Winter, in many parts of the country, has descended upon us. With it comes snow flurries, ice storms, and relentless winds. We can’t change the weather, but what we can (and did) do is build your outdoor sofa to withstand any storm. Using durable materials like our all-weather wicker and stainless steel frame and legs ensures your outdoor sofa will stay good as new until spring, for many years to come.
Our Chief Design Officer Terry Lin talks about how every piece of the Outer sofa was built to hold up in winter months. Come spring, you can get outside and relax in the sunshine without a moment’s hesitation.
Here’s what Terry has to say...
All-Weather Wicker
It’s all in the name. Our wicker has a working temperature range of -220 degrees F to around 225 degrees F.
I’ve tested our wicker in my own oven, roasting it at 200 degrees for three hours. I’ve also put the wicker in my freezer for days to see if there was any change, and nothing happened. It absorbs almost no moisture at all, so the wicker doesn’t expand and crack from a freeze-thaw cycle.
Legs and Frame
Our legs are made with stainless steel. What we found is that, to make stainless steel really rust-proof, it’s about the post processing. All stainless steel has remnants of iron on the surface, which is the part that rusts, so we perform a post-processing step to remove any remaining surface iron through an acid bath called passivating the steel. This, in turn, removes any risk of rust.
Our aluminum frame is already corrosion-resistant. We also add a powder coated finish for an additional layer of protection. This allows us to add a little whimsy with the unexpected blue color.
OuterShell
The purpose of the OuterShell is two-fold. First, the cover is water-proof and stain-resistant, so it’s designed to keep cushions free of morning dew, dirt, and debris overnight. This way, you don’t have to haul your cushions inside every day, or worse, avoid spending time outside. The quick unroll and wrap feature makes this a two-second job.
Then there are the winter months, when you need to store cushions for an extended period of time. In that case, pull out the OuterShell, connect it to the bottom of the cushion, and carry the whole cushion inside like a briefcase. It’s that simple.
We stand by our promise: every Outer sofa is guaranteed to hold up against the elements in any climate, any time of year, anywhere in the world. Our up-to-10-year warranty speaks to that.
We’re excited to hear from all of you about how the wicker, frame, and legs sustain a harsh winter — as it looks like it’s gearing up to be in some parts of the country! Keep us posted, and ask us anything in the comments below.