Patio Furniture Buyers Guide and Reviews

Gliders come in a variety of types and styles. The most common type of glider furniture is a bench with a backrest. These typically are 4,5 and 6 feet in length. They hold 2 adults comfortably and the larger models will seat more. Most gliders are made of wood but other materials are availble such as recycled plastic and metals.

Gliders styles and types also include vertical and horizontal back rests, flat, curved and ornamental tops. The gliders have a hinge and swing mechanism that allows the glider to slowly move back and forth. The movement is more level to the floor as opposed to a rocker type motion. This motion varies from glider to glider. I would recommend a glider that has a longer motion rather than a shorter motion. The longer the motion forward and backward, the more comfortable ride and less jerkyness.

Listed below are several types and styles of patio furniture glider types. These samples show vertical, horizontal, recylced plastic and aluminum/fabric types and materials.

Porch swings are probably the most ordered item besides dinning sets. There are many types and styles of porch swings. The basic styles have the backrest slats oriented vertically or horizontally. I like the horizontal rather than the vertical in that it conforms more to your back. This is a personal preference and I know that many other people also like the vertical. Porch swings come in many shapes and sizes. The most common sizes are 4,5 and 6 foot swings. Custom sizes are available for a premium price.

As with most all other patio furntiure, porch swings can be made of many types of material. Wood is very common along with recycled plastics and alumimu. Most porch swings are shipped with the mounting hardware. This hardware is usually a sturdy chain with mounting plates.

Porch swings can be attached to patio covers, ceilings or any other sturdy structure. Swings can also be bought in conjuction with a stand. The stand allows you to place the swing in any location. The one thought about swings mounted on a stand is that they have a shorter swing path. It tends to be a little faster than I like. Listed below are some examples of porch swings. Notice the vertical, horizontal, highback and the swing with free standing stand.



Back to styles of patio furniture

Benches are a very popular item when buying patio furniture. Next to dinning sets, Benches where the next best selling item for my store. Swings where the next best seller. As for benches, there are but a few types. The basic bench has a seat, backrest and legs. As with chair styles, the back slats are usually vertical ( up and down ) rather than horizontal ( across ). The vertical slats are shorter and therefore more stronger. The second type of bench style is with or without arm rests. Here are some examples of benches.




Another type of bench is a highback. Highback have a higher backrest than regular benches. Highback styles of benches are usually more compfortable while lounging. Here are some examples of highback benches.




I added a few pictures of bences that also do not have a backrest. The last two are made of cherry. Back to patio furniture styles

What you may ask? How many styles of chair can there be? Well, it turns out there are more styles of chairs that any other type of patio furniture. Here is some basic information.

Dinning or Casual
Vertical Slats or Horizontal Slats
Highback or Regular Backrest
Flattop, fan or decorative backrest
Arm rests or no arm rests

Chairs can be categorized by dinning chair or casual chair. The dinning style chair has a more upright backrest that makes sitting at a dinner table more comfortable. The casual style of chair has the backrest not quite as upright as the dinning chair. These chairs are more suited to sitting around a coffee table leaning back and talking with friends. It is less comfortable to sit upright in casual chairs. Here are some examples of dinner and casual chairs.


Notice that the first picture the backrest is more reclined. The second picture the backrest is more vertical. What chair would you prefer to use at a dining table? What chair would you prefer to lounge around in?

The next style of chair is how the backrest slats are oriented. There are two basic types, vertical and horizontal. The thickness also varies on the slats. Some have a wider gap between the slats. There is no real difference between the slat orientations. It is just a matter of preference. The first two are example is vertical stats, the bottom two are horizontal and a pattern.




Did you also notice that the chairs can be higher and lower. This is typically refered to as barstool height and regular chairs.




Back to patio furniture styles

The internet is fast becomming a realiable place to buy patio furniture. There are many companies out there that sell patio furniture. The problem is to find a good one that you can trust. Here are some tips to consider when selecting an on-line patio furniture store.

Things to look for

• Phone number - Does the store offer a phone number? If so, this is a good indication. If they do not have a phone number, probably not a good choice.
  
  
• Do they answer the phone - Call the phone number. If they answer, this is a good thing. Many companies will have a phone number but simply have the calls go into a message to return later.
  
  
• Do they know the products - What I mean by this is when you call, ask them some questions about the products. Ask them the length, width and height for example. Ask them about the types of wood used and the benifits of each type of wood.
  
  
• Return Policy - Ask them about their return policy. It should be a 30-day money back gaurantee at the least. Ask them about who pays for the return shipping if any. Good companies will pay for the return shipping.
  
  
• Customer Service - Get information about the customer service policies. If a piece is damaged in transit, will they send a replacement part at no cost? What are the customer service hours of operation.
  
  
• Look for references or customer comments - Any good companies will at least have a few customer references on their sites. Be advised that any references will be positive but at least there are previous customers.
  
  
• Ask if they are a reseller or a manufacturer. Ask them to give you the names of the manufactures they resell for. Some may not but good stores will gladly tell you this information.
  

If the internet store does not have all of these features. I would be wary of purchasing anything from them.

back to patio furniture buyers guide