Last Boxing Day my sister-in-law counted heads at 2pm and realised she had fourteen people coming and a four-seat outdoor table that had done the job fine for years. Everyone ended up balancing plates on laps around the pool. It’s a common problem in Australian backyards — the family grows, the gatherings get bigger, but the outdoor furniture stays the same size it was in 2015.
If you’re in that spot now, working out the right outdoor dining set isn’t really about style first. It’s about counting chairs, measuring your space, and being honest about how often you actually host ten-plus people versus a quiet dinner for four.
How many people does a 13 piece outdoor dining set seat?
A 13 piece set typically means one large table plus 12 chairs — built for exactly the scenario above: Christmas lunch, a 21st, a footy grand final barbecue where the whole extended family turns up. The Garden Dining Set 13 Piece in grey poly rattan is built for that job. It comes with cushioned seating, so nobody’s stuck on a hard chair for three hours while the pavlova gets sorted.
Poly rattan (sometimes called PE wicker) is worth understanding before you buy anything in this category. It’s a synthetic weave over an aluminium or steel frame, not real cane, which means it doesn’t rot, splinter or need oiling. Rain sits on it and dries off. A hose-down after a windy dust storm is usually all the maintenance it needs. The grey tone also hides pollen and outdoor grime better than white or black, which matters if your table lives under a tree.
Match the set size to your backyard, not your wish list
Before you fall for the biggest table in the range, measure the actual space. A 13 piece set needs real room — you’re looking at roughly 3 metres of clearance in one direction once chairs are pulled out, plus a bit more if it sits near a barbecue or a sliding door people walk through. Small courtyards and apartment balconies will feel cramped fast.
- Small courtyard or balcony, 2-4 regulars: a compact set makes more sense than an oversized table you can barely walk around.
- Medium patio, family of four with occasional guests: a 5 to 7 piece set covers weekday dinners and still stretches for a Sunday roast with the in-laws.
- Larger backyard, regular big gatherings: this is where the 13 piece set earns its keep — it’s not overkill, it’s the set that means you’re not borrowing chairs from the neighbours every Christmas.
If 13 seats is more than you need
Not every household needs to seat a dozen people every week. If your usual crowd is four to six, the Outdoor Garden Dining Set 5 Piece in black steel with textilene chairs is a smarter fit. Textilene is a woven mesh fabric stretched over a steel frame — it breathes in summer so you’re not peeling your legs off a hot vinyl seat, and it dries fast after rain. Black steel also reads a bit more modern and low-key than rattan, which suits a smaller patio where you don’t want the furniture to dominate the space.
For something in between — say you host six to eight people a few times a year, birthdays and the odd Sunday lunch — the 7 Piece Outdoor Dining Set in black is the middle ground. It’s the set a lot of Bestar customers land on when a 13 piece feels like too much table for a normal week but a 5 piece won’t stretch for a birthday.
What actually holds up outdoors, long term
A dining set that looks great in the listing photo but rusts through in eighteen months isn’t saving you money. A few things worth checking before you buy:
- Frame material — aluminium resists rust better than untreated steel, especially if you’re near the coast where salt air chews through cheap finishes fast.
- Cushion covers — removable, machine-washable covers matter more than the cushion filling itself. Mould loves cushions left out after a wet week, so being able to strip the cover and wash it saves the whole cushion.
- Glass or tempered tabletop — tempered glass tops handle hot dishes and UV better than laminate, and they’re easier to wipe down after a barbecue sauce disaster.
- Weave tension on poly rattan — a tight, even weave with no gaps holds its shape for years; a loose weave sags and stretches within a season or two.
Storage and covers matter more than people think
Even weather-resistant furniture lasts longer with a bit of care. If your outdoor area doesn’t have a roof or pergola, a fitted outdoor furniture cover for the table and chairs through winter stops water pooling on cushions and slows down UV fading on the rattan or textilene. It’s a cheap add-on that noticeably extends how long a set looks new — worth factoring into the budget alongside the set itself.
The short version
Buy for the gatherings you actually host, not the ones you imagine hosting. If Christmas lunch for fourteen is a yearly reality, the 13 piece grey poly rattan set solves a genuine problem — no more borrowed chairs, no more plates on laps. If your crowd tops out around six, a 5 or 7 piece set will fit your space better and cost less to boot. Either way, check the frame material and cushion covers before checkout — that’s what decides whether you’re still happy with the set in three summers, not just this one.