Good lord, even AMAZON has great stools, super comfortable, swivel, with backs. You have to put them together. You can get them in less than a week. You read the reviews.....You need to give us an idea of "Your contemporary" : )

This is the Maven Lane stool that I bought from Wal-mart. Arrived broken. Uncomfortable as heck anyway.

There are lots of similar ones on the internet, but again, are they comfortable or not? Amazon does not have free returns on everything these days. Ditto with other online vendors. It would be wonderful to have someone here that owns a particular brand that they like--there are many Amazon reviews that cannot be trusted.

Fairfield Furniture has two that I like a lot (Sidecar and Robroy models), although they are not inexpensive, and I have no way to test them out before ordering from local furniture store.

Can you post photos of your kitchen where these stools will be used? That would help immensely in giving you advice.

That was not contemporary so I need to see where it is going. BTW what one person finds comfortablt is not going to help you. Go to HD sit until you find one you. You need to go shopping in person if the comfort is important. I find counter stools are not like buying a sofa you sit usually leaning on the counter and often I do very low back stools that swivel and still like them.

If you live in Canada, Bouclair carries decently priced/well made products and they have chair/stools in the store to test.

Don’t give up on furniture stores, as I can’t see them doing well if customers can’t see the quality/get a sample for you.

Home Depot (The Brick also) carry and just have one shipped and if you don’t like, easy to return to the store (read reviews though).

Also keep in mind, you get what you pay for when it comes to furniture.

Home Depot:

Thank you Maureen. I am in USA. I've been to at least 6 different furniture stores-- swivel stools just aren't a thing that they have on the floor--maybe one or two in the whole store (except for Great Escape). We have an At Home Decor store, but the stools there tend to be cheesy crap.

Has anyone purchased from Grandin Road? They have an Avondale model that I like (looks a lot like the Maven Lane picture I posted). I'm afraid that the quality will be the same as the Maven Lane. With Grandin Road, it will essentially cost me $35 a stool if I buy and return. Their current sale only applies if you buy 4 chairs. So I would be out $140 if I bought 4 stools from Grandin Road and then returned them.

I've been looking a bit at Home Depot online and will spend more time there.

I like Arhaus Lunden Faux leather model but they don't have a swivel stool color that I like right now, and the order wouldn't come until February anyway.

comfort is the last thing I think of when I see a counter stool. find something simple and attractive, with a LOW back, (just a bit of suppport) something that can be pushed under the overhang and out of sight when not in use .

https://www.houzz.com/products/dafney-counter-height-stool-set-of-2-prvw-vr~197470333?m_refid=PLA_HZ_197470333_18086441245&device=c&nw=x&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=18086441245&utm_productid=HZ_197470333&utm_term=HZ_197470333&utm_content=&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAC849U3YNbmMhMzwPbBK73IIWRPcA&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5_bA39GiigMVKCzUAR25TgYfEAQYECABEgLdtfD_BwE

.https://www.westelm.com/products/alden-swivel-bar-counter-stools-h12607/?catalogId=71&sku=7574043&cm_ven=PLA&cm_cat=Google&cm_pla=Furniture%20%3E%20Bar%20%26%20Counter%20Stools&cm_ite=7574043_14465514686_pla-567236079531&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAABjYLmk2-BdF0WpoF0sdgZUYNs8X6&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIq6yIstGiigMVHjbUAR24oh7_EAQYASABEgJH-_D_BwE

I have had these barstools for 24 years in my basement bar....and I also have 8 of the CONTESSA style (black) in my showroom. People always comment on how comfortable they are! You can also purchase them for about $159 on the clearance site.....which really isn't a scratch and dent....they bulk make them for a discounted price. You can't customize them like on their regular order site. I swear by these stools. They are commercial grade and I believe they are rated up to 500 pounds. They have another series thats rated up around 700 pounds.

CLICK HERE FOR CLEARANCE SITE

CLICK HERE FOR CUSTOM ORDER SITE

For a contemporary, comfortable swivel counter stool with a back, consider brands like Boraam, Hillsdale, or Armen Living. Wayfair, Overstock, and NJ Furniture Mart offer great selections with customer reviews. Look for options with padded seats and ergonomic support. Check return policies for hassle-free exchanges if needed.

Sorry, no help here, as my husband bought our three swivel bar stools used from a bulletin board at work.

What I can say is, what you're searching for is a FANTASTIC PRODUCT, and it's worth the effort it'll take -- don't settle for something lesser.

Mine are from Grandin Road and they are very comfortable. They are swivel and return to a forward position automatically. I bought them in 2023. My parents also bought them for their island seating since they like mine so much.

I can't remember how much I paid but I did put them in the cart and let them sit there until Grandin Road sent me a promo code. They arrived very quickly after I ordered them.