Bar-height restaurant tables

A bar-height table is half of a pair, and the stools are the other half, so the match is measured in inches. 16 tables are listed here, each at 42 inches, from single tops on a base to sets, in wood, laminate, steel, aluminum and synthetic teak. Choose the stool height before the top, since a mismatch cannot be fixed at the table.

Pairing the table with its stools

Every table here is listed at a height of 42 inches. Stools with a seat of 29 to 31 inches go with it, which leaves ten to twelve inches from cushion to tabletop. Counter height is lower: a table at 34 to 36 inches takes stools of 24 to 26, so a counter stool will not serve here. Look at upholstered bar stools once the height is fixed, or at counter stools if you are building a lower rail.

Allow each stool at least 24 inches from its neighbor, center to center, and no more than 30. That spacing tells you how many a long top will take.

Top, base and shape

Solid wood is on nine of the 16 tops. Two are steel and two laminate, and one each is stainless steel, aluminum and synthetic teak. Under them, cast iron carries eight listings, steel five, and aluminum and wood one apiece. Square shapes appear on 15 listings, round on 11, rectangular on nine and drop leaf on two. Two listings are sold as sets.

Listed sizes start at 24 by 24 inches on one square top and reach 28 by 71 inches on a rectangular one. The larger the top, the more floor the stools take with them, since a guest rising from a stool takes 18 to 24 inches of floor behind it.

Prices start around $96 and reach $464, and freight is quoted separately once the order has been read. A line is one configuration, so a round top and a square one from the same listing are two lines. Check that the listing offers the shape you want, since the shapes differ from one listing to the next.

Which ones can leave the dining room

Five of the 16 carry a patio listing. The other 11 stay indoors, since an indoor table left outside can fade, swell or rust. A patio piece still wants rinsing and drainage, and a cover or a place in storage once the season is over.

To choose the top and the base separately, go to table tops and bar-height table bases. For a seat that sits along the wall, compare bar-height booths. The room can be saved in seating plans.