Firstly, why are there so many different options?!
It’s seriously overwhelming, and you don’t want to make the mistake of buying the wrong garden furniture. Taking that into account, let’s look at some important things to consider when you purchase furniture for your garden:
Quality over Quantity
A preliminary search for garden furniture will show you thousands of choices from all sorts of brands. You’ll also see prices ranging from a tenner up to a few thousand quid. Now, the temptation is to opt for the cheapest garden furniture because you’ve already spent a fortune on furniture inside your home.
However, this usually leads to the same issue: the furniture breaks, and you’re in a constant state of replacing it every summer.
It’s always better to choose quality over cheapness, especially when you’re buying something that goes outside and will be subjected to a lot of wear and tear. Some genuine quality Kettler outdoor furniture might cost a lot more than a cheap brand from B&M, but it will last for decades if taken care of. Think about the future - and also think about the long-term costs of replacing cheap garden furniture, not just on your wallet, but on the environment.
Consider What You’ll Use The Furniture For
What’s the main purpose of your garden furniture? This might feel like it has an obvious answer, but you can upgrade your outdoor space with furniture in countless ways:
* Sun loungers to soak up the sun in the summer
* Relaxed dining areas with an outdoor sofa and a low table
*More sophisticated dining areas with a proper table and chairs
*Seats for just chilling outside
How you use your furniture impacts the right type to buy. For example, if all you care about is having a couple of chairs to lounge on in the sun, then you’re obviously not going to buy a full outdoor dining set. Likewise, if you want to have proper dinners outdoors, you need proper chairs and a tall enough table - it’s too hard to eat dinner on a low-down table and sofa.
When you decide what you’ll use the furniture for, you can start looking at the applicable furniture and ignore everything else. It’s a quick way to rule out thousands of possibilities in one go.
How you use your furniture impacts the right type to buy. For example, if all you care about is having a couple of chairs to lounge on in the sun, then you’re obviously not going to buy a full outdoor dining set. Likewise, if you want to have proper dinners outdoors, you need proper chairs and a tall enough table - it’s too hard to eat dinner on a low-down table and sofa.
When you decide what you’ll use the furniture for, you can start looking at the applicable furniture and ignore everything else. It’s a quick way to rule out thousands of possibilities in one go.
Take Your Available Space Into Account
How much space is available in your garden? This will be the biggest concern for most people as certain furniture simply will never fit. For instance, what if your “garden” is nothing more than an apartment balcony? In that scenario, you’re stuck with a couple of chairs, and that’s it.
On the other hand, if you’ve got a large garden or a massive patio with plenty of space, you could afford to have a few furniture pieces in one place. Maybe you’ll have a dining table and chairs on the patio, then a couple of sun loungers somewhere else in the garden.
It becomes a case of figuring out what furniture will fit in your outdoor space, and also how cramped the furniture makes things. Some of you could have a decent garden, but adding a full-on dining set means there’s not much room to move around. You have to weigh up the balance so your furniture doesn’t ruin the entire vibe.
Be Aware Of Where The Furniture Will Go
By this we mean, where will your furniture physically be positioned? Is it going on grass, will it be on decking, or do you have a patio? The physical location matters because some furniture doesn’t suit certain environments.
E.g. You shouldn’t get chairs with quite narrow legs and place them on grass. They’ll simply sink down when you sit on them and could be stuck in the ground!
Moreover, some garden furniture doesn’t sit well on decking or patio because the surface can be quite uneven. If that’s something you worry about, then rattan or wicker furniture is always a safe bet. This garden furniture type will normally be quite boxy and chunky, meaning it has a larger surface area than a four-legged chair or table. Therefore, it has less chance of wobbling around.
Think About Any Storage Concerns
Your last consideration is simple: where will you store the garden furniture when you don’t use it?
This is a way more important thought than you initially realise, especially if you don’t intend to keep it outside throughout the whole year. If you do intend to do that, then your main worry is buying weatherproof garden furniture that can withstand the elements. You may even consider building a cover to go over the top of the patio/deck.
However, if you want to put the furniture away, then you need to pick pieces that are a) easy to move around, and b) even easier for you to store. It depends on your garden storage situation - if you’ve got a garage, then you can afford to buy larger pieces of garden furniture and put them away. If you’re only working with a small shed, you may need foldable furniture that’s easier to fit in tight spaces.
Before you jump into buying furniture for your garden, run through all of these concerns in your head. It will genuinely make things easier because they act as a filter to get rid of unsuitable furniture options from your search. You’ll also end up making a better decision and won’t waste any money, which is always important. At the end of the day, everyone wants to have a nice garden, so go out and find the right furniture for yours.
Your last consideration is simple: where will you store the garden furniture when you don’t use it?
This is a way more important thought than you initially realise, especially if you don’t intend to keep it outside throughout the whole year. If you do intend to do that, then your main worry is buying weatherproof garden furniture that can withstand the elements. You may even consider building a cover to go over the top of the patio/deck.
However, if you want to put the furniture away, then you need to pick pieces that are a) easy to move around, and b) even easier for you to store. It depends on your garden storage situation - if you’ve got a garage, then you can afford to buy larger pieces of garden furniture and put them away. If you’re only working with a small shed, you may need foldable furniture that’s easier to fit in tight spaces.
Before you jump into buying furniture for your garden, run through all of these concerns in your head. It will genuinely make things easier because they act as a filter to get rid of unsuitable furniture options from your search. You’ll also end up making a better decision and won’t waste any money, which is always important. At the end of the day, everyone wants to have a nice garden, so go out and find the right furniture for yours.
