This is the bit that trips people up. Not because it's difficult, but because one wrong measurement means the glass doesn't fit and you're waiting another week for a recut. We've been cutting rattan replacement glass for over twenty years and the most common problem, by a mile, is wrong measurements.
Good news: it takes about five minutes if you know what you're doing. This guide walks you through the whole thing.
Grab These Before You Start
You'll need a metal tape measure. Not a fabric one, those stretch and you'll end up 3 or 4mm out. Also grab a piece of cardboard, a pen, and your phone for photos. That's it.
First Thing: What Shape Is Your Table?
Seems obvious, but it matters. Rattan tables come in four shapes and people mix them up more often than you'd think.
Rectangular is the most common for dining tables. Straight sides, four corners. Square is the same deal but equal sides, usually on smaller four seater sets or coffee tables. Round means a circle, no corners, typical for bistro sets. Then there's oval, which is either a full ellipse or a rounded rectangle with curved ends.
Quick way to tell the difference between a rounded rectangle and a true oval: look at the long sides. If they're dead straight with only the ends curving, it's a rounded rectangle. If the whole perimeter is one continuous curve with no flat bits at all, it's an oval. The distinction matters because we cut them differently.
Measuring a Rectangular or Square Table
This is where most people go wrong. You're measuring the recess that the glass sits in. Not the outside of the rattan. Not the full width of the table. The actual opening where the glass drops in.
Get the length first. Inside edge to inside edge of the rattan lip, at the widest point. Then the width, same deal. Now here's the important bit: measure again at both ends and in the middle too. Rattan frames are not always perfectly parallel. If you get different readings at different points, go with the smallest one. The glass has to fit through the tightest spot.
Once you've got your numbers, subtract 2mm from both the length and the width. That gives the glass enough clearance to drop in without jamming.
Measuring a Round Table
Simpler. Measure the diameter of the recess. Inside edge to inside edge, straight across the middle.
Do it twice though. Once north to south, once east to west. If both readings match, it's a circle. If they're different, congratulations, your table is actually oval and you should follow the oval instructions instead.
Subtract 2mm from the diameter for clearance.
Measuring an Oval Table
Take the longest measurement end to end inside the recess. Then the widest measurement side to side. Subtract 2mm from both.
If it's a nice symmetrical ellipse, those two numbers are all we need. But a lot of rattan ovals aren't perfectly symmetrical, especially on cheaper sets or hand-woven ones. If yours looks a bit uneven, the cardboard template method below is your friend.
The Corner Radius (Don't Skip This)
This only applies to rectangular and square tables, but it is the single most forgotten measurement. Nearly every rattan table has rounded corners. The curve might be subtle, maybe 10mm, or it could be quite pronounced, 25 or 30mm. Either way, you need to get it right.
Here's what happens if you don't: you order glass with sharp square corners for a table that has a 20mm radius, and the corners of the glass stick out past the curve of the frame. It won't sit in properly. Looks wrong, feels wrong.
Easiest way to measure it: Press a piece of cardboard into the corner of the recess and trace the curve with a pen. Cut it out. The distance from where the curve starts to where the corner point would be (if it were sharp) is your radius.
If that sounds like too much faff, try holding round objects against the corner until you find one that matches. A 2p coin has a radius of about 13mm. The rim of a mug is usually 35 to 45mm. Find the match, measure the object.
What If the Glass Is Already Smashed?
Can't measure what isn't there. Fair enough. You've got two options.
Measure the frame directly. Works well for simple shapes. Just follow the steps above, measuring the recess opening rather than the glass itself. For rectangular, square, and round tables where the frame shape is clear and consistent, this is perfectly reliable.
Make a cardboard template. This is the belt-and-braces approach. Grab a piece of cardboard big enough to cover the whole opening (an old delivery box, flattened, works a treat). Lay it over the recess and trace the inside edge of the frame with a pen. Cut it out. Drop it in to test. It should sit in the recess with a tiny gap all around, maybe a millimetre or two.
Snap a photo of the template next to a tape measure so we can see the scale. Scribble your preferred thickness on there too. Send us the photo and the measurements and we'll cut from the template. Removes all the guesswork.
Honestly, if there's any shape that isn't dead straightforward, a rectangle, a circle, then just do the template. Takes ten minutes and it's bulletproof.
Check the Depth of the Recess
Almost forgot this one, and it does matter. The lip or channel that the glass sits in has a depth, usually somewhere between 8mm and 15mm on rattan tables. That depth dictates the thickest glass you can use before it starts sitting proud of the frame.
Poke a ruler or the end of your tape measure down into the recess and see how deep it goes. If it's 10mm deep and you order 6mm glass, the glass sits neatly below the frame edge. Order 10mm glass and it sits roughly flush. Both are fine, just know what you're getting.
For most people replacing rattan table glass, 6mm toughened is the sweet spot. Fits any standard recess, properly strong, and a clear upgrade on whatever 5mm annealed thing the table shipped with.
Before You Hit Order
Run through this list. If you've got all of it, you're sorted.
- Shape confirmed (rectangular, square, round, oval)
- Length and width, or diameter if it's round
- Corner radius (rectangular and square tables only)
- Recess depth checked against your preferred thickness
- Glass type picked (clear, grey, bronze, frosted)
- Thickness decided (6mm for most rattan tables)
- A couple of photos of the empty frame, ideally with a tape measure visible for scale
Send all of that with your order. Or if you want us to double check before you commit, email the details over and we'll confirm everything looks right before cutting. We always check measurements before we start, and we'll flag anything that looks off.
