Getting a new kitchen island can be exciting to the cook or baker who would spend all of their time in the kitchen if they could. Not only does it give you additional workspace, but it is also the perfect opportunity to get your family into the kitchen. You can have coffee and juice together while you serve up breakfast, or spend time together while you’re preparing dinner.
If you want to be able to sit on the door side of your kitchen island, you need to think beyond barstools. As you will see in this barstools catalog, the average height of traditional barstools is between 40 and 46 inches, which is far too high for a kitchen island.
But, of course, a typical dining chair is not going to be tall enough to use at the counter either. That is why counter-height chairs are now widely popular. The kitchen island itself has been gaining steadily in popularity over the last several years, and to be honest furniture brands were a little slow to adopt the new seat height.
Here are some ways to make sure that the stools you get for your kitchen island will work for your kitchen design and household needs.
Measure by seat height
The overall height of the barstool isn’t going to be an accurate measurement of whether or not it is the right height for the kitchen island. The seat is what matters, and it is the dimension that you are most likely to see in product descriptions. At the same time, the seat should not be the same height as the island, but rather be at least 10 inches shorter than the counter. This gives you room to sit comfortably.
But there are other things to consider as well. If you have tall family members, you may need a seat for them that offers closer to 12 inches of legroom between the seat and counter heights. If you are getting a barstool for which you plan on adding a cushion, you need to make sure you leave additional space between the seat and the island to allow the same amount of legroom.
Counter height chairs vs barstool height
As mentioned, the typical barstool has a seat about 40 inches off of the ground. How tall are counter height chairs? They actually come in a range between 30 and 36 inches in height. Most people don’t want a chair that is the same height as the island, because it can be awkward if you want to use the surface for food and beverages.
If your counter doesn’t have a lip for a breakfast nook, counter height barstools of around 30 to 34 inches are well suited. If you want them to be able to slide under the edge of the counter, choose one with a seat on the shorter end of the spectrum.
