Which outdoor furniture material works in every climate?

Powder-coated aluminum and teak are rated good or excellent for salt air, rain, freezing weather and sun. Aluminum is light and rust-proof; teak is heavy and silvers unless oiled.

What should I avoid in a wet climate?

Unsealed concrete tops, which are porous, and anything with steel that can rust at the weld. Choose aluminum, resin wicker, teak or rope and make sure water can drain.

Do I still need covers if the frame can stay outside?

Covers are optional for aluminum, wicker and teak frames, but they keep snow and ice out of the joints and save spring cleaning. Cushions should always come in for the winter.

Shop Outdoor Furniture by Climate

Start with the climate you actually have, not the one in the photo. A coastal yard is a salt problem, full afternoon sun is a UV problem, a wet summer is a drainage problem and a northern deck is a freeze-thaw problem. Each hub below holds the in-stock pieces built from the materials our Outdoor Furniture Materials Guide rates good or excellent for that condition, and the strip at the top of each one narrows by furniture type. For the reasoning behind each hub, with a comparison table and cushion advice, read the Outdoor Furniture by Climate guide.

Coastal and salt air

Teak, powder-coated aluminum, resin wicker and rope. None of them rust, and all of them are happy with an occasional fresh-water rinse.

Shop coastal outdoor furniture

Full sun and heat

Concrete tops that do not fade, aluminum finishes that resist UV, resin wicker with UV inhibitors in the strand and Sunbrella cushions with the colour in the fibre.

Shop outdoor furniture for full sun

Rain and humidity

Aluminum that does not rust, wicker and rope that dry fast, teak whose oils resist rot and Sunbrella that resists mildew. Concrete sits this one out because it needs sealing.

Shop outdoor furniture for rain and humidity

Freezing winters and snow

Aluminum, resin wicker and teak are the three materials rated to stay outside through freeze and snow. Cushions still come in, and covers keep ice out of the joints.

Shop outdoor furniture for cold climates

More than one of these?

Most patios are. A beach house with hot afternoons wants teak or aluminum frames with Sunbrella cushions, which appear in both the coastal and full-sun hubs. Aluminum and teak appear in every hub but one, and the Covers and Winter Storage Guide covers the off-season for all of them.

Which outdoor furniture material works in every climate?: Powder-coated aluminum and teak are rated good or excellent for salt air, rain, freezing weather and sun. Aluminum is light and rust-proof; teak is heavy and silvers unless oiled.
What should I avoid in a wet climate?: Unsealed concrete tops, which are porous, and anything with steel that can rust at the weld. Choose aluminum, resin wicker, teak or rope and make sure water can drain.
Do I still need covers if the frame can stay outside?: Covers are optional for aluminum, wicker and teak frames, but they keep snow and ice out of the joints and save spring cleaning. Cushions should always come in for the winter.