Spring is on its way, and if you're starting to think about refreshing your patio space ready for the warmer weather, I've rounded up the best outdoor furniture brands to invest in.
As one of Ideal Home's shopping and outdoor living editors, I regularly research the best garden furniture available each season and in the process I've tested outdoor furniture from a multitude of brand names.
That means I know exactly where to shop if you're looking for a cheap and cheerful patio set and where to find long-lasting and durable outdoor furniture.
Here are my recommendations for the best outdoor furniture brands to browse if you're looking to update your garden or patio seating this spring.
Best outdoor furniture brands
Searching for the best rattan garden furniture for a larger patio or the best garden chairs for a smaller outdoor space? These are the outdoor furniture brands you'll want on your radar.
Barker and Stonehouse outdoor furniture
Barker and Stonehouse's outdoor furniture collection is extensive, and I'm yet to see a piece of furniture on the brand's website that I wouldn't be happy to have in my own garden.
It's also a particularly good place to shop garden dining tables – which can often be a tricky piece of outdoor furniture to source – as well as offering a huge range of garden sofas and lounge sets, both with and without built-in fire pits.
Pricing: £££-££££
Editor's pick: Beach Garden Dining Table
Shop the collection: Barker and Stonehouse outdoor furniture
Homebase outdoor furniture
If you want to invest in garden furniture that will withstand the elements, then you need to look for outdoor furniture made either from hardwoods or with a rust-resistant aluminium frame. However, both of these materials can make for an expensive purchase.
In my experience, Homebase is one of the best places for finding aluminium-framed furniture at a reasonable price point – probably because the brand's large amount of stores mean they can manufacture in bulk and pass those savings onto the customer.
Pricing: £-£££
Editor's pick: Spirit Garden Corner Sofa Set
Shop the collection: Homebase outdoor furniture
John Lewis outdoor furniture
Similarly, although you will generally pay a little more than at Homebase or B&Q, the John Lewis outdoor furniture collection also offers a good selection of patio furniture made from durable acacia wood and rust and weather-resistant aluminium frames.
There's also a touch more design flair, with a good mix of styles to suit a range of gardens, including timeless wood and rattan garden furniture alongside far more contemporary designs.
Pricing: ££-££££
Editor's pick: Dante Deluxe Garden Dining Armchair
Shop the collection: John Lewis outdoor furniture
Habitat outdoor furniture
If you're looking for more affordable outdoor furniture, then Habitat is the place to look for stylish designs that won't break the bank.
Most of the brand's outdoor furniture collection is made from budget-friendly materials, such as powder-coated steel rather than aluminium frames. This makes the furniture more affordable upfront, but in order to prolong its lifespan you will need to factor in somewhere to store your purchases over winter to protect them from the worst of the elements.
Pricing: £-££
Editor's pick: Bamboo Effect Garden Sofa Set
Shop the collection: Habitat outdoor furniture
Dobbies outdoor furniture
A wide selection of stores means that there's usually a Dobbies somewhere nearby so you can test out the brand's outdoor furniture in person. And if there's not, the good news is that the brand has now started to put its outdoor furniture online too.
Each season sees a good mix of budget-friendly bistro sets and garden tables and chairs that are ideal for smaller patio spaces, as well as larger outdoor corner sofas and lounge sets for those who have a little more space to play with.
Pricing: ££-££££
Editor's pick: Sienna Outdoor Sofa Set
Shop the collection: Dobbies outdoor furniture
Garden Trading outdoor furniture
If you have a little more cash to invest into your outdoor furniture then Garden Trading has plenty of swoonworthy pieces that are designed to create a focal point on the patio.
There are plenty of spacious outdoor sofas and large outdoor dining tables and chairs to choose from, as well some great smaller space options such as classic metal bistro sets and space-saving outdoor bars.
Pricing: £££-££££
Editor's pick: Rive Droite Bistro Set
Shop the collection: Garden Trading outdoor furniture
Bramblecrest outdoor furniture
If you opt for rattan garden furniture you'll get a timeless look that suits a wide range of garden styles, and that offers practical and easy to care for outdoor seating.
Bramblecrest has one of the best selections of rattan garden furniture that I've come across, including classic rattan garden tables and chairs and luxury rattan garden sofas all with rust-resistant aluminium frames. Although that said, the brand also delivers plenty of more contemporary outdoor furniture as well.
Pricing: ££££
Editor's pick: Sahara Rattan Round Dining Set
Shop the collection: Bramblecrest outdoor furniture
Very outdoor furniture
The rise of interest in outdoor living areas means that Very has expanded its outdoor offering considerably in recent years, and its now a great source of affordable garden furniture.
Lines tend to be made of more affordable powder-coated steel rather than aluminium, but there are some good on-trend options at relatively low price points.
Pricing: ££-£££
Editor's pick: Athens Rattan-Effect Corner Set
Shop the collection: Very outdoor furniture
B&Q outdoor furniture
B&Q is another outdoor store that offers a mix of more affordable outdoor furniture constructed from powder-coated steel, as well as slightly more expensive – yet still reasonable by most standards – aluminium-framed furniture that has better outdoor durability.
The Apolima range – which includes the brand's bestselling Apolima hanging egg chair – is especially popular and tends to sell out quickly, so snap it up early on in the season if you can.
Pricing: £-£££
Editor's pick: Apolima Rattan-Effect Garden Egg Chair
Shop the collection: B&Q outdoor furniture
VonHaus outdoor furniture
VonHaus is an online-only retailer with an outdoor product range that's expanded considerably in recent years.
Prices are usually very reasonable, and the brand always offers a good range of affordable wooden garden furniture – made from PEFC certified Malaysian hardwood – which can be hard to find at any other retailer. It also has one of the best selections of Adirondack chairs that I've come across – perfect for arranging around one of this year's best fire pits.
Pricing: £-££
Editor's pick: Four-Seater Wooden Dining Set
Shop the collection: VonHaus outdoor furniture
Heal's outdoor furniture
Heal's outdoor furniture collection is more expensive than most brands included in this round-up, but it offers a great range of contemporary designer pieces all in one place. That includes outdoor furniture from Muuto, Kartell, Vincent Sheppard, and much more.
If money were no object then I'd definitely be investing in the Tanso teak outdoor collection by Case, a hardwearing and weather-resistant range inspired by the simplicity of Japanese design.
Pricing: ££££
Editor's pick: Tanso Teak Garden Armchair
Shop the collection: Heal's outdoor furniture
Dunelm garden furniture
At the more budget-friendly end of the price spectrum is Dunelm. The brand offers a good selection of on-trend outdoor furniture each summer season, and this year is no exception with plenty of new pieces currently hitting down in store and online.
In line with the lower price tags, most pieces feature powder-coated steel frames so they will need a little more shelter from the elements, but if you're looking for affordability the outdoor collection is well worth a look.
Pricing: £-£££
Editor's pick: Elland Two-Seater Bistro Set
Shop the collection: Dunelm garden furniture
How to chose outdoor furniture
This round-up is designed to be a starting point when looking for the best outdoor furniture brands to invest in, but which brand best fits your needs depends a lot on the style of outdoor furniture you're looking for, and your budget.
Most brands will provide a range of price points within their outdoor furniture collections, which generally means a mix of less weather-resistant and more weather-resistant lines.
Investing in good quality outdoor furniture will always mean spending more money, because the most durable and weather-resistant materials, such as teak and aluminium, are more expensive than less moisture-resistant acacia wood or powder-coated steel.
That means it can be worth factoring in how long you'd like your outdoor furniture to last – and how much effort you're willing to put into maintaining it – before you shop.
Teak and aluminium outdoor furniture is much more expensive upfront, but should last a very long time, needs very little maintenance, and can usually be left outside all year round.
Less durable hardwoods and furniture with powder-coated steel frames will be more affordable upfront, but isn't likely to have as long of a lifespan. You may need to add a wood preservative to wooden outdoor furniture to protect it from moisture and store powder-coated steel furniture under cover when not in use to protect it from the worst of the weather.
However, whichever materials your budget can stretch to, I think having a place to sit outside in the fresh air when the weather warms up is a sure fire way to boost your mood and increase your wellbeing, so therefore well worth the money spent.
