Plastic teak patio tables

These 21 tables pair a synthetic teak or aluminum top with an aluminum or cast iron base, and every one is listed for patio use. Square tops rule the group. Before you pick a finish, decide the height you want and whether the base should be the lighter metal or the heavier one.

Two tops, two base metals

Tops are listed as synthetic teak on 15 tables and aluminum on 14. Bases are aluminum on 15 and cast iron on six. One metal is lighter and one is heavier. Lighter is easier to move when you reset the patio for a private party, heavier is harder to nudge when the wind arrives. Look up the weight on the product page for any corner that catches a breeze.

The word on the label is synthetic teak, so read it as a teak look in a man-made material, not as wood. One aluminum patio table at $215 is where the group starts.

Shapes and party sizes

Square appears on every product, rectangular on 16, round on just two. If your terrace runs on two-tops and four-tops, you are in the right place. Two guests with plates need a top 30 inches on a side. Four sit comfortably at 36 inches square. A rectangular top lets you line up a long party along a railing.

Say the plan calls for 24 seats. Six four-tops at 36 inches square will do it, or 12 two-tops at 30 inches a side. The second plan eats more floor, since 12 tables mean 12 sets of aisles around them. Sketch both in patio plans before you decide.

Height matters as much as shape. Dining tables stand 29 to 30 inches high and bar tables 40 to 42, and the chair has to match. A dining-height chair at a bar-height top leaves guests eating at chin level. Read the table's height on its page, and pick chairs with seats the right distance below it.

Umbrellas, chairs and the season

Tables with a hole for the umbrella pole are gathered in patio tables with umbrella holes. Chairs with the same teak look are in plastic teak patio chairs, though five of those are covered patio only, so check before pairing.

All 21 tables are listed for patio use and 15 for indoor use too. At the end of the season, rinse, drain and cover or store, as you would with any patio table. Patio tables carry a six-month warranty, with details on the warranty page.

For other top and frame combinations, see steel and aluminum patio tables, or lay the whole terrace out in patio plans.