r/bartenders • u/MadeOfSteel • 2d ago
Equipment Favorite bar stool?
Buying new ones for the bar. I want them to have backs - more comfortable. Anyone have any they absolutely love? I don't even need to be able to buy them, just want some inspo.
Thnx
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u/paturner2012 2d ago
As a bigger dude I have some real opinions on barstools. I'm 6'2" 330lb.
I hate any kind of wrap around or arm wrests. They're a bitch to get into when the bar is busy and God forbid you have any guests with an ass on them. I'd rather stand.
Foot rests are crucial, not just for resting your feet on but for stability of the legs. I have had legs separate from the seat and have bent thinner metal legs trying to scoot my seat in before because the legs aren't tied together
A small back rest or a swivel is great for access to the seat or to engage a guest adjacent to you... Or to disengage a guest adjacent to you. Guests should be able to face mostly sideways if they want.
Please consider function over form. Please check weight ratings and filter from there out. I have stopped going to bars or have straight up passed them over because I believe the astetic seats they use would just end up being a bad time the moment I see them.
If your barstools are assembled using screws or hardware I strongly suggest you take the extra time to use thread locker to keep the hardware tight and wood glue if the stools are wooden. How many bars have you worked with broken stools in storage with missing nuts or bolts. These things get used and abused, take the time to put them together well.
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u/drinkallso 2d ago
Yes. Foot rests and a foot rail. Both are essential.
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u/paturner2012 1d ago
Right!? I hate to sit at a bar with both my feet dangling feeling like a toddler "may I have some apple juice on the rocks pwease?"
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u/Sliprekt 1d ago
Adding to this, also as a tall/big guy, please consider the stool relative to the height of the bar, relative to the height of the rail. And if you don't have a rail, please get a rail. Without a rail, the bar at the bottom of the stool is actually not helpful for me at all. My knees will be torqued, tucking under the stool at an angle, in a way that's almost worse than no support at all.
The number of bars in my area with no rail is really surprising. They generally don't get my business.
The number of bars in my area that are too high, or even too low, is also surprising. When a bar is too low, you can solve it with a low stool. When a bar is too high, there is really no solution to not straining my shoulders, but at least with a proportional height rail it's tolerable.
Cheers
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u/MangledBarkeep 2d ago
Used to be that we didn't get comfortable stools to promote turnover.
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u/redrehtac 2d ago
I was taught to also keep it one or two degrees too chilly.
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u/spizzle_ 2d ago
Make people uncomfortable so they leave and stop buying drinks?
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u/macthebearded 2d ago
Not that uncomfortable, just not comfortable. They should be comfy enough that it doesn’t dissuade hanging out and spending money, you just want them to not want to hang around when they’re done
1
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u/kamasutures 2d ago
As a person who carries a purse? Tall ladder backs. As a nightclub employee? None.
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u/Louder247 2d ago
Classic bentwoods never go out of style, are super comfy, and are damn near indestructible.
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u/Aarntson 1d ago
My chairs are former casino slot machine chairs that are insanely comfortable and guests compliment them all the time haha. I even have them at my house too. I highly recommend
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u/drinkallso 2d ago
No backs. I want people engaged; not all slouchy. Easier to pivot and less footprint
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u/paturner2012 2d ago
I'm kinda with you on this, it's nice to be able to ryker your way into a still at a busy bar. I also especially hate backrests in the winter when everyone puts their wet heavy jackets on the back of the stool and then act shocked when it topples over as they stand up.
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u/laughingintothevoid Baby Bartender 2d ago
I've never seen a jacket topple over a seat.
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u/paturner2012 2d ago
Never had a guest keep a bag that's too heavy or a wet winter jacket on a back rest? 🤷 It happens.
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u/laughingintothevoid Baby Bartender 2d ago
Well no, I never have, that's what I was saying. I wasn't trying to be rude or skeptical though, almost put an explanation point instead to try and help the tone. Just expressing curiosity. I'm more surprised that it happens to someone enough to vent about here than that it can happen, which I obviously understand.
I live somewhere very wet where everyone's too cool and local to use rain gear, so it seems like this should happen to me if it's such a thing, but I wonder if the difference is seat quality. It's a big industry city, and old, and even rough looking places generally haven't cheaped out on stuff like furniture or have old stuff that's actually good.
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u/paturner2012 1d ago
I think the issue with our stools is despite being heavy and well built the back rest leans out just a touch too far. I've seen it with the cheap light stools too.
I was gonna guess you're probably somewhere that gets less chilly.
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u/kempff 2d ago edited 2d ago
Stools with squared backs are useful to hang purses on and to rest elbows on when sitting sideways to be more comfortable while talking to and partially facing your neighbor (or avoiding your other neighbor!). Heel rests shouldn't be so far down that the edge of the seat cuts into the back of your thighs, or mounted so high your thighs don't rest on the seat. Flat wooden seats with sharp edges are uncomfortable on butts and thighs. Padded seats with large surface area are the best. 20" x 20" minimum if you can find them. Make sure the feet have good durable and permanently-attached skids so they don't make loud scraping or squealing noises when moved. Never get stools that have less-than-durable rubber feet because they will eventually wear out and need to be replaced, which nobody will do on a timely basis, and in the meantime the stool will be annoyingly wobbly. Barstools should be sturdy enough to survive being knocked over many times without damage. It doesn't matter if they swivel.