Do those bars show much wear? If the seat shows so much wear then these bars should have commensurate wear if they're stools or seats.
Hmmm, I just checked my dining room chairs and the seat cushions are 19" from the floor (they are old but "standard-size" dining room chairs (or "side chairs" which can be used otherwise in a house/home). I can't imagine them as barstools with that fabric/covering. They'd have to be vacuumed every 15 minutes the bar was open just to clean up the bits of peanut or other nuts skins/shells. Unless, of course, all the people were sitting hunched over the bar and never dropped any debris.
Skeezik....The bars are solid steel...Not plated & show very little wear. Yourturn...These were most likely for a home bar or gameroom
These have a commercial "look" to me. That is the shiny-est steel I could imagine without it being chromed or stainless. Maybe they are stainless? I'd think you'd see rust pitting if from the 1990s or earlier? These are really high quality. I'd keep them too!