Garden furniture

Garden chairs and table, England

A bench in a public park

Garden furniture, also called patio furniture or outdoor furniture, is a type of furniture specifically designed for outdoor use. It is typically made of weather-resistant materials such as aluminium which is rust-proof.

History

Sketch from the St. Louis Daily Globe-Democrat, September 27, 1896. Women relax in garden furniture.

The oldest surviving examples of garden furniture were found in the gardens of Pompeii. Around 1840, Janes, Beebe & Co. produced one of the earliest products of mass-produced cast-iron seating manufacture in America.

Types of furniture

An area of typical patio furniture, including umbrellas, in Taiwan, 2007

Main article: List of furniture types

• Wooden furniture
• Bamboo furniture
• Wicker or rattan furniture
• Metal furniture
• Plastic furniture
• Glass furniture
• Rope furniture
• Synthetic fiber furniture

Seating

Garden furniture is often sold as a patio set consisting of a table, four or six chairs, and a parasol. A picnic table is used for the purpose of eating a meal outdoors. Long chairs, referred to as chaise longue, are also common items.

Temperature control

See also: Outdoor fireplace

The British 'garden parasol' or American 'garden umbrella' is the term for a specialised type of umbrella designed to provide shade from the sun. Parasols are either secured in a weighted base or a built-in mount in the paving. Some are movable around outdoor tables and seating, others centred through a hole mid-table.

Patio heaters are used to enable people to sit outside at night or in cold weather. They can be permanently mounted on eaves and patio roofs, or portable and self-supporting. They can operate on electricity, propane, bottled butane (small units), or natural gas. The latter can be plumbed into permanent locations or attached to 'quick-connect' outlets.

Modular outdoor fire pits and portable fire bowls have become widely available in many materials to extend outdoor living. The tall clay Chimeneas of North America are an example.

Accessories

Current garden accessories include items like birdbaths, plant stands, planter boxes and trellises to add detail to an outdoor space.

Materials

Green plastic garden furniture, Czech Republic, 2009

The most commonly sold types of patio sets are made of plastic, wood, aluminium, wicker, and wrought iron.

Wooden garden furniture can suffer through exposure to the elements and therefore needs to be periodically treated. Teak is a commonly used material for outdoor furniture. It naturally contains silica, which makes it resistant to fungal decay, many of the effects of water (such as rot, swelling and warping), as well as chemicals. It is also resistant to fire, acid and alkalis.

Wicker outdoor living furniture was originally made from the stems of any one of 600 species of palms predominantly found in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. These vine-like palms, belonging to the subfamily Calamoideae, were harvested for their pliable yet sturdy stems, which were then tightly woven into interlocking panels to form various furniture pieces. The palm stems were tightly woven into interlocking panels, and formed into the desired structure. Modern wicker furniture is often made from synthetic resin or other plastic which is moulded to resemble real wood or wicker.

Synthetic fiber furniture Synthetic fiber furniture refers to furniture made using man-made fiber-reinforced composite materials, often designed as an alternative to traditional wood-based or natural-fiber options. As sustainability becomes an increasingly vital concern in furniture production and consumer preferences, synthetic and hybrid composite materials have gained prominence for their environmental, economic, and functional benefits.

One of the most notable trends in sustainable furniture manufacturing is the shift toward using fiber-reinforced polymer composites. While natural-fiber-reinforced (NFR) composites have become a popular alternative to traditional wood, synthetic fibers remain a significant component in composite formulations, either independently or blended with natural materials. These composites offer advantages such as durability, resistance to weathering, and adaptability in outdoor furniture design.

Recent research has also highlighted innovations in using recycled synthetic materials, such as waste textiles, to create environmentally friendly furniture components. For instance, Wang et al. (2023) explored the use of waste textile-starch composites produced via microwave expansion technology. This biodegradable and customizable material combines waste textiles with starch and other eco-friendly components, addressing the dual challenge of textile waste and unsustainable furniture materials. The resulting furniture exhibits sustainable design characteristics and serves as an economical alternative to both traditional and synthetic materials .

Synthetic fiber furniture can be tailored to meet a wide range of performance, structural, ecological, and safety requirements. According to Ichim et al. (2024), achieving optimal composite performance depends on factors such as the choice of fiber and polymer matrix, the fiber-to-matrix ratio, and the compatibility between materials. Additionally, adherence to standardized testing methods ensures the mechanical, physical, and chemical reliability of such composites .

In the context of outdoor and garden furniture, synthetic fiber composites—often resembling rattan or wicker—are especially valued for their weather resistance, low maintenance, and design flexibility. As sustainability becomes a core consideration, advances in fiber-reinforced and recycled composite materials continue to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of garden and outdoor furniture.

See also

• Courtyard
• Deck (building)
• Garden design
• Resin wicker