Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

Aluminium bistro set

Updated: 22 October 2026

A balcony beside a UK kitchen looks simple until the carton arrives and the seats feel like a café stool. An aluminium bistro set is a small round table and two metal chairs, usually cast, usually without thick cushions. The only bistros in the [aluminium garden furniture comparison](/hub/garden-furniture/aluminium-garden-furniture) are the Home Source Rose and the Withniture set. A top near 60 cm and a seat near 42 cm are the figures to check, and a parasol hole is not a parasol. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

A balcony beside a UK kitchen looks simple until the carton arrives and the seats feel like a café stool. An aluminium bistro set is a small round table and two metal chairs, usually cast, usually without thick cushions.

Our top picks

Withniture Withniture 3-piece cast aluminium bistro set

Best overall

Withniture Withniture 3-piece cast aluminium bistro set
7.7/10about £129.99
View offer
Home Source Home Source Rose 3-piece cast aluminium bistro set

Best value

Home Source Home Source Rose 3-piece cast aluminium bistro set
7.4/10about £106.00
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Who a bistro set is for
  2. 2.The two sets in this comparison
  3. 3.Seat height, assembly, and early rust
  4. 4.Parasol hole and wind

Who a bistro set is for

Buy a bistro when two people need somewhere for mugs, a paper, or a weeknight plate, and the paved patch is too small for a corner sofa. A table about 60 cm across leaves the door clear on many balconies where a 2 m lounge would block it. It will not host four adults without knees meeting in the middle. Neighbouring Yaheetech bistros were on amazon.co.uk near £79.99 and £94.99 on 21 October 2026. Those are shelf context, not rows you can score here. If you still need the wider checklist, use the buying guide.

The two sets in this comparison

The Home Source Rose is £106.00, grey cast aluminium, 4.0 from 119 reviews. The bullets size the table at 60 cm across and 66 cm high, and the chairs at 38 × 42 × 82 cm with a seat height of 42 cm. There is a parasol hole. The diameter is not stated. Cushions and a parasol are not included. It is flat-packed with fixings. The item-weight field says 998 g. UK reviews dispute a heavier claim, and one reviewer reports 10.2 kg on scales. Do not plan a car boot around 998 g, because the file does not agree with itself. The Withniture set is £129.99, bronze, 4.6 from 19 reviews. The table is 60.5 cm across and 66 cm high. Weight is 12 kg. The umbrella hole is 5 cm. Feet are adjustable. Tools are in the box. Cushions are not. The top pick in the main table is this Withniture row if you want those measurements written down. The Home Source row is the best value if £106.00 is the limit. Who should skip both, in the wider shortlist, is on the best aluminium garden furniture page.
Withniture Withniture 3-piece cast aluminium bistro set

Testsieger

Withniture Withniture 3-piece cast aluminium bistro set
7.7/10about £129.99
View offer

Seat height, assembly, and early rust

A stated seat of 42 cm is the Home Source figure, and it is low beside many indoor dining chairs nearer 46 cm. Withniture does not print a seat height. One reviewer at 6 ft 5 in found those seats too small. Assembly is required on both. Withniture includes tools, and UK reviews describe fiddly washers and screws on the chairs. Early rust is usually the screws. Home Source buyers report rusty screws and legs within days to a month. That does not mean the aluminium has turned into steel. Wash and what to do with a chip are on the care page. If the holes do not line up, or an edge arrives jagged, that is a fault. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives a short-term right to reject, normally 30 days after delivery, when goods are faulty, not as described, or not fit for purpose.

Parasol hole and wind

A hole guides a pole. It is not a parasol, and it is not a base. Plot & Patio's note on cast bistros makes the same point: the hole locates the pole, and the base still has to hold it. Withniture states 5 cm. Home Source never states a diameter, so do not buy a pole on a guess. Measure the hole when the table is built, then buy the parasol. Nova's care guidance is to close a parasol in wind and when you leave, and to use a base. A table top is not that base. If two low metal chairs are already the wrong posture, look at a cushioned lounge on the main comparison instead of forcing a bistro to be a sofa.

Common questions

Will a bistro set fit a small balcony?
Often, when the free slab is about a metre and the door still needs to open. A 60 cm table plus two chairs is the usual footprint, not a corner sofa. The Home Source table is 60 cm across and 66 cm high in the bullets. Withniture is 60.5 cm across and the same 66 cm height.
Does it include cushions or a parasol?
No, on both sets. There is a hole in the table and nothing to put in it. Cushions are not in the included line. If you need thick seats, you are looking at a lounge such as the Marbella, not a cast bistro.
What hole size do I need?
Withniture states 5 cm. Buy a pole that actually fits 5 cm, and still use a base. Home Source mentions a hole and does not give a diameter. Measure that one after assembly rather than ordering a parasol from the thumbnail.
Can I leave a parasol up overnight?
No. Close it when you leave and when the wind picks up. Nova's guidance is a base plus a closed canopy, not a pole left in a table because the evening looked still. A hole does not hold a canopy in a squall.
What if the holes do not line up?
Stop and do not force the bolt until the thread strips. Misaligned holes, cracks on arrival, and jagged edges are description and quality issues. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 normally gives 30 days to reject faulty goods. Photograph the joint, keep the fixings, and use the seller's returns route.

Related pages

Round garden table comparison

Aluminium garden furniture

Best aluminium garden furniture: who should skip it

Aluminium garden furniture buying guide for patios

How to look after aluminium garden furniture outside

Aluminium vs rattan garden furniture for a UK patio

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest. Shelf date 21 October 2026. Page updated 22 October 2026.

  1. GOV.UK: General Product Safety Regulations 2005, Great Britain (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  2. Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  3. GOV.UK: Furniture fire safety amendment regulations 2025 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  4. BSI: BS EN 581-1:2017, outdoor furniture general safety (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  5. BSI: BS EN 581-3:2026, outdoor tables including glass (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  6. GOV.UK: Gas appliances, Great Britain (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  7. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 22 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  8. Harbour Lifestyle: Care guide, aluminium garden furniture (retrieved 21 October 2026)