On this page
Counter height and bar height compared
As checked on 21 October 2026, a counter is 36 inches (91 cm) high and a bar is 42 inches (107 cm). A counter takes a stool with a 22 to 26 inch seat. A bar takes one with a 28 to 30 inch seat. The table adds the knee space each height needs and the UK sizes.
| Height of the top | Stool seat height | Knee space per seat |
|---|---|---|
| Table, 30 in (76 cm) | A chair; no stool figure in our sources | 18 in (46 cm) deep, 24 in (61 cm) wide |
| Counter, 36 in (91 cm) | 22–26 in (56–66 cm) | 15 in (38 cm) deep, 24 in (61 cm) wide |
| Bar, 42 in (107 cm) | 28–30 in (71–76 cm) | 12 in (30 cm) deep, 24 in (61 cm) wide |
| Metric counter (IKEA), 87–91 cm (34–36 in) | 60–66 cm (24–26 in) | 500–600 mm (20–24 in) wide per seat (UK) |
| Metric bar (IKEA), 101–106 cm (40–42 in) | 72–76 cm (28–30 in) | 500–600 mm (20–24 in) wide per seat (UK) |
| UK raised breakfast bar, 1,100–1,200 mm (43–47 in) | No figure in our sources; measure the gap | 500–600 mm (20–24 in) wide per seat |
Source: US National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) Planning Guideline 9; IKEA US and IKEA UK bar stool guides; IKEA product guide; Egger UK worktop height guide; DIY Kitchens advice pages. Checked October 2026.
Read the table one row at a time: find the height of your top, then the stool that goes with it. Knee space is the free room under the top for your legs. How the 36 inch worktop is built is in our guide to standard kitchen countertop height, and every other size is in our kitchen dimensions guides.
A counter stool has a 22 to 26 inch seat, a bar stool 28 to 30 inches
Counter stool seat height is 22 to 26 inches (56–66 cm) from the floor, says IKEA US. A bar stool is taller, with a seat 28 to 30 inches (71–76 cm) high. The names are easy to mix up, so shops often sell both as bar stools.
IKEA gives the same split in centimetres:
- Counter, 87 to 91 cm high: a seat 60 to 66 cm (24–26 in) high.
- Bar, 101 to 106 cm high: a seat 72 to 76 cm (28–30 in) high.
DIY Kitchens, a UK kitchen maker, gives close ranges: 610 to 736 mm for a counter stool and 711 to 762 mm for a bar stool.
Always read the seat height, measured from the floor to the top of the seat. A stool with a back is taller overall, and that number tells you nothing about where you sit. Some stools adjust, so check both the lowest and the highest seat setting.
Leave 10 to 12 inches between the seat and the top
Leave 10 to 12 inches (25–30 cm) between the top of the seat and the top of the counter, says IKEA US. IKEA UK gives 20 to 30 cm (8–12 in). That gap is the simplest way to match any stool to any top.
Take the height of your top and subtract the gap:
- 36 in counter: 36 minus 10 to 12 gives a seat of 24 to 26 inches.
- 42 in bar: 42 minus 12 gives a seat of about 30 inches, the top of the bar stool range.
- 900 mm UK worktop: 900 minus 200 to 300 gives a seat of 600 to 700 mm.
A seat at the low end of a range leaves a bigger gap, so sit on it before you buy.
If the gap is too small, your knees hit the top. If it is too big, IKEA warns, the seat is too low to eat and drink in comfort. By our sums, a UK breakfast bar raised to 1,100 mm or more needs a seat higher than the usual bar stool range. Check the gap before you buy.
Each seat needs 24 inches of width and knee space under the top
Every seat needs 24 inches (61 cm) of width along the top, says NKBA guideline 9. It also needs knee space under the top, and that depth shrinks as the top gets higher:
- Table, 30 in (76 cm): 18 in (46 cm) deep.
- Counter, 36 in (91 cm): 15 in (38 cm) deep.
- Bar, 42 in (107 cm): 12 in (30 cm) deep.
So a bar needs a shorter overhang than a counter. In the UK, DIY Kitchens recommends a 300 mm (12 in) breakfast bar overhang and 500 to 600 mm (20–24 in) for each seat. With a solid worktop such as quartz, DIY Kitchens says anything over 300 mm needs a leg or units for support.
How far a worktop can hang out, and when it needs brackets, is in our guide to countertop overhang. To fit a row of seats on an island, see our guide to kitchen island size.
Counter height keeps one level, bar height needs a raised top
Counter height keeps the whole worktop at one level, while bar height needs a second, raised top. A US counter is 36 inches (91 cm): a 34½ inch base cabinet with a 1½ inch worktop, says KraftMaid, a US cabinet maker. You can cook and eat on the same top.
Bar height is 6 inches (15 cm) higher at 42 inches (107 cm). It needs a second, raised top, on an island or a wall. In the UK, Egger, a worktop maker, says a breakfast bar is often at the 900 mm worktop height. For bar stools, it is raised to 1,100 to 1,200 mm (43–47 in).
Lower tops suit more people. For an easy-access kitchen, NKBA puts the seating surface at 28 to 34 inches (71–86 cm) high, for people of different sizes and people using a mobility aid.
Which top suits the rest of your room depends on the layout. Our guide to choosing a kitchen layout compares islands, peninsulas and one-wall kitchens.
Stools need the same room behind them at both heights
Stools need room behind them as well as under the top. NKBA guideline 8 sets three gaps, measured from the edge of the top to a wall or anything else in the way:
- Nobody passes behind: 32 in (81 cm).
- People edge past: 36 in (91 cm).
- People walk past: 44 in (112 cm).
NKBA gives one set of gaps for every height. Our guide to the space around a kitchen island shows the aisles on every side, and the kitchen island size calculator checks them in your own room.
How to pick the right stool height in five steps
Start from the top you have, not from the stool you like.
- Measure from the floor to the top of the worktop.
- Subtract 10 to 12 inches (25–30 cm). That is the seat height to look for.
- Pick stools by seat height: 22 to 26 inches for a counter, 28 to 30 inches for a bar.
- Check the knee space: 15 in (38 cm) deep at a counter, 12 in (30 cm) at a bar, 24 in (61 cm) wide per seat.
- Check the fit: sit on the stool at the top, and make sure your knees clear it and your elbows rest on it.
Check your island seatsEnter your room and island, and see the space left around the stools.
Open the island size calculator →Common problems with counter and bar height, and how to fix them
Most stool problems come from a seat that does not match the top. The gap, the knee space or the width is wrong.
| What you see | Why it happens | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Knees hit the underside of the top | The gap above the seat is under 10 in (25 cm) | Choose a lower stool, or a counter stool at a counter |
| Your plate feels too high to eat from | The seat is too low for the top | Choose a stool that leaves 10–12 in (25–30 cm) |
| Knees hit the cabinets below | The overhang is too short for the seat | Plan 15 in (38 cm) at a counter, 12 in (30 cm) at a bar |
| Stools bump into each other | Less than 24 in (61 cm) of width per seat | Drop a seat, or lengthen the top |
| People squeeze past the stools | Less than 44 in (112 cm) behind them | Move the top, or seat people on one side only |
| Bar stools sit too low at a raised UK bar | The bar is above the usual 101–106 cm | Measure the gap, and look for a taller seat |
Source: NKBA Kitchen Planning Guidelines 8 and 9; IKEA US and IKEA UK bar stool guides; IKEA product guide. Checked October 2026.
Before you change the top itself, check the cabinet under it in our guide to standard kitchen cabinet sizes. New guides in this series appear in all our kitchen planning guides.
Quick questions
- What stool height do I need for a 36 inch counter?
Not a bar stool. A 36 inch (91 cm) counter takes a counter stool with a seat 22 to 26 inches (56–66 cm) high, says IKEA US. That leaves 10 to 12 inches for your legs.
- Are 24 inch bar stools counter height?
Yes. A stool with a 24 inch (61 cm) seat sits in IKEA's 22 to 26 inch counter range. At a 36 inch (91 cm) counter, it leaves a 12 inch (30 cm) gap above the seat.
- Is 30 inches counter height or bar height?
Not for a top. NKBA groups 30 inch (76 cm) tables and counters as the lowest seating height. For a seat, 30 inches is bar stool height, and it suits a 42 inch (107 cm) bar.
- What is the average height of a breakfast bar?
Not one height. In the UK, Egger says a breakfast bar is often 900 mm, the worktop height, or raised to 1,100 to 1,200 mm (43–47 in). NKBA's US seating guideline covers 36 and 42 inch counters.
- Is 48 inches too high for a bar?
Yes, for standard stools. NKBA's seating guideline stops at 42 inch (107 cm) counters. At 48 inches, a 30 inch bar stool would leave 18 inches above the seat, well over IKEA's 10 to 12 inch gap.
- How much space do you need per stool?
Only 24 inches (61 cm) or more of width per seat works, says NKBA, or 500 to 600 mm in the UK. Add knee space under the top: 15 inches (38 cm) at a counter, 12 inches (30 cm) at a bar.
How we check
We take every clearance from published planning guidelines and manufacturer guides, and record the page and the date we checked it. Our examples are drawn to scale from the dimensions they state. They are planning examples, not approvals for installation: services, fixings and local rules need your designer or installer. Our editorial policy.
Sources7 published guidelines and guides behind this page
Numbered in order of first use.
- Kitchen Planning Guidelines: guideline 8 (32 in behind seats with no traffic, 36 in to edge past, 44 in to walk past) and 9 (30, 36 and 42 in tables and counters; knee space 24 in wide and 18, 15 or 12 in deep; access standard: seating surfaces 28–34 in high), National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA). Checked 21 October 2026.
- Bar stools: counter stools 22–26 in floor to seat; bar stools 28–30 in; allow 10–12 in between the seat and the counter, IKEA US. Checked 21 October 2026.
- Bar stools: allow 20–30 cm between the seat and the counter; breakfast bar stools 60–75 cm, IKEA UK. Checked 21 October 2026.
- DALFRED bar stool, buying guide: counters 87–91 cm take a 60–66 cm seat; bar height counters 101–106 cm take a 72–76 cm seat, IKEA (metric product page). Checked 21 October 2026.
- Breakfast bar inspiration: 300 mm breakfast bar overhang; 500–600 mm per seat; counter stool 610–736 mm and bar stool 711–762 mm floor to seat, DIY Kitchens. Checked 21 October 2026.
- Kitchen worktop height guide: common worktop height about 900 mm; breakfast bar often 900 mm, or raised to 1,100–1,200 mm for bar stools, EGGER UK & Ireland. Checked 21 October 2026.
- What are standard kitchen cabinet sizes? Base cabinet 34-1/2 in with a 1-1/2 in countertop, 36 in overall, KraftMaid. Checked 21 October 2026.
The heights, seat ranges, gaps and knee spaces come from the NKBA planning guidelines and maker guides, checked on 21 October 2026. The seat heights worked out from a top and a gap are our own sums, and inch-to-centimetre conversions are ours, rounded. They are planning references, not a check of your room, your stools or local building rules.