We have a pretty small deck and need a table and chairs. Don’t want to spend a fortune—also want to be comfortable and not buy carp that will only last a few years. Also we aren’t big on fussy maintenance and have nowhere to store it in the winter so it has to survive New England winters.

Went shopping today and the only thing that spoke to me was a teak 42” table with four chairs for north of $2k.

What do you use? Do you have an umbrella?

We've had three patio sets in our married life. The first two were Brown-Jordan. Very expensive stuff only purchased because we found it at a last chance outlet. Well made but the powder coating was toast after 5-10 years and it rusted.

Then we bought the sets we have now at Target. They didn't cost much, IIRC. Metal with glass tops. I'm not sure what they are made of but they don't rust - aluminum? They've been outside for some 25 years now and still look good. Even the fabric on the chairs is still good, which is remarkable.

For comfort, it is hard to beat cushions stored inside or in a deck box to keep dry...

We also have the aluminum/glass top. We used to have an umbrella in the suburbs, but with the downsize to the city, we now have a smaller table without.

We started back in the 80s with a full patio set: aluminum table, four chairs with cushions, umbrella, and stand, all with covers to protect from the elements.

Covers tended to blow off in the wind. When we ditched the covers, we were forever and a day cleaning the glass table and started storing the cushions in the garage and bringing them out only when we were sitting on them. Had to close the umbrella so the table didn't tip over on windy days.

Over time, we realized we rarely ate outside (bugs, heat, and schlepping the cushions), and we got rid of the table and chairs and just accumulated a few comfortable chairs and smaller side tables.

I like stuff that's maintenance-free and comfortable. Best chairs we had were picked up at a beginning-of-season closeout sale at a local patio furniture store. They looked something like this:



Aluminum with mesh sling. Aluminum doesn't rust. The chairs were wicked comfortable and there are no cushions to deal with. The mesh dries quickly after it rains and can be wiped down if necessary. The dining chairs are usually stackable for winter storage.

Ours were swivel rockers. Original price was $275 each, I picked up two of them for $35 each. I gave them to a neighbor ten years ago when we built a three season room and we got smaller vinyl wicker chairs with cushions, plus matching side tables.

Those sling chairs are probably close to 20 years old and still look like new. There are cheaper versions at places like Target. Costco carries stuff that is reasonably priced, though of course a very limited selection.

Hmmm... comfortable, cheap, zero-maintenance: pick two.

I have some comfy chairs from IKEA. They are tropical wood (acacia?) that likes a dose of teak oil every couple of years if they are left outside. I have some nice squishy cushions on them.

I have matching folding tables, also from IKEA.

Costco advertises a lot of outdoor furniture this time of year, but I've never really looked at it.

This is a timely question for us too. We have a metal porch furniture set which we were given, so I don't know how old it is or what it's made out of. It's in really good shape right now, but that's because it's been sitting on a screened in porch for its entire life. Our new place has a deck, no roof, so we're trying to decide whether we should spray a coat of rust-oleum on each piece.

We also have outdoor cushions (just for the seat part) that we previously kept in a closet off of the porch... Now we'll have to decide where to put that. Hmm....

quote:

Originally posted by wtg:
Best chairs we had were picked up at a beginning-of-season closeout sale at a local patio furniture store. They looked something like this:

That is what ours look like too.

We have a screened porch (round table, four chairs, chaise lounge), and a patio (oval table, six chairs, umbrella).

We spent money to get sturdy stuff, which looks like the pic below (only maybe slightly better made). It stays outside year-round, and other than getting dirty seems to be holding up well for over a decade. We are starting to get some flaking on one of the tables, but the company has gone out of business. I fix it with a black sharpie and go on living my life.

We keep red and white polka-dot cushions on the screened porch chairs in good weather, and we bring out cushions for the patio chairs when we are entertaining AND the weather is good AND there are no bugs AND we have time to clean the chairs and patio. So never.

Regarding the umbrella, I just like the look of it. Hot tip: Eventually the umbrella will get moldy and gross. Fortunately, Amazon sells replacements for not much money (but read the reviews to get the best one because some apparently are too small or rip you when you install them). We also bought an umbrella cover, so in the winter this cover goes over the umbrella so it lasts longer and doesn't mildew.

That's my report.

In case anyone is looking to replace an umbrella, here's the one I got. It has been great.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/prod..._image?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Here's the umbrella cover:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/prod..._title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Lastly, the cushions, which have also held up well (and they actually made a cushion for the chaise that fit well enough):

https://www.amazon.com/gp/prod..._image?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I think Cindy's are probably going to be the best for really carpy weather. We have ones very similar to what you posted, and we just get too much rain here. Mold grows on the chairs and in the corners of the table (where it meets with the frame). They are comfy, though.

I can't imagine teak would last at all. I see them all the time and just scratch my head. Do people just take them in every winter? Eeeeew.

My in-laws have had something similar to this for decades (literally) sitting outside in NY. Totally durable, no rust.

We considered teak and decided against it.

You absolutely have to be certain you think it looks great when it is weathered and gray.

Personal taste, but not our taste.

Also, you can buy covers for tables and chairs, but we decided this furniture will likely outlive all of us, so why bother with covers?

One thought about the umbrella.

As I said, we have only hosted one big event on the patio (six chairs plus umbrella). It was a reception for about 50 people when my FIL passed away.

We have a lot of big trees, so the umbrella struck me as superfluous. Not so. Even with filtered sunshine in September, people were huddled under the umbrella to the extent possible.

So I would definitely get an umbrella if you have fair-skinned people in your lives. It really provides a lot of protection.

Also, we have inadvertently left it completely open, and it hasn't flown loose and killed anyone.

Ours is 8 or 9 feet -- I wouldn't go much smaller if you want to actually shade a group of people.

Woodard wrought iron. Briarwood is what we have. Sat out for 15 years uncovered. Just repainted it last year. No rust, it just faded a little. No cushions needed, nonglass top. Everything just goes right through.

quote:

Originally posted by Cindysphinx:


Also, we have inadvertently left it completely open, and it hasn't flown loose and killed anyone.

Two of our neighbors have lost their glass top tables when they left the umbrellas open and the wind kicked up.

It's not flying loose that's the problem. It's catching a good breeze and dumping the table over. If the table is open cast metal as yours is, not likely to be an issue.

Just sayin'.

Round table with 4 chairs. About $50 on Craigslist.

Jf