How to Choose Bar Stools:Pair a 90 cm Counter with a 63–66 cm Seat Height and a 105 cm Counter with 73–76 cm, Seven Pieces from NT$7,600

Bar stool seat height should be 25 to 30 cm below the counter: a counter around 90 cm pairs with a seat height of 63 to 66, and a counter of 100 to 105 cm pairs with a seat height of 73 to 76. This article uses those two sets of numbers to choose from seven bar stools listed on our site, from NT$7,600.

The kitchen island or bar is where new homeowners most often buy the wrong chair. Everyone has a feel for dining chair and single chair heights, but bar stools are different: too tall and your knees hit the underside of the counter, too short and you have to lift your elbows to eat. The counter height is usually fixed during the buyer-change stage of construction, while chairs are only considered after handover, and when the two don't match you end up propping up your feet or swapping chairs. So before picking a chair, measure the counter with a tape measure.

Measure five numbers first

The table below lists the numbers to check before choosing any model. The counter height is the only existing condition you have to measure; the other four are derived from it.

On inspection day, measure three spots in the kitchen

On inspection day you have a tape measure in hand, and three extra measurements in the kitchen are enough. The first is the island or bar counter top: measure from the floor to the top edge, at two positions and take the average, since floor and counter are sometimes not perfectly level. The second is the counter overhang: measure from the counter edge to where the cabinet or leg below begins; if it is under 25 cm, even a great chair can only be sat on sideways. The third is the distance from behind the chair to the wall or opposite cabinet; if it is under 90 cm, the thing to think about is putting in one fewer chair.

After measuring, write the three numbers on the same sheet as the other places you need to measure; see the 12 numbers to measure at inspection. If a pendant light will go directly above the bar, the height from the lamp bottom to the counter is calculated separately, in the buying lighting in Taichung article. If you want the dining table next to the bar, for the table size and the clearance to leave at its edge, see buying a dining table in Taichung。

Seven bar stools, from NT$7,600 to NT$23,570

All seven below are bar stools or high stools currently listed on our site. Dimensions are in cm, taken from the product pages; prices are the product page prices as of 14 November 2026. Dimensions are written in the order width, depth, height, sorted by seat height from low to high.

In the table, the Passage product page only lists an overall height of 65 cm; since it has no backrest, the seat is the highest point, so I count the seat height as 65. The Spike's product page lists Counter Stool 64.5 with no width or depth, so before fitting it under a counter I suggest seeing it once in the showroom. The Joa is the only one marked in stock on its product page; the other six currently have no in-stock label, and lead times follow the product page and the ordering notice。

With or without a backrest, and where the footrest goes

If you eat for more than twenty minutes, choose one with a backrest. The Joa, Co, Afteroom and Spike all have one; the Passage doesn't, so you hold yourself up, which suits a morning coffee or an evening glass of wine. Footrest height also relates to seat height: the medium Co's footrest is 21.5 cm and the high version's is 31.6 cm, so every 10 cm of seat height difference raises the footrest by about 10 cm, and your knees rest near a right angle when your feet are on it. The Passage's footrest, at 17.5 cm, is the lowest of the seven.

The difference between fabric and wooden seats is much like dining chairs. Fabric is not cold when you sit long, but a bar is the easiest place to spill drinks; if you have children or cats, choose a dark blended fabric, or simply pick the wooden seat. A wooden seat wipes clean, but feels harder. The Co comes with either a wooden or fabric seat, with a price difference from NT$2,160, which is a way to think about which one you want before ordering.

When the island isn't long enough

At 55 to 60 cm per person, a 120 cm island only fits two chairs, and a 180 cm one fits three. If you don't want to lengthen the island for seats, you can choose something like the Passage, with a round seat and no backrest, which can be pushed under the counter when not in use so the backrest doesn't block the walkway. If one side of the island is a passage, first confirm that the seating side has a 25 cm overhang, otherwise your knees will hit the cabinet when you sit. Another way to add seating without lengthening the island is to swap one or two for single chairs, placed beside the dining table.

When to find a home stylist

By the time you start looking for an interior designer, you can start looking for a home stylist too. There are two reasons: first, lead time. Pre-orders start from one month, and large furniture takes about four months from the manufacturer to your home; if you only start looking after the construction is done, you often end up buying what is available, not what you wanted. Second, discussing style in parallel is the most efficient: the position of the main light outlet, the width left for the TV wall, the outlet height behind the sofa, and finding out after construction that they don't fit makes changes expensive. The rhythm is for the designer to narrow style and large pieces in parallel while discussing the layout, for the placement to be fixed once the construction is finalized, and to finish ordering 1 to 3 months before handover.

For furniture like a bar, whose height has to be decided together with the counter, it is best to bring the seat height in when the designer draws the island elevation. If you have no idea where to start, you can first use the online style curator to answer six questions; in about three minutes it generates a proposal with items, brands and a total price, and bringing the result to the discussion means you don't have to start from zero. The Taichung showroom offers free home styling consultation, book here. For the main layouts and sizes of new builds in each city and county, see layouts by district。

FAQ

How tall should a bar stool be?

Counter height minus 25 to 30 cm. If the island counter is 90 to 93 cm, choose a seat height of 63 to 66; if the bar table is 100 to 105 cm, choose 73 to 76. Among the seven in this article, the Afteroom medium at 63 to 64 and the Co medium at 65.5 suit the former; the Afteroom high at 73, the Joa at 75 and the Co high at 75.5 suit the latter.

Are islands and bars the same height?

Often not. Islands are mostly built to about 90 cm, while bar tables are commonly 100 to 105 cm, so bar stools come in medium and high seat heights, which cannot be mixed. Audo's Nook bar table is 92.2 to 93 cm high and pairs with the medium. Measuring the counter once before handover is more reliable than buying from memory.

How much space under the counter do knees need?

The seating side of the counter should overhang 25 to 30 cm. If the overhang is under 25 cm, people can only sit sideways, and even a chair at the right height is hard to sit on. Leave a separate 90 cm walkway behind the chair so people can pass behind.

How many bar stools fit at one island?

Allow 55 to 60 cm of width per person. A 120 cm island fits two, and 180 cm fits three. The seven in this article are 46 to 51 cm wide, so no extra gap is needed between chairs.

Is a backrest better on a bar stool?

If you sit longer than twenty minutes, a backrest is better. The Joa, Co, Afteroom and Spike all have one; the Passage doesn't, which suits a morning coffee or a brief stay, and it can also be pushed under the counter when not in use.

How long does a bar stool take to arrive?

The product page shows in stock or pre-order. Among the seven in this article, only the Zuiver Joa is marked in stock, and the other six are mainly pre-order, starting from about one month; the actual arrival date follows the product page and the ordering notice. To have the kitchen ready before handover, we suggest ordering the bar stools together with the large furniture 1 to 3 months before handover.

Sources

• Product dimensions, materials and prices: Audo Afteroom bar stool (medium)、Audo Afteroom bar stool (high)、Audo Co bar stool (medium)、Audo Co bar stool (high)、Audo Passage bar stool (medium)、Zuiver Spike bar stool、Zuiver Joa bar stool product page
• Delivery times and shipping terms: NOSA ordering notice

NOSA is Taiwan's official distributor for multiple brands including Audo Copenhagen and Zuiver. Our physical curated space in Taichung is open for viewing by appointment, and we deliver across Taiwan.