Lunchtime at a school, a sunny Saturday at a holiday park, or half past twelve in a workplace courtyard: everyone wants somewhere to sit at once. Picnic tables and bench seats handle that rush well, because people sit shoulder to shoulder and the furniture stays where you put it. The trick is matching sizes, weights and materials to how the space is used.
This guide compares two picnic table sizes, separate tables and bench seats, a stackable chair and a mobile bench, using the specs stated on each product page. For more options, browse our commercial outdoor tables.
Picnic tables: sizes and how many they seat
An all-in-one picnic table builds the benches into the frame, so nothing gets dragged away or left out of line. The Ridge Outdoor Medium Picnic Table ($1,301) measures 1800mm wide and 1660mm deep overall, with a 680mm-deep top at 750mm high. Its integrated benches are 340mm deep and 470mm high, and it weighs 52kg assembled.
The Ridge Outdoor Large Picnic Table ($1,546) is 2200mm wide and 1900mm deep overall. Its top is 900mm deep, which leaves more room between people facing each other, and it weighs 73kg. The benches keep the same 340mm depth and 470mm height.
Both list a table weight rating of 250kg and a bench seat rating of 400kg UDL per side. UDL means a uniformly distributed load, spread evenly along the seat. Both carry a 3-year structural warranty.
Neither page states a seat count, so plan by bench length. A common rule of thumb is about 600mm of bench per adult. On that basis the Medium seats about three adults per side and the Large three or four. Primary school children need less room, so more of them fit.
Separate tables and bench seats
Separate pieces suit spaces that change. Benches can line a path or a wall on their own, and the table can take chairs for a meeting or an event. Separate benches are also easier for anyone who finds stepping over a fixed bench awkward.
The Ridge Outdoor Medium Table ($651) is 1850mm long, 900mm deep and 750mm high, and weighs 30.8kg. Pair it with the Ridge Outdoor Medium Bench Seat ($424), which is 1690mm long, 350mm deep and 460mm high. The bench is a little shorter than the table, so one runs along each long side.
For longer tables, or a stand-alone seat along a fence line, the Ridge Outdoor Large Bench Seat ($497) is 2140mm long with the same depth and height. Each bench is rated to 400kg UDL. At 17.6kg and 20.8kg, the benches are far lighter to rearrange than a one-piece picnic table.
Our guide to commercial outdoor table tops, bases and sizes covers table sizing for cafes in more detail.
Stackable chairs and mobile benches
Stackable chairs give a table more flexibility than benches. The Flexi Stacking Chair With Backrest ($112) is UV treated for indoor and outdoor use and stacks for compact storage. Its backrest can be removed, turning it into a junior stacking chair for younger users. It has a 135kg weight rating, a 440mm seat height and nine seat and backrest colour combinations in white, grey and green. The warranty is 5 years, with 1 year on the UV treatment.
Not every break area is outdoors. The Rover Mobile Bench Seat ($1,294) is an 800mm-wide bench on four large castors with built-in brakes, with a 90mm seat cushion and a shelf for notebooks and documents. Its maple hardwood frame is wrapped in recycled acoustic panelling, with board rated at 0.9 NRC. NRC rates how much sound a surface absorbs, from 0 for none to 1 for nearly all.
The Rover's page describes it for collaborative areas in offices and educational settings and does not mention outdoor use. Treat it as a piece for indoor staff rooms and learning spaces that are rearranged often. It carries a 10 Year Warranty.
Weight, stability and materials
Every Ridge piece here uses the same build: European Oak finish polywood slats, a black powder-coated aluminium base and stainless steel hardware. The slats give the warm look of timber with low maintenance, which matters when one groundskeeper looks after many tables. Adjustable levelling feet keep each piece stable on uneven ground.
Weight works both ways. The 73kg Large Picnic Table is hard to drag or tip, which suits open parks and school yards. Lighter separate pieces are easier to set up for events, but also easier for anyone to move. Where furniture must stay put, choose the one-piece tables.
Here is how the seven pieces compare. Every figure comes from the product page, and seat counts are marked not stated where the page gives none.
| Product | Size (W x D x H) | Seats | Weight rating | Weight | Material |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ridge Medium Picnic Table | 1800 x 1660 x 750mm overall | Not stated | Table 250kg; benches 400kg UDL per side | 52kg | Polywood slats, aluminium base |
| Ridge Large Picnic Table | 2200 x 1900 x 750mm overall | Not stated | Table 250kg; benches 400kg UDL per side | 73kg | Polywood slats, aluminium base |
| Ridge Medium Table | 1850 x 900 x 750mm | Not stated | Not stated | 30.8kg | Polywood slats, aluminium base |
| Ridge Medium Bench Seat | 1690 x 350 x 460mm | Not stated | 400kg UDL | 17.6kg | Polywood slats, aluminium base |
| Ridge Large Bench Seat | 2140 x 350 x 460mm | Not stated | 400kg UDL | 20.8kg | Polywood slats, aluminium base |
| Flexi Stacking Chair With Backrest | Seat 420 x 450mm, 440mm high | One | 135kg | 5.6kg | Not stated; UV treated |
| Rover Mobile Bench Seat | 800mm wide | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Maple hardwood frame, acoustic panelling, cushion |
Schools, parks and staff areas in Australia
Australian students eat lunch outside for much of the year, so playground tables get hard daily use. One-piece picnic tables suit open yards. Separate tables, benches and Flexi chairs suit covered outdoor learning areas that double as lunch spots.
Council and holiday parks are busiest over the summer school holidays and long weekends, when tables are in use from breakfast to dinner. Heavy, low-maintenance pieces cope best with that pattern. In workplaces, the Medium Picnic Table's page names workplace courtyard seating and communal breakout areas as uses.
Every product in this guide lists metro Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide in its Delivery line, and all seven sit in our commercial outdoor furniture for Perth range. Deliveries go to the ground-floor entrance, and goods arrive flat-packed unless the product page says assembled.
Picnic tables — frequently asked questions
How many people can sit at a picnic table?
A picnic table with 1800mm benches seats about six adults, three per side, although the Ridge pages do not state a seat count. The larger 2200mm model fits three or four adults per side, and more young children.
What size picnic table do I need?
Start with the footprint: the Medium needs 1800mm by 1660mm and the Large 2200mm by 1900mm. Leave extra room around each table so people can step in and out and walk past.
What is the best material for outdoor picnic tables?
Low-maintenance slats on a powder-coated metal frame are a practical choice for commercial use. The Ridge range pairs European Oak finish polywood slats with a black powder-coated aluminium base and stainless steel hardware.
Are picnic tables or separate benches better for schools?
Picnic tables suit open playgrounds, because a one-piece unit is heavy and keeps seating together. Separate tables and benches, or stackable chairs, suit covered areas that also host classes or events.
Shop the range
Pair these pieces with more seating from our commercial outdoor chairs. Every product in this guide is listed below.
- Ridge Outdoor Medium Picnic Table ($1,301): school yards and staff courtyards needing a one-piece table with integrated benches
- Ridge Outdoor Large Picnic Table ($1,546): parks and busy lunch areas wanting a deeper top and 73kg of stability
- Ridge Outdoor Medium Table ($651): flexible outdoor dining that can take benches or stackable chairs
- Ridge Outdoor Medium Bench Seat ($424): pairing with the Medium Table, with one bench along each long side
- Ridge Outdoor Large Bench Seat ($497): longer tables, paths and fence lines needing a 2140mm bench
- Flexi Stacking Chair With Backrest ($112): schools and community spaces needing UV treated chairs that stack away
- Rover Mobile Bench Seat ($1,294): indoor staff rooms and learning spaces that are rearranged often
Metro delivery is a flat $75 per order, and prices include GST.
