How to choose garden furniture
Outdoor furniture spends most of its life not being sat on, in weather. How it survives the nine months you are not using it matters as much as how it feels in July.
Materials behave very differently outdoors
- Aluminium — will not rust, light enough to move for mowing, and needs essentially no maintenance. The most forgiving choice for a UK garden.
- All-weather rattan — synthetic weave over an aluminium or steel frame. Check the frame material, because a steel frame under the weave is the part that eventually rusts.
- Hardwood — looks better than anything else and greys naturally unless you oil it annually. That is a genuine commitment, not a formality.
- Steel — heavy and stable in wind, but any chip in the coating becomes a rust spot.
Buy for how you actually sit outside
Dining sets suit gardens where people eat outdoors and then go back in. Lounge and sofa sets suit gardens people sit in for hours. Most households choose a dining set because it feels like the default, then discover they wanted somewhere comfortable to sit with a drink.
Cushions decide whether it gets used
Even furniture sold as all-weather usually has cushions that should come in. Somewhere dry to put them, or a storage box, is the difference between furniture that stays inviting and cushions that live in the shed because it looked like rain.
Measure before ordering
Large sets arrive in big boxes and need a route to the garden. Check side gates and any passage you would have to carry a table through — it is the most common reason a set goes back.
