Coaster Home Furnishings Durant Wood Backless Bar Stool Black 180029 (Set of 2)

SUMMARY:==========The description doesn't state it, but you get TWO barstools for each single quantity purchased. I had read one other review and took the gamble that this was indeed the case and it was for me (as of August 2011). I needed four barstools and ordered 2 quantities of this.I've been shopping for barstools for quite some time at all of the major furniture places and they are roughly $99 and higher, depending on if they swivel or not etc. This would have been a bargain at $50 for 1, but I was floored when it is really just $25 a stool!Quality:========When the boxes came, I was a little worried, as the boxes were pretty rough looking. Upon opening each box however, I thoroughly inspected and not a single scratch or nick at all. Didn't even seem like a lot of packing, but somehow, all 4 stools made it scathe-free.Top-notch quality. You do have to assemble, but it is very easy to assemble. It uses allen-wrench screws and they supply the allen wrench for you, but realistically, you'll want a cordless drill with an allen-wrench adapter or a ratcheting wrench to assemble just to save time and sore hands. The individual pieces have a good weight to them.Upon assembly, this is extremely sturdy and looks like it will last for many years, if not decades.Appearance:=============If I could give just 4.9 stars, I would. The finish states "Black" but I really think these are really dark, dark, dark brown. In low-lighting I would say Black but under bright kitchen lights, again, I think it has a hue of dark brown in it.The top of the seat has a slight curve for your derriere and 3 "grooves/notches" on each end to simulate the look of a real-wood crack, but it looks great. Actually each crack looks identical, so it is a "finished" looking appearance. I've uploaded pics from my camera phone. The very edges (like 2mm) are a rusty brown to give it a slightly "worn" look. Overall it looks fine and professional.Each side has a foot rest which seems to be at the appropriate height.Since you have to assemble, it does come with "hole-plugs" to cover the screws, but these are made from real-wood too, not some cheap black plastic cap like other furniture. I had to use a rubber mallet and a towel (to protect the finish) to hammer some of them in. I hammered them in to be flush or deeper and it looks great. The real-wood, same-colored plugs were such a nice touch, I'm super pleased with this purchase!Buying Tips:===============I did a lot of research and thought I'd share:If your counter height is 40-42", you need a stool that is 29-30". These stools are 29". It is a perfect height for people 5' to 6' tall in my experience. There's probably 8" of clearance from the bottom of the counter to the top of an average person's thigh. I suppose if someone's thigh is more than twice as large as the average person, then there could potentially be an issue, but I've had some big people sit on these with no issues. I think this company sells a 24" version, but I feel that would be too low for a bar counter and to comfortably and effortlessly rest your elbows on the counter.

The price on this product seems to fluctuate wildly, so if you want them, watch them for a week and see. Frankly, however, any price below $100 is a bargain.I was skeptical about the overall quality based on the price, but I really needed to replace some expensive/designer bar stools and thought these would make suitable holdovers until I could give that other task some time. Now that these have arrived, I have no intention of replacing them.The walnut color is amazing; a bit dark for walnut (still nowhere near mahogany darkness) and I think the color is quite elegant. The pictures on Amazon appear to be accurate. The wood is all SOLID and heavy. These are noticeably heavier than the cheaply made (though more expensive) furniture you might handle at Target. Once these are assembled, they give you complete confidence and they feel like they'll last 20+ years without breaking a sweat. If I owned a bar, each stool would have at least 24-25 bar-fight-concussions to their credit without so much as a dent.My only disappointment with these stools was the actual choice of metal for the included allen wrench. There are 8 sets of allen-based wood screws, which are quite large, that you need to screw in. These require a decent amount of torque, particularly when doing the final tightening. Hint: the screw WILL stop turning and all wood will be flush when you're done. In any case, I made it through the first stool, just barely, when the allen wrench became rounded and would no longer transfer torque.Luckily, this is a very common allen wrench size and I had another free-included allen wrench from another product that I had put together a few days ago. So, I didnt even have to get my toolbox out, which means I didnt really care. Just make sure you have your own set if you get these, since the included wrench might not last. (my other wrench did just fine, so its not the material of the wood screws, just a cheap free wrench. hence, no points off).So, the final product is amazing. They received lots of compliments already. I'm happy to recommend this product.

This is a great product. No doubt about it. However, that is only true if you actually receive the correct product. I ordered one set of two from Coaster Home Furnishings and they worked out great, easy to assemble, looked great, sturdy and a nice finish on ALL surfaces of the product.Then they raised their prices from ~$90 to ~$133 and I chose to get another set, for cheaper, from the seller "Home Fashion Product."They were listed under "more buying choices" for the same item and so I had no doubts. They were supposedly offering the same item for a lower price with no shipping fees.Then the shipment arrived and I opened the package. Completely different finish and lighter wood, not to mention the fact that the seat was only stained on the top surface and the bottom was untreated wood. Not the case with the original product.Asked for my money back and they better give it to me. Will update on that later.UPDATE 01: Customer service was prompt and gracious in responding. Refund is supposedly being processed.UPDATE 02: Refund processed and received. Was pretty quick (within a week). I was just late in updating this review.UPDATE 03: After the mess with Home Fashion Product, I bought the 2nd set off Coaster Home Furnishings (Amazon fulfilled) for $110 (incl tax), price dropped to $95 (incl tax) within a week. Asked for a refund for the difference, is being processed. Amazon is kind of nice that way.