To choose the best patio dining furniture for you, consider your porch size and type as well as your budget, style preference and climate. Wicker patio furniture may be ideal in all of these categories for one person, but not another. Of course, the patio dining furniture you select should also accommodate the number of people you'll need to seat most often. If you'll occasionally need more dining space, consider buying another, smaller table and chair set to place on the other side of your porch or elsewhere in your yard. Choosing a smaller and a larger patio dining table that can be pushed together can be a versatile way to help you accommodate guests for an outdoor party or barbecue.
If you have only a small apartment balcony, then you'll be more limited in the size of patio dining furniture to choose. Tables with a folding, or drop, leaf can be effective for small patios since this feature allows them to be pushed against a wall to save space. When extra dining seats are needed, the table can be moved out and the leaf raised up. It's a good idea to pay extra attention to style when selecting patio furniture for plainer porches. For example, if your porch design is rather plain in design or lackluster in color, an ornate, black wrought iron patio dining set may be the best choice. Simple white plastic dining furniture isn't likely to transform the look of an outdoor patio.
For large patios, take care not to choose a dining set that is too small for the space. Patio dining furniture should fit in with the scale of everything surrounding it. If you are looking for a very large dining table, consider a round rather than rectangular one, as it may fit your yard layout better. It's also often easier for more diners to communicate and hear each other at a round rather than a long table.
Consider your outdoor surface when selecting patio dining furniture. If your patio is rugged stone, sturdy metal dining table legs may be best. Whatever material the outdoor dining set you decide on is made of, it's essential to make sure the construction is solid so the table and chairs don't wobble. If you have a covered patio, then a dining table with an umbrella isn't needed, but this is a good feature for roofless porches.