The Best Patio Chair

Buying Guide

Nothing beats sitting on your patio during a nice summer evening, enjoying the time you get to spend with your family or friends as the sun sets on another great day. Having a set of patio seats is great for setting this scene so you can really enjoy this time outdoors while sitting around in comfort.

Patio chairs and loungers can be as simple as chairs made from weatherproof materials or they can be posh and luxurious with great aesthetics and high levels of comfort. To start wading through the types of patio chairs you can find online, it’s helpful to understand what is being offered in the patio-lounge-chair world and how you can determine which features are the right ones for you and your purpose.

Simple patio chairs can still be a great addition to the look of your outdoor patio area. One of the features you will find in most sets is a material that won’t fade in the sunlight or warp when it gets wet. It makes sense, since these chairs and loungers need to face most weather conditions and come out on the other side just as nice as they were before the storm. It is a good idea to remove any cushions and take them inside before big storms so they can remain dry and be safe from the wind.

For a more laid-back approach to lounging, there are plenty of styles of patio furniture that let you kick your feet up and really lean back. Zero gravity chairs are a great example of this, as they let you lean back into a position that takes away any pressure points in your body. In a zero gravity chair, you lean back until you find an angle that is comfortable and you can lock it in to remain in that position. The chair has a rigid frame with a stretched material that holds you in place firmly and lets you use your hands for drinking or snacking.

Another take on laying down in the outdoor paradise of your backyard is a chaise lounge. There are outdoor patio couches that have chaise lounges built into them just like the couches you see inside of houses, and these chaise lounges are just as relaxing when you get to use them outside. To take it to another level, some companies make chaise lounges that hang from a stand with an anchor that hangs above the chair. You are then swinging in the breeze in a rigid chaise lounge that looks like it had some hammock inspirations in its design.

Chairs and seats are great but you also need to think about what surfaces you have on your patio for people to set things on. It’s likely that you’ll be drinking some iced tea or lemonade while you’re outdoors enjoying the nice weather, so if you think your patio is lacking in tabletop-like surfaces, just look for sets of furniture that come with side tables. This will give you matching side tables that fit in perfectly with the chairs around them for a complete and thorough furniture arrangement.

Rocking chairs are just meant to be on porches and there are great modern options to make this happen for you. With a metal frame and weatherproof fabrics, you can find durable rocking chairs that will have you swaying gently with a drink in one hand and the smell of the barbecue in the air. These patio rocking chairs will be a big hit though, so be prepared to fend off your friends and family as they try to steal your seat every time you get up for another hot dog.

If you are simply hoping to get a few extra patio chairs for when big groups come to visit, look into folding chairs meant for the outdoors. All the benefits of a folding chair are combined with the materials to make a long-lasting outdoor chair than can be stowed away neatly when you aren’t using them.

• Having a variety of patio chairs is not a bad thing. Some people like the zero-gravity loungers and others might just want to rock on a rocking chair. Choice is king here, so don’t be afraid to add variety to your selections.
• If you have cushions on your outdoor furniture, they will still absorb some water during rainstorms or if they get splashed on by someone in the pool. They are meant to handle being wet, so it’s not a big deal, but you will get wet after you sit on them. So think about keeping the cushions inside when they’re not in use.
• Black is a great color for having some bold aesthetics in your patio, but these materials will get much hotter than a lighter-colored seat and it might be a good thing to keep that in mind if you live in really a hot climate.