Zinc Hairpin Legs

The choice of hairpin legs depends on what you are building. For shorter legs such as coffee tables and below, the standard 2-rod legs are already very strong and sufficient for most projects.

As the legs get longer, more structure is needed to maintain strength and stiffness. For tables, it is recommended to choose a 3-rod leg unless it is a small decorative side table. The classic legs can support up to around 60kg, while the heavy-duty legs can handle up to 120kg.

For benches, it is generally suggested to match the legs with the table. For standalone usage, a classic 2-rod leg is suitable for a 1-2 person seat or bench, while a 3-rod leg is recommended for 3 or more people. Although heavy-duty legs provide additional strength, both the 3-rod options are already incredibly strong.

At counter and bar heights, only 3-rod legs are available. The 10mm classic legs can support up to 50kg, while the 12mm heavy-duty legs can handle up to 100kg freestanding.

If your counter is going to be next to a wall or other static structure, like a kitchen island, then you can also attach your tabletop to that with a wall fixing and this will significantly increase the strength of your final construction.

All finishes are metallic in colour, between grey and silver. While visually each option can appear similar, mechanically there are significant differences.

Raw steel is the most basic finish we offer. The legs are cleaned up and wiped down after manufacturing and then boxed. This finish is ideal if you plan to paint or finish the legs yourself or if you desire an industrial look with a rusted appearance. It's important to note that raw steel will eventually rust, even when used indoors.

Clear coat provides a visually identical appearance to raw steel, but we have added an invisible protective paint. If you prefer the industrial raw steel look without the risk of rust, this option is recommended.

Zinc is an electroplate finish applied over the raw steel. It offers a silver finish that closely resembles stainless steel but at a lower cost. Zinc is durable, even when used outdoors, and while it won't rust, it may tarnish over time, losing its bright finish.

Our stainless steel legs are constructed from 316 stainless steel, making them highly durable in all environments, including marine settings. These legs do not have any coating, eliminating the risk of chips or scratches that could allow moisture to seep in. They are designed to last a lifetime.

While many of our products are designed for indoor use, some are suitable for outdoor use. You can find all of our products which are suitable for outdoor use in our outdoor section.

However, remember that "suitable for outdoors" isn't always a straightforward definition. It's more of a sliding scale, with some products more resilient to outdoor conditions than others. We consider a product suitable if treated with an outdoor-graded powder coat paint, which we regard as consumer-grade protection. A non-rusting base material such as galvanised mild steel, 316 stainless steel or aluminium must be used for commercial-grade protection.

Items painted with regular powder coat paint aren't exactly "unsuitable for outdoors", but they might not withstand the elements as long and require more care and maintenance. Some customers have successfully used our standard legs outdoors for years without issues, but others might see wear and tear more quickly.

A special note for those living by the coast: We only recommend our commercial-grade (Stainlss Steel) outdoor finishes due to the salt in the air, which can accelerate rusting. This doesn't reflect our products' quality but rather the materials' inherent properties. Steel, over time, will rust, and coastal environments can significantly hasten this process. Therefore we recommend choosing our Stainless Steel Hairpins for use in humid coastal environments. These have marine grade resistance to corrosion so should be able to withstand just about anything!

For wood, use plain wood screws directly into the wooden surface for the most simple and durable fitting method. A small 1-2mm pilot hole is suggested for hardwoods to ease the screw in and reduce the risk of cracking.

In all of our table legs, we provide 4.5mm wood screws, suitable for most sized tables over 18mm thicker.

If you are building a large table, go as wide as a 5mm wood screw and maximise the length for your top to ensure the best engagement.

Threaded inserts can be a good choice if your project requires assembly/disassembly of the legs many times or you are shipping off to a customer and want a more professional finish. We suggest using an M5 bolt / 5mm threaded insert to fit into our legs 6mm hole. This provides a little wiggle room for wood expansion and hole alignment.

When placing hairpin legs, we generally suggest insetting them 5cm from the corner of the table. Placement is not critical and can be adjusted for personal taste. For more information, feel free to download our detailed hairpin build guide.

Some Ikea, laminate or veneer tabletops will not be made of solid wood, but instead have a chipboard, particleboard or sometimes even honeycomb or hollow structure inside. These materials will not be strong enough for you to screw into, and will likely degrade around the screw resulting in a wobble or potentially even dangerous table.

You should check the product description to find out what these tabletops are made of, and if they are not solid wood or something strong like plywood then it might be best to choose one of our free standing table frames.

As the table frames are freestanding themselves, you will not need to worry about getting a really strong attachment, and you may be able just to rest the top on the frame. Or if you want to secure the top to the frame, you can simply use glue or even some heavy-duty double-sided tape.

If you would prefer to use some of our non-freestanding legs, then an excellent way to ensure you get a strong fixing would be to glue a piece of 24mm plywood, cut a bit smaller than your top surface, to the underside using a strong adhesive to then screw the legs into that.

These legs are not freestanding. Therefore it is important that you are able to get a really strong attachment to your tabletop and ensure that the attachment will be able to withstand the weight of the table.

For materials that are not easy to screw the legs directly into, your simplest and most reliable options we have would be to use one of our free standing table frames.

These are incredibly strong and will be suitable for the heaviest projects. Depending on the specs and intended use for your table, you may be able to rest the top on the frame, or if you want to secure the top to the frame, you can simply use glue or even some heavy-duty double-sided tape.

If you would prefer to use some of our non-freestanding legs, then an excellent way to ensure you get a strong fixing would be to glue a piece of 24mm plywood, cut a bit smaller than your top surface, to the underside using a strong adhesive to then screw the legs into that.

We take immense pride in the quality of our products and stand behind them with a 5-year guarantee.

If you change your mind, we offer a simple returns policy. You can return unwanted, unused items up to 60 days after purchase. For full details, check out our complete returns policy here.

And of course, don't hesitate to send us a message if you have any other questions - we're here to help!

Sorry, but we currently only offer our products in complete sets. Whether it's a set of legs for a table or a set of brackets for a shelf, our items are sold in full packs. This helps us ensure that every set you receive is 100% identical.

Our meticulous manufacturing process involves hand-crafting most items using materials from the same batch. This allows consistency across all pieces in a set, from the same welder welding to the same painter painting. We appreciate your understanding and assure you that this approach allows us to maintain our high standards of quality.

Yes, we do!

You can apply for a trade account at trade.thehairpinlegcompany.co.uk. We offer competitive pricing on all of our products with single, bulk and drop-ship options.

We have the capacity for both one-off and bulk orders. Please note that setup costs start from £300, which often suits premium or larger volume orders. Do get in touch with us to discuss your needs.

Our zinc legs are electroplated with real zinc, providing a robust protective layer which will be resistant to rust and is suitable for outdoor use in most environments.

The zinc layer itself will oxidise over time, creating a whitish mottled pattern (similar to something like galvanised watering can) but it will not corrode or degrade.

A special note for those living by the coast: We only recommend our commercial-grade (Stainlss Steel) outdoor finishes due to the salt in the air, which can accelerate rusting. This doesn't reflect our products' quality but rather the materials' inherent properties. Steel, over time, will rust, and coastal environments can significantly hasten this process. Therefore we recommend choosing our Stainless Steel Hairpins for use in humid coastal environments. These have marine grade resistance to corrosion so should be able to withstand just about anything!