Shop Outdoor Furniture by Material and Climate
Outdoor furniture lives or dies by its material, and the material that is right depends on your weather. Start from either side: pick the material below if you already know what you want, or jump to your climate and let the weather choose the materials for you. Each hub narrows by furniture type with the strip at the top and shows in-stock pieces only.
Teak
Dense, oil-rich hardwood that shrugs off rain and sun. Left alone it weathers to a silver grey; oiled once a season it keeps its honey tone. The heaviest and longest-lived of the woods.
All-weather wicker
Hand-woven resin over a powder-coated aluminum frame. Colourfast, light to move, and it stays outside year round. The look of natural rattan without the rot.
Aluminum
Rust-proof and light, the frame under most sofas, chairs and dining pieces here. Cast aluminum adds weight and detail; extruded aluminum keeps things lean. Powder coating is what protects the finish, so it matters more than the metal.
Shop aluminum outdoor furniture
Sunbrella and solution-dyed fabrics
The colour is in the fibre, not printed on, so cushions resist fading and mildew and can be hosed down. Look for this on anything with a cushion you intend to leave out.
Shop Sunbrella outdoor furniture and cushions
Concrete and composite tops
For tables that live outside permanently: fire tables, dining tables and coffee tables with concrete or fibre-reinforced tops that do not warp, fade or blow over.
Shop concrete outdoor furniture
Rope
Weather-resistant rope woven over aluminum or teak frames. Lighter and airier than wicker, with the same hose-off care, and the current look in lounge seating.
Shop by your climate
Four hubs built from the materials guide's weather table. Each holds the in-stock pieces made of the materials rated good or excellent for that condition, so you shop the weather and the materials sort themselves.
- Coastal and salt air: teak, aluminum, resin wicker and rope. Rinse with fresh water now and then.
- Full sun and heat: concrete tops, UV-resistant aluminum finishes, UV-stabilised wicker and Sunbrella cushions.
- Rain and humidity: aluminum, wicker, teak, rope and Sunbrella, all of which drain and dry fast.
- Freezing winters and snow: aluminum, wicker and teak, the three rated to stay outside through a freeze.
The Outdoor Furniture by Climate guide explains each choice, covers wind, roof decks and pool chemicals, and compares every material side by side.
Not sure which?
The Outdoor Furniture Materials Guide compares all six against sun, rain, salt air, freezing winters and weight, with honest trade-offs. The Cushions and Fabrics Guide covers what sits on top. Every product page states the exact material, finish and fabric of that piece.
- Which outdoor furniture material needs the least care?
- Powder-coated aluminum and all-weather resin wicker. Both rinse clean with a hose and need no sealing or oiling. Teak needs oil only if you want to keep its honey colour.
- What is best near the coast?
- Aluminum, because it cannot rust, and teak, which tolerates salt air. Keep cushions in a solution-dyed fabric such as Sunbrella so salt spray does not stain them.
- Should I shop by material or by climate?
- By climate if you are not sure what you want: the climate hubs only show materials that pass for your weather. By material if you already know, for example that you want teak; the materials guide tells you how it behaves where you live.
- Can I mix materials on one patio?
- Yes. A common pairing is a teak dining table with aluminum or rope chairs, or a concrete fire table in front of a wicker sofa. Matching the cushion fabric across pieces ties the mix together.