Wood

Wood is born outside, so it makes sense that it’s a top choice for your garden furniture. Wooden garden furniture is great if a natural look and feel is important to you. But it’s also incredibly resilient and hardwearing.

You may find there’s more opportunity to discover unique and imaginative designs with wooden garden furniture too. For example our stunning Vigo dining set features a beautifully carved table and shapely chairs with ergonomically curved backrests.

The markings, colourings and grains of wood lend that extra dose of unique character, which synthetic materials like metal or resin just aren’t able to. The feeling that your piece is one of a kind means you’ll want to hold onto your furniture for longer, taking care to look after it and being less tempted by fleeting trends.

Regarded as one of the best wood choices for outdoor furniture, teak is loved for its natural strength and resistance to the elements. Teak garden furniture is known to age beautifully, so you needn’t worry about it looking shabby after a season in the sun.

We offer a wide choice of high-quality teak garden furniture, from outdoor kitchen units to stunning benches and chairs by luxury brands.

Rattan

Probably the first type that comes to mind when you picture garden furniture, rattan brings a quintessentially British look to your outdoor space. But there’s more than one reason it’s so highly regarded.

Today’s variations of rattan garden furniture tend to be crafted from a synthetic resin weave, rather than natural wicker. The resin is specially treated to help it withstand life outdoors, which means it’s less prone to unravelling, mould, water damage, sun damage, and much more! It can be easily cleaned too, and feels much smoother against the skin than wicker.

It’s incredibly lightweight too, which means it can be moved around and stored away without much effort. Don’t be fooled by this though – our rattan furniture is wrapped around high-strength aluminium frames for long-lasting quality.

We offer a wide choice of finishes at Barker and Stonehouse – grey rattan garden furniture ranges from delicate dove grey to rich charcoal, while brown rattan garden furniture comes in light beige tones as well as deeper chocolate hues.

Aluminium

While aluminium is also used for the frames of our rattan ranges, we do offer a range of sleek and modern pieces that make their metalwork the main event.

Aluminium garden furniture is hailed for its durability and strength, specially coated to prevent rusting and protect it against the elements. It’s also a sustainable option, as aluminium is one of the few materials that can be infinitely recycled. In fact, our Terra Sustainable Garden Set is entirely recyclable – from its frame to its cushion fillings.

Very on trend, one of the main selling points of aluminium garden furniture is its contemporary appearance. But unlike rattan and wood, you’ll generally be looking at a monochrome colour palette – usually grey, black or white. You can easily dress up your outdoor furniture with cushions, throws and rugs if you like a little more colour though.

In terms of drawbacks, one of the key things to consider is how aluminium reacts in extreme temperatures. You may need to be careful with armrests when your furniture has been in scorching sunlight, and equally, they may feel cold in cooler climates.

Recycled Plastic

Another sustainable choice – our unique range of recycled plastic garden furniture repurposes materials that would otherwise end up in landfill. The collection features colourful, hardwearing pieces like tables, chairs and loungers.

Offering a fun and playful aesthetic, these pieces are simple in design, yet bring a vibrant feel to your garden. Super lightweight, they can be easily lifted and repositioned – perfect for chasing the sun! You’ll also find our recycled plastic garden furniture is fairly compact, suiting smaller spaces such as patios and balconies.

In terms of comfort – recycled plastic sets don’t usually come with cushions, so they may not feel or look as luxurious as other types of garden furniture. However, the seats are specially moulded to offer support where you need it. The material is surprisingly smooth as well, so you needn’t worry about rough surfaces or snagging. This makes for easy cleaning – simply wipe over with a damp cloth as needed.

Alternative options

As well as the main contenders, we also offer a variety of occasional outdoor furniture in a wide choice of looks and finishes – such as lightweight stools in colourful fiberglass, trendy rope weave chairs and solid concrete tables. But let’s save those for another day.

Garden furniture care

Whatever material you go for, the best way to ensure you can love it for many years is to follow the relevant care instructions. Read our comprehensive garden furniture care guide for more information on the do’s and don’ts of each material.

Don’t forget to protect your furniture with a high-quality outdoor furniture cover when not in use, and ensure your cushions stay clean and dry in a stylish outdoor storage box.