In a Nutshell:

The Powell Big and Tall Back to Back Scroll Counter Stool is a basic, handsome, rugged bar stool that will look great just about anywhere you decide to put it. Recommended for anyone, but given the impressive amount of weight it supports, it is of special interest to big and tall folk.

Value for the Money
Comfort
Brand Reliability*
Aesthetic Flexibility**

Overall Rating

4/5
* Brand Reliability is a measure of the strength and longevity of the brand, which by extension, is a measure of the level of support you can expect. ** While aesthetics is a matter of taste, Aesthetic Flexibility is a measure of how easily a given design would fit into a wide range of home or office décor schemes.

Benefits

  • Good looking and sturdy
  • Offered at a fair price
  • Amazing value for the money

Drawbacks

  • Upholstery is a bit weak
Powell Big and Tall Back to Back Scroll Counter Stool
4.0

Recommended For: Anyone, but given the impressive amount of weight it supports, it is of special interest to big and tall folk.

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Are you a bigger, taller, heavier person? If so, you know what a challenge it can be to find furniture rugged enough to support you.

That’s especially true for bar stools and bar chairs. They’re a common enough type of household furnishing, but sadly, most bar chairs today are designed to serve the market segment, weighing 300 pounds or less.

Granted, that amounts to about 90% of the total market, but it leaves the remaining 10% feeling left out in the cold. The good news is that a few companies make bar chairs and bar stools for that segment, which is often neglected by 10%.

Of the ones we’ve found, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better option than Powell Furniture’s Big and Tall stools and bar chairs.

The company offers various styles and options, so we’ve included their brand page in this review. If this particular style isn’t exactly what you’re looking for, a quick survey of their brand page will reveal a few others that are comparable in quality but may have a look that more closely aligns with your home’s décor scheme.

In any case, if you’re on the heavier side and you’ve been frustrated and unable to find a suitable bar stool or bar chair for your home, read on, and we’ll tell you all about the Powell Big and Tall!

Key Features of the Powell Big and Tall Counter Stool

The Powell design team has an excellent eye. If you look at their brand page, you’ll notice that they tend to make furniture that seeks to emulate older styles, giving all their pieces a handsome vintage look. The Powell Big and Tall Back-to-Back Scroll Counter Stool features a dark bronze metal finish paired with a dark brown seat covered in PU.

Their designs are attractive because they distinguish between the elegant and the casual. That’s great for you as a potential buyer because whatever your home’s décor scheme, their furniture will usually blend right in. Kudos to the design team on that front; that’s no small feat!

Chair Specifications

Before we go into further detail, let’s look at the core stats defining the model. As a bar chair, there aren’t many, but here they are:

  • Chair Dimensions: 19” x 20” x 42”
  • Chair Weight: 26 pounds
  • Maximum Supported Weight: 400 pounds
  • Seat width: 19.5”
  • Seat Height: 24”
Specification Stats, Powell Furniture’s Big and Tall Bar Chair, Left View

The big news is the generous weight this model supportspaired with a proper seat height for taller folk. Unfortunately, the seat width is a bit underwhelming, but most people use seating like this for the short term. As long as you don’t have to spend more than an hour or two at a time in it, it’s not bad.

We like the design aesthetic. The scrollwork gives the piece an eye-catching look without coming across as pretentious. What we don’t like so much is the choice of upholstery. PU isn’t breathable, which isn’t a problem since this isn’t the chair you’ll want to spend endless hours in.

Brown Color, Powell Furniture’s Big and Tall Bar Chair, Left View
Brown Color, Powell Furniture’s Big and Tall Bar Chair, Front View
Brown Color, Powell Furniture’s Big and Tall Bar Chair, Back View

Unfortunately, it’s also not very durable and will begin showing its age by cracking and peeling after about a year, even if you’re careful with it. The good news is that there’s not much upholstery, to begin with, which makes it trivial to take it to someone to have it reupholstered when it starts wearing out.

The rest of the chair will last far longer than the upholstery, so when it’s time to replace it, you can swap out the PU for durable fabric or grain leather and have something that will serve you well for years. Consider the upholstery it comes with to be the “starter kit,” and you won’t be heartbroken when it’s time to replace it.

Assembly Required

Most furniture you can buy online these days comes unassembled, and the Powell Big and Tall Counter Stool is no exception.

Fortunately, there aren’t many pieces to contend with, and the instructions are reasonably clear, so putting it together will only take fifteen minutes or so.

All the pieces are reasonably sized, so it’s a good solo project. Adding a second person to the job is unlikely to reduce the process’s time, if any.

Brown Color, Powell Furniture’s Big and Tall Bar Chair, Side View

Adjustability and Comfort

While the chair is not adjustable in any way, we do need to say something about comfort. It’s not bad, but it’s not exactly sumptuously padded, either. The important thing to remember here is that the expectation is that you’re not going to spend all day, or even half a day, sitting in a chair like this. It’s padded with the idea that you may spend an hour or two in the chair and then get up and move around for a bit.

With that in mind, we regard the padding as adequate. Still, given that the upholstery isn’t going to last nearly as long as the rest of the stool when it comes time to replace the upholstery, it’s easy enough to add some additional padding to the mix if it’s not quite as plush as you’d like.

Pros and Cons of Powell Big & Tall Back-to-Back Scroll Counter Stool

These are good-looking, sturdy bar chairs offered at a fair price. They deliver loads of value for the money.

That said, the upholstery has to be considered a genuine point of weakness. It’s a small thing, but it’s a totally fair criticism of the design.

Powell Big and Tall Back-to-Back Scroll Counter Stool Review Conclusion

Given the relatively modest price tag, the attention paid to details in creating the chair’s aesthetic, and the impressive weight this model supports, there’s much to like here.

If you’re a heavier person in the market for a bar stool or bar chair and haven’t found something that will properly support you, the Powell Big and Tall Back-to-Back Scroll Counter stool belongs on your shortlist. We highly recommend it and its various cousins located on the Powell Furniture brand page.

Recommended Reading

Homelegance Bayshore Swivel Counter Height Chair Review

Our review delves into the stylish, sturdy Homelegance Bayshore Swivel Counter Height Chair, ideal for larger individuals.

Powell Furniture Big & Tall Davis Counter Stool Review

Our review of the Powell Furniture Big & Tall Davis Counter Stool highlights its understated design for larger individuals.


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