Authentic rattan garden furniture is not often available in the UK as the UK’s weather conditions do not do well with genuine rattan. Authentic rattan tends to rot when exposed to damp conditions making it impossible to leave outside without constant maintenance.
Synthetic rattan is therefore the better option for garden furniture in the UK. Synthetic rattan garden furniture is barely distinguishable from authentic rattan and requires very little maintenance.
Rattan Garden Furniture
Synthetic rattan is commonly made from PVC, PU or PE materials which allow you to get away with only cleaning your furniture every so often using simply a damp cloth, some mild soap water and a toothbrush to get any trapped dirt in between the weave.
High quality synthetic rattan is usually woven around an aluminium frame which helps to increase sturdiness as well as create a fully weatherproof design. Aluminium frames will not rust when exposed to the elements and synthetic rattan weave is famed for its weatherproof qualities such as UV protection. This means that you can leave your synthetic rattan garden furniture outside all year round without risk of weather damage.
These weatherproof qualities make synthetic rattan garden furniture the most desirable option for garden furniture, not only when compared to authentic rattan but also when compared to other common materials for garden furniture such as metal, wood, and plastic.
Synthetic rattan garden furniture is barely
distinguishable from authentic rattan
Synthetic Rattan
Most synthetic rattan garden furniture is still manufactured in the Far East, where the traditional weaving expertise has never died. This means that the cost of manufacturing, in comparison to other materials, works out to be far more cost effective – meaning that you as the consumer will be able to see the benefits in price. Of course, price often depends on the quality and low-quality sets will be considerably cheaper, but they may be made with steel frames as opposed to aluminium and lower quality synthetic rattan weave which is more susceptible to weather damage. A good quality rattan furniture set can range from £500 to £2000+ depending on the size of the set and what is included. However, these more expensive sets are likely to last far longer than cheaper, more inferior products.
Unlike many other types of garden furniture such as metal and wood, synthetic rattan garden furniture is available in many different colours and styles. The most popular colours for rattan garden furniture are brown and grey but other colours also include white wash, natural, black and Tuscany.
Synthetic rattan can be used to make all types of garden furniture including dining sets, sofa sets, daybeds, storage boxes, planters, loungers, bar sets, lazy susans and even heaters. And with many of the same weaves and colours being used by many different suppliers you could buy one item one year and be able to find a perfectly matching different item years later. This will allow you to steadily build your garden and create a stylish area with items that complement each other.
For all of these reasons, synthetic rattan garden furniture has become the most popular and best-selling form of garden furniture in the UK.
