What are gardens for if not to sit and relax in? A lot of us spend an awful lot of time and energy busying ourselves around the garden, working hard to make it look as good as possible which is a very enjoyable and fulfilling hobby for many of us.
Sometimes you might want to just put down the spade and secateurs, shake off the gardening gloves, and just sit and admire the fruits of your labour. Isn’t that one reason what all the hard work is for?
At Jo Alexander, we consider garden chairs an essential purchase for any outdoor space. Your garden is there to be enjoyed. And what better way to enjoy it than, well, sitting and relaxing?
Garden chairs come in countless different styles and can be put to many different purposes. Paired with a table or standalone, with backs, arms or neither, made from wood, wicker, metal or even polished concrete - there’s a garden chair to suit every taste and fulfil every function.
The question is, how to choose the right one for you?
Comfort
This first one almost goes without saying. The first priority for any chair is that you want it to be comfortable to sit on. But there are different levels of comfort. If you’re looking for something you can lounge around in for hours sunbathing, then you are probably better off looking at something cushioned you can stretch out on like a day bed or garden sofa rather than a chair anyway.
Armchairs provide the best support and are therefore most popular for pairing with dining tables, where you and your guests may be sat for extended periods over a meal. But armless chairs and even stools can still work if you’re looking for something just to perch on for short periods of time.
Durability
Garden furniture has to go through a lot. It can get heavily used through the summer months especially and with garden chairs, you’re more likely to be up and down all the time when spending time in your garden than you are inside your house, which puts extra strain on the legs and backs. Plus, of course, garden chairs have to be able to withstand all of the elements.
For low maintenance durability, teak wooden chairs are hard to beat. Teak wood is extremely tough and naturally water resistant so suffers very little degradation due to the weather. Well made teak garden chairs will survive for years outside with barely any maintenance required.
Portability
An easily overlooked question to ask yourself before you invest in new garden chairs is this - will you want to move your chairs around your garden on a regular basis? This is one reason why wicker is such a popular material for garden furniture. It is extremely lightweight, which makes it easy to move around as you follow the sun (or look to get out of it).
If you’re more interested in having fixed seating options that also double up as a feature for your garden, you can think about investing in a bench or two rather than garden chairs. Or, alternatively, check out our fabulous range of polished concrete stools which add a unique style all of their own to any garden.
Style
Style matters in your garden. Even as you weigh up all the other factors listed above, you don’t have to lose sight of the fact that you want to choose garden chairs that will look great in your garden.
Of course, style comes down to a matter of personal taste. And one thing you will find when shopping for garden chairs is that there are options to suit every preference.
There are no hard and fast rules as to what type of chairs suit different types of garden best. But as a general guide, if you’re aiming for a traditional, classic country garden vibe, it’s hard to look past wooden chairs - although the timeless quality of wooden furniture means it sits comfortably anywhere.
Wicker is similarly ‘neutral’ in the sense that it looks good anywhere, although it has a different aesthetic feel to it than timber. This is often to do with colour - while hardwoods like teak are rich and earthy, wicker and rattan are often pale, light and airy.
Finally, for more of a contemporary twist, polished concrete is a great option. We love the polished concrete stools and other furniture we stock precisely because it offers a point of difference to other garden furniture, giving you the option of something unique and fresh that stands out in a more modern garden aesthetic.
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