Costco has proven to be an asset to homeowners time and time again in terms of affordable items. There are a lot of household items that save you money at Costco, and you can find anything from budget-friendly dinnerware to reliable kitchen cabinets. Now, if you’re the type to host backyard grills or picnics, you might be interested in this highly-rated picnic table from Costco. These kinds of get-togethers would need outdoor furniture for people to relax and eat while having a good time, and the Lifetime Commercial Folding Picnic Table offers quality seating for patio entertaining. 

For $269.99, you get a six-foot-long table with a commercial-grade powder-coated steel frame and an all-weather finish. This is a better option than wood for a picnic table that would bear the brunt of the outdoors in all seasons, as steel is more durable than wood. However, wood has an undeniably beautiful look that steel just can’t match, and that’s where the manufacturers of this table said, “Hold my beer.” The lifetime picnic table has a rough-cut texture that gives the look and feel of wood without the maintenance. It can seat eight people comfortably and has an umbrella hole for sunny days, so it packs a lot of fun for the family. So, is it worth buying? Here’s what shoppers have to say.

With over 180 five-star reviews, garnering it a 4.4 rating on the Costco website, it’s safe to say this product can compete with tables made by the reliable outdoor furniture brands. Many of the five-star reviews complimented the setup process, saying it was easy to understand the instructions, though a few of them needed help with moving the parts during the assembly process. This leads to another point of praise for the picnic table, which is its weight. One reviewer said, “The table is very sturdy and has some heft to it,” and that they were “a little leery of buying a plastic picnic table for fear it would be flimsy,” but the picnic table was a pleasant surprise. 

Despite its weight, one of the major features of this table is that it folds flat for storage. This allows the picnic table to take up less space when it isn’t needed, and helps with transporting it. One reviewer called this flat-folding capability “a huge win,” and we’re inclined to agree since moving metal furniture can be an ordeal. Finally, reviewers were also happy with the hands-free nature of the product. As one reviewer said, the product is “virtually a no-maintenance table.”

You should know that not every review about the product was glowing. A major issue reviewers had with the product was the price difference between the online listing and the warehouse purchase option. Some complained that the product can be bought for a hundred dollars cheaper at Costco warehouses, which is actually true. So, you might want to visit your local Costco warehouse before making this purchase, if you can. Maybe use that chance to check out some of the best deals Costco has to offer for your home and garden this spring and summer.

Another recurrent gripe was with the texture of the tabletop, which reviewers said snagged onto rags and made cleaning a hassle. The material was also said to scuff and stain easily, which made it difficult to maintain a clean appearance in their yards. “The texture makes me itchy,” one reviewer said. So, you might want to look out for that if you have sensitive skin. 

The next issue was with the weight. Despite the flat-folding feature, some reviewers complained about the stress of moving it around. Setting up and moving the picnic table around is a two-person task, which wasn’t what they expected. However, metal furniture is always cumbersome, so it really shouldn’t come as a surprise. A few reviewers also complained about the size of the benches, claiming they were too small to fit eight adults. Others complained about some shipping damages and manufacturing defects that affected their satisfaction with the product.