Start with how you sit
Ask yourself three plain questions. How long do you usually stay out — five minutes with a coffee or two hours with a book? How many people sit at once on a normal day, not on the one evening a year you host? And what posture do you prefer: upright at a table, reclined, or cross-legged near the floor? Your answers point to a seat type before you have looked at a single product.
A solo morning-coffee habit might need nothing more than one good folding chair and a railing shelf. Two people who eat dinner outside most summer evenings need a table with real knee room. Someone who reads for hours may be happier with a deep cushion on a low bench than with two hard chairs.
The measurements that decide comfort
Seat dimensions matter more than seat count. Typical dining-height seats sit around 43–46 cm off the floor with a seat depth of 40–45 cm. Lounge seats are lower and deeper, which feels relaxing but takes more floor and makes standing up harder. Under a table, allow around 60 cm of width per person and at least 25–30 cm between seat and tabletop for thighs. Behind the seat, keep the 60–75 cm pull-back space described in our measuring guide.
Seat types, compared honestly
- Folding chairs
Store at 8–10 cm deep. Good for short sits and narrow balconies; firmer and less supportive for long reading sessions.
- Stacking chairs
Sturdier and quicker to set out. Ideal if you sit outside daily, but they never shrink below one seat's footprint.
- Storage bench
Seats two along a wall and hides cushions. Heavy when full, so check weight with your building and keep it off the drain line.
- Floor cushions and poufs
Almost no stored footprint and flexible. Low seating can be hard on knees and stays damp if left out.
- Railing bar and stools
Uses the rail line, leaving the floor open. Only where railing fixings are permitted and the stool never acts as a step.
