Buying a picnic table: choosing size, wood and model
How many people, which length, 4 or 4.5 cm boards, backrest, round or square: what you need to know before you choose a wooden picnic table. The Wood Guide · Choosing & buying
The Wood Guide · Choosing & buying
Buying guide · picnic tablesBuying a picnic table
Five choices decide whether your table is still good in fifteen years: the length, the board thickness, the wood, the shape and whether it has a backrest. Here each of them is explained, without sales talk.
- From 4 to 12 people
- 4 or 4.5 cm boards
- Straight, square or round
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Five choices, in order of importance
Most people start with the model. It is better to start with the number of people who will sit at it, and with the spot where the table will stand.
A picnic table is a simple piece of furniture with one peculiarity: top, benches and angled legs together form a single construction. The benches are not separate seats; they help carry the table. That is why the boards and the joints determine how long it lasts, far more than the design.
What counts, in order: the length (how many people), the board thickness (how long it stays straight), the wood (how long it lasts outdoors), the shape (how it fits on your patio) and a backrest (how long you stay seated).
Comparing two tables of the same length on price, without looking at the board thickness. You can't see the difference between 2.8 and 4 cm in a photo, but you can after three seasons, when the top starts to sag.
- Per person
- ± 60 cm seat width
- Clearance
- ± 80 cm all round
- Board thickness
- KING 4 cm · ROYAL KING 4.5 cm
- Wood
- pressure-treated spruce
- Weight
- ± 55 kg (180 cm) to ± 95 kg (300 cm)
- Outdoors
- all year round, in frost too
To be fair: a solid picnic table is heavy and takes up space. If you want to put it away every week, you are better off with a folding beer table.
How many people?
Which shape?
KING 240 cm
8 adults or 10 children
Patio needed± 4.0 × 3.2 m
± 60 cm of seat per person · ± 80 cm of free space all round, so everyone can swing their legs over the bench.
Top view to scale: overall size of our KING tables with benches (straight: 162 cm wide), patio = table + ± 80 cm all round, rounded.
Which length for how many people
The size in the product name is the length of the tabletop. Allow about 60 cm per person; there is often room for one more at the end, and children take up less space.
| Length | People | Patio needed (with 80 cm all round) | Our model |
|---|---|---|---|
| 140 cm | 4 to 6 | ± 3.0 × 3.2 m | KING 140 |
| 180 cm | 6 | ± 3.4 × 3.2 m | KING 180 |
| 200 cm | 6 to 8 | ± 3.6 × 3.2 m | ROYAL KING 200 |
| 240 cm | 8 | ± 4.0 × 3.2 m | KING and ROYAL KING 240 |
| 300 cm | 10 to 12 | ± 4.6 × 3.2 m | KING and ROYAL KING 300 |
To sit down, you swing your legs over the bench. That needs space behind the bench. If the table stands against a wall or hedge, that side doesn't count. If in doubt, send us the dimensions of your patio via contact — that is quicker than finding out afterwards that nobody can get to it.
Board thickness: the difference you can't see in a photo
Less sagging
A thin board flexes when four people sit on one side or a child stands on the bench. A 4 cm board stays flat, even over two metres.
Less warping
Wood moves with moisture. The thinner the board, the more it crowns or cups. Thick boards keep their shape better. Why wood moves, you can read in how wood moves.
More wood to sand
You can sand a greyed top back to fresh wood. With a thick board you can safely do that a few times in the life of the table.
More mass against wind
A 55 kg table stays where you put it, even in an autumn storm.
Our KING tables have 4 cm boards, the ROYAL KING 4.5 cm. For a family garden, 4 cm is more than enough. The extra half centimetre pays off on the long 240 and 300 cm models and under heavy use: schools, hospitality, campsites.
Which wood for a picnic table
| Outdoors | Required maintenance | Weight | For whom | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pressure-treated spruce | Protected against rot and fungi | None · cleaning | Two people can move it | Most gardens, schools, hospitality |
| Douglas fir | Naturally more durable than spruce | None · cleaning | Medium weight | Those who want a warmer wood colour |
| Hardwood | Excellent | None · oil for the colour | Heavy | A permanent spot, long term |
| Untreated softwood | Weak | A lot, and still a short life | Light | Nobody, really |
Why we build in pressure-treated spruce
In pressure treatment, the preservative is forced deep into the fibre under pressure. That gives you a table that stands outdoors for years without rotting away, and that can still be moved. The greenish tinge of new wood fades to a honey colour within a few months.
Hardwood and aluminium
If you want a table that stands in one spot for decades, look at hardwood picnic tables. If you want something light that is easy to move, there are aluminium picnic tables.
A pressure-treated table with 4 cm boards usually lasts 10 to 15 years, and longer if the legs don't stand in water. What determines that lifespan, you can read in how long does a picnic table last? — and how to look after it in caring for wooden garden furniture.
Straight, square or round — and with or without a backrest
Straight
The classic, from 140 to 300 cm. Fits on a narrow patio and along a hedge, and scales most easily with the number of guests.
Square
Everyone can see everyone. Our square picnic tables measure 200 × 200 cm, or 265 × 265 cm for the XXL with four backrests. They need less length but more width.
Round
No head and no foot: ideal for company. The round picnic table with backrests measures 265 × 265 cm; for pre-schoolers there is a 120 cm round version.
With backrest
For those who stay seated after the meal. A bench without a back is fine for lunch, but for a long evening or for older guests a picnic table with backrest makes the difference. There are KING models with a backrest from 140 to 300 cm.
On a picnic table, the benches help carry the table. A hinge there is a wear point in the most heavily loaded place. That is why we build with fixed benches; if you want to store it away, choose a beer table. The whole story: folding benches: when it makes sense and when it doesn't. For a version with separate benches, where a wheelchair can pull up, read a picnic table for wheelchair users.
Children, schools and hospitality
Child-sized
Children's picnic tables are lower and narrower: the 90 cm Björn for the very youngest, the round 120 cm Jimmy and a 140 cm model for six children, both with a seat height of 28–30 cm — sized for pre-schoolers. Older children sit comfortably at an ordinary picnic table. All about the choice: choosing a children's picnic table.
Schools and local councils
In a playground, children climb on benches and sit on tables. There, a thick board is no luxury. For larger quantities there are 6-packs, and we deliver with our own transport.
Hospitality and campsites
Being able to go without maintenance is the argument here: pressure-treated spruce does not need to be treated. In public places, anchoring it to the ground is worth considering.
Space, weight and accessories
- KING 140 cm
- ± 40 kg
- KING 180 cm
- ± 55 kg
- KING 240 cm
- ± 65 kg
- KING 300 cm
- ± 90 kg
- ROYAL KING 300 cm
- ± 95 kg
Moving it is a two-person job — not just because of the weight, but because a two-metre table is awkward to hold on your own. So choose its final spot in advance.
Preferably don't put the legs where water collects: a few tiles under the legs work wonders. And retighten all bolts a month after delivery; wood settles.
A cover
Not needed to get through winter, but handy against green algae, leaf stains and bird droppings. Our PVC covers are made to fit our tables. Never put them over a wet table.
Seat cushions
For those who stay seated a long time: cushions for picnic tables in various lengths and colours. Bring them inside after use.
A parasol
Not every picnic table has a parasol hole. If it isn't mentioned with the product, ask us first — we advise against drilling a hole in the top yourself.
Frequently asked questions about picnic tables
What size picnic table do I need?
Allow about 60 cm of seat width per person. A 140 cm table seats 4 to 6 people, 180 cm seats 6, 240 cm seats 8 and 300 cm seats 10 to 12. On top of that, keep about 80 cm clear all round to sit down and get up.
What is the difference between KING and ROYAL KING?
The board thickness. KING tables have 4 cm boards, ROYAL KING tables 4.5 cm. That half centimetre means less sagging, especially on the long 240 and 300 cm models.
Which wood is best for a picnic table?
Pressure-treated spruce is the standard: protected against wood rot and fungi, sturdy and still movable. Hardwood lasts longer but is much heavier. Untreated softwood does not belong outdoors.
How heavy is a wooden picnic table?
A 180 cm KING weighs around 55 kg, a 300 cm table around 90 kg. That weight comes from the thick boards and is the reason the table doesn't blow over. Moving it is a two-person job.
Can a picnic table stay outdoors all year?
Yes. A pressure-treated picnic table is made to stay outdoors all year, in frost too. Preferably don't stand the legs in a puddle, and use a breathable cover if you want to avoid green algae and leaf stains.
Ready to choose
Know how many people need to sit at it? Then the rest is a matter of model.
Unsure about the size? Send us your patio dimensions — we're happy to help.
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Classic timber picnic table with angled legs on a lawn — Benjamin D. Esham (bdesham), CC BY-SA 4.0 · Irancy, Bourgogne — Benoît Prieur, CC0 · Diergaarde Blijdorp, Rotterdam — AgainErick, CC BY-SA 4.0
The Wood Guide
More in Choosing & buying
- Choosing a children's picnic table
- Choosing a beer table and beer bench
- Which wood to use for a garden table?
- Buying Garden Furniture? Here's How to Choose the Right Size…
Other sections:Wood speciesUnderstanding woodCare & finishingBuild it yourselfTrees & forests