Find out why rattan furniture is perfect for your garden. Compared to other materials, PE rattan offers additional strength, durability and no maintenance versus traditional wicker rattan. This makes PE rattan once of the best materials available for outdoor furniture.
PE rattan is a fantastic material for garden furniture. Read on to find out why and how to choose the best rattan garden furniture.
What is the difference between PE rattan and wicker?
Polyethylene (PE) resin rattan, also known as resin wicker, polyrattan, synthetic resin, is a manmade material, rather than a natural wicker rattan. This is a key benefit for garden furniture because the material does not degrade as quickly as natural wicker. PE rattan mimicks wicker by offering the same flexibility and comfort but it offers much better durability. This ensures that it is able to withstand all that the British climate throws at it and will help your garden furniture look as good as new year after year.
Here's our full range of PE rattan garden & patio furniture.
The trouble with natural wicker is that it requires more maintenance and care. It is prone to damage from the elements which drastically reduces its life span when used outdoors. Wicker is likely to rot if it is not kept dry and looked after. This means you will need to replace your garden furniture much sooner with wicker than if it is made with PE rattan.
Milano Natural Brown Rattan Corner Sofa
How to identify low-quality rattan garden furniture
Rattan garden furniture is a popular choice for households but with sellers sourcing cheap rattan garden furniture it can be difficult to know which set to buy. When choosing, look out for the following:
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Is the rattan a solid colour all the way through?
With cheap rattan, if you accidentally scratch the surface the real colour of the material below will show. It is often an unattractive colour, such as orange, which is probably not what you want to be seeing on your outdoor furniture! Good quality rattan is a solid colour throughout the weave and can be repaired by simply applying heat from a hairdryer. -
What length of furniture guarantee to I receive?
Sets with only a one year guarantee shouldn't give you much confidence as a buyer. Our furniture comes with a 5-year guarantee and is tested by us for at least a season before sale to ensure that we are only selling the highest quality products. My original Tuscany brown rattan corner sofa set is still going strong after over 10 years of heavy use by me and the children. -
What material are the feet of the set?
Ideally, the feet of your garden furniture should be stainless steel. The benefit of stainless steel is that it is resistant to rust and corrosion. Some cheaper sets will have rubber stoppers, just be careful not to drag your garden furniture across the patio and risk damage. -
What does “KD” mean?
Good quality sets will be delivered fully assembled. If the item description says "KD", which means “knocked down”, it is likely that furniture set is flat-packed or self-assembly is required. Although you can get some good budget sets they will not be as durable or as aesthetically pleasing to the eye as a fully assembled set.
Tosca Grey Rattan Garden Furniture Collection
How to choose the best quality garden furniture
You can often tell if a rattan furniture set is fully assembled by its construction. If you want a set to last a long time, then fully assembled rattan garden furniture is the best option for you. Self-assembly frames are not as strong because you only have screws holding it together, whereas fully assembled frames are welded making it more robust and durable. If the product description does not state that it is flat packed, then look for the joins in the images.
Do not buy thin cushions. They will not last and the furniture will be uncomfortable. We use 10 to 20-centimetre cushions for our sofa sets for extra comfort. Additionally, all our cushion covers feature zips to enable you to clean with ease.
Uneven weaving. Although more for aesthetic reasons, with hand weaved furniture you will have some variance but the weave should be straight and not weaved diagonally.
Here are more expert tips on what to look out for when choosing garden furniture.
Verona Grey Rattan Garden Furniture Collection
Where can I buy rattan garden furniture?
We have had many positive reviews of our rattan garden furniture over the years and it goes to show that using the very best materials makes all the difference.
Let us help make your garden furniture set dream a reality. Buy polyethylene wicker patio furniture from our luxury furniture range today.
