When homeowners are deciding what kind of patio furniture to buy, there are two clear options: buy inexpensive furniture at Target and Costco, or opt for quality and style furniture at your local patio store. This is the dilemma on most customer’s minds when they do price shopping “Do I save on low-quality patio furniture, or invest on high- quality patio furniture?” It’s such a hot topic that there’s a thread on this subject hosted on the famous website Houzz, that spans 13 years! And people are still commenting with their experiences. So we decided to rank the furniture types and give you the details on where to shop, prices, customization, materials, replacement parts, and warranties. 

If you want to watch a quick video on this subject, we've got you covered:

 

Tier 1 Brands

Brands in this tier carry high quality, exquisitely designed, higher-priced patio furniture that will last you from 10-30 years and will probably be handed down to your kids after you've finished using it. This tier includes brands like Brown Jordan, Sunset West, Woodard, Telescope, Lloyd Flanders, Gloster, and Tropitone. 

Where To Shop
You can shop for these brands at your local specialty patio store and they usually ship 4-5 weeks after purchase. You can find these stores listed under the retailers or distributors tab on the brands' websites, or conduct a simple local Google search to find a few.

Prices & Customization
Prices vary, with complete patio sets from $1,500-6000, and single pieces from $200, you can always select the pieces you want in your set and only buy those. You can also customize your sets fabric color, fabric quality, and frame color.

Materials
Brands in this tier use the absolute best materials, no cutting corners! For example, a brand like Gloster will source its teak from carefully managed plantations in Indonesia to ensure high-quality teak as well as environmental responsibility. All materials down to the nuts and bolts on this higher-end furniture will be weather resistant, proven to stand the test of time.

Replacement Parts
All of the brands in this tier have known replacement parts, what's more impressive is that some manufacturers will even replace the parts for you under warranty. If not, you won't have any trouble finding replacement parts for these renowned brands online, so that you can replace whatever gets damaged or simply change the color fabrics to give it a brand new look for another few years.

Warranty
All brands in this tier will offer a warranty, however, warranty details will vary from brand to brand and from type of furniture, for example, Brown Jordan will offer up to a 15-year warranty on aluminum frames and 1-year warranty on cushions and fabrics. The most important thing to remember is that most, if not, all items you purchase have a reasonable warranty, with some items being under warranty for over a decade!

Tier 2 Brands

Brands in this tier carry mid-quality, stylish, medium-priced patio furniture that will last you around 3-8 years. These include Portofino, Sirio, Hanover, Leisure Made, Royal Garden, and Abysson among others.

Where to Shop
You can shop for these brands at Costco and Sams Club and they will usually ship 2-3 weeks after purchase. Not every town has a Costco or Sams Club, so it depends on your location.

Prices & Customization
Prices vary, with complete patio sets from $1000-4000, and single pieces from $150. You can only purchase the advertised set, and won't be able to customize the pieces, the fabric color, quality, or frame finish. What you see is what you get in this category.

Materials
Knowing whether the materials used for this tier are quality materials is a hit or miss. Some brands will use higher quality aluminum, wickers, and component parts, while other brands may use corrosive metals, no powder coating on internal frames, and parts that will rust even if the rest of the set won't. There is no guarantee that you will get a long-lasting set. Also, the consumer isn't privy to information such as where the brands source their materials, or whether they are being environmentally responsible.

Replacement Parts
Finding replacement parts may prove a bit tricky, and in some cases you won't find the same exact sizing for parts. But you can find some generic parts online, so, you may be able to replace the parts that become damaged. If parts are unavailable- it may mean having to scrap a broken piece of furniture- making your set incomplete.

Warranty
Not all brands in this tier will offer a warranty, some only offer 1-year warranty from the purchase date, others will offer a similar warranty as tier 1 brands but never as extensive. For example Portofino furniture will only offer 1-year warranty and you need to keep your receipt, as compared to others who offers 5-year finish warranty against blistering or peeling. The important thing is to check for a warranty in this category. Follow up from some import companies can be difficult.

Tier 3 Brands

Brands in this tier carry low quality, average styled, low-cost patio furniture that will last you around 1-3 years. These brands are only mentioned under the product listing in small caps, remaining obscure to the customer, some examples are Christopher Knight Home, Threshold and Better Homes & Gardens.

Where to Shop
You can shop for these brands at your local Target, Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart, Kmart and they will usually deliver in 1-2 weeks from their warehouses.

Prices & Customization
Prices vary, with complete patio sets from at $300-1000 and single pieces from $100. You can only purchase what you see in the picture or store as is, this means no customization or even picking which pieces you want for your set, as they wont sell pieces from a collection, only the complete packaged sets. Most of these will require assembly.

Materials
Furniture in this category is made from cheap materials that will break, peel, rust easily since the manufacturer is cutting costs wherever possible. Aluminum sets may not come with quality powder coat, so, they may rust, wicker may be from the low-grade material without UV protection, tubular steel may be used instead of aluminum, and even if the materials won't rust- the parts, like the hardware, will. Lastly, there is no visibility on where these brands source their materials, or how they process them, or whether they are being environmentally responsible.

Replacement Parts
Finding replacement parts for these big-box retailer patio sets may prove most tricky, since the components used aren't meant to be replaced but rather thrown away once they become damaged. So you'll be faced with finding rare pieces on the internet, slings that won't fit, feet caps that don't exist in the market, etc.

Warranty
None of these brands offer any lengthy warranty, and the only warranty is the store's own warranty or return policy- if any. For example, some big box stores do not offer a warranty for their patio furniture, and you are left with only the general 90 days return policy.

 

The Verdict

Let's look at the facts:

• Tier 1 brands are longer-lasting, made with high-quality materials, completely customizable, and carry warranty always, all this for a higher price mark at special patio shops.
• Tier 2 brands are the happy medium, with okay materials, some warranty, some replacement parts, no customization, almost the same price as tier 1 brands, and sold at only two big retailers. _
• Tier 3 brands are very affordable but are made from low-quality materials, will only last 1-3 years, carry no warranty, no customization, and hard to find replacement parts.

Our verdict is that if you have the funds, invest on a nice Tier 1 brand patio set because it will last decades, it brings warranty, you can be sure of replacement parts, you can customize it and when you want to refresh the look, you can do so by replacing the fabrics and frame colors. If you don't have the funds, purchase a Tier 3 furniture set and save up for when it breaks down, so you can buy Tier 1 furniture set.

And if you have some funds but not enough for the dream patio set and you find it at your local Costco, just make sure that you ask about materials, warranty, look around for replacement parts online just to be safe, and still save up for when the set gets major wear and tear you can replace it with a Tier 1 modern, high-quality set.

Investing in a long-lasting Tier 1 set will give you patio furniture for decades, that even your children as grown adults can use for their homes. Tier 1 is hands down the best of the best!

Should I buy expensive or cheap outdoor furniture?

Avleen M.

Published on 2 Nov 2021

From outdoor lounges to garden benches, outdoor furniture can be so expensive. Instead of focussing on price, it's a better indicator of quality to look at the materials used. Also consider the garden furniture's suitability for your climate and unique outdoor area, its comfort, support, and how often you'll realistically use it.

Why is outdoor furniture so expensive?

Since garden furniture is designed to be left outdoors 24/7, it needs to hold strong against inclement weather like harsh sun, rain and wind.

This resilience to all sorts of outdoor weather is a non-negotiable. Poor quality outdoor furniture will turn into junk fast - it can rust, corrode, fade, get mould on it, or fly away in the wind.

To avoid this, the materials must have naturally weather-resistant properties. Furniture is then treated for extra protection against the elements, e.g. through powder coating or UV stabilising.

Indoor furniture doesn’t need this extra step in the manufacturing process. It can use non-weather-safe materials like pine, which makes it cheaper than outdoor furniture materials to produce.

Shipping costs are higher

Since garden furniture is big and bulky, delivery is expensive if you're buying online. Even delivering a small 3-piece lounge set from a local retailer can cost upwards of $100.

Picking up your furniture from the store directly is cheaper; just make sure you have enough boot space and a passenger to help you convey the furniture into your car.

What is the average price for patio furniture?

We did some research on the price range of commonly bought furniture items sold by four popular retailers - IKEA, Mimosa and Marquee outdoor furniture (both Bunnings brands), and Harvey Norman.

Product & StoreIKEAMimosaMarqueeHarvey NormanOutdoor dining chair$17 - $129$45 - $249$8 - $399$149 - $599Outdoor table$21 - $349$70 - $1,369$20 - $319$399 - $3, 099Outdoor dining set (outdoor table and chairs)$55 - $1, 303None$99 - $199$599 - $5, 699Outdoor lounge setting$368 - $1, 559$349 - $3, 069$159 - $399$699 - $4, 999Single cushion$1 - $69All $19$29 (only one cushion sold)$19.95 - $49

Prices current at 29/10/21.

Top Tip - Look at materials, not at price

Based on our research on the websites of the above four retailers, we found that price is often a good indication of the quality of materials used in garden furniture - but not always.

A more reliable way to gauge durability is to look at a garden set's specs to see what it's really made of. This means if you want to scout for a good deal, you may be able to find decent quality materials at a more affordable price.

Here are some materials that are commonly cheap or expensive, and an explanation of whether they are long-lasting or not.

Cheaper materials

Resin/plastic

Plastic or resin is cheap and cheerful - but it's also pretty resilient.

It's easy to clean, doesn't need cushions because it's soft, and doesn't require yearly treatment or maintenance. It will still be slightly pricier than indoor plastic furniture due to its weather resistant quality.

The downsides are that it can lose its shine after many hours in the sun. If you covet flair, it isn't the most stylish option.

Rope construction

Rope fabric is used on outdoor chairs. It's weaved to form the structure of a chair back and seat. Durability will depend on what the rope is made of (e.g. Olefin is resilient while cotton is unsuitable for outdoor use), and also what the chair’s frame and legs are made of.

Plain steel

On the cheaper end of the scale, this includes hollow steel tube frames. Steel, like other metals, can rust and corrode in response to water and salt in the air.

For outdoor furniture to last, steel shouldn't be plain steel, but powder-coated or stainless steel. These extra layers protect it against weather-related damage.

600D polyester cushions

Polyester is naturally water-resistant, but if it’s not coated with a special material like PVC, it can wear out fast. If the fabric has a low thread count, this is especially the case.

Most cheaper outdoor cushions are made from 600 denier polyester, which is coated on one side and does the job of resisting water well enough. Any dye will be fade and weather-resistant.

More expensive materials

A 5-piece teak dining set.A natural rattan outdoor lounge.

Teak

One of the few all-weather hardwoods, teak is a sophisticated and expensive material for outdoor furniture. Teak is extremely longwearing when regularly maintained and treated.

Synthetic rattan

This takes other names, such as resin wicker or PE wicker. Synthetic rattan is an artifical version of rattan, a natural material sourced from a vines.

Synthetic rattan is actually more durable than natural rattan (which is just as expensive - if not pricier). Resin wicker is moisture, fade and UV-resistant, and requires minimal cleaning and maintenance.

Stainless steel

This is a corrosion-resistant metal alloy that stands up strong to Mother Nature. It's heavy and robust, making it great for large, weight-bearing dining tables.

Olefin

Used in outdoor cushions, this is a synthetic material made from polyolefin. It resists water, heat, UV rays, mildew, colour fading and stains. This is a resilient material that’s also more comfortable than polyester.

Textilene

This is a woven polyester fabric covered in PVC used in more expensive outdoor cushions. The material is typically thick and resilient.

It is resistant to water, wind, mould, UV rays and fading. Some manufacturers claim it is a flame retardant, which could make it safer when using it near a firepit. It’s less comfortable than Olefin fabric.

Best bang for your buck

We found these wild card materials on both cheap and expensive furniture. They are all considered good quality materials, and you can buy them affordably if you look hard enough.

Powder-coated aluminium

Versatile and durable yet affordable, powder-coated aluminium is a top pick when it comes to outdoor furniture. It’s strong, like stainless steel, and the powder coating prevents rusting, corrosion or peeling of the metal underneath. The more layers the better, which you can preserve by avoiding harsh chemical cleaners.

Eucalyptus

While timber outdoor furniture is usually expensive, eucalyptus outdoor furniture appeared to be an exception with some brands, such as Mimosa Outdoor Furniture.

Wrought iron

The LACKO 2-piece dining set from IKEA, $115.Vintage wrought iron outdoor dining set.

Wrought iron may look thin, intricate and delicate, but it's surprsingly strong. Many pieces have a vintage look and are fairly budget friendly. Like other outdoor metals, wrought iron is best protected with multi-layered powder-coating.

However, this furniture may also use paint or clear coating for protection. This isn't as enduring as powder coating, but will still afford some protection against the elements - and bring the price down.

Shopping based on your climate

Even if a material is weather-safe and you can afford it, it should also suit your climate.

Windy weather

• Avoid aluminium or other light furniture, for example made of plastic. It can go flying when it’s too windy.
• If you're buying an outdoor umbrella, the more durable the better. Patio umbrellas can withstand wind - but only with a heavily weighted base, durably constructed frame and thick fabric.

Hot climates

• Furniture made from stainless steel or other hot metal alloys retain heat. It can be dangerous to touch if furniture is left exposed to the sun.
• Left in prolonged sunlight, some timbers may develop a patina and change colour over time. Eucalyptus, for example, develops a silver patina. Some people find it attractive; others don't.

Wet or humid climates

• You’ll want to avoid anything made of timber. Even weather-safe hardwoods can soak in condensation. When the wood dries again, it can become cracked and warped, making the shape uneven. Yearly treatments are neccessary to maintain outdoor timber - but even this may not be sufficient if you live in a wet or humid climate.

Final tips to save money on outdoor furniture

Be flexible with the aesthetic

If you’re intent on your outdoor furniture having a certain look, you may have to pay more. If you're flexible with the aesthetic you may be more likely to snag a bargain.

Having a cohesive furniture design outdoors is arguably less important than having one indoors. Outside, it's nature rather than manmade creations that's the focal point! Furniture and decor doesn’t all have to be matching, either; variety can be eclectic and fun in an outdoor setting, and can make it feel more relaxed.

Scale down

While it may be tempting to splash out on that luxurious 9-piece dining set for all your summer alfresco dinner parties, realistically consider how often you'll get practical use you’ll get out of your purchase. Maybe you’re inspired by the idea of having a fancy outdoor entertaining space, but will actually only do it occasionally. In this case, scaling down to a smaller set-up that's suitable for your everyday household needs will save money.

Shop off-season

Garden furniture is usually cheaper in the colder months. (This trend excludes the pandemic prices of 2020 and 2021, when garden furniture was flying off the shelves in winter lockdowns). While shopping on second-hand sites like Gumtree or Facebook marketplace is appealing, you can't verify the materials used, or know how long ago the furniture was bought. This means the quality and longevity of your new garden furniture will be in question.

Wrapping up

While you may want to save some cash on your outdoor set-up, furniture that's not properly treated or made to last in all sorts of weather conditions won't last very long. However, it is possible to find resilient materials at a cheaper price if you take the time to look for them. This way, a good deal doesn't come at the cost of quality.