18-inch : International Concepts 1S-681 18-inch Saddle Seat Stool, Unfinished

For the price on this, I totally expected some flat packed piece that would be around Ikea quality. But then this giant box arrives with a fully assembled solid wood stool that is durable and very sturdy. I'm so impressed with the quality on this and it has far exceeded my expectations of what I would get and feels like a total bargain. I figured I would need to paint the stool to potentially help smooth off rough edges but no, it's beautifully sanded down so it's satin smooth. You could paint or stain it if you wanted but honestly it looks great as it is. It's the prefect size stool for my little entryway nook for putting on shoes. And it's totally sturdy enough I don't feel like it's going to collapse under an adult's weight (which I honestly was concerned with after seeing the weight limits on many of the entryway benches I'd seen). My only, very minor, negative comment would be the packaging could have been slightly better. It was literally a stool in a box and that's it. The seat of the stool had been wrapped in plastic to protect the corners, but there was no padding of any kind in with the stool. Which on one hand was pretty eco-friendly and I guess does mean it as kinda helps prove how durable it is that it was still pristine condition despite all that?

These are perfect! Very well built, sturdy. They come assembled and raw wood - which is exactly what I was looking for. Great value for the money. I distressed these and stained them to look rustic and use them as end tables in the living room. I didn’t want anything bulky and these turned out great!

I can't ever remember buying a stool but I ordered 2 of these. I have miniature dollhouses on tables that I also bought on Amazon and these stools are perfect. I was especially pleased with how sturdy they are and very well made. They fit at the same height (18 inches) as a chair with the table but can quickly be pulled out when I need to do something with the dollhouse rather than drag a chair over. I found it interesting in the reviews as to how people painted or finished them but they look great even in bare wood. These are "top notch" and worth every penny.

I actually needed a chair-height (18 inch) stool for my bedroom. I've got Red Oak cabinets, backboard and mattress platform with drawers. However, I chose Honey/Satin for the finish on the stool because I'm getting new furniture soon. Honey is a nice neutral color that will go very well with many wood colors. This stool is a downright bargain that is well well worth the wait to get when it's delivered from the East Coast to the West Coast. The stool is fully assembled and sanded very smooth. I lightly used Fine steal wool all over before applying Varathane's Stain + Poly finish, and once again before a second coat. Contrary to some reviews, it's my impression that there is no clear coat on the wood...right out of the box. This is pretty much a no-brainer DIY project that will delight and serve for years to come.

The stool is very nice and well made. I had bought it to use at my beading table. However, the edges of the seat were uncomfortably sharp to set on. So I ordered the pad, thinking it would soften the edges of the stool. The pad was vacumed wrapped and was afraid to open it to check the fit, afraid it wouldn't be returnable. I see no way of asking questions on either. I really liked the idea of using the stool for my small beading space. But need something that is confortable. So, best to return both the stool and the pad.