Choosing a beer table set: sizes, width and which set
60, 70 or 80 cm wide? 110, 160 or 220 cm long? How many people fit at a beer table set, what the width changes and how to store beer tables. The Wood Guide · Choosing & buying
The Wood Guide · Choosing & buying
Buying guide · beer tablesChoosing 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
From our shopFluted storage cabinet with 2 doors – oak look on a black metal frame, 100 × 40 × 118 cm3 654,00 kr
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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.
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.
In pictures · Length: how many people
Schematic drawing.
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 |
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.
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.
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.
Storage and care
- Wipe downThe lacquer is smooth and stain-resistant: a damp cloth with a little washing-up liquid is enough. No abrasive cleaner.
- Let it dryDon't fold up a wet table straight away. Let it dry, otherwise moisture stays trapped between the top and the frame.
- Fold up and store dryIn a garage, shed or cellar. Standing upright against a wall, a complete set takes up little space.
- 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.
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.
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.
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.
Ready for the party
Chosen your length and width? Then the set is up in a quarter of an hour.
Need more than ten sets for a club or event? Let us know.
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Beer table with two benches and green folding legs in a garden — Wald-Burger8, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lacquered beer table and bench with steel folding legs on timber decking — Flominator, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Folded beer tables and benches stacked flat on a steel rack — 4028mdk09, CC BY-SA 3.0
The Wood Guide
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