Patio Furniture Buyers Guide and Reviews

I once had a client that asked if I could put wheels on all the patio furniture pieces she was interested in. This was an older lady that wanted to move the patio furniture around her deck based on the season. She could not lift the heavy pieces so putting wheels on them really made sense. The customer also wanted a hole drilled in the patio tables to put an umbrella. I have had several requests for the umbrella whole but not the wheels.

I was also interested in this question so I contacted the deck furniture manufacturer and they indicated that they could put the wheels on. There would be a fee however ( $30 per piece ). Most of the big stores ( certainly all the larger manufacturers, chain stores etc ) would never accommodate this type of request. This is a good argument that purchasing outdoor deck furniture from a smaller manufacture has its’ benefits.

Teak furniture is widely accepted as the standard for outside patio furniture, especially in marine environments. Teak weathers exceptionally well in just about all weather conditions. Like all woods, teak will turn a nice silver grey over time. Teak is a hard wood, much harder than Redwood, Poplar and Cedar. It is stronger than many other types of wood used to make patio furniture. Teak can be stained and finished if desired. The most common finish for Teak is a clear satin finish. Teak furniture is made into many forms of patio furniture including chairs, tables, lounges and much more.

Teak deck furniture can be expensive however. Patio furniture made from teak is usually 2X more expensive than similar products made from Redwood, Cedar or other woods. This price difference is largely due to the cost to import the lumber. Teak does not grow naturally in the US so all lumber must be imported. There are many US based companies that import lumber ( usually from Asia, Indonesia ) and manufacture the furniture domestically. Many other companies simply make the patio furniture overseas and import the furniture to the US.

Another aspect to consider when purchasing Teak patio furniture, is that Teak trees are disappearing rapidly from over harvesting. Many countries do not regulate the lumber companies and many of the Teak forests have disappeared from over harvesting. I recommend that you spend a few moments to see if you are purchasing your furniture from a manufacture that supports sustainable harvesting practices. This is where the lumber companies harvest just enough, and replant trees in order to maintain a steady rate of harvesting and not depleting the resources.

Back to deck patio furniture

I had one customer from back east order a set of patio furniture including chairs, coffee tables and dinning table. This customer was a nice older lady that was a little nervous of buying something over the web. I spoke with her over the phone to ensure her that I was a real business and not a scam artist trying to take her money. After two phone conversations, she finally placed a large order worth about 2 thousand or so.

I thought, gee that is great, I will make a nice little profit of about 600 hundred dollars, not bad for two phone calls. She purchased the recycled plastic over the wood based on my recommendation that the recycled plastic furniture would not fade as the wood will fade. She also like that the recycled plastic furniture requires very little yearly maintenance. The product matched her requirements very closely. There are plenty of colors to choose from. She eventually chose the dark green.

The products where shipped one week late ( I quoted 2 weeks ) and all the products where in ok shape. Some of the products where a little dirty from the shipment. The chain used in the swing was rubbing against the backrest and caused a silver/grey stain in some areas. Not the best presentation when she opened the package. She also received a coffee table with one support brace ( between the legs ) was not the right piece. She called me and I ensured her that I would take care of it.

I emailed the manufacturer and the send out the correct piece. After three weeks, the piece had not arrived and the customer called complaining the replace piece for the patio furniture had not arrived. I called the manufacturer again …. Oops, they forgot to send the replacement. Another 3 weeks pasted and the customer called to say it was not the right piece. I called the manufacturer again, they sent another piece and …… it was still the wrong piece.

It took me over 6 months of haggling with the manufacturer to send the right piece. In the end, I had them send over a complete coffee table just to make sure on my tab. I lost several hundred dollars but in the end, the customer was finally satisfied. I probably lost this customer but she did say to me that at least I have restored her faith in online ordering.

Needless to say, I quickly dropped this manufacturer. I will add an entry to the patio furniture manufacturer review page to let everyone know that this is not a recommended manufacture of patio furniture.

There is nothing more comfortable than a good lounge chair. Lounge Chairs are available in many sizes, shapes, colors and materials. The typical lounge chair, or Chaise Lounge, is a flat bed with an adjustable backrest. There are two basic types. There is the bed like lounge with the flat seating area and then there are chair adaptations like the teak steamer chair listed below. Similar chair adaptations are the Adirondack with the leg rest.


Variations for the flat lounge chair are more common. Some have an adjustable seating area that can raise and lower as needed. Some have pullout shelves for placing items, drinks and reading material.

What are important features when looking for lounge chairs? Comfort is the key. Many of the lounge chairs look great but are not very comfortable to sit in. I highly recommend spending some time lounging around in one to see if it fits your body. I prefer lounge chairs with cushions. Although I like the look and feel of wood furniture, sitting on the hard wood gets a little uncomfortable after a while.

The second feature when shopping for chaise lounges it the style. Try to find a piece that matches your current style of your patio. Match the colors and tones along with the lines/look of your current furniture.

Please note that there may be slightly more maintenance with the pieces that have cushions. The cushions will need to be stored in winter ( if you live in cold, snowy, rainy areas ) and cleaned before each season
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back to patio furniture

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.