They have low backs, and thus a low profile. I love that nothing breaks up the view of the island.  I went by the reviews of this, and how comfortable the 16 inch wood seat is.  I also checked out reviewers comments on having a swivel bar stool over not, which helped tremendously in thinking about things I hadn’t considered.  The wood seat is gorgeous and comfy. The metal backs are metal backs, but we’ve found we rarely sit back in them, but when we do, we can still get comfortable.  We love the swivel, but it doesn’t swivel back when you get up, which is a good thing. That way, it doesn’t hit anything. These come just under our countertops, so they never hit our quartz. The combination of wood and metal is perfect.  The metal is black I believe, and it’s pattern with the wood is beautiful.  ❤️❤️❤️