Not quite gardening but what type of garden bench should I get?

[ilikeyoursleeves]

I fancy a bench for the garden for the summertime, but I don't know what would be best. I like wooden ones but what type of wood is the best to get in terms of durability? I saw one in Homebase for about £50 but that might only last a few years. I don't want to spend over £100-150 max though, any ideas?

Hardwood (eg oak) will last much longer than softwoods like pine, but will cost lots more, more than £150, so not sure what to suggest.
You coudl go for metal/cast iron/steel instead?

Hardwood is probably best but it is a big up-front investment. Will you want to move the bench? Cast iron looks lovely but may be hard to move.

Most of these are within your budget. I've got quite a trad garden and have long hankered after a Lutyens bench but just don't have the space.

Oh poo. The link doesn't show the search results - just bung in 'bench'.

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Just one drawback with wooden benches ... you have to stain or treat the wood every year.

We have a B&Q bench that has been excellent and is going strong after about 8 years (er. never re-oiled ).

Bit like this one, in fact I'm sure the wood is Roble. It's so heavy I can only just pick it up to move, which is probably a good indication of quality.

Cast iron or wrought iron and painted your own preferred colour with Hammerite can also be nice if you can get a second hand one.

Care they have not been nicked though. There is a big trade in stolen garden artefacts.