All-afternoon sun is a UV problem: it fades fabric, chalks cheap finishes and makes some materials brittle. Everything here is built from the materials our materials guide rates well for sun: concrete and GFRC tops, which do not fade; powder-coated aluminum, whose finish resists UV (lighter colours show the least chalking); resin wicker whose strands carry UV inhibitors; and Sunbrella, where the colour is in the fibre rather than printed on.
Narrow by type with the strip above, or shop concrete, aluminum, wicker or Sunbrella directly. Teak also lives happily in full sun; it silvers to grey unless you oil it, which is a look, not a fault.
Why these materials and not others, and what to put on the cushions: the Outdoor Furniture by Climate guide compares every condition side by side.
- What outdoor furniture does not fade in the sun?
- Concrete tops, powder-coated aluminum and solution-dyed fabrics such as Sunbrella hold their colour best. Lighter aluminum finishes show the least chalking over the years.
- Will outdoor cushions fade?
- Printed fabrics will. Solution-dyed fabrics carry the colour through the whole fibre, so they resist fading and can be hosed down.