What Commercial Outdoor Furniture Lasts Longest?
Outdoor commercial site furnishings are used in a variety of spaces and applications. Pieces of furniture can be seen poolside, at retail locations, on restaurant patios, in parks, and at sport complexes. Each location has different needs to consider when choosing a material type for their outdoor furniture but they all have one in common — longevity. What type of commercial outdoor furniture lasts longest? Is it wood? Aluminum? Wicker? Steel?
Wood Furniture
Most shoppers like the natural look of outdoor wood furniture. Wood is a solid and sturdy material, great for constructing outdoor furniture. It comes in a variety of different wood types, greatly affecting the longevity of your product. Hardwoods like teak tend to last years (50+) longer than softwoods (20+) like cedar or pressure-treated pine. Either way, know that outdoor wood furniture needs to be continually maintained to increase the lifespan of the product. One major benefit of wood furniture? It does not retain heat like other materials.
Aluminum Furniture
Extruded aluminum outdoor furniture is a lightweight material that is perfect for dining patio furniture at restaurants, allowing you to easily move and stack the furniture. Extruded aluminum is durable, low-maintenance, and usually features a powder coated frame — much like its all-steel counterparts. The price of aluminum seating can vary depending upon the quality of aluminum chosen. You can find almost any outdoor furniture need can be met with extruded aluminum including patio chairs and tables, dug out benches, and even bleachers! Overall, if you are not in a high-wind area aluminum is a solid choice for commercial outdoor furniture material.
Synthetic Wicker Furniture
In a commercial application, synthetic wicker furniture can be seen on rooftops and poolside. Its synthetic material makes this kind of wicker all-weather, as opposed to traditional wicker that is most suitable for covered areas. This material is very stylish and modern in appearance, lightweight, and durable. Synthetic wicker material is weather-resistant and easy to clean. The only con? This material may not be suitable for extremely windy environments. If you are buying for a windy environment, consider all-steel chaise lounge chairs with matching side tables for poolside and all-steel patio furniture sets for rooftops.
Steel Furniture
Steel is a great material for almost any commercial space. It is perfect for restaurants, retail spaces, parks, and schools, just to name a few. Steel furniture is most desirable in commercial applications because of its strength, durability, low-maintenance, and vandal-resistance. Depending on the manufacturer, your piece of steel furniture may be powder coated, coated with thermoplastic or polyethylene, or a combination of the two. While both thermoplastic and polyethylene are virtually maintenance free and resist mold and mildew, opt for the textured polyethylene coating over thermoplastic. The texture within the textured polyethylene allows for easier maintenance and a more seamless repair shall your coating be deeply scratched. Much like aluminum, you can find almost any outdoor site furnishing in steel — from trash receptacles to sidewalk benches, or café tables. A steel product does offer a heftier weight than it’s an aluminum counterpart, which, depending on the application, can be a pro or a con to this material type. Overall, metal is the longest lasting and most durable material for outdoor furniture.
Are you ready to purchase outdoor site furnishings? We have a variety of picnic tables, café and patio sets, park benches, specialty benches, and trash receptacles all made from coated steel — so you know they’ll last. Browse our commercial steel furniture today.
