Picnic Basket Buying Guide: Sets for 2 vs 4, Wicker vs Insulated

A picnic basket is part container, part table setting, part cooler. The right one depends on how many people you're feeding, how far you're carrying it and whether you need to keep anything cold. Here's how to choose.

1. How many people?

• Sets for 2 are compact and easy to carry with one hand. Our willow picnic basket set for 2 is a 13-piece set in a basket about 16 × 12 × 11 inches.
• Sets for 4 carry more plates and glasses and usually a bigger food compartment, so they're heavier. The Cape Cod wicker picnic basket for 4 is about 18 × 13 × 16.5 inches.

If it's usually two of you with the occasional extra guest, a set for 2 plus a few extra plates is often easier than carrying a set for 4 every time.

2. Willow wicker or insulated fabric?

The insulated picnic basket folds when empty. For the classic look, try the wicker basket with a cutting board lid: the wooden lid lifts off and becomes a serving board.

3. How far are you walking?

• Car to blanket: any basket works.
• A long walk or a hike: a picnic backpack puts the weight on your shoulders and leaves your hands free.
• Parks without tables: a set that includes a folding table, like the wicker picnic basket set with folding table, keeps glasses off the grass.

4. What's inside the set?

Sets vary a lot. Check the product page for exactly what's included: plates, cutlery, glasses, a corkscrew, salt and pepper, napkins, a blanket or a cooler bag. Count what you'll really use. A set with fewer, sturdier pieces often beats one with lots of extras.

5. Caring for a picnic basket

• Wipe willow with a damp cloth and let it dry completely before closing it.
• Wash plates and cutlery when you get home, not the next day.
• Air out insulated compartments with the lid open.
• Store willow baskets indoors, away from damp garages and sheds.

Don't forget the rest

A basket is only part of a good picnic. Our short picnic packing checklist covers the blanket, shade and the small things people forget. For a park with no trees, a double folding chair with an umbrella brings its own shade.