First of all you need to decide on which kind of wood you want to buy. If you’re going to be leaving your furniture outdoors all year round them you’ll need to buy furniture made from a hardwood as this is much more likely to last a long time. The best kind of hardwood furniture is made out of teak, but as you expect this is also the most expensive. No matter which kind of hardwood you buy you need to make sure that has been properly treated so that is waterproof and will last during the winter.

When buying any kind of garden furniture you need to think carefully about your budget. If you set yourself a strict budget you’ll find it much easier as you won’t spend lots of time going through product that you’ll never be able to afford.

Remember that the different kinds of ways that you can buy will need different sorts of care. Make sure you ask the manufacture how you should care for your exact piece of furniture because it may vary depending on the style and type of wood. Also make sure you know how much maintenance your piece of furniture will need before you buy it so that you don’t end up having to spend a lot of time keeping it looking its best. This is why teak furniture is so good – it rarely needs maintenance.

While the Internet a great resource for finding out prices of wooden garden furniture it is always a good idea to visit local shops too. Whenever I’m buying garden furniture I always make sure that I check for the latest prices are on the Internet so that I know the average prices and then take this new knowledge into garden centres and high street stores. The reason that I don’t like buying garden furniture on the Internet is that you can’t see the furniture before you buy so you can never be sure whether it is comfortable to use and whether it is exactly the right colour for your garden.

The most expensive option when it comes to garden furniture is wood. If you buy a good quality hardwood that has been treated correctly – and you look after it correctly – then the garden furniture will last a long time without any sign of damage. The downside is the price but also that wood is a heavy material and hence your furniture won’t be that portable. Out of all the woods, the best for garden furniture is teak but this is also the most expensive. Most hardwoods will last a reasonable amount of time when exposed to harsh weather conditions but teak will last the longest. If you have a budget that can afford it then buying wooden outdoor furniture is probably your best choice.

Next we have aluminium garden furniture. While aluminium is less expensive than wood that doesn’t mean it isn’t durable – it will last just as long if not longer than most woods. Aluminium garden furniture is also much lighter than wood and hence easier t o move around whenever you need to. However the problem with aluminium is that it doesn’t look as stylish as wood in most cases.

The cheapest option you have when buying outdoor furniture is plastic. While plastic furniture definitely isn’t the best looking of all the garden materials it is still very durable and will last a long time. If you want to be environmentally friendly then you can get recycled plastic garden furniture too. The downside to plastic apart from the looks is that in general it discolours quickly. However if you need cheap furniture for a young family or you want to have spare chairs available for unexpected guests then plastic could be a good and economical choice.

When you are buying furniture make sure you take into account the style of your garden, your personal situation (i.e. will young kids be using the furniture), your budget and any other factors that may affect the usage of the furniture before you decide on a material. Choosing a material is probably the hardest part of buying your garden furniture so make sure you take your time and choose the right option!