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Choosing a beer table set: sizes, width and which set

The Wood Guide · Choosing & buying

Buying guide · beer tables

Choosing a beer table and beer bench

Light, foldable and ready for eight people in no time: a beer table is the furniture for parties, clubs and a garden you sometimes want empty. The only real choices are length and width.

  • 110 · 160 · 220 cm long
  • 60 · 70 · 80 cm wide
  • Foldable, lacquered
lacquered · foldable
Summary

A set is one table and two benches of the same length

All tables are 74 cm high, all benches 25 cm deep. What differs is the length (how many people) and the width of the top (how much fits on the table).

A beer table is built around one idea: storage. The top is thinner and the frame folds in, so a complete set fits flat against the wall of a garage or shed. That makes it ideal for parties, clubs, schools and anyone who doesn't want a full garden all year round.

The flip side, just as honestly: a beer table is lacquered, not pressure-treated, and so it is made for use, not to stand outdoors all year.

The rule of thumb

Allow about 55 cm per person on a bench. A 220 cm set seats eight adults, 160 cm six and 110 cm four.

Table height
74 cm
Bench depth
25 cm
Top thickness
2.8 cm
Finish
double lacquered · stain-resistant
Weight
around 15 kg · one person can carry it
Outdoors
during use · then store dry

To be fair: a thinner top and a folding frame are lighter and handier, but not as stable as a solid picnic table. For a permanent spot in the garden, that is the better choice.

Choice 1

Length: how many people

Set length Adults Table widths Suitable for
110 cm 4 60 cm Balcony, small patio, campsite, children's corner
160 cm 6 70 cm Family, garden party, compact space
220 cm 8 60, 70 or 80 cm Parties, clubs, events — the classic party set
Several sets side by side

For a big party, put sets end to end in a long row. Then choose the same width throughout, so the tops line up neatly, and leave at least 1.5 m between two rows, so people can get past behind the benches.

Choice 2

Width: 60, 70 or 80 cm

The width doesn't determine how many people sit at it, but how comfortably they eat.

60 cm — compact

Room for a plate and a glass per person. Light and easy to store. Good for receptions, drinks and children's parties.

70 cm — the middle way

Enough room for plates on both sides and a serving dish in the middle. The best choice for most families and garden parties.

80 cm — a proper dinner table

For those who serve a full meal and stay seated for a long time: dishes, bottles and plates without shuffling. Also the table that gives you, as host, the fewest sleepless nights.

Seating

Beer benches, with or without a backrest

Separate benches

Beer benches come in 110, 160 and 220 cm, each 25 cm deep. Handy as extra seating at an existing table, or to extend a set.

With backrest

For those who stay seated longer or for older guests: there are benches and complete sets with backrests, in 110 and 220 cm.

Cushions

A beer bench is a wooden bench. For a long evening, cushions make the difference — but bring them inside after the party.

After the party

Storage and care

  1. Wipe downThe lacquer is smooth and stain-resistant: a damp cloth with a little washing-up liquid is enough. No abrasive cleaner.
  2. Let it dryDon't fold up a wet table straight away. Let it dry, otherwise moisture stays trapped between the top and the frame.
  3. Fold up and store dryIn a garage, shed or cellar. Standing upright against a wall, a complete set takes up little space.
  4. For clubs: a transport trolleyIf you manage ten or twenty sets, you don't drag them one by one. There is a transport trolley for beer tables.
Why not outdoors all year?

Lacquered wood is protected as long as the lacquer is intact. If you leave a beer table outside all season, the lacquer develops small cracks, and moisture gets into the wood through them. A picnic table is pressure-treated — the preservative is in the fibre — and can stay outdoors. You can read about the difference in what is pressure-treated wood.

In doubt

Beer table or picnic table?

Beer table set Picnic table
Storage Folds flat Fixed construction
Weight Around 15 kg per table Around 55 kg (180 cm)
Top 2.8 cm, lacquered 4 or 4.5 cm, pressure-treated
Leave outdoors No, store after use Yes, all year round
Ideal for Parties, clubs, temporary use A permanent spot in the garden, schools, parks

If you want a table that stays out all year, read buying a picnic table. Why our picnic tables deliberately have no folding benches: folding: when it makes sense and when it doesn't.

Quick answer

Frequently asked questions about beer tables

How many people fit at a 220 cm beer table set?

Eight adults: four per 220 cm bench. With children or for a short reception, more will fit. A 160 cm set seats six, a 110 cm set four.

Which beer table width should I choose: 60, 70 or 80 cm?

The wider it is, the more room for plates, dishes and glasses in the middle. 60 cm is compact and light, 70 cm is the happy medium, 80 cm is the choice for those who really dine at the table and stay seated for a long time.

Can a beer table stay outdoors?

Not permanently. Beer tables and beer benches are lacquered rather than pressure-treated: made for use, not for wind and weather all year round. Fold them up after the party and store them somewhere dry.

What is the difference between a beer table and a picnic table?

A beer table folds up and is light, so you can easily store and move it. A picnic table is a fixed, heavy construction with 4 cm boards, made to stay outdoors all year.

More in The Wood Guide

Ready for the party

Chosen your length and width? Then the set is up in a quarter of an hour.

All beer tables Buying a picnic table To The Wood Guide

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