There is a spot in almost every Australian backyard that is quietly asking for a bench. Beside the back door where the muddy boots come off. Under the jacaranda where the shade lands at four o'clock. Along the side of an outdoor table that never quite seats everyone.
A garden bench is the least fussy piece of outdoor furniture you can buy, and the decision comes down to two questions: backless or backed, and teak or metal. This guide works through both, then covers the bits people forget until delivery day — length, seat height, weight and anchoring. Browse the Garden Benches range as you read.
Start with the job the bench has to do
Benches fill three very different roles, and the right bench for one is usually wrong for the others. Work out which you are buying for first.
Entry seating. Beside a back door or at the top of a deck, a bench is somewhere to deal with shoes or drop the shopping. Short and shallow wins: 90cm to 120cm keeps the walkway clear. If the seat is destined for the front of the house instead, our front porch bench ideas guide covers placement and styling spot by spot.
A destination in the garden. Under a tree or at the end of a path, a bench is a place to sit for twenty minutes with a coffee. This one wants a backrest, because nobody lingers on a plank. It also has to look good from behind — you will see it from the kitchen window more often than you will sit in it.
Extra seating at the table. A bench along one side of an outdoor table adds two or three seats without adding chairs you then have to store. It has to be backless to slide under, and the seat height has to clear the table apron.
Backless or backed? The first real decision
Backless benches are the more flexible piece. They tuck under a table, work from either side, and take up almost no visual room in a small courtyard. The trade-off is comfort: without something to lean on, most people last about fifteen minutes.
The Teak Backless Bench (from $283) is the clearest example of the type. It runs in six lengths from 45cm up to 210cm, every one of them 41cm deep and 46cm high — a short perch for a narrow entry, or a long run for a big table. Measure your table apron first, because that number decides whether the bench slides right under.
A backed bench does the opposite job. It is somewhere to stay rather than perch, so it belongs out in the garden. It also anchors a view: put one at the end of a path and the path has a reason to exist. Backed benches are heavier, and far more likely to still be there in ten years.
Teak vs metal: what a garden bench is made of matters
Teak is the traditional choice and it has earned it. It is a dense tropical hardwood with an oily grain, which is why it copes with rain, sun and humidity with no coating protecting it. Left alone it weathers to a silvery-grey; oiled once or twice a year it holds its honey colour. Neither is wrong — it is purely the look you want.
Powder-coated metal goes the other way. No oiling, the colour is baked on, and slim frames suit a newer house. Aluminium will not rust and stays light enough to move on your own. Steel is heavier and holds its ground in wind, but chips in the coating need touching up quickly near the surf.
| Option | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Teak, backless | Sliding under a dining table; tight courtyards | No backrest, so nobody sits long |
| Teak, backed | Long sits under a tree or at the end of a path | Heavy to shift; goes grey unless you oil it |
| Powder-coated aluminium | Coastal homes and low upkeep | Light frames can move in strong wind |
| Powder-coated steel | Exposed or high-traffic spots | Coating chips need touching up early |
Our own bench range is teak-led, so if a coloured metal frame is what you are picturing, start in the wider Outdoor Chairs & Benches collection instead.
Getting the length right
Bench lengths are sold by how many people they seat, and the arithmetic is simple: allow roughly 60cm per adult. A 120cm bench takes two comfortably, 150cm takes three at a squeeze, and 180cm genuinely fits four. Against a wall or hedge, leave breathing room at each end.
Three of our backed benches come in exactly those lengths, so the choice becomes shape rather than size. The Geneva Bench (from $844) is the everyday one — solid teak, plain lines, at home in a courtyard or against a wall. The San Remo Bench (from $957) has a shape that does not date and sits well on a lawn. The Milan Bench (from $1,045) is the plainest by design, so it never competes with what is around it.
If the bench is destined for the dining table, measure the table first and match the bench to its straight run. One that stops short of the ends looks like an afterthought; one that overhangs gets kicked every time somebody walks past.
Weight, wind and anchoring in Australian conditions
Weight is the specification nobody checks and everybody later wishes they had. A solid teak bench at 180cm stays where you put it through an ordinary blow. A light metal bench in an exposed spot will end up against the fence at least once — ridges in the Adelaide Hills, headlands on the New South Wales coast, westerly-facing sites in Tasmania.
If a bench genuinely needs fixing down, most are bolted through the feet into a slab or decking joists. Sort out two things before you drill. On a balcony or common-property terrace, check with your body corporate, because fixing into a slab is usually their call. And near a fire pit, placement and setback rules vary by state and council, so confirm with yours first.
Coastal homes have one extra job. Salt air finds coated metal well before it finds timber, so a fresh-water rinse every few weeks does more for a metal bench than any product you can buy. Teak needs only a wash and a decision about oiling. If you are still weighing the two materials up, our guide to garden benches in timber or metal covers how each ages here.
Garden bench questions we get asked most
How long should a garden bench be?
Allow about 60cm of bench length per adult. That puts 120cm at two people, 150cm at three and 180cm at four, which is why most backed benches come in those three sizes. For a bench going under a table, match the straight run of the table instead.
Do teak garden benches need oiling?
No, oiling is optional and purely cosmetic. Untreated teak weathers to a silvery-grey and loses none of its strength or water resistance; oiling once or twice a year keeps the warmer honey colour. Pick the look you prefer and stay consistent, because switching back and forth is the fiddly option.
Can a backless bench be used at an outdoor dining table?
Yes, and that is exactly what backless benches are designed for. The measurement that matters is the height of the table apron — the rail under the tabletop — because the bench has to clear it to slide beneath. Check the bench height against that rail before you order.
Does a garden bench need to be anchored?
Most do not. A solid timber bench is heavy enough on its own, and anchoring is generally only worth it for lighter frames in exposed or public-facing spots. In an apartment or townhouse, get body corporate approval before fixing anything into a slab.
Shop the range
Late spring is the time to sort this out, before summer entertaining starts and every good spot is spoken for. The Dining Bench collection narrows things to the lengths built to sit alongside an outdoor table. For a two-seater that stacks away between events, look at the Naples Bench ($499), an Italian-made love seat at W 116cm x D 70cm x H 86cm in white or anthracite. We deliver Australia-wide, delivery is free over $100, and most orders are dispatched in 3 to 10 business days.
