Powell Big and Tall Back to Back Scroll Counter Stool Review 2024

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

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

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

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 both, and in a variety of styles and options, which is why 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!

An Overview of the Powell Big and Tall Counter Stool

The Powell design team has an excellent eye. If you take a 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 in that they manage to walk a fine line between the elegant and the casual. That’s great for you as a potential buyer, because it means that 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!

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

The big news here is the generous amount of weight this model supports, which is paired 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 really 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 upholstery choice. PU isn’t breathable, which isn’t much of a problem in this case since this isn’t the kind of chair you’ll want to spend endless hours in.

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 a trivial matter 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

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 at a time 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 counted as a genuine point of weakness. It’s a small thing, but 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 amount of weight this model supports, there’s a lot to like here.

If you’re a heavier person who’s in the market for a bar stool or bar chair and haven’t been able to find 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, along with its various cousins located on the Powell Furniture brand page.

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Official Manufacturer Support

REFERENCES & RESOURCES:

• How to Choose Outdoor Bar Stools, Simexa.
• Upholstered Wooden Stools, Jen Woodhouse.
• What to Know Before Buying Bar Stools, Forbes.
• The Benefits of Using Wooden Bar Stools in Your Home, Home Decor Blog.