# How good are slatted picnic tables?



## CaGreg (Mar 28, 2007)

I have just discovered the existence of this product - a slatted picnic table. Well, it's only been five years since we got the van.
Would it be worth buying one? Are they stable? Do they last well?

Answers on a postcard please, or even better, just tell me here.
Thanks 
Ca


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## blongs (Jan 12, 2009)

We have one of these Ebay and love it.

Very strong and very easy to put up.

Ben


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## an99uk (May 12, 2005)

Do you mean the ones that fold up into a bag like this.
http://www.shopwiki.co.uk/Small-Aluminium-Slatted-Folding-Table/products/Small

We have had one for years, haven't found anything to replace it with.
Quite stable, folds up into a neat bag, a bit too neat really as himself hates putting it away.( It needs gentle persuasion to go in its bag)

If this is the kind try to get one with adjustable legs for uneven ground.


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## randonneur (Jan 25, 2007)

We have had one for quite a while, we bought it from Riversway Leisure and I think it was £14.


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## mikebeaches (Oct 18, 2008)

Afraid I'm not a fan of the ones that roll up into a bag. Bought one at Argos, but took it back the next day. It was too much of a faf putting it up, from my perspective. Also, found the aluminium rubbed off on my hands - yuk.

Just a personal opinion of course - I'm sure there are lots that love them.

In the end we spent £20 on a well-made Dutch manufactured table with adjustable legs for uneaven ground. It's superb and very quick to put up.


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## LPDrifter (Aug 17, 2005)

Yes been using one for about five years
Very good. Takes about two - three minutes to put up or take down to stow in its own bag.

Easy to clean - we like it


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## geraldandannie (Jun 4, 2006)

LPDrifter said:


> Yes been using one for about five years
> Very good. Takes about two - three minutes to put up or take down to stow in its own bag. Easy to clean - we like it


Same here. We bought ours from an end-of-season sale in Tesco for £10. This was 5 years ago, and we're still using it now.

Gerald


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## SaddleTramp (Feb 15, 2007)

Been using one now for a few years, Extremely easy to erect and pack away and very sturdy, also much lighter than standard tables.


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

Ours fell apart, all the little plastic clips for holding the slats to the rail broke. There must be good quality ones and carp ones, even so it wasn't cheap. We now have Gelert (I think) folding table from Amazon and are very pleased with it, Alan.


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## BritStops (Mar 3, 2011)

Hmm, interesting thread. Wish I could provide a more useful reply, but we bought one about a month or so ago, and for some reason that was probably sound at the time, brought it indoors.

This meant of course that on the last three times we've been out in the motorhome, we've forgotten to take it! :roll: 

This thread has reminded me, so I'll try putting it up today and see how I get on, then pop it into the motorhome!

Steve


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## Solwaybuggier (Mar 4, 2008)

We've had one about 4 years - the bag has disintegrated around the seams but otherwise OK. The bag for ours is plenty big enough though - it looks as though they maybe used the same bag for all sizes?

Only other thing to watch on some of them is the coating for the aluminium - we stood ours upside down on the grass at a festival and the coating seemed to degrade. (Presumably the field was used for cattle normally and it was a reaction to ammonia?)


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## midlifecrisismil (Sep 27, 2009)

Yep we've got one just like blongs (from Go Outdoors). Stays in the van rolls up into a bag approx 3ft x 8sq".

Very useful and sturdy and have had no problems with it.

Milly


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## The-Cookies (Nov 28, 2010)

had one for 2 years can not fault it , lightweight .compact .sturdy .quick to erect


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## 96706 (Nov 13, 2005)

Had ours for 3 years now. Got on our last trip to NZ  
Very easy to set up and it copes with un level ground very well.
Stows away so we keep it in the van along with a pair of £4.99 fold up chairs from Tesco. Absolute bargain but also does the job very well.


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## CaGreg (Mar 28, 2007)

Thanks for all the replies. I guess we will be getting ourselves one of these in the near future and Greg will stop moaning about balancing his dinner dish on his lap, something I quite enjoy, being of the 'less is more' frame of mind. 
Another thing on the shower floor. . . . .

Ca


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## Caggsie (Aug 19, 2008)

We have two sizes, one to seat four, like the ones described by other. I made a bag for ours as the original disintegrated. Just large over sized pump bag with drawer string. Easy to do if you can use a sewing machine. The other is smaller for when it's just the two of us, this is slightly different, it just folds in half by pulling the table top apart and folding towards the legs. Both are light, but the larger table takes up less room. Better than lugging the MH supplied table out when you alfresco.


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## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

mikebeaches said:


> Afraid I'm not a fan of the ones that roll up into a bag. Bought one at Argos, but took it back the next day. It was too much of a faf putting it up, from my perspective. Also, found the aluminium rubbed off on my hands - yuk.
> 
> Just a personal opinion of course - I'm sure there are lots that love them.
> 
> In the end we spent £20 on a well-made Dutch manufactured table with adjustable legs for uneaven ground. It's superb and very quick to put up.


Oh how I wish I'd read this thread first!

I just bought one from Argos - looks great until you want to put it back in the bag - only possible by removing 10 plastic clips which have to be put back when re assembling.

What a load of rubbish - back to Argos we go.


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## emjaiuk (Jun 3, 2005)

These replies seem to sum up my experience. We've got a small one which came from Aldi or Lidl, has several pieces, and is a pain to put up and take apart, and because of the support frame isn't particually easy to sit at. We've also got a larger table which was much more expensive, I originally bought to use on a exhibition stand. This has only two parts, is quick and easy to put up and take down, and ideal for sitting at. It seems to to be very much that you get what you pay for with these tables. 

I don't think I'd go back to a rigid one though! 

Malcolm


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## oldtart (Mar 18, 2006)

Hi,we've just used ours. No problem. Dave put the Cobb on it to do our chicken pieces.No problem. We've had it for at least five years. Bought it at the Crick boat show.

Val


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## hsscrm (May 24, 2012)

We bought one and used it for a year then got a flat table which foldaway legs although that was more to do with needing a bigger table. Slatted one was fine. Got it from Go Outdoors, I think.


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## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

Like many other things in this world, there are "slatted tables" and there are "slatted tables". You get what you pay for.

I thought £22.99 was a good price to pay at Argos - not cheap, not expensive. Turned out to be rubbish.

Immediate refund on my purchase.

I've recently seen a few better examples that are much better quality and certainly easy to assemble and dis-assemble.

You live and learn - especially here.


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## BritStops (Mar 3, 2011)

Just read this thread and was surprised to see my post on page 1! :lol: 

Anyway, to bring you up to date, the table has been in constant use as part of our stand at shows this whole season (in the wind, rain, hail and mud) and has stood up brilliantly to the test.

Only problem now is that when we want it to eat tea it's not available! :roll: 

Steve


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## 4maddogs (May 4, 2010)

I have a couple from tenting days. 
They were both stoopidly expensive as we got them when this sort first came ot....they are still almost perfect. I don't use them now, so ought to get rid of them. But then I do hoard gear!


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## GROUNDHOG (Mar 7, 2006)

Ok so I want one but which is the best one to get, don't mind paying a decent price for a decent table!


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## dawnwynne (Nov 14, 2009)

We bought one at a mh show a couple years ago and its great. I think it cost £35


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