How to choose an outdoor dining set

Spring is upon us, and soon it will be Summer. Barbeques with friends and family, late night swims, backyard cricket, and school holidays … that is what the Aussie culture is all about at this time of year. So, with that in mind, it might be time to consider revamping the alfresco or outdoor area to set yourself up for an awesome summer. It will need an outdoor dining set that is both functional for entertaining and also looks fantastic, impressing all your guests this holiday season.

Choosing the right outdoor dining furniture

It can be difficult to justify spending a lot of money on outdoor dining furniture as opposed to opting for the cheaper style alternatives.

There are a lot of affordable options for ‘outdoor dining sets’ on the market, many of them are not recommended as proper outdoor dining furniture. That seems crazy, doesn’t it? A lot of affordable furniture does not have the gaps in the table tops which is necessary for the water to drain and a lot of these tables and chairs cannot cope with the harsh Australian Sun or the rain, eventually perishing.

For these reasons, it might be time to consider a long-term investment in teak furnishings which are proven time and time again, to be the best outdoor dining sets - particularly when you do not have the ability to keep the table and chairs covered underneath a pergola, protected from the sun, wind, and rain.

Miami Dining Table Reclaimed Teak and Rockdale Arm Chair

Choosing the right chairs

Oftentimes with outdoor dining furniture, it is more important to get the chair right, than the table. The outdoor dining set should be placed in an area where you want to spend time. Obviously, this means being comfortable in the chair. If you get the opportunity, it is great to be able to visit some showrooms and really get a feel for what style of chair you know to be comfortable. An outdoor furniture set could have chairs with high backs, low backs, angled backs, upright backs, arms, or even no arms at all.

At Woodbury we sell the same Teak Chairs in both an ‘Armed’ and ‘Side Chair’ varieties. Examples of these are our Bakke, Hawkesbury, and Blaxland ranges.

Blaxland is probably our best-selling chair range. It is a popular design and is great for customers who love the high, straight back and find it incredibly supportive. For tighter spaces, you may consider a mixture of side and armchairs because the arms do take up more room. Often the armchair is a bit easier to relax in and people enjoy having their elbows resting to the side. But ultimately if it is being used as part of an outdoor dining set, your arms will be on the table for eating anyway.

Hawkesbury is another popular choice and has the advantage of being able to fold down flat, even with the armchair. This is a great idea, particularly when opting for an extension table where the table may not need to be extended to full size for everyday use.

The Hawkesbury Outdoor Setting in Plantation Teak

Choosing the right table for outdoor dining furniture

There are three things to consider when it comes to your table.

1. How big can you go?
2. How many do you want to seat?
3. What aesthetic are you going for?

It’s not always possible to have a table as big as one might desire. There might be a certain space in which the table needs to fit, and there needs to be room to comfortably get in and out of the chairs. Ideally, one should allow 80-100cm on each side of the table, to allow for easy access. Many outdoor dining furniture style tables will be either 100cm in depth or 120cm. So, that means the space might need to be 300cm deep for optimum comfort. Length is usually not as big of an issue and there are heaps of different lengths available. One of our best-selling extension sizes is the 180cm-240cm in both our Kai One hand Extension table and our Rectangle Extension Table. This size range is usually a generous 6-8 seat size depending of course on the type of chair you pair it with.

For longer alfresco or outdoor spaces, many opt for a 300cm table where they know they can seat up to 14 people. Sometimes, our customers like to do a combination of lounging and entertaining with their outdoor dining furniture. Look towards our Kai Living and Kai Outdoor Dining furniture ranges for an example of this or even our Vinegard and Monte Carlo ranges. For something more classic, any of our plantation teak tables or the Juliet Lounge Setting will look fantastic together too.

Ultimately, its best to decide about the kind of look first. There is a mentality that “timber is timber” but that tends to change when people see teak or reclaimed teak in real life.  They are very beautiful timbers and do look very different to other timbers. Our Vinegard tables are popular due to their rustic aesthetic, some prefer the contemporary look of an aluminium and timber combination found in our Kai and Miami ranges and many can’t go past the classic look and feel of a plantation teak look. It is of course up to each person and whether they have a certain style already evident in the exterior that needs to be kept consistent with the right outdoor dining set.

The Monte Carlo Reclaimed Teak Outdoor Lounge Setting

Quality over quantity

Above all, this next outdoor dining set purchase should be done with the idea that the pieces will last for many years to come. There’s no point in choosing something for the backyard, only to find that it needs replacing in a year or two because it has perished.

We really do urge our customers to engage in research where they will see that teak is the best material for outdoor dining furniture so they have the peace of mind spending a little more money now and benefiting in the long run.

Outdoor dining furniture suppliers are competitive, and there are plenty of savings to be had all throughout the year, especially now coming into Summer. Our advice would be to acknowledge that "you get what you pay for" and lesser outdoor dining furniture options are not always the best ones to choose.

While a run-of-the-mill, cheap outdoor dining set is tempting, consider how many times you might spend that money over and over to replace it when it has perished.

Woodbury Is Your One Stop Shop For Premium Quality & Long Lasting Outdoor Dining Furniture. Have A Look At Our Showroom Today!