Outdoor wicker sofas have come a long way since the beginnings of making furniture for the outdoors. With today’s advanced technology and high quality materials, resin outdoor sofas and furniture has become all the more durable and weather-resistant. The arrival of the all-weather wicker furniture brought fade-resistant wicker to our outdoor sofas and created an entire line of furniture that won’t become brittle in the heat of the sun or crack in the chill of the cold. Blemishing and staining has become a thing of the past and maintenance for today’s outdoor sofas have become a distant memory.

Synthetic Wicker Fibers

Traditional wicker furniture were usually made from abaca (palm) strands woven together to create what were the beginning of wicker furniture. Modern outdoor wicker sofas revolutionized this idea by using completely new, weather-resistant synthetics that are designed to look like palm, but without all the durability issues. The only problem with this new, synthetic material is choosing the right one and the highest of quality synthetic material for a long-lasting piece because not all synthetic materials perform the same – some may even be extremely toxic to you and the outdoor surroundings! Though the price may look nice, DO NOT purchase any outdoor furniture made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC). This material is not only less durable, but it emits toxic compounds during its production and decomposition that can be very harmful to the environment. For the most bang for your buck, most home designers choose polyethylene for their wicker furniture.

Go Green – Pick Polyethylene (PE)

Choosing polyethylene outdoor wicker sofas will guarantee you a long-lasting piece that will outlast this summer and many more. If you’re confident with the outdoor sofa set you’re interested in, you don’t have to purchase a brand name synthetic wicker fiber. In today’s competitive market, many manufacturers and retailers will tell you everything you want to hear to make a sale. If you are ever unsure, look for Ecolene ®, Rehau ®, and ViroTM ® brands to be sure that you’re purchasing the topmost quality furniture that lasts and won’t harm the planet.

100% Aluminum Frames

What really makes a furniture durable in rain or shine is the frame that holds the wicker together. If you live in an area with harsh weather conditions, or the outdoor sofa set you’re looking to purchase will see a lot of traffic, steel is the worst frame to have for your new outdoor sofa. Though steel is a durable type of metal, it has no place in the frame of your outdoor furniture. When exposed to the elements, steel will quickly rust and cause your outdoor furniture to deteriorate and lose its luster. Even if the steel is powder coated, it will still rust once the coating scratches off with use, exposing the steel to the air and allowing it to rust. Besides, rust is a hideous, unwanted accent to outdoor furniture that deters the overall look of the entire area.

Many of our competitors declare aluminum rust-resistant, but that is only half the truth. Aluminum will rust in the elements, but you cannot see the rust like you can on steel or iron. Unlike steel, aluminum “rust” looks exactly like aluminum and does not expand or weaken like steel does over time. With an aluminum frame keeping your outdoor sofa set intact, you won’t have to worry about flimsy patio furniture that looks dangerous to sit on. Due to its non-corrosive properties, aluminum is used in the automotive industry to make some of the key elements in automobiles and spacecraft. If we can trust aluminum to keep astronauts safe in space, then we know that aluminum is durable enough to keep our outdoor furniture safe from the weather.

Outdoor Sofa Designs

Because the majority of wicker furniture made today are made with synthetic fibers, designers and manufacturers have so much more room to spread their wings and create new possibilities of designs. With these modern designs come different types of waves, colors and shapes that could not be done on traditional abaca fibers. Synthetic fibers not only give designers more flexibility and strength to work with that was never before possible. From a curvy, funky shaped outdoor sofa to a unique, functional outdoor sectional, outdoor furniture has never looked so dazzling.

It is hard to explain, but very easily spotted in person, some wicker manufacturers look tacky and fake. Strands that are perfectly smooth with no texture and are very glossy look very unnatural and like plastic being woven together in an attempt at elegance. To solve this issue, top quality manufacturers will add multiple colors of natural hues with textured ridges to add dimension and richness to the weave. Each strand is unique and will pick up and reflect light naturally so that the piece is not overly glossy. When put side by side, you will be amazed at just how gorgeous our line of synthetic wicker furniture looks by the cheap substitutes.

Outdoor Furniture Pricing

Just like everything else in the consumer market, there is a wide range of pricing for outdoor sofa sets both online and in stores. There are various reasons why one set may cost 3 to 4 times as much as a different one that looks fairly similar. To help you in your outdoor sofa shopping, here is a quick list of ways to spot cheap imports that will cut the cost, as well as the quality of your new outdoor furniture:

Cheap Synthetics: Cheap sets use low quality PVC instead of Polyethylene, which will make the breaking down of the set much faster. PVC is also very toxic to the environment in its production and is not recyclable, like polyethylene.

Cheap Frames: lower quality outdoor sofas will use thin steel instead of aluminum frames, which easily bends and rusts with minimal use.

Glossy Wicker Strands: low quality wicker will give off a very bad glossy glare that looks plastic and unnatural. Avoid synthetic wicker furniture that does not have textured wicker strands.

Style: quality designs are worth paying for because it will bring you many more years of enjoyment than a cheap design that, in your opinion, looks “good enough”. Remember that synthetic outdoor wicker sofas are designed to last a very long time, so be sure you absolutely love looking at your new outdoor sectional or outdoor sofa because it will be here to stay!