Outdoor lounge chairs are a simple way to uplevel your deck or patio and bring style, comfort, and functionality to any outdoor space. But what features should you keep an eye out for to ensure you find the best ones?
Search no further because our outdoor living experts at Outer are sharing expert tips to help you buy the right outdoor chairs for your space.
Read on to discover exactly how to choose the best pieces — from determining how much furniture to buy to ensure your space looks proportionate, to selecting products with high-quality materials and effortlessly stylish designs.
Let’s take a look!
How To Choose The Best Outdoor Lounge Chairs
1) Decide How Much Seating You Need
The first step toward finding the perfect outdoor lounge chairs is determining exactly what you need and how much seating is required to fill your outdoor space.
Start by measuring your deck or patio to see how much space you have to work with. The aim is to keep the area looking proportionate without overcrowding it, so you’ll want to know the exact square footage available.
If you’ve got a cozy outdoor area, consider styling your space with a set of chairs like our Aluminum Outdoor Armless Chair Conversation Set (which also comes in Teak and All-Weather Wicker options).
If you’re working with a large space or you love to entertain often, a furniture option with more seating might be needed. In that case, choose something a little more spacious, like our 6-Seater Wicker Outdoor Sofa with Armchairs.
2) Settle On A Style You Love
Next, it’s time to decide on a style of outdoor lounge chairs that you love (a.k.a. our favorite part!).
At Outer, we’ve created three distinct yet equally stylish ranges of outdoor furniture to choose from. Whether you’re purchasing pieces for a modern New York City rooftop patio or a classic deck down South, we’ve got an option to suit your space.
Consider any existing furniture you might have — from sofas to coffee tables — if you’re wanting to match your current style to your new outdoor lounge chairs. And if you’re styling from scratch, take cues from your surroundings to feel what might look best.
For practical design inspiration, check out our gallery of Outer spaces. These are the homes of real Outer customers, helping you compare and contrast their styles with your blank canvas.
Whether you like the sleek lines of aluminum furniture or the warm, honey tones of teak outdoor lounge chairs, we recommend choosing an option that’s as neutral in color as possible.
This will make styling your outdoor space a total breeze, it will keep your decor looking cohesive, and it will allow you to experiment with bold pops of color in your accessory choices when the time comes.
Featuring neutral tones across your outdoor furniture pieces is the simplest way to ensure your setup remains timeless and stylish, even as the trends change.
3) Choose Quality Materials And Craftsmanship
It’d be remiss of us to ignore the most important feature to look for when choosing your new outdoor lounge chairs — quality materials and expert craftsmanship.
Without these, you’ll likely be purchasing a new set of chairs much sooner than you’d like, so it’s crucial that you take note of how well (or not-so-well) your furniture is made.
We’re proud to be able to say that all Outer chairs are made from sustainably sourced, lifeproof materials that are built to last.
In fact, our collection of All-Weather Wicker furniture is created using 30% recycled plastic, hand-woven by our master artisans. Roughly 99+ plastic bottles are used to build one Outer chair. As a result, each of our pieces is 100% recyclable.
In our Teak collection, you’ll find only the best Grade A wood has been used to ensure each of our pieces are of the highest quality. For each tree harvested to make our teak furniture, three more trees are planted in its place to help offset climate change.
Our teak has also been given the seal of approval from the Forest Stewardship Council®. This certifies that our wood is harvested from forests that are responsibly managed, socially beneficial, environmentally conscious, and economically viable.
And last but not least, our Aluminum collection features weather-resistant aluminum that is designed never to rust, decay, or loosen. Lightweight yet durable, our aluminum pieces are also 100% recyclable.
You can rest assured that no matter which outdoor lounge chairs you choose from Outer, you’ll be choosing quality as well as sustainability.
4) Opt For Comfort, Not Just Looks
When it comes to quality materials, we’re not only talking about the frame of your outdoor lounge chairs — this quality should extend to the cushions and cushion covers, too.
Without the use of high-quality materials in the seat cushions, you’ll probably find your chairs aren’t as comfortable as they might look.
Because we rank comfort so high on our list of must-haves, Outer cushions feature the same high-resiliency memory foam you’ll find in premium mattresses. That’s three layers of plushy goodness to support your body while you sit and relax.
In addition, our cushion covers are made from nano-coated, solution-dyed yarn that’s soft to the touch yet durable enough to withstand outdoor living. They’re resistant to water and stains, which also makes them a cinch to clean.
The combination of these features equals major indoor comfort, outside.
5) Protect Your New Outdoor Lounge Chairs
No matter which outdoor lounge chairs you choose to bring life to your outdoor space, you’re going to want to protect them to ensure they last for years to come.
But just any old covers won’t do the job — you’ll want to invest in outdoor furniture covers that are purpose-built to fit your exact backyard set up.
Fortunately, we’ve got you (excuse the pun) covered there in more ways than one, starting with our OuterShell™.
During our design process, we realized that one of the barriers to spending time outdoors is that most people don’t love cleaning their outdoor cushions every time they want to sit in their backyard.
From cushions wet with morning dew to finding sneaky bird droppings just as you’re about to relax with a glass of wine, there are plenty of ways for nature to make it hard to want to be outside.
So, we decided to fix the issue with built-in protective covers that also double as a handle to transport your seat cushions indoors as needed. That’s how the OuterShell™ was born.
You’ll find this feature included with each and every Outer seat cushion, from our sectionals and sofas to all of our armchairs. These covers are tucked neatly and discreetly behind each cushion, ready to roll out at a moment’s notice.
Like our cushions themselves, the OuterShell™ is resistant to just about anything life throws at it, including water, bleach, mold, UV rays, sticky fingers, and messy paws.
Once you’re finished using your outdoor furniture for the evening, simply pull out the covers, roll them over your cushions, and secure them in place. This ensures your cushions will be clean, dry, and ready to use the next time you want to enjoy your backyard.
For added protection for our friends that live in states prone to heavy snow or rainfall, we also designed our All-Weather Covers.
Tailored for each individual piece of Outer furniture, our covers are designed to fit like a glove. That means you can say goodbye to the confusing fitted-sheet effect of one-size-fits-all covers (who knows which way is up with those things?).
Equipped with waterproof zippers, wind straps, and buckles, our covers are easy to attach and remove. The sloping angles help water slide off instead of pooling and potentially causing mold and mildew.
We also added vents on the back of each cover, allowing airflow to prevent a build-up of moisture inside.
Whatever the climate looks like in your neighborhood, Outer is there to keep your outdoor lounge chairs looking and feeling as fresh as the day they arrived.
Bring Life Back Outside With Outdoor Lounge Chairws
We hope you’ve learned a thing or two about choosing the perfect outdoor lounge chairs for your deck or patio thanks to our buying guide.
Keep an eye out for the key features we’ve mentioned here today — including quality materials, expert craftsmanship, and timeless style — to ensure you find the right chairs for your outdoor space.
Whether you choose an aluminum option, like our Aluminum Outdoor Armless Chair Conversation Set, or a set with extra seating, like our 6-Seater Wicker Outdoor Sofa with Armchairs, be sure to protect your pieces with our All-Weather Covers to prolong the life of your furniture.
When you do, you’ll be ready to bring life back outside no matter the season!