Garden Chairs Buying Guide for Your Outdoor Space

Furnishing your garden, patio, or even a small balcony starts with choosing the right furniture. Far from being just a simple seat, the garden chair is the centrepiece that will define the atmosphere of your outdoor space and ensure your comfort. But faced with a maze of materials, styles, and features, how do you find your way?

This guide is here to help. Our mission: to help you find the perfect outdoor chair—one that suits your taste, your space, and your lifestyle.

How to Choose the Right Garden Chair

Before diving into our selection, let's review the essential criteria to ensure you make the right choice.

1. Material: A Key Factor for Durability and Maintenance

The choice of material is crucial: it determines the lifespan of your garden furniture, its look, and also the time you'll spend maintaining it.

• Aluminium: Lightweight, strong, and rustproof, an aluminium armchair is a smart choice, even for coastal areas where salty air wreaks havoc. A simple wipe with a sponge and soapy water is all it needs.
• Steel: More affordable, steel is also very sturdy. Be careful, however: for outdoor use, it is essential to choose a steel chair with an anti-rust treatment (like epoxy) to ensure it survives humidity.
• Resin (woven or injected): Modern and hassle-free, resin effortlessly withstands bad weather and UV rays. A quick wipe with a sponge is enough to clean it. Style-wise, there's something for everyone, from ultra-modern garden armchairs to timeless rattan imitations.

2. Available Space: Optimising Every Square Metre

The size of your outdoor area will directly influence your choice.

• For a balcony or small patio: The folding chair is the ultimate solution. It tucks away neatly when stored, freeing up precious space. A compact and lightweight balcony chair will be your best ally.
• For a large garden or spacious patio: Got plenty of room? Indulge yourself with more generous models: a cosy patio armchair with wide armrests, or why not the ultimate centrepiece, the hanging chair, for a truly unique relaxation spot.

3. Comfort and Use: For Lounging or Entertaining?

What will you use your chairs for? For lounging for hours in the sun, an armchair with a deep seat, armrests, and plush cushions is a must. For long lunches that stretch into the evening, chairs with a straight back and a seat height adapted to the table will be much more comfortable.

Recommended Garden Chairs

Enough theory, let's get practical! Here are three models we've selected for their design, value for money, and ingenuity.

Terrabeta Hanging Chair in Steel and PE Rattan

Why we love it: This hanging chair is a true invitation to unplug. Simply set it up to transform a corner of your garden or patio into a bubble of serenity. Its "egg" design and PE rattan weave give it a trendy boho-chic look. We love its gentle rocking motion, perfect for a nap.

Key features:

• Absolute comfort: Comes with a set of generous cushions and a headrest for perfect support.
• Optimised storage: The stand and basket can be dismantled and folded for easy storage in winter.
• Looks as good indoors as it does out: Ideal for the garden, its stylish look allows it to fit seamlessly into a living room or bedroom for a touch of originality.
• Built to last: Its steel frame and PE rattan weave are designed to withstand outdoor conditions.

Who is it for? For anyone who dreams of an extraordinary reading or napping spot and wants a piece of garden furniture that truly makes a statement.

PROLOISIRS JATO Shell Armchair - Black

Why we love it: The JATO armchair is the perfect blend of Scandinavian design and durability. With its resin shell and aluminium base, it's the quintessential chic and practical patio armchair: elegant, lightweight, and a breeze to maintain.

Key features:

• Rustproof: Its epoxy-treated aluminium base is resistant to both rain and sea air. Perfect for seaside homes.
• Zero hassle: A quick wipe with a sponge and its resin shell looks brand new. Ideal for everyday, stress-free use.
• Thoughtfully designed: Its wide armrests and comfortable 51 cm seat are perfect for long summer meals.
• Feather-light: Weighing just 4 kg, you can move it from the living room to the patio with one hand (almost!).

Who is it for? For those who want stylish and functional designer chairs around their garden table, without sacrificing ease of maintenance. The perfect choice for a modern, minimalist patio.

Hesperide Modula Folding Chair - Anthracite/Graphite

Why we love it: The Modula is the Swiss Army knife of garden chairs. This folding chair is the miracle solution for small spaces or for those who often have unexpected guests. Its superpower: an ultra-flat fold that is second to none.

Key features:

• Ultra-compact: When folded, it's only 6 cm thick. You can slide it behind a wardrobe or into the smallest of garden sheds.
• Ready to use right out of the box: No assembly, no screws, no hassle. Just unfold it, and it's ready.
• Sturdy and treated: Its epoxy-treated steel frame is designed to resist rust and fading from the sun.
• Easy to carry: At 3.4 kg, it can be moved effortlessly.

Who is it for? A must-have for balconies and small patios. It's also the perfect spare chair, ready to be pulled out in the blink of an eye when friends drop by unexpectedly.

Looking for Other Options?

Our selection focuses on steel, aluminium, and resin for their practicality. But if you swear by the warmth and timeless elegance of wood, especially for a poolside area, other options are available.

? Discover our full range of teak pool chairs for elegant and durable alternatives.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What is the best material for a chair that stays outside all year? To face all four seasons, aluminium and high-quality woven resin are the champions: they don't rust and hold up well against UV rays. A steel chair can also work, provided it has an effective anti-rust treatment (like cataphoresis or epoxy).

2. How should I store my garden chairs in winter? The easiest option is, of course, a folding chair or a stackable one, which are unbeatable for optimising space. For others, the routine is simple: a good clean, a thorough dry, then storage in a dry place (garage, garden shed). A protective cover is an excellent addition to shield them from moisture and dust.

3. Is a balcony chair really different? Absolutely. For a balcony chair, the watchwords are: compact and lightweight! Folding or stackable models are king, so you don't have to sacrifice a single square centimetre. Also, remember to check the dimensions (width and depth) to make sure you can still move around once the chair is in place.