Restaurant table bases

49 bases carry the tops you choose. Cast iron leads, with aluminum, steel, chrome and stainless steel behind it, in dining and bar heights. A base is bought on its own line, so the first job is arithmetic: the base and the top have to add up to the table height you want.

The arithmetic of a table

Dining tables stand about 29 to 30 inches, and bar-height tables about 40 to 42. Whichever you want, subtract the thickness of your top, and the remainder is the base height to look for. Write that number down before you open a listing. The bar-height table bases page keeps the taller ones together. Say you want a 30 inch table and your top is 1 1/2 inches thick: you need a base about 28 1/2 inches tall. Single bases start around $43 and run to $222.

The spread comes next. A 36 inch round wants a base spread near 24 inches, since the base should reach about two thirds of the width above it. Hold the same rule up to any top you plan to use, square or round.

Materials, and where each one sits

Cast iron leads with 15 bases, then aluminum and steel at 6 each, chrome at 3 and stainless steel at 2. Every base lists indoor use; nine also list the patio. The cast iron table bases are the largest group, and the chrome table bases are a short shelf. A free metal finish swatch settles the color question under your own lights.

For the patio, the outdoor table bases page holds the pieces listed for outdoor use. Even those want a rinse, a place for the water to drain and a cover in November.

Knee room and footprint

Under a top, a base is also where knees go. X-prong bases reach toward the corners, and round bases keep the footprint compact. For guests who use a wheelchair, the 2010 ADA Standards set the height of an accessible dining surface at 28 to 34 inches, and under it the knee space should run at least 27 inches high by 30 wide by 19 deep. Treat that as a planning check and read the current standard and your local code. Freight is quoted per delivery address, and a base and its top are separate lines on the order.

Pair it with a top

A base alone doesn't make a table. Open the table tops and match the size to the party you expect, then save the pairing to Patio plans so the base and top stay together.