I have always preferred barstools with backs. I do lean against the back for support/comfort, but with the backless barstools I find I want to just perch for a short time, and then move on to a more comfortable seat. I don't think it would look odd to have barstools with backs that are higher than your peninsula at all. I think I would consider the comfort of whomever will be seated at the stools first and foremost.

You're over-thinking things. And yes, a back makes sitting for any length of time much more comfortable.

My island/kitchen is visible from the family room as well. We had stools with backs and just replaced them with backless, clear acrylic stools. I wanted them clear and small so that I could slide them under the counter and out of the way, I wanted them clear because I wanted to be able to see my beautiful new black island through them! LOL! We don't sit at the island for long periods of time, so I am fine with backless and the overall smaller footprint.

It all depends on the size of your kitchen and how you use the bar. DIL has a small kitchen that opens into a small FR and it's nice that her stools store under the counter since daily traffic flow would be difficult if the stools had backs.
As mentioned above, if they're going to be used for short periods the backless will work fine, but if this is going to be a place you always have meals, read, or do paperwork, then you probably want backs.

Our peninsula opens to a family room too - I didn't want the backs above the counter so we went with a 1/2 back chair - provides nice support (even for DH who is grouchy about those sorts of things) but no visual clutter. Just another option -

Do those of you who find stools with backs visually cluttering also feel the same about pendant lights?

Natal - I definately over think EVERYTHING!! I wish I wouldn't, but I do...
I do not have pendant lights especialy in that area because Yes, I would think it would be visually cluttering.

I don't use the peninsula at all, but when I start entertaining my guest will use them. I have 2 counter stools that fit under my island. I like that since my walk space is narrow in that area and I can use the full island when they are tucked under.

I struggled over this for months. I really wanted backs on my stools! But all the ones I found had too large of a footprint for the area, they just stuck out too far. Like OP said, we have a narrow walking space there. Not to mention stools with backs are about 2-3 times the price. Finally I found some nice backless ones and just got them. I have a 3, 5 and 8 year old who fell of them many times in the begining, I started to regret my choice. But then I realized it was more because they were siting on their knees and leaning over to one side than falling backwards. So we talked about how they need to pull the stools out and sit with their butts on the seats!!! And frankly they are doing a lot better now and have adjusted to sitting on them. I guess they also learned for themselves that if they don't want to fall of they better sit the proper way! And several adults have said they are comfortable! For the amount of time people sit on them I think they can survive and they can lean forward and rest their elbows on the counter if they have to rest their back!

I do feel the same way about pendant lights - I was going for a low contrast, minimal vibe in my kitchen, but that's just me.

My stools have backs, but they are the exact same height as my island counter. I felt this was the best of both worlds. After living with these stools for a year, I would never change to backless. We spend too much time at the island and are too old to not have that support ;) DH and I have both sat comfortably at the island for hours on our stools...

I do have one extra stool without a back, which is ok for me when we have guests over. I also use that one when I am prepping at times..... but it isn't comfortable for long periods.

This is a photo of what we have. Our countertop is black and we picked the black leather stool to match:

We have backless stools for one reason. When we had the chairs with backs (and they did have arms, too) the grandkids would swing around and bang the arms and backs into the counter. Not on purpose, just as they were getting on and off the stools. One of our grandsons was sitting on his knees, and managed to tip the stool over. Put a nice hole in the wall, and big bump on his head. I like the fact that I can push the backless chairs completely under the counter when not in use.

I LOVE backs on my counter stools.

We have wrought iron stools with backs on them and we have 3 pendent lights hanging over our bar/peninsula. Bar separates the kitchen and dining room. I love the look. Doesn't look cluttered, grands sit there to eat and they do swing into the wall but we have a chair rail on that wall only and it takes care of that.

Backs and seats that are both padded. We also like the swivel feature,and adjust height. Got mine on line with target.com for about $100 ea. love them. It has become our new spot for breakfast and after school/work chats.

My parents have a kitchen island with 10 barstools. All of them used to have backs.

My brother is 6'6" and hated them because he needed to sit further back on the stool to make his legs comfortable but couldn't because of the back.

I am much shorter at 5'1" and need to sit further back so I can rest my feet on the band near the bottom on the stool. I can't sit back any further because of the back of the chair so my feet dangle.

My brother and I bought our own backless stools to keep at our parents and are much more comfortable.

Honestly, I just want a good perch for my feet. If the stool does not have a good support I can plant my feet on...I won't stay in it very long. I've thought about this extensively for my future home. I'll probably put a foot bar on the island itself...then it won't really matter if the stool has a back or not.

Bleigh - I am so with you! I hate when my feet dangle... it makes me feel even shorter than I am :)

We have stools with backs but no pendant lights. I hate visual clutter, but I wanted the stools to be comfortable. So I spent forever looking for stools with backs I liked to look at. I'm glad we got the backs. The island has become *the* guest hang-out place, and everyone seems to enjoy sitting in the stools. I'm not sure if backless ones would have worked as well for our purposes.

It depends on how much they will be used. I went with backless because our table is fairly close to the island so the backs of the chairs and then the barstools with backs would have been too much, IMO. These backless stools push right in and don't compete with the chairs. The kids sit in them from time to time, and every once in a while an adult might sit for a short time while someone else is working in the kitchen. Once I'm finished up in the kitchen, I'm ready to go sit at the table or in the family room so I don't see the need for anyone to get too comfy on the stools.

Something others have touched on - it's important to be comfortable. I suspect I'm quite a bit older than you. In addition, I have back problems and can't imagine sitting at a backless bar stool for very long. It's possible you will have these stools for a good while and over time, you might regret choosing ones without backs. When we chose ours, I found many that had slats on the back, so they were sort of "see through." Something like that wouldn't be quite as visually obstructing. Good luck in your search.

I am getting backless for the fact that our kitchen table is 4' away from my island and i have kubu wicker chairs at the kitchen table. I want to avoid a "heavy" look. They are also ALOT cheaper! With that said, I do prefer backs for comfort.

I'm going with backless swivels because the intent is not to sit on them for hours on end. In my house, with no children having to do homework, the stools will be there for convenient, short term seating - for people that may be gathering to chat while I prep for a meal, for me while making a shopping list or going through the day's mail, etc. If people find them uncomfortable for these short periods of time, they can stand or sit in the family room a few steps away (open floor plan.)