The short answer: allow 60cm of table edge per person. A 180cm table seats six in chairs, or up to eight with benches down each side. Then allow 90cm of clear space behind the chairs so people can stand up without hitting a wall or railing. For a 180cm table that means a total footprint of roughly 3.6m × 2.7m.
That last number is the one people miss. Almost every outdoor dining table that ends up feeling wrong was the right size for the space and the wrong size for the space plus the chairs.
How many people does an outdoor dining table seat?
| Table length | Seats in chairs | Seats with benches | Total space needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 120cm | 4 | 4–6 | 3.0m × 2.7m |
| 150cm | 4–6 | 6 | 3.3m × 2.7m |
| 180cm | 6 | 6–8 | 3.6m × 2.7m |
| 200cm | 6–8 | 8 | 3.8m × 2.7m |
| 240cm | 8–10 | 10 | 4.2m × 2.7m |
Benches seat more people in the same length because they don't need the shoulder clearance individual chairs do. They also tuck fully under the table when nobody's using them, which is why they suit narrow decks and balconies.
How much clearance do you need around an outdoor dining table?
Allow 90cm behind each chair. That's enough for someone to push their chair back and stand without colliding with a wall, a railing or a barbecue. If people need to walk behind seated guests — to reach a door or a kitchen — make it 110cm on that side.
You can drop to about 70cm on a side that nobody walks past, such as a table pushed toward a garden bed. Below that, guests on the outside end up shuffling sideways to get out, which is exactly the feeling you're trying to avoid outdoors.
Will it fit on my balcony, courtyard or deck?
Measure the usable area, not the whole space. Subtract anything you can't put furniture on: the swing of a door, the path to a gate, a barbecue with its lid up, the drop zone under a clothesline.
- Balcony (under 3m deep): a 120–150cm table with benches, or a round table for four. Benches matter more here than anywhere else.
- Courtyard (3–4m): 180cm is usually the sweet spot — seats six, still leaves walking space.
- Open deck or lawn (4m+): 180–240cm, and you can use chairs on all sides.
If you're between two sizes, the bench question usually decides it: benches buy you two extra seats without buying more length.
Should I choose chairs or benches?
Chairs are more comfortable for long meals, because they support your back. Benches seat more people, cost less per seat, tuck away completely and suit families with children who shuffle along rather than climbing in and out.
A lot of people end up with both — a bench on the wall side where nobody needs to get out quickly, chairs on the open side. That combination is worth considering before you default to six matching chairs.
What height should an outdoor dining table be?
The same as an indoor one: 71–76cm, with 76cm most common, and chair seats around 45cm so there's 25–30cm of legroom between the seat and the underside of the top. Outdoor tables don't use a different standard, which means indoor dining chairs will physically fit — though they won't survive the weather. We cover the pairing maths in detail in our standard dining table height guide.
Round or rectangular outdoors?
Rectangular tables seat more people per square metre and sit better against a wall, fence or balcony edge — which is where most outdoor dining happens. Round tables are more sociable and safer in tight spaces because there are no corners to catch a hip, but they waste space when pushed against a boundary.
Outdoors, rectangular wins more often than it does indoors, simply because outdoor spaces tend to be long and narrow rather than square.
A worked example
A courtyard measuring 4.5m × 3.2m, with a door at one end and a barbecue along one side. Subtract the door swing and the barbecue zone and you have roughly 4m × 2.8m of usable space. A 180cm table needs 3.6m × 2.7m including clearance — it fits, with a little room to spare, and seats six in chairs or eight if you run benches down both sides.
Our outdoor tables are built around a 180cm dining table for exactly this reason — it's the size that suits the largest number of Australian courtyards and decks. You can see it with matching seating in outdoor dining furniture, or browse the full outdoor range.
Frequently asked questions
What size outdoor table seats 8?
A 200–240cm table seats eight in chairs. A 180cm table will seat eight if you use benches down both sides, since benches don't need shoulder clearance between seats.
How much space do you need per person at an outdoor table?
About 60cm of table edge each. That's the width a place setting and a person's shoulders comfortably occupy.
How much room do you need behind an outdoor dining chair?
90cm is the working figure — enough to push back and stand. Increase it to 110cm on a side people need to walk past, or reduce to 70cm on a side nobody uses.
Is an outdoor dining table the same height as an indoor one?
Yes. Both sit at 71–76cm, with 76cm most common, so chair pairing works the same way indoors and out.
