Patio Dining Sets

Count the people who eat outside in an ordinary week rather than the largest party you'll ever host. A four seat set used every evening earns its space in a way an eight seat table doesn't if the extra chairs sit empty most of the year. Benches are the middle path, because they absorb an extra person without adding another piece of furniture.

Aluminum, because there's no steel in it to rust and it needs no sealing. Solid acacia lasts well too but wants a coat of exterior oil once a year to hold its color. All weather rattan holds up with almost no care. Steel is the value option and depends entirely on its powder coating staying unchipped.

Some do and some only have the hole. Check the set contents rather than assuming, because a table drilled for a pole isn't the same as a set that ships with shade. Where an umbrella is included we say so, and either way a weighted base is what actually holds a pole upright.

The frames generally can. Cushions are the limiting factor, since outdoor fabric is water resistant rather than waterproof and repeated soaking causes mildew and loss of loft. Bringing cushions in over winter, or using a cover, does more for the life of a set than anything else.

Most sets ship flat and need building, usually under an hour with the included hardware. Larger sets arrive in two boxes that may not turn up on the same day, so wait until everything is in hand before you start, and leave the bolts slightly loose until every hole lines up.

Measure the space and then subtract clearance, because the table isn't the whole footprint. Allow about three feet behind each chair so people can push back and walk past. Confirm the assembled table still leaves the door, the steps and the grill reachable before you order, since return shipping on furniture is expensive.