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Aluminium garden furniture buying guide

Updated: 22 October 2026

You have a paved rectangle outside a UK kitchen door, or a balcony that barely clears the door, and the photos all look the same size. This aluminium garden furniture buying guide is the order of decisions before you open the [aluminium garden furniture comparison](/hub/garden-furniture/aluminium-garden-furniture) and pick a row. Start with the job: coffee for two, a cushioned lounge, a module you will add to later, or a dining set with a flame. Then measure. Then read the metal word, the cushion line, and any glass or gas claim. The seven listings run from £106.00 to £1,299.99 on amazon.co.uk. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have a paved rectangle outside a UK kitchen door, or a balcony that barely clears the door, and the photos all look the same size.

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What you are actually buying

Aluminium garden furniture in UK shops is a format first and a metal second. A cast bistro is a round table near 60 cm and two chairs, often with a hole and usually without thick cushions. A modular lounge is a powder-coated frame, deeper foam, and a coffee table. A fire-pit dining set adds a gas appliance to the seating. In this folder the bistros are the Home Source Rose at £106.00 and the Withniture set at £129.99. The lounges are the EVRE Aruba at £359.99 and the EVRE Marbella at £449.00. The Monster Shop 7-seater is £1,299.99. If the listing does not say cast, do not call it cast. The Aruba's wood-effect panels are a finish on aluminium, which is a different question from plastic weave. Who should skip each row is on best aluminium garden furniture.

Space, seat, and the route indoors

Tape the paved area before you trust a lifestyle photo. A table about 60 cm across suits two people and a couple of mugs, not a Sunday roast for four. Oak & Nook's choosing guide suggests leaving about 90 cm behind a dining chair so you can push back. A corner set also needs a walkway, not just the footprint of the cushions. The Marbella set line is 2.03 × 1.48 × 0.63 m, which is the figure to tape. The Aruba prints a seat 60 cm deep, 41 cm high and 60 cm wide, then a separate dimensions field of 175 × 10 × 10 cm. That second line cannot be the assembled lounge. Both Goods Emporium listings print 60 × 60 × 60 cm and 25 kg. Home Source states 42 cm from the floor to the seat. Withniture does not state seat height at all.

Frame, fixings, cushions, and glass

The metal word is the next filter after the tape measure. Cast aluminium is the ornamental bistro. Powder-coated aluminium is the usual lounge frame. Dragging a set across slabs chips that coat, and Harbour Lifestyle's care note is to lift the piece and touch up bare metal. Screws are sometimes steel. A line that says rustproof is not a promise about every bolt. Wash, chips, and winter storage sit on the how to look after aluminium garden furniture page. Cushions are the next failure. Weather-resistant is not waterproof. Aruba and Marbella both set the waterproof field to false, and both say the covers come off. Marbella's seats are 10 cm thick. Glass is a claim unless a certificate is shown. Marbella's coffee table is described as 5 mm tempered glass. None of these listings shows a BS EN 581 report. A parasol hole is not a parasol. Withniture states 5 cm. Home Source does not state a diameter.

UK rules that change the buy

Great Britain's General Product Safety Regulations 2005 expect a safe product and instructions for risks that are not obvious. Upholstered garden furniture that may be used indoors can fall under the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988. A bare bistro is outside that regime. From 30 October 2025 the swing label is gone. The permanent label remains when the piece is in scope. A gas fire-pit table belongs outdoors, not in a closed conservatory, and not under a parasol unless the manual allows it. The Monster Shop listing does not state gas type, hose, regulator, or clearances. A smell of gas means you stop. If the goods are faulty, not as described, or not fit for purpose, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives a short-term right to reject, normally 30 days after delivery. Seat height and shade are on the aluminium bistro set page.

Common questions

How do I measure a patio before I buy a corner set?
Mark the paved area and the door swing, then leave a walkway. The Marbella set line of 2.03 × 1.48 m is a useful tape target in this folder. The Aruba's 175 × 10 × 10 cm field is not. If the remaining slab is about a metre each way, you are in bistro territory, not lounge territory.
What seat height works with a dining table?
Compare the seat with a chair you already find comfortable. Home Source states 42 cm. Many indoor dining chairs sit nearer 46 cm, so 42 cm can feel low, especially for a tall person. Withniture does not state a seat height.
Does tempered glass mean the table passed a British Standard?
No. Marbella describes a 5 mm tempered-glass coffee table. BS EN 581-3:2026 covers outdoor tables, including glass, and BS EN 581-1:2017 covers edges. These listings do not show a test report, so tempered is a product claim, not a certificate you can file.
When do fire-safety labels apply to garden sofas?
Upholstery that may be used indoors can fall under the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988, including some garden pieces. A bare metal bistro with no filling is outside that regime. From 30 October 2025 the swing ticket is no longer required. The permanent label remains when the piece is in scope.
What should a gas fire-pit listing state before I buy?
Gas type, hose, regulator, clearances, and a clear outdoor-only warning. The Monster Shop title says gas fire pit and the bullets mention a glass wind guard. Those other facts are not in the file. Do not light it in a closed conservatory or under a parasol unless the manual you receive allows it.

Related pages

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)