The best outdoor furniture has a balance of durability, reliability and quality. More often than not, people make the mistake of buying outdoor furniture for visual effects only.
Although it’s great to have a stylish set of furniture for the exterior of your home or commercial space, making sure they’re able to last should be the main priority.
Read on to find out more about Browsers Emporiums' range of furniture and what materials we recommend for outdoor furniture use.
Why Does Material Matter so Much?
Material plays a key part in the process of deciding which outdoor furniture to buy. Whether your furniture is going to be in rainy conditions or extreme heat, the furniture you choose must be able to last throughout.
If it’s just a foldaway bistro set you need for a small patio space or a huge beer garden to fill, it’s important to choose the right material to suit specific weather conditions.
When you have a storage space to keep your furniture in, then worrying about which material to choose isn’t a top priority, but if you know your furniture has to stay outdoors at all times, be sure not to buy something made from an unreliable material.
Popular Materials to Use Outdoors
Metal, stainless steel, wood and aluminium are the top choices to go for when it comes to choosing outdoor furniture. Whether it’s wooden booth seating or an aluminium dining table, it’s easy to find the furniture you want in a variety of different materials, but first, you need to know what to go for.
Wood is commonly known as being the best material for outdoor use, but as discussed, it all comes down to which weather condition your furniture will be enduring.
We’ve broken down the relevant information about each material, with extensive insight on whether each type is able to last outdoors or not. If you’re currently deciding on which furniture to buy for your outdoor space, continue reading.
Wood
Being both aesthetically pleasing and affordable, wooden furniture is a durable material used in most gardens and pubs across the UK.
Due to its natural appearance, high strength and long life span, wood is the most popular material to use in an outdoor setting. Beer gardens are often where you’ll find wooden furniture, as pub owners tend to look for something low-cost and well-structured when they need to cover large spaces.
Wooden furniture is often coated in a waterproof resin, making it a great choice to go for if you’re having to withstand wet conditions. Thanks to its heavy weight and supported table base, wooden furniture can be kept out in strong winds.
Occasionally, wood can discolour and bleach in extreme temperatures, but protective wax and dyes have proven to be an effective solution.
Stainless Steel
Stainless steel is popularly used outside cafes and bistros. Adding seat coverings and soft fabric furnishings can make steel furniture more comfortable.
Thankfully, steel is resistant to rust and corrosion as it’s protected with a chromium oxide film - meaning it won’t deteriorate after heavy rain.
Being low-maintenance and versatile, stainless steel furniture is practical and easy to put away into storage, with tables and chairs being easily stackable. Another added benefit of using stainless steel furniture is how easy it is to clean.
Although wooden furniture can still be cleaned well, the surface of stainless steel table tops is completely flat, assuring you’ve missed no dirt or grime.
Metal
Metal remains one of the oldest used materials to be used for outdoor furniture. The strength of the metal is great for those wanting the reassurance that their furniture will stay in place.
Metal furniture can be sprayed or painted and still look great, meaning you can personalise and change up your furniture as and when you want, something you’d be unable to do with stainless steel, for example.
The main disadvantage of metal furniture is that it has an increased chance of rusting, making it the least popular choice for those located in areas prone to rain.
In regards to maintenance and general cleanliness, metal is easy to clean and has natural sturdiness, meaning most metal furniture will stay put wherever you decide to place it.
Aluminium
If properly manufactured, aluminium furniture shouldn’t rust. A popular commercial outdoor furniture choice, aluminium chairs, tables and bar stools can be moved around easily and are super lightweight, making aluminium furniture perfect if you frequently change your outdoor layout.
We recommend using aluminium furniture in cooler conditions, as well as avoiding prolonged periods in the sun due to it being a known conductor of heat compared to other materials.
Other Factors to Consider Before Choosing Outdoor Furniture
Weight, cost-effectiveness, cleanliness and resistance to corrosion and ultraviolet light are all things to think about before you buy outdoor furniture. If you’re purchasing outdoor furniture for your garden, you might not need to worry about frequent upkeep and cleaning duties as much.
Choosing outdoor furniture for a cafe, bar or restaurant means you have more to consider. Think about how many customers you have per day, how much your furniture will be used and whether you’ll be cleaning food and excess spillage.
In recent years, more people have based their choice of furniture on how environmentally friendly it is. With the current state of climate change, implementing eco-conscious decisions into both your day-to-day life and work life can help benefit the planet massively.
At Browsers Emporium, we keep sustainability in mind. Offering an array of reclaimed, upcycled and new furniture, we have plenty of options available that our customers can choose from.
