Bar seating works harder than almost any other furniture in hospitality. Stools get climbed onto, spun, kicked and dragged across tile or concrete every night. Contract Seating For Less carries in-stock bar stools for bars, along with brewery and taproom furniture and bar-height table tops and bases, all built for commercial use and shipped anywhere in the U.S. and Canada.
Choosing bar stools for bars
Start with height. Bar height stools, with a seat of about 29–31″, go with 40–42″ bar tops and bar-height tables. That leaves roughly 10–12″ between the seat and the underside of the top for legs. Every stool in our bar stool collection lists its seat height, so you can check the fit against your bar before ordering.
Next, decide how long guests will sit:
- Stools with backs suit restaurant bars and cocktail lounges where guests stay through a meal. The Hawthorne Bar Stool has an upholstered seat and back on a “wood grain” metal frame (seat height 30″). The Crestwood Bar Stool uses a black metal frame with a walnut or oak HPL seat and back (seat height 30.25″), a hard surface that wipes clean quickly.
- Backless stools suit quick-turn bars and rail seating, and they tuck under a counter to keep aisles clear. The Whitby Backless Stool and Holloway Backless Stool both pair a metal frame with a solid ash wood seat and have adjustable seat heights (28.25–32.75″ and 28–32.5″).
- Swivel stools make it easier for guests to turn toward a room or a screen. See our swivel bar stools, including the Lennox Bar Stool, which is offered with a fixed or swivel seat on a solid European beechwood frame (seat height 30.25″). Lennox frames are stained to order in the finish you choose and ship in 2–3 weeks; stained-to-order pieces can’t be cancelled or returned.
Plan on about 24″ of bar length per stool so guests have elbow room and staff can serve between them.
Brewery and taproom furniture
Breweries and taprooms often mix long communal tables, bar-height rails and outdoor beer gardens. The furniture has to handle groups, spills and a lot of movement.
Communal tables
Long shared tables are a taproom staple. Solid wood tops such as the Canyon Walnut Live Edge Table Top (2″ thick solid planked walnut with a commercial-grade PU coating) come in lengths up to 30″ x 96″ and 36″ x 96″. Long tops like these sit on a pair of 2-prong bases: the Pillar Cast Iron Table Base lists a 24″ 2-prong option (2 needed per top) for tops up to 36×96, in dining or bar height. Wood tops are for indoor use and ship in 1–2 weeks.
High-tops and rails
Bar-height tables let guests stand or sit and keep the room feeling social. For a single-column high-top, the Titan Cast Iron Table Base comes in bar height with spreads of 17″ (tops up to 32×32), 22″ (tops up to 42×42) and 30″ (tops up to 60″ round). Browse all table bases and table tops to match sizes.
Beer gardens and patios
Outdoors, stick to items marked Indoor/Outdoor. The Keel Bar Stool has an aluminum frame with synthetic wood slats, is stackable and has a 30.25″ seat height. For bases, the Lintel Steel Table Base (Indoor/Outdoor) is a steel “T” 2-prong base specially treated for outdoor use, in dining or bar height. See all outdoor bar stools and outdoor table bases.
What makes a bar stool commercial grade
All of our seating is tested to 400 lbs and built to meet ANSI/BIFMA standards. Metal frames are welded rather than bolted, and most wood pieces use mortise-and-tenon joinery – important for stools, where footrests and legs take side loads every time someone climbs on. Seating carries a 3-year warranty on frame structural integrity and 1 year on finish and upholstery, from the ship date.
Ordering for a bar or brewery
- Most seating has a minimum of 4 pieces per item, with finishes or options of the same item mixable.
- Seating pricing drops at 6, 20, 60 and 100 pieces. Tops and bases have no minimum.
- In-stock stools and bases typically ship in 2–3 days from order and payment. Stools ship fully assembled; bases ship unassembled with hardware included.
For full room planning, see our restaurant furniture page.
Frequently asked questions
What height bar stool do I need for a bar?
For a 40–42" bar top, choose a bar height stool with a seat of about 29–31". That leaves roughly 10–12" between the seat and the underside of the top.
How many bar stools fit along my bar?
Allow about 24" of bar length per stool. A 12-foot bar, for example, fits about six stools.
Should I choose bar stools with backs or backless?
Stools with backs suit guests who stay through a meal or several drinks. Backless stools suit quick-turn bars and rails and tuck under the counter to keep aisles clear.
What tables work for a brewery taproom?
Long solid wood tops up to 36" x 96" on a pair of 2-prong bases work well for communal seating indoors. Bar-height single-column bases suit high-tops.
Can bar stools be used on a patio?
Only items marked Indoor/Outdoor, such as aluminum-frame stools with synthetic slats. Wood-frame stools are for indoor or conditioned spaces.
Shop bar stools, tops and bases with volume pricing built in, or contact us for a volume quote on 100+ stools or bases, or 50+ table tops.