The Wood Guide
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Choosing & buying16 Choosing & buying →

Picnic tables

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Buying guides: choosing wooden garden furniture

The Wood Guide · Choosing & buying

Section · Choosing & buying

Buying guides

You buy garden furniture for ten years or more. These guides help you choose on what matters — size, wood and use — and say honestly what a model is not good at.

  • Picnic tables · beer tables · benches
  • Sizes by number of people
  • No sales talk
measure first, then choose
In three steps

Where do you start?

  1. How many people, and how often?A table for four that occasionally has to seat eight is a different choice from a table for a club. Allow about 60 cm per person.
  2. Where will it stand?Measure the spot, including 80 cm all round to sit down and get up. Will the furniture stay outdoors all year, or will you put it away after use?
  3. Which wood and which thickness?The wood determines how long it lasts outdoors, the board thickness how long it stays straight. Our choice and why: which wood for a garden table.
The right furniture

Which furniture suits you?

Picnic table

One sturdy construction that stays outdoors all year, for 4 to 12 people. The choice for families, schools and hospitality. Buying a picnic table.

Beer table

Light, foldable and tucked away in a corner after the party. For parties, clubs and anyone who sometimes wants an empty garden. Choosing a beer table.

Children's picnic table

Child-sized, with feet on the ground. For toddlers and pre-schoolers, at home or at school. Choosing a children's picnic table.

Garden bench and garden table

For those who want to sit and dine in comfort. Here the wood makes the biggest difference. Wood for a bench · wood for a garden table.

And after you buy?

Everything about cleaning, oiling, winter and what is normal: caring for wooden garden furniture.

The Choosing & buying section

All buying guides

Quick answer

Frequently asked questions about choosing garden furniture

Where do I start if I want to buy wooden garden furniture?

With the number of people and the spot. Measure the space, including the room to sit down and get up, and only then choose the model. The wood and the board thickness then determine how long the furniture lasts.

Which is better: a picnic table or a garden table with chairs?

A picnic table is one sturdy construction that stays outdoors all year and seats a lot of people in little space. A garden table with separate chairs is more comfortable for long meals and more flexible to arrange, but needs more space and more putting away.

Which wood lasts longest outdoors?

Teak and tropical hardwood last longest, but they are heavy and more expensive. Pressure-treated spruce with thick boards usually lasts 10 to 15 years and is light enough to move.

More in The Wood Guide

From knowledge to garden

Know what you are looking for? Then the rest is a matter of size.

Picnic tables Beer tables Garden benches

Torn between two models? Ask us — we're happy to help.