following! I'm 5'10" and want my hood to be functional, but I also worry about having it in my way while cooking.

I recommend visiting as many showrooms and real homes as possible with a tape measure. You will get a feel for how high you want the hood to be. Having a hood wider than the cooktop helps with capture.

We had a similar dilemma. Looking at showrooms didn't work for us because our space is small and showroom space large. If possible, mark up wall above range area to check out height differences. We waited until cabs were in to get a realistic feel.

Our range is 39" wide and hood is 42" wide. It's a little off center because it's a retrofit with existing cabinetry. Perhaps a piece of cardboard sticking out 21" placed at different heights might be helpful - thanks for the idea!