Outdoor Folding Tables Target Fix
Mike Henderson
Durable top: The tabletop should stand up to heavy use and be easy to clean. Some folding tables have a textured top, and others are smooth. In our tests, we discovered that smooth tables show more scratches. All our picks have textured tops, which we think makes them more durable. We left grape juice on all of the tables overnight, but neither type of surface was particularly prone to staining.
To come up with a testing plan for these tables, we spoke with Christy Bareijsza, event planner and founder of Events by Red Carpet, who gave us a list of the variety of ways folding tables tend to break, annoy, and wear over time.
The Office Star was the quickest, easiest table to set up and break down. Most other center-folding models lock the tabletop shut with clamps inside so you need to use a lot of force to open it. This is annoying regardless of your strength. The Office Star takes a different approach by using an exterior latch to lock the two halves shut. Unhook the latch, and the table pops open. Thanks to this design, one person of reasonable strength can set up the table in around 30 seconds. The Office Star was also one of only two tables we tried with a center latch underneath the tabletop that automatically locks it open during setup. Once you flip it upright, two gravity lock rings automatically drop down to hold the leg hinges in place.
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