How to Buy Picnic Tables | Buying Guide

The commercial picnic tables you purchase should convey quality, an inviting appeal, and a commitment to comfort for your community.

This picnic table buying guide is designed to help you answer those questions and learn more about picnic table styles, finishes, and installation options.

We have a large assortment of commercial outdoor picnic tables and these considerations play a crucial role in helping you select the best picnic tables for your establishment.

Choose the Perfect Picnic Table Shape for Your Seating Needs

Picnic tables come in several different sizes and shapes including: Round, square, hexagon, octagon, oval, and the traditional rectangle. Allowing about 18" of linear space per person, you can expect your average round or squared picnic table to seat eight people. Octagon tables usually refer to the table top shape, and the seats are arranged in the same way as a squared picnic table, also seating eight people. Unlike octagon tables, the seats of hexagon picnic tables follow the table top shape and typically seat six. Oval and rectangular picnic tables can seat between 8 to 12 people depending on the length. Square, round, hexagon, or octagon tables are easier to access and provide a more intimate seating arrangement.

Your personal tastes play a part in selecting your tables but there are other things to consider. If you own a business or location that has frequent visitors, you should consider selecting tables of different sizes to accommodate groups of varying numbers.

Round

Square

Hexagon

Octagon

Oval

Rectangular

If you suspect your tables may be prone to vandalism or theft, you may want to opt for more durable, easier to clean, or heavier weight tables that cannot be moved or stolen.

Universal Access Picnic Tables

Remember to take universal access needs into account when selecting your tables. These tables meet American Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines. Most rectangular ADA picnic tables have a longer table top overhang on one or both ends of the table to accommodate wheelchairs. Since rectangular tables can be up to eight feet in length, some are designed for better social interaction by featuring a space in the middle of the table, instead of at the end, bringing a person who uses a wheelchair closer to their friends or family.

Keep in mind that although certain picnic tables may appear to be wheelchair accessible (ex. no seating on one side), they may not adequately accommodate a wheelchair. To make sure a table is ADA approved, look for labels such as "ADA", "Universal Access", or an ADA symbol.

Kids Picnic Tables

Don't forget about the little ones! Kids' picnic tables look very similar to grown up tables but are designed with lower seat and table heights allowing children to enjoy eating, coloring, or crafts outdoors and making them perfect for playgrounds, parks, and schools.

Picnic tables are available in a wide variety of materials including: Metal (aluminum, powder coated steel, thermoplastic coated steel, and galvanized steel), concrete, wood, and recycled plastic.

Metal Picnic Tables

Metal picnic tables are generally made from aluminum or steel and both are popular choices for use by businesses, universities, municipalities, and homeowners associations. Look at the gauge of the metal used. The lower the gauge, the sturdier the table will be. In many cases, it is possible to order replacement parts or additional accessories for metal tables such as sleep inhibitors for table tops or seats, and anti-vandalism bars for wheelchair accessible table top overhangs.

Metal tables and the metal tubular frames of other types of tables, such as wood tables, are available in aluminum or in a variety of steel coatings. Coating options include: Galvanized, power-coated or thermoplastic coated.

Concrete Picnic Tables

Concrete tables start with a skeleton of steel or a welded rebar cage that is then encased in concrete. This makes concrete one of the most versatile and durable construction materials available. All concrete tables are built to ASTM specifications. The sheer weight and material of these tables makes them nearly impossible to steal or vandalize.

Each concrete table is permanently colored with in-organic pigments or stained and protected with an acrylic sealer. The rigidity of concrete comes from an aggregate of small pebbles or particles of glass. This aggregate is held together by a matrix available in different colors. After the curing process the form is usually smoothed by sand-blasting to create an even, flat surface. This depends on the textured looks exposed by the process. Textured or smooth finish options are available for the legs and base of the tables. Table tops and seats are only available in smooth finishes.

For a more custom look, table tops and seats are available in a polished terrazzo finish which consists of mixed marble, quartz, granite, or other suitable chips. Terrazzo is cured, ground, and polished to produce a uniformly textured smooth surface.

For an environmentally friendly, "green" option, the concrete table tops and seats are also available in a polished terrazzo containing 100% recycled ground glass aggregate, in your choice of several vibrant color options. The glass is utilized throughout the concrete form, not just on the surface, and the reinforcement steel used for added strength and long-lasting durability is also made of recycled product.

Recycled glass terrazzo concrete picnic tables qualify for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) points and are manufactured in the USA.

Wood Picnic Tables

Merged with either metal or concrete foundations, wood seats and tabletops offer a beautiful, classic feel that is easily customizable. Wood tables feature different wood species and stains, allowing for that warm, inviting look that only wood can convey. Wood table surfaces can be sealed with a water sealer approximately every four months to keep them looking new, or if not maintained, many types of wood will weather to a rich, grayish hue over time, a natural color many people appreciate.

These tables are also typically more affordable initially and allow for easy maintenance and updates from the local paint or lumber store.

Recycled Plastic Picnic Tables

Recycled plastic picnic tables are durable and require almost no maintenance at all. In addition to being great for the environment, these tables won't splinter and are resistant to graffiti. Pens and markers can easily be washed off; paint will not bond to the surface and can be removed with sandpaper. Surface cuts or scratches can simply be ironed away.

Recycled plastic is made with a minimum of 96% post-consumer/industrial materials such as milk jugs, pop bottles, and plastic bags. UV stabilizers to protect against noticeable sun fading and enhance color, and other stabilizing properties make up the remaining 4% of the product.

Recycled plastic won't crack, chip or fade; is less flammable than wood; has a smooth, aesthetically pleasing feel; and will never rot or deteriorate. Also, it does not emit harmful chemicals into the environment that might pollute nearby surfaces or groundwater. To top it all off, recycled plastic can be recycled over and over again to make more products that can be enjoyed for generations to come.

Although it may be more practical to choose a dark color for your picnic table, keep in mind that lighter colors reflect more sunlight and keep the seat surfaces cooler in the summer. Perforated or expanded coated steel picnic tables allow air flow throughout the surfaces and aid in keeping them cool to the touch. If you're looking for an outdoor picnic table material that does not get as hot in the sun, your best choices are aluminum, wood, or concrete. Of course, the best remedy is to position your tables in shaded areas or choose one that comes with an attached sun shelter or an umbrella hole.

Installation options vary across commercial picnic tables. Tables may come with a single pedestal base, individual leg bases or frame support bases. There are three different options for mounting your table.