Buy the table that seats eight and it dominates the patio for the fifty weeks a year you are four. Buy the one that seats six and every gathering turns into somebody eating off a side table. Neither choice is wrong, which is exactly the problem.

The leaves are stored inside the table rather than in a shed. Unlock, draw them out on their support brackets, and the top runs from 55 in to 71 in. Two more chairs go on and you are set for eight. When they leave, it folds back down to a 55 in table.

Extended, and set for eight

Three chairs down each long side and one at each end once the leaves are out. At 71 in that gives each side place about 23.5 in of table edge, close and companionable rather than formal, which is generally what a full table looks like anyway.

Three moves, no tools

Unlock the catch underneath, pull the hidden tabletops out until the support brackets take them, then push them back and lock when you are done. The leaves never leave the table, which means there is nothing to find in the garage on the day people arrive.

Solid acacia throughout

The top, the leaves and the chair frames are all the same timber, which the manufacturer describes as high strength with a smooth surface. Their maintenance instruction sits on the same panel. Oil the wood surface regularly, and the oil is not included in the box.

Sling instead of cushions

Grey fabric stretched across the acacia frame on both the seat and the back, rather than pads sitting on top. Breathable, quick drying and wear resistant are the manufacturer's three words for it, and the useful consequence is that nothing has to be carried indoors before a shower.

Two leaves stored inside the table, drawn out on support brackets and locked in place.

Six around the closed table, eight when it is extended. All eight chairs come in the box.

Published for each of the eight chairs. The tabletop is rated at 330 lb.

Table and chairs both, with no metal frame under the weave because there is no weave.

Inclined rather than upright, with curved armrests and a contoured seat.

Through the centre of the closed top. A weighted base is required and is not included.

Light enough to bring two more out from the shed when the table goes long.

On the seat and the back, with nothing padded anywhere to hold water.

Ships from our United States warehouse. Delivery to Canada usually takes 8 to 14 business days, with no customs charges or duties to pay on arrival. Free shipping on orders over $150, a flat $18.90 below that, and tracking by email as soon as it leaves.

Return within 14 days of purchase, unused, in original condition and packaging.

Covered directly by the manufacturer under their warranty terms for material and manufacturing defects.

Found it cheaper at a Canadian retailer? Send us the link and we will match that price. It has to be the same item, in stock, sold and shipped inside Canada, and compared like for like on what comes in the box.

A table that is the right size on a weekday and still the right size when eight people turn up.

Sixteen inches of floor handed back the moment the meal is over, which is a real amount on a small terrace.

Sling panels on both the seat and the back, so nothing has to be carried inside before a shower.

Solid acacia on every frame in the set, on the understanding that it wants oiling now and then.

What we stand behind

• Every measurement above, both weight capacities, both net weights and the 1.97 in umbrella hole come from the product's own dimension drawing and specification block.
• The manufacturer's drawing labels the 55 in setting as six chairs and the 71 in setting as eight, which is the basis for the seating figures given here.
• High strength, smooth surface and natural beauty are their words for the acacia. No wood grade, coating or finish warranty is published, so none is quoted.
• Their instructions are to oil the wood surface regularly and to avoid rain exposure for prolonged service life. Neither the oil nor a cover is included.
• Ships from our United States warehouse, free shipping over $150, and 14 day returns unused in the original packaging.

Where do the leaves go when the table is closed?

Inside the table. They slide out on support brackets when you unlock the catch underneath, and push back in to lock. There is nothing separate to find or store.

Can I still use the umbrella hole when it is extended?

The hole sits in the centre of the closed top, so check the pole position before you extend rather than after. The manufacturer publishes no separate figure for the extended setting.

How much leg room is there?

The seat is 18 in from the ground under a 29.5 in top, which leaves about 11.5 in of lap room. That is within the usual dining range and towards the lower end of it for a taller adult.

How many boxes does it come in?

Five. Each carries its own instruction set between the two supplied, and it is worth waiting for all of them before starting.