How Comfortable is Outdoor Patio Furniture?
Outdoor patio furniture has come such a long way in its manufacturing processes and materials used. You don’t need to sacrifice comfort for durability at all. In many instances, your patio furniture will be as comfortable as your indoor furniture, if not more.
When shopping for outdoor patio furniture, expect to find options with cushions and without, chairs that recline, glide, and swivel, full length lounge chairs for napping, and sofas and sectionals. You’ll find any size and layout configuration that can fit any space. Some of the furniture is luxurious and oversized while some is petite. In recent years, there has been an emphasis placed upon small scale furniture for “patio homes,” apartments, balconies, three season rooms, and front porches.
Some of the factors that dictate how comfortable your outdoor patio furniture will be are:
Are there cushions?
What is the thickness of the cushion?
What is the cushion made of on the inside?
What type of material is on the outside of the cushion?
Is the fabric soft to the touch?
Does the cushion have a springy feel or do you sink to the bottom of it?
Does it rock, glide, or swivel?
Is there an ottoman available?
What is the depth (equally important for long and short legged people)?
How high is the seat back?
How high do you sit off the ground?
Are there side tables at a height that works with the height of the seating?
Are the chairs the right height for your bar or BBQ island?
Is there enough clearance under the table top for your legs to fit without rubbing?
Can your feet touch the floor?
Do the cushions stay in place or do they slide out under you?
Do the legs of the table bump your legs or the legs of the chairs?
Is there room for an umbrella base under the table?
If there are no cushions, is the seat and back curved to fit your body?
Does the seat back support your neck?
Do the armrests get too hot to the touch?
How wide is the chair relative to your body?
Does the seat recline at increments that work with your intended purpose?
Are extra throw pillows required to make it comfortable?
Your patio store will have plenty of options to test out. They may not have every piece in a collection, different pieces in a collection tend to vary mainly in size and multiple collections from the same company tend to feel the same. If you’re shopping online, you will have the benefit of sitting in anything. You’ll want to compare the dimensions of the outdoor patio furniture to furniture you have in your house. You can look at the photos provided to assess relative size, and some of the artwork may include people sitting in the pieces.
When in doubt, call your online store and ask us questions. We have access to information that isn’t necessarily presented on the website and may be able to send you photos from our brick and mortar showroom. Reputable online retailers visit the manufacturers on a regular basis and try out everything so you don’t have to. At least three times each year, we sit in every chair, evaluate the construction, and assess comfort so we can relay details to our customers in the best possible way. If we don’t have answers, we have the people at the manufacturing facility at our fingertips and can make a phone call that will be answered.
- Christopher Amos