Bench Garden Sets

Benches do two things chairs cannot. They tuck completely under the table when nobody is using them, which matters on a narrow patio, and they take an extra person at a squeeze when someone turns up unannounced.

Each garden table and bench set pairs a solid teak top, round, oval, rectangular or extending, with San Francisco or Belgravia benches. Most combine benches down one side with chairs on the other, which is the arrangement most people actually want: easy seating for the children, proper backs for the adults.

Sizes run from six seats up to twelve. If you are choosing between a bench set and chairs throughout, measure the gap between the table and whatever is behind it. Under about a metre, benches win, because nothing needs to be pulled out to sit down.