Dine out in style! (Royal Folding Picnic Table and Chair Set)

Member Name: dee778

Product:	Royal Folding Picnic Table and Chair Set
Date:	01/08/09 (124 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Small, lightweight, easy to erect

Disadvantages: Not suitable for overweight people

I have owned two of these picnic tables over the past 10 years. I, like many others, take them camping, as they pack down to a very compact size which is easy to fit in the car with the other equipment. They are very sturdy and are also fairly comfortable to sit on.

When I first discovered them whilst on a camping holiday in France, they were not often found on a British campsite, but since then they have become almost compulsory for the family camper and can be seen outide every tent.

They are currently on sale from Argos for £25, but can usually be bought for less at a French hypermarket. A more expensive version made out of aluminium can be bought from most camping shops for around £60. This version is both lighter to carry and more durable.

~~Folding~~
When folded, the table looks like a plastic suitcase. It is 33cm high, 84cm wide and 10cm deep, and has a carrying handle on the long side. It is very light to carry, weighing 6kg.

Opening up the table is a very smooth, three step operation. To open the table, you click open two white plastic locks on the handle and open the two sides of the table to form the table top. Laying the table upside down, you find the seats hidden inside. Gently pulling the seats outwards, the table opens out into an integral seat and table unit, safely locked into place by sliding security catches. Turning the table right side up again, you have a very sturdy unit, about 70cm high, with four stools attached to the table in a two-by-two formation, and standing 40cm high. The area of the table is 84cm by 66cm.

To summarise the three steps:
* fold open the table top
* pull out the chair unit on the right hand side
* pull out the chair unit on the left hand side
* turn the table right side up

OK - I know that strictly speaking this is 4 steps, but I don't count turning the table right side up, as it is obvious that nobody can sit at an upside down table!

~~Construction~~
The seats and the top of the table are made from a sturdy plastic, which can come in a variety of colours. I have owned both the green and the blue, and I can assure you all that the green has a rare touch of class!

The seat has a round dip in the middle, so that any average sized bottom can be comfortably accommodated. There is a handy drainage hole in each seat so that the rain does not collect in the dip. The table has a round hole in the middle for an umbrella, but I have never used this, and I have never, ever seen anybody else use this either! There is a small plastic peg at each end of the table that locks the table in the open position, to avoid unexpected collapse. The surface of both the table and chairs is stippled - I assume that this is to stop it being to slippery.

The folding mechanism and the legs are made from white painted metal. Each leg has a rubber foot for extra grip.

~~Stability, durability, comfort~~
My first camping table cost me £11, and it lasted for over 5 years. I felt this was very good value. Over the years it has had hot pans on the surface, huge teenage boys throwing themselves down onto it, endless rain battering its surfaces, and several incompetent people wrenching it open and resorting to brute force.

Throughout all of this the table remained reliable and seemingly indestructible. It was only the wrenching of the incompetent person that signalled its doom. Today, after 4 years of use, my current table is as good as new - it just has 3 white ring marks on the table where somebody has put down a very hot cup of coffee.

The table is surprisingly stable for such a fragile looking structure. The splayed design of the chairs seem to give it a low centre of gravity, and it doesn't wobble very much at all. There are several safety features that have been installed as an upgrade to the original model: there are plastic locking sliders on the strut that supports the chairs and keeps them splayed out at the correct angle. It is important to slide and lock these before use, just in cast the whole thing collapses when the first person sits at it. There are also two locking keys at each end of the table. These need to be inserted to stop the two sided of the table folding together via the central hinge. Another thing to keep an eye on is the screws that hold the table together. Occasionally the nut on the end of the screw that holds the chair together can work loose. These need to be checked and tightened regularly to prevent the whole thing falling apart.

The table is also very comfortable to sit at. I have sat reading a book for a long time without getting uncomfortable. However there is an optimum number of people who can sit round the table in comfort. Now that my boys are big teenagers, we feel very cramped if we all sit down together. Although it is more than possible, none of us enjoys being in such close proximity while eating, and I would say that the table is more suitable for a family with young children, or a couple. If four people need to sit round a table then it is better to get separate table and chairs so that everybody can subtly edge away from the person next to them.

~~Conclusion~~
I have found this table to be an essential piece of camping kit. It is extremely good value for £25, and can bestow a touch of civilisation to your camping tip.

As a warning, I have to add that the table is very suitable for average adults. In these days of rising obesity, I would not recommend that anybody extremely overweight sits at the table at all.

Summary: An essential piece of camping kit