We got our plastic one for a fiver second hand. It's lasted very well considering the abuse it's had, especially when daddy got slightly slaughtered one night and fell on top of it!!!!!!!
I bought one eight years ago. It cost me £29.99 and seemed a fortune! But it`s still in use and only one screw has broken. Obviously it was decent quality, because it`s seen a few miles of use.
Hubby and I don`t use it any more since the time we both decided to sit on one side at the same time and catapulted our kids and dinner into the air. (Hubby and I are both quite big.) The kids sit at it and we use folding chairs at each end. Nice big eating area, and if we do have visitors we have extra seat space. It has a hole in the centre for a sun parasol as well, though we only use this in the garden.
I`ll buy another one when it falls apart. It`s been extremely useful. The kids use it as a base for colouring and Lego etc. (And we adults get to use the edge of the roll up food preparation table for our stuff.) I definately won`t buy the one that has a seat on each side though. They barely fit into our very large tent, while the two seats on each side type snugs into one side of the porch.
I think brands do vary in quality but I`d probably go for a middle range one and if it lasted two seasons I`d be happy.
I bought my first folding table 15 years ago and it cost £50 i used it for 12years before it fell to pieces. I have rplaced it wirh a £19.99 one but i can see a big difference in quality. the old one was mainly metal wheras the new on has a lot more plastic and i can't see it lasting nearly as long. World of camping do a really nice aluminium one with the attached stools eah stool has four legs and it looks really stable but it was expensive. it,s probably what I will buy next. Sorry just checked their website and they don't have them any more they do have a 2 seater though. Tow sure have the blue ones for £16.95 though
We bought an aluminium one three years ago. We paid about 50 pounds for it and it only lasted 1 trip before the legs buckled. The legs were not the square shape as most have, but sort of cross crossed at the bottom. The other problem with it was is that the seats went all oily so if you sat on it you got black oil all over your clothes. We are going to try another one this year - maybe a cheap plastic one - because they are so handy for a family with kids.
go with the aluminium much better and if you shop around have seen them is winter sale for £29.99 i paid £59.99 begining of last season. the nuts dont come loose, and there not finger trappers like the plastic ones either.
I bought a cheap one for a fiver a few years ago, was that price because table was cracked on one side. Its put up with a lot from my troop and its ok if I sit at it. Wouldnt want to chance me and the kids at it though.
I bought an identicle one (minus the cracked table) for £20 from Camping International Gillingham when I started camping. I dont use it often as I now have the caravan but I used it in Dandy and didnt have any probs.