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This Picnic Table Turns Into a Bench to Solve All Your Outdoor Seating Needs

Photo credit: Bridget Clegg
Photo credit: Bridget Clegg


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On Trial: Best Choice Products 2-in-1 Picnic Table Bench

Tester: Bridget Clegg, aspirational outdoor entertainer

The Brief: The communal backyard of my apartment always stared blankly up at me from my fourth-floor window, begging to be used. This summer is its time to shine. I spent the last few months looking at sold-out patio sets at Ikea, trawling Facebook Marketplace for a score, and wondering both if I could build something and also why the cost of lumber is so high.

That's why I was so thrilled when I found this highly rated 2-in-1 picnic table/garden bench combo at the stellar price point of under $200. It may not be luxurious outdoor furniture, but can it perform its bench and table functions and look cute? TL;DR: yes.

Here's what you're getting with this convertible table-to-bench:

Key Specs

  • Material: fir wood

  • Assembly time: 1 hour

  • Weight capacity: 380 pounds

  • Table Dimensions: 57 x 54 x 30.25 inches

  • Bench Dimensions: 54 x 27 x 33 inches

  • Seating capacity: The table can technically seat four people (without much wiggle room), while the bench can seat two.

  • Umbrella hole? Yes!

The bench is flat-packed in a large box with the basic tools required for set-up. While it can be done on your own with the tools included, having a friend and a power drill with a screwdriver bit will make it a lot easier. Some of the pieces had pre-drilled holes and others didn't, so using a power drill takes a lot less muscle.

Photo credit: Bridget Clegg
Photo credit: Bridget Clegg

The instructions are simple to follow — once you master the skill of holding a screw with a socket wrench in one hand and tightening it with the other. In an hour, you'll have your table assembled and ready for sitting!

This convertible picnic table is made of untreated fir that feels fairly soft. As other reviewers have noted, one of the table planks came with a small splintered dent in it, probably from getting jostled in transport. While this table has held up under extreme rain this past month, I plan on waterproofing it, so it can hold up better against New York City's weather and insects.

The benches in the table formation are almost 4 feet long and come with supports underneath only one of the sides. With a weight capacity of 380 pounds, it's really only possible to seat two to three adults without worrying. There's enough room on the tabletop for four plates or a healthy buffet of snacks and drinks. One perk of the smaller size is that a patio umbrella (purchased separately) provides enough shade for the entire table. When converted into a bench, it can comfortably seat two people and feels super sturdy with the rest of the table components folded up underneath it.

Photo credit: Bridget Clegg
Photo credit: Bridget Clegg

As for the conversion process of this 2-in-1 seat, it only takes one person to switch it from table to bench, and back again. You lift one of the seats up and the tabletop slides into place to become the back of the bench. To get it back to a table, you lift up the back of the bench, and the legs unfurl to land on the ground.

Closing Argument: If your balcony, patio, or lawn is limited on space, the Best Choice Products 2-in-1 Picnic Table Bench is perfect! With a price point in the $200 range, it's a great starter piece to test the waters of outdoor living.

I can finally realize my vision of a 2-in-1 dinner party and outdoor movie viewing with my convertible table, albeit with just a small group of pals.

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