The thing nobody tells you is to measure your door frames before you measure the patio. I have seen a table get wedged sideways in a sliding door, chairs that had to go back in their boxes because they would not clear a gate, and it is a miserable way to spend an afternoon. Check the width through every doorway it has to pass, not just the final spot. Once that is sorted, a decent outdoor dining set changes how you use a yard or a balcony more than almost anything else out there.
Where these sets go wrong is proximity to anything that needs shade or shelter from the stuff dripping off it, a tree that sheds sap, a gutter with a slow drip, a grill with no clearance. Resin wicker near a hot grill will warp if it gets too close over a season of Sunday cookouts. Metal frames near a pool deck with heavy chlorine splash will pit faster than the same set three feet back. And if you are on a covered porch with decent drainage, you have more options than someone with an exposed deck catching full weather, so it is worth being honest about which one you actually have before you fall for a set that needs babying.
How these age depends almost entirely on what you do in the first year. Aluminum and powder coated steel hold up well if you wipe them down after rain sits on them and touch up any chip in the coating before it rusts underneath, a chip left alone turns into a rust bloom by the following spring. Teak will silver over a year or two outdoors, which some people love and some people find they hate once it happens, so decide that before you buy rather than after. Wicker and rattan need a cover or a dry storage spot for winter in most climates, otherwise it gets brittle and starts shedding strands. In the shop, run your hand along a weld or a joint, press down on a corner of the table, pull a chair leg sideways a little. Anything that flexes more than a touch will loosen with real use.
Where I would not recommend one of these is a tiny balcony where a bistro set would serve you better, or a household that genuinely will not do the seasonal cover and clean routine, because neglect shows on outdoor furniture faster than almost anywhere else in a home.
This suits a household that actually eats outside most weekends from spring through fall, not one that buys the idea of it.
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