Grey Rattan Garden Table and Chairs

Choosing grey rattan garden table and chairs

A garden dining set is the piece of outdoor furniture that gets used most, from a quick breakfast in the sun to a long Saturday dinner. Before you compare colours, settle three things: how many people normally eat together, what shape of dining table fits your patio, and whether everyone needs a proper dining chair or some can perch on a footstool.

Pick the number of seats first

Buy for the people who eat outside most weekends, not for the one big barbecue each summer. The garden dining sets on this page fall into four sizes:

• 4 seat - a couple or a small family, and the easiest outdoor dining set to fit on a small patio. Round tables of 90cm to 102cm, or a 109cm square cube design. See all 4 seater rattan garden furniture.
• 6 seat - the most popular size of garden dining set, mostly on a rectangular table of 140cm to 200cm. Compare every 6 seater rattan garden furniture set.
• 8 seat - usually a cube design with four garden chairs and four footstools. More in our 8 seater rattan garden furniture.
• 10 seat - six armchairs plus four footstools around a 165cm or 175cm table, for big families. See the 10 seater rattan garden furniture page.

Round, square or rectangular dining table

A round table is the sociable choice. Everyone sits the same distance from the middle, conversation flows, and there are no corners to knock into on a small patio. Our round dining tables run from 90cm for four up to the 136cm table with a lazy Susan for six. If you like this shape, there is more in round rattan garden furniture.

A square rattan dining table tucks neatly into the corner of a terrace or against a fence, which is why most cube sets use one. A rectangular table is the practical pick for a 6 seat dining table set or bigger: chairs line up along both long sides, and a 150cm by 80cm or 90cm table sits well on the typical narrow UK patio running along the back of the house.

Dining chairs, footstools or a sofa set

Count the backrests, not the seats. On a cube dining set, four of the "seats" are padded footstools with no back. They are fine for children or a party, but six adults at a long Sunday lunch want six proper garden dining chairs. If you would rather lounge after the meal, a sofa set like the 860-069 gives you a three-seat sofa and two armchairs around a glass table, at a lower seat height. For a corner sofa you will mostly relax on rather than eat at, look at our grey rattan corner sofas instead.

Grey rattan table and chair sets compared

Here is every garden dining set on this page side by side, with sizes from the Aosom product details. Prices change daily in the feed, so the last column shows a band rather than an exact figure. Seat height is measured without the cushion; a dash means the supplier does not list it.

A few things stand out. Most of the 4 and 6 seat sets sit between £400 and £600. The extra money on the dearer sets buys an aluminium frame, a bigger table or a feature such as the fire pit or lazy Susan. And the seat height varies more than you might expect: 40cm to 43cm suits a 72cm to 75cm dining table, while the 35cm and 34cm seats on the 861-110 and the sofa set feel lower and more relaxed.

Light grey, mixed grey or charcoal: which grey?

"Grey" covers a wide spread of colours on rattan garden furniture, and a set looks different on a sunny patio from how it looks in a product photo.

• Light grey (861-086, 841-108, 861-037) looks fresh and modern against dark paving or green lawn, and makes a small outdoor space feel bigger. It shows mud and bird droppings sooner, so plan to wipe it down more often.
• Mixed grey (861-045, 861-114, 861-055, 861-031) blends two or more tones in each strand. It looks the most like natural wicker and is the best at hiding dust and pollen between cleans.
• Mid grey is the safe middle: it goes with sandstone, grey slate and timber decking alike.
• Charcoal and dark grey (861-071 in charcoal) look smart against light stone and white render, and hide marks well, but they get warmer in direct sun.

Grey also pairs easily with other colours. Bright seat cushions, a navy or terracotta umbrella and potted plants all stand out against it, while white and black give a crisp monochrome look.

Tabletops: glass, slatted, wood or marble effect

The top of the dining table is the part you touch at every meal, so it is worth choosing on purpose.

• Tempered glass is the most common. It is heat-treated to be far stronger than ordinary glass and breaks into small blunt pieces rather than shards. Clear glass shows the wicker underneath; the black 5mm glass on the 861-071 is rated to 80°C and hides water marks better.
• Slatted metal (861-110, 861-111) lets rain drain straight through, so there is no puddle to wipe off before you eat.
• Acacia wood slats (861-099) look warmer and more natural next to the grey weave. Acacia is a dense hardwood, but give it a coat of oil once a year to keep the colour.
• Marble-effect glass on the lazy Susan set has the pattern printed into the toughened glass, so it never needs sealing like real stone.

Frames, weave and cushions

Steel or aluminium frame

Under the wicker, every garden dining set has a metal frame. Powder-coated steel is the most common and keeps the price down; it is strong and stable, but a deep chip in the coating can let rust start. Aluminium, which is weatherproof and used on the 861-037, 861-055, 861-031, 860-069 and lazy Susan sets, cannot rust and makes each garden chair lighter to move. It is the main reason those sets cost more.

PE rattan weave

All the sets here use PE rattan, a synthetic polyethylene wicker, not natural cane. It is weather resistant: it does not soak up water, crack in frost or rot, and it holds its colour in UV light far better than painted natural rattan, so each rattan chair keeps its shape for years. Look for a round or half-round strand, as on the 861-111 and 861-055: it feels more substantial than a flat strand and looks closer to real wicker.

Cushions

Seat cushions on these sets are 5cm or 6cm thick, and some add back cushions or throw pillows too. The covers zip off for washing on most sets. The 861-055 uses 230gsm olefin fabric, which resists fading better than standard polyester. Cushions are not built to sit out in the rain, so bring them in or keep them in a storage box when you are not using the set.

How much patio space a grey rattan dining set needs

Measure your patio before you order. A common rule of thumb is to leave about 90cm between the table edge and any wall, step or flower bed, so chairs can be pulled out and people can walk behind them. As a rough guide:

• 90cm to 102cm round table for four: a space of about 2.7m to 2.9m square.
• 109cm square cube set: about 2.9m square in use, but only about 1.1m square when the chairs and footstools are tucked away.
• 150cm x 90cm table for six: about 3.3m x 2.7m.
• 200cm x 100cm table for six: about 3.8m x 2.8m.
• 165cm to 175cm cube table for ten: about 3.5m x 3m.

Short on room? Cube sets are the space saving choice, and you will find the full range in rattan cube garden furniture. For a balcony or a tiny courtyard, a bistro set with a small coffee table is often enough: see our rattan bistro sets.

Parasols, fire pits and lazy Susans

Several grey sets come with extras that make outdoor dining easier:

• Parasol hole - most tables have a 4.2cm to 5cm hole for a pole. The 861-086 sets include a 270cm parasol; for the others you need an umbrella and a weighted base.
• Lazy Susan - the 861-134 round rattan dining table has a 52cm turntable in the middle, so six people can reach the salad and sauces without passing plates across.
• Fire pit table - the 867-166 has a 50,000 BTU propane burner in the centre of a 150 x 85cm glass table, with lava rocks, a glass windscreen and room for the gas bottle inside the base.
• Adjustable feet - on the 861-110, 861-111 and 861-099, so the table does not rock on uneven paving.

Using a fire pit dining table safely

A gas fire pit table is for open air only: never use it in a conservatory, garage, gazebo with closed sides or under a low roof, as burning gas makes carbon monoxide. Read the NHS advice on carbon monoxide poisoning and the HSE guidance on gas safety, check the hose for cracks each spring, and turn the bottle off at the valve after use. There are more sets like this in rattan garden furniture with fire pit.

Looking after grey rattan furniture through the year

PE rattan needs very little care, but a few habits keep a grey set looking new for longer:

• Wipe the wicker with a damp cloth and mild soapy water, and use a soft brush for dirt in the gaps. Avoid bleach and pressure washers, which can lift the strands.
• Clean glass tops with ordinary glass cleaner, and oil an acacia wood top once a year.
• Bring cushions in when rain is due, and wash the covers at the end of the season.
• Over winter, the frame and wicker can stay outside, but a breathable cover keeps off leaves and bird mess. A cube design is easiest to cover, as every chair tucks under the table.
• Check the frame bolts on each table and chair every spring and tighten any that have worked loose.

Delivery, assembly and your rights

Most of these sets come with free delivery to the UK mainland from Aosom, in two to five boxes, and need some assembly. Allow an afternoon and a second pair of hands: the acacia 861-099, for example, is listed as a two-person job of about two hours. Check every glass panel when it arrives. If something turns up damaged or faulty, the government's guide to consumer rights explains what you are entitled to, and Which? has a useful guide to buying garden furniture if you are still weighing up materials.

Grey rattan garden table and chairs FAQs

Can a rattan dining set stay outside all year?

Yes, the weatherproof PE rattan and powder-coated or aluminium frames on these garden furniture sets are made to live outdoors. Bring the cushions inside, and use a breathable cover over winter to keep the wicker clean and stop water sitting on glass tops.

Does grey rattan fade in the sun?

PE rattan is UV resistant, so it fades far more slowly than natural or painted rattan. Paler shades can look a touch lighter after several summers; a cover when the garden dining set is not in use slows this down.

Is light grey or dark grey easier to keep clean?

Mixed grey hides dust and pollen best, then mid and charcoal grey. The palest sets show marks soonest, but it stays cooler to sit on in direct sun.

Do the footstools count as seats?

In the listings, yes, which is how a cube set with four chairs is sold as an 8 seater. For adults at a long meal, count the chairs with backrests.

What seat height should a garden dining chair have?

Around 40cm to 45cm suits a table 72cm to 75cm high, close to an indoor dining table. Most sets here sit at 40cm to 43cm. Seats of 34cm to 38cm feel more like lounge chairs.

Can I add a parasol?

Most tables have a 4.2cm to 5cm hole in the middle. Two sets include a 270cm parasol; for the rest, pick a pole that fits the hole and use a heavy base so wind cannot lift it.

Can I use a grey rattan dining set in a conservatory?

Yes, PE rattan works well in a conservatory too, and several sets are listed for indoor use. The one exception is the gas fire pit table, which must only be used outdoors.

More grey rattan and dining collections

• Rattan dining sets in every colour, including brown, black and cream
• Grey rattan garden furniture: sofas, loungers, recliners and dining in grey
• Rattan cube garden furniture that tucks away on a small patio
• 6 seater rattan garden furniture and 8 seater rattan garden furniture for bigger families
• Round rattan garden furniture for sociable dining