You’ve bitten the bullet and decided to furnish your outdoor space with some of the most durable outdoor furniture on the market. Poly furniture! Yay!
But before you begin your online shopping, let’s get you started on the right foot with a few pointers. Since your furniture will help determine how much time you spend outdoors, you do want to get it right.
1. How Will I Use My Furniture?
How will you use your outdoor space? If it’s for contemplation and reading, a few Adirondack chairs or a swing or bench may be all you need. Pop in some outdoor plants and a vivid outdoor rug, and you’ve got your escape.
If you love hosting, patio dining sets come in all shapes and sizes–round, oval, square, rectangular, tall, and short–for many people or few. Fire and ice tables add a dramatic flair to any outdoor area.
If you like more casual setups, tall round tables give guests the option of standing or sitting. If you like dinner parties with beautiful table settings, opt for a rectangular table with plenty of seating. Or if you want your space centered around a fire ring, try a set of trusty Adirondacks.
2. How Big Is My Space?
Take a minute and measure your outdoor area. Your seating should be spaced so guests can easily hold conversations. At the same time, you want plenty of space so it doesn’t feel crowded. And make sure there is room to move around.
You may even want to draw a small sketch of your outdoor area to decide how your furniture will fit best. Better yet, consider sketching the placement of the furniture you wish to buy right onto your patio with sidewalk chalk. That way, you know whether to shop for more pieces or fewer.
The last thing you want is to bring home your furniture and realize that you overestimated the size of your patio. A little measuring goes a long way.
3. What Am I Willing to Spend?
You’ll find out pretty quickly that the prices for poly outdoor furniture span a huge range. As you make a budget, remember that poly outdoor furniture is a long-term investment. You might consider spending a little extra and getting the good stuff–Amish-made poly furniture. The price tag is large, but it will pay itself off with years of comfortable refreshment outdoors.
4. How Long Do I Want My Furniture to Last?
Not all poly furniture is created equal. If replacing your furniture two years from now doesn’t look appealing, then stay away from wobbly legs, fuzzy edges, or sloppy screw placements. Cheaper furniture tends to have many visible screw holes, while higher-end furniture will have fewer.
Poly furniture is made from recycled plastic such as milk jugs, soap bottles, and juice cartons. Investing in long-lasting poly furniture is putting recycled plastics to good use.
5. What Is the Warranty?
Warranties tell you how much a company believes in its product. A well-crafted piece of poly furniture will last for many years. Some brands offer up to 20 years of limited residential warranties for their outdoor furniture. That’s pretty wild when you’re talking about something that may encounter four different seasons of weather.
6. Do I Like How It Looks?
If you are purchasing long-lasting furniture, then buy something you love. Steer away from chairs with an overabundance of ugly screw holes.
And do your research. There are so many different styles and colors in poly furniture. Ask to see the catalog if you’re not seeing a color that you want. It may be possible to order it.
Consider the color scheme of your home and patio area. Bright, sparkly colors or stately neutral colors–which would be more attractive?
7. Do I Like Sitting In This Chair?
Yes, maybe it’s a no-brainer. But while you’re considering quality, appearance, and warranty, don’t forget comfort. You won’t care if your furniture lasts for 20 years if you start squirming after sitting for several minutes.
So instead of doing your shopping and buying online, hop in your car and visit some furniture dealers. Sit in a variety of different styles from different manufacturers. Spend more than a minute in your favorite choices because your annoyance with a certain piece will only show up if you’ve stayed sitting for some time.
Many manufacturers take special care to tailor their furniture to people’s sitting bones, and you can feel the difference. But even with contoured seating surfaces, poly can still be hard. You may want to add some mildew-resistant cushions to your purchase. They come in many shapes and sizes. Choose a color scheme that flatters your outdoor room.
Want to browse a great selection of poly outdoor furniture? A good place to start is The Olde Sale Barn in Denton, Maryland. We keep a wide variety of furniture in stock so you can browse and sit to your heart’s content. Check out our website to whet your appetite.