23.5 in.

Measuring center to center is what makes the rule work for every stool. Mark the centers along the counter edge with tape before the stools arrive and you will see immediately how the row will feel. What sets the spacing is the overall width of the stool, not whether it has a backrest or armrests.

That is what the recommended spacing gives: 21.5 in with a stool 17.3 to 18.5 in wide, or 19.5 in with a slim stool 15 to 16.1 in wide. In our experience, with less than 3 in people brush arms; with more than 8 in the row starts to feel sparse.

The table gives the spacing we recommend for each of our models and the gap between seats it leaves.

If the end is closed by a wall or a tall cabinet, add 4 in so the person on the end is not sitting against it: 15 in from the center of the seat to the wall.

In practice, that means an island whose seating side is a multiple of 21.5 in fits its stools exactly, with the spacing between stools and at the ends already included. Our guide to how many bar stools you need has a calculator that applies the same rule to your island's length.

That is enough to pull a stool out, sit down and, in the wider case, let someone pass without everyone standing up.

Side spacing and space behind work together. A tightly spaced row with little floor behind feels crowded even when the numbers on paper are right, while a generous clearance behind makes 21.5 in spacing feel roomy. The kitchen island seating guide covers all the island measurements in one place.