Glass top garden table - are they safe?

[Josie1968]

Hi there

I have bought a glass top garden table from a local garden centre but my son is wondering if glass tops are safe and now I’m worrying.

I didn’t give it a second thought as I just thought they wouldn’t sell them if they were dangerous. But now I’m wondering whether I should ring and say I don’t want it, and get a wooden one instead.

Has anyone had a glass one and had any issues as I’ve Googled it and read they can explode!!! Stressing about it now ….

Thanks

Josie x

PS it’s not been delivered yet so wondering if I should call them to cancel?

We’ve had one for 2 years which has been fine. Next door have gone one that exploded inexplicably last summer!

Scary!! Was anyone injured by the glass? I’m really worried now my son mentioned it.. but as I’ve already paid I’m not sure I’d get a refund.

We have a coffee table style table with a glass top and it's been in the garden for maybe 4 years.
It has to be an outdoor specific table so the glass is toughened. Ours makes cracking noises during very very cold frosty weather but there has been no damage whatsoever so far.
The glass sits on the table legs frame so it hasn't got a surround. It floats and it is supported on these tiny rubbery things between the legs frame and glass. It is not stuck on, it sits on them and the rubber type of material keeps it from sliding around.
I think a metal or other material frame around the glass would cause breakage unless there is enough tolerance between them to allow for expansion and shrinkage at different rates under extreme cold or extreme heat.
Ours is in full sun, a large sheet of glass but fully exposed to elements. No issues whatsoever.
I'd also advise to go for a pricey very good quality product.

Thank you. This one does have a surround type thing around the glass. I think I might go back to the garden centre to see if I can get a refund, as I’m worried about anyone getting injured. I have children, dogs and cats so maybe not a good choice. I clearly wasn’t thinking!!

Mine's several years old, loves in full sun, has been covered in inches of snow. It's fine - however, if it's been in sun without the parasol out, it is a hot surface.

It lived in full sun. I'm pretty certain that it's not sentient. I am absolutely certain that autocorrect is of no use...

i personally know one person whose randomly shattered/exploded, and another person who was moving theirs and very slightly knocked it as they carried it and it shattered . I think they shatter like a windscreen as they’re safety glass rather than sharp shards , but still! I don’t think I would risk a large one.

You're overthinking this.

We've had one for about six years. No issues.

Yea I think I am overthinking it. I worry a lot about things, especially at night when things are constantly whizzing around in my head stopping me from getting to sleep. I feel better about things now. Thanks all. X

Um do yer windows explode in the summer rhen? 😂

yes, it’s safe op. Think about it.

😅😅

We had a lovely round glass topped dining table in our garden. It was an anniversary present to each other one year. We had it about 4 or so years no issue. Went up to the top of the garden one winters day and the whole top was shattered into small chunks. It's toughened glass so not shards, but still so much glass! It can happen, I believe, when you get extremes of temperature in a short space of time.

We had one. It didn't explode but in the summer it was so hot you couldn't put your arms on it or eat off it rendering it totally pointless

I know of two people who's glass top garden tables have exploded, I'd never get one now

They are designed to shatter into tiny pieces not shards

I wouldn’t have one, so many sets seem to glass table tops, I have heard of them exploding too. I would reselect.

They are fine. They can shatter but usually that's due to an unseen bit of damage. Or obvs if its banged or dropped.

However they don't break into shards of pointy glass just little blocks like a windscreen does...

Yes they can get hot during full sun but you could just put a cloth over it.

Don't stress and over think. If you like it get it.

Ours is 15 yrs old and stays out year round. (Covered in winter) It has not had any problems.
I put a vinyl cloth on it yesterday, because I am using it to do a small project on.

As it happens we did get one, but last year while we were away it completely shattered unfortunately. We had someone come to look after our cats and he sent a photo! We’d only had it a few months too ☹️

Ours shattered into a pile of smithereens in a strong wind. The table didn't blow over, the pressure of the wind must have done it. We found it as a pile of tiny pieces, each no more than about a cm square.

Ye gads, I'm sorry to hear this! I had never heard of this, now I really want to get a wooden table.

I had a small bistro type table once and it fell over and smashed. Wont have glass again in the garden.

Different type of glass, table top to window.

You wouldn't put 'window glass' on a table. Well you could but it would be a very silly thing to do.