Best Choice Products 2-in-1 Transforming Interchangeable Outdoor Wooden Picnic Table Garden Bench for Backyard, Porch, Patio, Deck w/Umbrella Hole - Natural

This picnic table we had for one season so far. I used Minwax Helsman. And I love the color. It is a very good sealant and protector. You can’t sand the table due to the fact it will remove the stain color. So I just sanded lightly the bad areas which were very minimal. I put 3 coats on the top of horizontal parts that will be mostly hit by UV and where standing water would lie. All other parts I put two. Using steel wool in between coats. Perfect sheen! Assembly instructions were ok. But a few pointers. The tops of benches must be flush to the outer (L & R) edges of the bench seat frames! Make sure you pay attention how bolts go in and I keep it uniform. I used a countersink bit before putting the wood screws in. Took only an extra couple minutes to do that and I recommend doin this. One issue I had was the handles I noticed other reviewers stating the handles breaking. Well they might need adjusting. I found out when moving to the ‘bench’ that the wood handles would be squeezed too much allowing the legs to be raised about 1/2” off of ground so when one would sit on bench it would put too much pressure on the bolt in the handle and basically split it two. So pay attention to what needs to be sanded down. I took off about 1/8” with a belt sander in the right area of both handles. The legs were now able to touch the ground so when I sat on it, not too much pressure on the bolt that is holding the handle. I recommend this table!!

Quite a high quality product for the price. Instructions were not the most clear but it’s good enough to get you through. I would take my time putting this together so the conversion mechanism works correctly. After assembling it I applied a varnish/sealant to protect it from the elements.

It’s about what you would expect for $150. The assembly wasn’t too hard but having two people made it easier. Also some holes are pre-drilled or nut/bolt ready while others have no markings or preparation whatsoever. Once assembled, the conversion from bench to table is easy. But, the armrests feel flimsy and the overall quality of the wood is pretty low with some parts looking like they were dinged in transport or more like plywood instead of solid wood. My 2-year old son walked over and peeled off a large wedge from the bottom of one of the legs and I had to glue it back on. The wood feels very soft and I put a coat of waterproofing on it right away because it has no protective finish. I would say put the finish on first before assembling since there are some moving parts and surfaces where the protective finish would get rubbed off. Overall worth it because it was on sale but the wood needs some quality control.

I like the design of this item as it functions as either a picnic table or a sitting bench. It transforms to either one very easily. The assembly wasn't difficult; the instructions were very clear. My only complaint is that the wood had no finish on it so it was susceptible to damage from rain and/or sun. To overcome this problem, I first stained the wood, which brought out the grain in the wood. and then put two coats of spar urethane on it. I then purchased some cushions for when I use it as a sitting bench. I was quite pleased with the final result.

The finished product makes our little corner just perfect! Our family of 4 fits perfect for dinner with plenty of elbow room. My little boys love it and were mind blown that it’s a Transformer!😆 They couldn’t believe that “MOMMY MADE A TRANSORMER!” 😎 So it has given me cool points with them. I was able to put it together rather easily and there were no broken or missing pieces. Feeling the texture of the wood and seeing some splinters out of the box means I will have to seal it with something. It is solid wood but the way it directs you to assemble it, makes it easy to handle. The tools and parts were well labeled but I did struggle a little with the instructions and the pictures included. I rely heavily on pictures…it would be much easier if they were zoomed in and showed a little more detail. I used my impact drill for all the screws and bolts…there’s NO way I would’ve completed the project with just hand tools. The screws and bolts have two different Phillips heads so I had to change out my bit for those (the instructions did not disclose this size difference). I also used a level where I thought I was a little off and thankfully I did because I would’ve been a full bubble off plum. Sorting out the paired pieces really helped and I assembled it right were it was going to live. The lumber was well packaged and protected from shipping…one look at the dented and ripped box, I assumed there were some broken pieces! Thankfully everything inside was perfect with bubble wrap and styrofoam 🙌🏻 I am very pleased with the end result and look forward to this being abused by my 2 rambunctious boys 🤪and our family for several years to come!!

It gets a five because of quality. Nice and very solid! What customers should know is that...In addition to the ratchet and Phillips head screwdriver? You also need a drill. The reason for this is that some of the holes were not previously started by the company and you had to drill into the wood where you thought was the right place. The directions were kind of vague, so they left some "figuring out" to the customer.

It wasn’t too hard to put together, marked very clearly. The design is amazing. It’s not heavy and fits through the door (we put it together inside). The bench/ table is very well put together, such a good product for an affordable price! The only thing is that we still had to stain it, because it got stained with food the first use. So we decided to stain it with a waterproof stain and that made it perfect to hold up in the weather.

The bench appeared sturdy and durable according to the website and reviews. However after a few days the wood started splitting around the joints and screws. The length of the bench is ideal and it looks great. However the defects will impact the longevity of use.