Garden furniture - what is best?

[hippospot]

Previously we had teak - it lasted well (bought from Homebase yonks ago) although oiling it 1-2 times a year was a pain (and honestly I got a bit lax).

It has to live out all year although if I'm organised I'll put a tarp over it for the winter.

So I like the look of teak but was wondering about other people's experiences of other materials, more weatherproof/low maintenance etc. I see some nice looking furniture on sustainable-furniture.co.uk - anyone bought from there? Sustainability is definitely a factor for us.

I don't mind paying up to £1800 for large table and 8 chairs, with the hope of them lasting a long time.

Ours is all weather rattan from Gloster. Not cheap, but stays out all year (without covers, although obviously we store the seat cushions inside) in the wet Welsh weather and still looks like new after seven years 😁

Yep Rattan for us. Our teak furniture eventually rotted and we had to dispose of it.
Our rattan set still looks like new 5 years later, despite not having been covered over for the past 2 winters!

Rattan here too from 5 years ago, and it looks the same as it did the day it arrived.

We've got this and it is totally bombproof:

www.neptune.com/garden/tables/cheltenham-table/6-seater-rectangular/

You have to give the stone top a good clean in the spring and (obviously) have somewhere to keep your cushions and parasol, but otherwise you can just have it put into place (the table is insanely heavy, so don't plan on moving it around too much) and forget about it.

Rattan here too, quick hose or power wash in spring and it’s good to go, it stays out all year round. Cushions in cushion box.

Like that set, @jaundicedoutlook!

We have a brilliant teak set from B&Q that is 15 years old, cost about £700 - it’s had fairly regular cleaning/oiling and still has life left. So would recommend, but I just don’t think the quality these days is up to scratch.

I have a large mosaic tiled table, metal base and metal chairs (with cushions that I put away on wet days). It sits out all year round, never covered. I have had it for 6 years and it’s still great.

I was worried about the tiles coming loose over time but it’s still solid.

Maintenance wise, I just give it a good scrub every now again to get rid of bits of moss/mould on the grout after wet weather.

We bought a metal table and chairs from Kettler. It's 15 years old and as good as the day we bought it. Gets left out all year round, and we just store the seat cushions inside.

We have something similar to this. Everything (including cushions) can stay out All. Year. Round.

www.whitehallgardencentre.co.uk/collections/life-garden-furniture/products/timber-corner-set-2

Those that have said rattan wHere did you get them from? The prices massively vary online

Maze do amazing garden furniture and their outdoor fabric range is made of yacht fabric, so it can stay outside all year around. They do give you winter covers, but its absolutely fine out in the rain and dries out in no time. We are so happy with ours.

Aldi and Lidl do great garden furniture - very good value too