Patio dining tables

Rows of tables on a terrace make the evening's first impression, before the candles are lit. All 49 tables here are listed for patio use, and most carry an indoor listing as well. Pick the top material first. Aluminum, synthetic teak, steel and resin each read differently in the sun, so match the top to your chairs and to your shade.

Tops, bases and the look of the terrace

Aluminum tops lead with 18 tables, then synthetic teak with 15, steel with 9 and resin with 8. Three tops are wood and 2 stainless steel. Synthetic teak pairs with plastic teak chairs for a warm, wood-toned terrace, and the plastic teak tables page keeps them together. Metal tops in aluminum and steel sit well with metal chairs at a modern pool cafe; the steel and aluminum patio tables gather them. For a pool deck that changes from lunch to an evening event, the resin patio tables include folding models.

Bases are aluminum on 16 tables, steel on 14 and cast iron on 9. Resin bases appear on 6, two are wood and one is chrome.

Shape and size for the party

Square tops are offered on 46 tables, rectangles on 30 and rounds on 19. Two guests and their plates fit a 30-inch square; for a table of four, pick a 36-inch square or let 42 inches of round top do the work. A family lunch of five or six by the pool takes a round 48 inches across. Keep 36-inch lanes for servers and 18 to 24 inches of pull-back room per chair, so a guest can stand without bumping the table behind.

Squares have one more use on a terrace: pushed into a line, they make the long table a wedding lunch or a team dinner asks for, then split again for couples the next day. A summer event moved outside can be set the way a function room is, with joined squares in long rows and 36-inch lanes between them.

Shade, care and the umbrella

Plan shade before the dinner rows. Some tables take an umbrella through the top, and the patio tables with umbrella hole page lists them; six listings here are sold as sets, and the outdoor furniture sets page has more. Even patio tables need a rinse, somewhere to drain and a cover or a storeroom when the season closes. Their warranty period runs 6 months, and neglect outdoors is excluded from it.

Tables run from $77 to $397, and our guide to the terrace dining table sizes tops and bases for a deck set for dinner. Draw the terrace as a property plan with tables, chairs and umbrellas in place, and order from the drawing.