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Outdoor Furniture: What Survives and What Doesn't
Teak, aluminium, rope and the materials that fail in two seasons.
By Tom Brennan, Garden & Outdoor Editor · Published August 3, 2026 · 2 min read
Photograph: Angello Lopez / StockSnap
Outdoor furniture is judged after its second winter, not in the showroom.
What lasts
FSC teak, powder-coated aluminium and solution-dyed acrylic fabric. All three can be left out with a cover.
What doesn't
Mild steel with paint, untreated softwood, and PVC rattan without a UV stabiliser — the last one goes brittle in a single hot summer.
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