Our 2016 group camping table tests proved quite revealing, as we compared rival products by some pretty famous outdoor accessory manufacturers. Buying the right camping table can make the difference between so-so caravan holidays and marvellously memorable holidays with plenty of great outdoor feasts and barbecues! So, how do you decide which are the best camping tables for you?

Lightweight yet durable, stable on uneven ground and big enough for all the family – these are just some of the things we demand from our camping tables. On top of that they must be easy to use, quick to set up and pack away, and compact enough when folded to fit into the car or caravan without any hassle. Plus, we want our camping tables to look a bit like normal dining tables, especially when we’re setting them up in caravan awnings, aiming for that home-from-home feeling.

Browse through our folding table reviews to see prices at a glance, from the cheapest camping table – the Quest Superlite Medium Table at £22.99 – to the most expensive camping table – the Outwell Cluster Large, a premium bamboo-topped folding table costing £109.99. Another folding table boasting beautiful bamboo was the Robens Wayfarer Large Table at £79.99.

Aluminium is a terrific material for lightweight camping tables, and we’ve tested the Outwell Toronto Large, a 10-seater costing £90, and the Coleman 6 in 1 Camping Table at £70.

Next we looked for the best camping tables for sale in a mid-price-range, from £45 to £60 approximately. We tested one with an onyx-effect tabletop – the Kampa Oval Table at £53.99. Then we tried out the Kampa Prestige Camping Table at £59.99, the Outwell Penticton at £53.99, the Argos Trespass Foldable Storage Table at £49.99, the Quest Elite Packaway Slatted Table at £44.99, and the Kampa Element Waterproof Table Medium at £54.99.

When judging folding camping tables for caravan holidays we compared weights and sizes when folded, compared to the areas of tabletop that you get, accepting that the bigger the table, the heavier and bulkier they are. We liked the folding tables with weatherproof, washable tabletops, constructed with few tabletop joins that might trap crumbs. 

The next vital statistics we checked out were the table heights and stability, bearing in mind that a comfortable height when you’re sitting on camping chairs may well be lower than you’d choose at home. Folding tables with adjustable table legs and feet were the best for avoiding the dreaded wobbly table syndrome.

Some camping tables had annoying table leg braces that prevent you from getting your knees under the table properly and some were better for two than for four people. As with all our camping accessory reviews we were mindful of value for money, and appreciated any bonus features that would prove useful, such as shelves beneath the tabletop.

Here is our verdict on the Argos 309/3753 Trespass Foldable Storage Table, costing a very reasonable price of £49.99. This is an old but simple camping table design, brought somewhat up to date by the large suspended cupboard beneath. Both compartments can be loaded almost as well as the cupboards in your caravan, but there’s no legroom with them in place.

Perhaps the best way to consider this product is as a cupboard-come-coffee table, or remove the cupboard and you have a spacious, 120cm x 60cm, 70cm-high camping table for up to six. Points were lost for slight instability and a lack of leg adjustment for uneven ground.