it all depends how they're built. with kids, I think it's a great addition. have you thought about doing it yourself? when my husband and I flipped a house for a relative, it had a small nook off the kitchen. we did and L shape bench, with a hinged top for storage, attached some beadboard panel w/trim and painted it white. Then I found one of those vintage round oak tables on craigslist for $15! refinished it and stuck it in the nook for a perfect fit. All told, the nook prob cost less $150. You can find someone to make you nice, custom fit cushions on Etsy.
hundreds of ways to do them yourself and it's not that difficult.
you can also use for the base. just add trim,,either the raw wood, or thepre-finished.
check out this one used w/armless chairs and a tulip table.
stand alone benches? these would be very comfortable
Q