That is a good point about the seat backs hitting the top of the counters if the stools swivel. If the backs are fully upholstered, then only the stools would get damaged by that!

I'm going to have to talk with my boss about the casters on the stools because I noticed that I have them on several of my drawings.

I prefer counter height stools that do not swivel. Swivels are distracting and a bit dangerous when you have children. No matter how well behaved the children are, twirling in a chair will always be irresistible. I also prefer stools with a back of some sort.

Funny you started this thread.

We're from NYC and I'm still looking for the my last two counter stools with backs that swivel. Having a hard time finding something I like that will also look good with our other 4 that don't swivel (but have backs.)

I have counter height, no backs, no swivel. I like that they slide under the counter out of the way when not being used.

I agree that casters on stools is (are) asking for trouble. Big trouble.

I have two milking stools at my counter. While cute, they aren't comfortable beyond a quick perch. If I were to replace them (down on my list of must-do's) I'd get two with short-ish backs, no swivel, maybe upholstered seats for my aging butt.

I would love to see pictures of the ones people love. I am in NY state and just moved to my first kitchen that could have stools and I need two. My kids will sit in them.

If you don't have a swivel, how do you pull them in close enough easily? Maybe that is a dumb question :)

I do want mid back i think, I don't want them towering over the counter. I think maybe adjustable height is the way to go?

I also like the mid-back ones, and that will work for some of the designs, but not all of them. Maybe I can also work in an adjustable back - I think that is a great idea. I have one particular barstool in mind for that.

I have a feeling that most of our clients do not have small children, but they may have small grandchildren... I do remember enjoying twirling on swivel chairs/stool when I was a child.

I really like ours. Simple, no swivel, comfy and no backs.

We have swivel back at the lake house (came with the place) and I don't think they're easier to "get in close" than non-swivel stools. If I swivel to get in and out, the back hits the counter before it has swiveled far enough for me to get in and out, unless I pull them out a little further (then they're too far from the counter). I much prefer my rush seat counter stools at our main house. It's not as if I'm perched there for long periods of time where I would need support.

casters would also wreck floors

No casters, no swivel.,.as a mom, just-no! Mine are high back which comfier for sitting for long periods but aesthetically I prefer a lower back.

We have backs and swivel. Still have these but have changed out the seat cushions for a darker color.

I have kids. I agree no swivel, no casters. I went with a high back because it is more comfortable for us. For looks, I like no back at all. I also went with a distressed metal because I figured it would be easy to clean, hard to damage and hard to see any damage--again kids. If we didn't have kids, I probably would have gone with upholstered seats and backs for more comfort.

We have swivel seats with a higher back. I am on one right now.....cannot imagine any other kind for comfort.

Yes to a back, no to swivel and definitely no casters.....

Definitely with a comfortable height back for support . Definitely with swivel . Definitely a foot rest ring. Absolutely no casters on a high stool. I have mobility issues so stools can be troublesome for me , the swivel allows me easier access , the high comfortable supportive back is very helpful , it gives me something to hold onto while maneuvering on and off in addition to the needed support . I use either a wheelchair or a regular height rolling chair in the kitchen and through out the house . I at one point had a rolling stool chair that was height adjustable and I nearly killed myself in it . A tall stool with casters is a very bad idea ! Mine flipped over backwards slamming my head into the fridge them on down to the tile floor . I saw lots of stars before I blacked out . I removed that stool from my property ! And there was absolutely no liquor involved so imagine the added dangers . It's the whole center of gravity thing , you would need extremely wide spaced legs to make it a little safer but I would not want the liability .

I have backs and swivel, and would want that again. All wood, circa 1970s..would love new with upholstered seats anyway but not a fan of metal backs. My backs are not nicked at all but I fear the metal would nick the counter edge if swiveled into it. That and the quality of today's options vs the work horses these are keeps me holding onto what came with my house. I tried looking a few years back and the seats were small, even the metal seems weaker. The trade off for a better style wasn't worth it yet.

YES to a back, YES to a swivel - how else are you to adjust getting in and being close to the counter? NO to casters.

You also need to make sure both that back and the seat are comfortable. So many bar chairs fail both those tests. Chairs are one item of furniture where aesthetics need to take - ahem- a back seat.

Upholstered or cushioned backs would likely provide more comfort, and would solve any counter-banging issues.

Ours are counter height, swivel, with wood backs but upholstered seats. Zero trouble with them hitting the counter, as the swivel is not a really loose swivel. The backs are a must for us. I like the swivel feature, but that would not be a must if I otherwise liked the stool.

I LOVE our stools. Counter height, mid high back, swivel, upholstered. So comfy. These were somewhat expensive, but we didn't build a breakfast area, only a dining room, so they get heavy use daily. Seats are scotchguarded, plus kids are older.

Swivel doesn't necessarily mean round.

Ours are counter height, with backs and swivel.

I esp hate the bar height stools that don't swivel. I'm not very tall and by the time I crawl up onto a bar height stool, my feet don't reach the floor so I can't move it closer to the bar or any place else for comfort. I feel very captive. At least if it swivels, I have a shot at getting onto and off the thing more comfortably.

I understand the idea behind the casters because some bar stools are very heavy but casters are not very practical for sitting.

From a design standpoint I think that in many rooms bar stools stand out like a row of sore thumbs. They are often bulky and jut out in the space. It's a hard balance. If they are used often, comfort has to be the deciding factor of the design. If they are not used often I'd rather see something spare that fades into the space.

After Ravencajun's comment, I will definitely make sure that the barstools do not have casters - I did not like that idea anyway. The problem with one design is that it is somewhat cone shape that goes down to the floor, and so there is not a separate base from which the seat can swivel. I told everyone that this was a bad idea from the beginning, but they kept telling me that they wanted it. If this design does not have casters, it will be very difficult to move, but we can still put a swivel in the base, although it still does not seem like a practical design to me. The design is based on a popular lounge/occasional chair that we have that is barrel shaped and has both casters and swivel, but it is also a very heavy chair and difficult to move, even with casters. I did some other designs with a 6" diameter column and round base, but not everyone liked those, although I think they are more practical. However, my boss had me put casters in those, but I will be taking them out. At work I have an intermediate stool/chair that is like an office chair, but is between the height of an office chair and a drafting stool. I use it at my work table, which is about 33-34" high, I think. I had the work table built for me so that the top would be at the point where my hip flexes, and this makes it easier for me to bend and reach across the table. It's a very large table, about 42" x 80", and I am able to cut sheets of cardboard that start out at 48"x96".

Do you like barstools with a column base or do you prefer four legs. I tend to prefer the ones with legs, and I have done several of these with swivel seats. The ones with the center column have to have a round foot rail attached to the column, but the ones with legs I did with either square or round foot rails. For the ones with square legs, I rotated the legs 45°, to accommodate the round foot rails.

I really appreciate all of this help, especially since there are so many diverse ideas on this subject.

Favor swivel with backs. Our current house we use bar height, last house we had counter height stools. Stools at my last house did not swivel, really like the swivel option of the current bar stools.