First sign is if it feels rough and brittle without just a little flex to it, then you know you have a table made from inferior plastic. So, how do you know if the table you're looking at is a good quality of plastic? Here's a simple test you can do… feel the table's surface. And because we also include UV-inhibitors, as I mentioned in my last post, it can withstand wear and tear and the harshest elements. Lifetime uses a specially formulated blend high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and we recommend it because it's stronger, lighter, and more durable than wood and more long-lasting than other inferior plastics. Ideally, a plastic folding table should be constructed of a heavy-duty, high-impact plastic that won't crack. In addition to looking at the weight ratings of a table, you should also look at the type of plastic a folding table is made of and its tack-offs. For specific weight-ratings on each Lifetime table, visit our Lifetime Store online and look for the “table weight capacity” in the “specific information” section under each model description. We prefer to list a rating that is closer to the realm of actual use than brag about the actual limits of our product. We just don’t advertise the maximum weight our tables will hold before failing like many of our competitors. However, the fact of the matter is that we test our tables far above these weight-ratings with our functional and proof load testing. Lifetime Professional grade tables - weight rating of at least 2000lbs.Lifetime Commercial grade tables - weight rating of at least 1500lbs.Lifetime Light Commercial grade tables - weight-rating of at least 1000lbs.So here is quick summary of Lifetime 6-foot and 8-foot tables: The fact is even our minimum weight ratings far exceed what the average user would ever dream of putting on a folding table – but we feel we need to build quality into our table wherever we can. Now let me ask, when are you ever going to put that much weight on a folding table – the answer is probably never. For instance all of our 6-foot and 8-foot banquet tables have a weight-rating of at least 1000lbs of distributed weight load, regardless of grade. Part of that testing involves weight load tests including evenly distributed functional load tests. At the end of the day, we exceed these industry standards by many times over with much of our testing. Yet even with this industry standard as a great starting point, in many instances the BIFMA standard is just a minimum benchmark. In a nutshell, it means in order to meet or exceed BIFMA standards, our folding tables are extensively tested and must have superior strength, durability, and safety features. The standards define specific tests, laboratory equipment to be used, formulas to determine weight or height to use in each test, the conditions of testing, and the acceptance levels to be used. BIFMA standards are industry standards that are designed to provide manufacturers with a common basis for evaluating safety and durability. Our Light Commercial grade tables meet the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturer's Association (BIFMA) standards for strength and durability, while our Professional and Commercial grade tables actually exceed the BIFMA standards. Lifetime uses Professional, Commercial, Light Commercial, and Residential grades. Paper crafts may not require as much durability as a table at a construction site or that 400lb bass you just caught! Then, look for a weight rating on the table.ĭifferent manufacturers use different names for their grades of tables to distinguish how much they can hold. So, as a shopper, where should you start to try and figure out which table is strong enough for your needs? First, before you purchase a folding table, think about what you primarily want to use the table for. But, as part of my continuing series on what features to look for when picking the perfect folding table, today I'm going to help answer that question while helping you understand why durability is so important to consider when buying a folding table. Truth is, it's actually quite complicated. You would think the answer would be pretty cut-and-dry. One of the most frequently asked questions I hear at Lifetime as a member of the Tables & Chairs team is: "How much weight will this folding table hold?" That's a pretty loaded question, no pun intended.
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