The Complete Guide
Custom Made Bar Setting Covers — The Complete Owner's Guide
Outdoor bar settings are one of the most used pieces of furniture in an alfresco or entertaining area. They work for breakfast, afternoon drinks, casual dinners, and everything in between. They also tend to stay outdoors year-round, which means a decent cover is not optional if you want the setting to look good for more than a season or two.
The problem with standard covers for bar settings
Bar tables sit at a different height to a regular dining table. A standard dining table is around 72 to 75 cm high. A bar or counter height table is typically 90 to 110 cm. That extra height means most off-the-shelf covers are too short. They sit on the tabletop and drape down the sides, but they do not reach the ground — which is exactly where rain and wind-blown debris tend to get in.
The second issue is width. A bar setting cover needs to span the table plus whatever spread the stools create when pushed in. Standard covers are sized for tables alone. Once you factor in stools tucked in on two or three sides, the setting is often 20 to 40 cm wider than a cover expects, and you end up with the sides flapping open.
A made-to-measure cover solves both problems. The height is built to reach the ground from the top of your table, and the width accounts for the full footprint of your setting with stools in place.
The three measurements you need
Getting the measurements right takes about five minutes. Push your stools into their normal stored position before you measure.
Width
Width is the widest point of the setting, measured side to side with stools pushed in. Start at the outermost point on one side — whether that is the table edge, a stool seat, or a footrest — and measure across to the outermost point on the other side. If your stools push fully under the table, the table edge is likely your widest point. If the stool seats or footrests protrude, measure to those instead.
Depth
Depth is the front-to-back measurement of the setting with stools in their stored position. Measure from the back edge of the setting to the front edge, including any stool footrests or seats that extend out from the table. On most bar settings, depth is shorter than width, but check carefully if you have stools on three or four sides.
Height
Height is from the floor to the top of the bar table surface. This determines how far the cover drops on all sides. Measure straight up from the ground to the tabletop edge. Bar stool seats sit lower than the tabletop, so the table height is always the one that matters. Do not add extra for stool backs.
Do not add extra centimetres to any measurement. The production pattern includes the correct ease.
Bar settings need a different drop than dining covers
Because bar tables are taller than dining tables, the cover has more vertical fabric. That means more weight, more surface area for wind to catch, and more material at the base to hold in place. The complexity factor in our pricing reflects this. The cover is built with reinforced seams along the vertical panels to handle the added stress, and the hem weight at the base is calibrated to keep the cover in position in light to moderate winds.
If your setting is in a particularly exposed spot — a rooftop, a coastal deck, or a yard that funnels wind — a set of cover clips or furniture weights on the base hem will help keep things in place on gusty days.
Material and construction
All covers are made from 350gsm silver laminated woven polypropylene. The base is a woven polypropylene, which is strong, tough, and tear-resistant, so it stands up to being pulled on and off and to the knocks that come with year-round outdoor use.
On the outside, the fabric carries a silver laminate coating. That silver layer is reflective, so it bounces sunlight away rather than soaking it up. The cover and the furniture underneath stay cooler, and the contents are shielded from sun and UV. This is the part that matters in hot, high-UV climates: the reflective surface keeps the worst of the sun off the setting and helps the cover last instead of going brittle in a season or two.
The same coating is water resistant. It sheds rain and keeps rain off the furniture underneath. Cheap covers tend to fail fast here, going stiff and letting water through after a few months. This fabric keeps shedding rain through the seasons. Seams are reinforced throughout, and the base hem has enough structure to hold its shape without being rigid.
At 350gsm the fabric is heavier and more substantial than a thin throw-over cover. It holds its shape well, it is durable, and it still stays manageable to fit and remove on your own. It is a cover, not a tarp.
Caring for your cover
Rinse with a garden hose regularly to remove dust, pollen, and salt. Spot-clean with mild soapy water. Do not machine wash, as the agitation can damage the silver coating in a single cycle. Store the cover folded loosely rather than compressed tightly, since sustained pressure on the same fold line can eventually wear the coating.