My petty gripe: bar stools – have we not suffered enough?

My Petty Gripe: Bar Stools – Have We Not Suffered Enough?

Adults in Highchairs

Why must every café, bar, or restaurant force its guests to perch awkwardly on tall, unstable stools? It feels less like dining and more like being dressed up as toddlers in oversized highchairs.

The Instrument of Discomfort

Bar stools seem designed for discomfort — cold, narrow seats that leave your feet dangling and your back unsupported. Every attempt to shift or relax feels like a risk of toppling over, especially when clutching a drink for balance. Their height makes casual conversation clumsy and meals unnecessarily stressful.

The Pretend Sophistication

Perhaps these stools are meant to appear stylish or modern, suggesting a breezy sophistication. But in reality, they create an experience that values aesthetic over comfort. The illusion of chic minimalism dissolves once circulation cuts off in your legs.

“Bar stools are a bonafide torture device.”

A Plea for Common Sense

Surely, we can enjoy a drink or a meal without enduring this precarious balancing act. The world would be a kinder place if we simply embraced chairs that let both feet rest firmly on the ground.

Author’s summary: Bar stools, sold as symbols of style, make dining feel awkward and uncomfortable, reducing adults to wobbly highchair occupants.

The Guardian — 2025-11-27