Every outdoor lounge chair in Australia ends up with the same problem: a wine glass balanced on an armrest, a phone on the decking and a plate with nowhere to go. The fix is the cheapest piece in the whole setting. Side tables for outside are the smallest thing you will buy for an outdoor area and the one everybody reaches for, which is why the material matters more than the price tag.
This guide compares the four finishes you will actually meet when you shop for one: powder-coated aluminium, synthetic wicker, concrete-look and timber. It covers what each is really like after a Brisbane summer or a Melbourne winter. Every table named below is from our outdoor side tables range, with the price it sells for today.
What a side table actually has to do
A side table has one job: put a flat surface within arm's reach of someone already sitting down. That sounds obvious, but it rules out a surprising number of tables. If the top sits well below the chair arm, people reach down and knock things over. If the footprint is wide, it blocks the walkway between the lounge and the back door.
So the shortlist is short. You want a top somewhere near seat or arm height, a footprint small enough to disappear when nobody is using it, and a weight you can shift with one hand. The Slat 49x49 Outdoor Side Table ($249) is the standard answer here: a 49cm square top at 45cm high in powder-coated aluminium. It is plain enough that it will not argue with a setting you already own.
Aluminium, wicker, concrete-look or timber compared
Material is where side tables genuinely differ. The frame decides whether the table survives salt air, whether it stays put in wind, and how much maintenance you sign up for. Here is the honest version.
| Material | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Powder-coated aluminium | Coastal homes, balconies, anywhere you move furniture around | Light enough to shift in strong wind on an exposed balcony |
| Synthetic wicker | Softening a hard-edged setting; matching a wicker lounge | Cheaper weaves can go brittle under UV — look for UV-stabilised |
| Concrete-look | A solid, low-key look that stays where you put it | Heavy to move, and the weight can matter on a balcony |
| Timber and teak | Warmth and a natural finish beside neutral cushions | Needs oiling or it silvers off; the most upkeep of the four |
| Tempered glass top | Wiping down fast; feels light in a small space | Shows rings, dust and pollen almost immediately |
For most Australian backyards, powder-coated aluminium wins on effort alone. It does not rust, it does not need oiling, and the powder coat takes the UV hit instead of the metal underneath. Timber looks warmer and teak ages beautifully, but only if you are the sort of person who actually oils it — and most of us are not.
Matching height and footprint to the chair beside it
Measure the chair before you measure the gap. A side table beside a deep lounge chair wants to land near the arm, roughly 40–55cm off the ground, so a drink is a small movement away rather than a lean. Beside a taller dining chair or a bar stool, that same table will feel like it is on the floor.
Footprint is the other half. Where a square table simply will not fit, a C-shaped frame solves it by going over the seat rather than beside it. The Menzin 40x30 Outdoor Side Table ($282) does exactly that — the aluminium base slides under the lounge and the 60cm-high top lands where your hand already is. It works indoors too, so it follows you inside when the weather turns.
Side tables, coffee tables and modular gaps
People often shop for a side table when a coffee table is the right answer, or the other way around. The rule of thumb: a coffee table serves the whole group from the middle, a side table serves one or two people from the edge. Large lounges usually need both, and it is worth reading our guide to coffee tables and side tables before you commit to either.
Modular lounges add a third case. When two corner sofas meet, you are often left with a narrow gap that no square table fits. The Cuban Modular 85x30 Outdoor Side Table ($374) is built for that slot at just 30cm deep and 85cm long, with a tempered glass top and enough length for more than one glass. If your layout has no such gap, skip it and browse the outdoor coffee tables range instead.
What Australian conditions do to a small table
Within a few kilometres of the coast — think the Gold Coast, Wollongong, Fremantle — salt carried on the breeze is the thing that kills outdoor furniture. Aluminium is the sensible choice there because it does not rust, and a rinse with fresh water every few weeks is genuinely the whole maintenance routine. The Shelby 50x50 Outdoor Side Table ($212) pairs an aluminium frame with a tempered safety glass top and is made for exactly those conditions.
Wind is the second factor, and it catches balcony owners out. A light table on the eleventh floor in Melbourne or Sydney will move, so choose a wider base, keep it tucked against a wall, and bring it in when a front comes through. If you are in an apartment, check your strata or body corporate rules first — many buildings have conditions on what can sit on a balcony, and they vary from building to building.
UV is the third. Australian summer sun fades fabric and chalks cheap plastic long before anything structural gives way. Powder-coated and UV-stabilised finishes hold their colour far longer, and moving a table under the eaves over the hottest months costs nothing.
Side tables for outside: frequently asked questions
Can outdoor side tables be left out in the rain?
Yes — aluminium, synthetic wicker and concrete-look tables are made to stay outside year-round. Timber can also be left out, but it will weather to a silver-grey unless you oil it. The only real caution is standing water on a glass top, which leaves marks if you never wipe it.
What height should an outdoor side table be?
Match the seat or arm height of the chair next to it, which usually means 40–55cm. Lounge chairs sit low, so a 45cm table works well; a taller C-shaped design that reaches over the seat is the exception, because the top is meant to clear the cushion.
How much should I spend on a side table for outside?
Entry-level outdoor side tables start around $150 and most quality aluminium options land between $200 and $400. The jump in price usually buys you a thicker frame, a better powder coat and a top that will not mark, rather than a bigger table.
Do I need two side tables or one coffee table?
If more than three people use the space at once, two side tables usually beat one coffee table. They serve the ends of a lounge run where a central table cannot reach, and they can be moved apart when you need the floor space back.
Shop the range
If you are starting from scratch, the Round Outdoor Side Table ($150) is the easiest place to begin. It has a 45cm aluminium top at 55cm high and is light enough to carry in one hand between the lounge and the garden. Browse the full outdoor side tables collection to compare shapes and finishes, or work back from the seating in our outdoor lounge settings range.
We deliver Australia-wide, delivery is free on orders over $100, and most orders are dispatched within 3–10 business days.
