IKEA’s Newest Small-Space Outdoor Find Only Comes in Highlighter Yellow

You may be dealing with cold, wind, rain, and snow now — I certainly am — but it won’t last forever. Soon, you’ll swap your indoor hangs with friends for outdoor ones. The outside world is a wild and wonderful thing, but there’s always the chance you’ll deal with unpredictable terrain, turning your picturesque beach lunch into a series of spills and stumbles. One easy way to prevent that is by bringing a folding table designed for outdoor use, and there’s one at IKEA that should help anyone get into a sunnier mindset. 

IKEA’s STRANDÖN Folding Table is just $39.99 and is a versatile, cheery, and portable piece of furniture that can be used indoors, outdoors, and anywhere you want to carry it. The table portion, which is made of the kind of metal mesh you often see in picnic tables, measures about 21.5 inches wide and 27.5 inches long. When it’s folded up, it’s only about 2 inches thick, and when it’s fully set up, it’s 25 5/8 inches tall. It also comes with an orange fabric strap so you can carry it on your shoulder or back.

IKEA’s site calls the STRANDÖN table the “perfect height when you want to eat at the beach without getting sand in the food or want to play games on an even surface.” It’s also bright yellow, which is both festive and practical; it’ll be a lot easier for your friends to find you on a busy day at the park or beach when they have such a colorful landmark to look for. 

There’s a lot to love about this little folding table. For one, I respect that it only comes in bright yellow with a bold orange travel strap. If it’s meant for sunshine-filled days, why not use an equally sunny color scheme? 

And as a non-car owner, I also appreciate that it’s designed to not only fold up flat but also be transported around by hand thanks to that handy strap. But even if you don’t plan on carrying it around to parks or picnics, the small frame of the table means it could fit on even the smallest little balconies in the spring or summer and fold up nicely once winter snow starts hitting. All in all, it’s everything you could want in an outdoor table.

If you want a folding chair to carry along with it, note that the STRANDÖN series does appear to include matching foldable stools, but they’re not up on IKEA’s site right now. Instead, consider the SUNDSÖ outdoor folding chair, which has a variety of bright colors to choose from, including yellow. Or, set the table up on your comfiest blanket and take your picnic to the next level by bringing along this 21-piece picnic set that includes reusable cutlery, plates, and cups for four people, plus a convenient carrying case.

Buy: IKEA STRANDÖN Folding Table, $39.99