All bars are created equal, right? Not! Some bars are for drinks only. Some serve appetizers, some full meals. When your bar is doing double duty—for drinking and eating—you definitely need to consider restaurant furniture with an extra level of comfort for the extra time spent there. Plus, if only drinking, people tend to lean on bar tops, so the chair support is not as big a deal. If eating a meal, the bar top is needed for plates and settings, not elbows.
Look for bar stools with a seat back and a footrest. If there’s no foot rail on your bar, dangling legs get really uncomfortable after a short time. Backless stools can be murder on older patrons. Arms are a nice touch, too, especially for women who need a secure spot to hang their handbag. Swivel stools are another good option, as they make it way easier to get on and off the seat—and they sometimes make it possible to fit in a few extra chairs at the bar.
Comfort makes such a difference that’s a shame so many places skimp on that. If it comes down to barstool design over comfort, you’d be wise to make comfort the priority.