Quality matters when buying outdoor furniture. It's outdoor furniture because it will live outdoors, and you'll expose it to harsh weather conditions. For that reason, quality cannot be over-emphasized when you are planning to purchase outdoor sectional furniture. So how can you identify quality outdoor furniture? This blog post will provide valuable tips to help you pick the best outdoor sectional sofa for your backyard.
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Choose Aluminum Over Steel
No doubt you desire outdoor sectional cushions that will be useful for years despite their exposure to the elements. Quality outdoor sectional furniture comprises durable materials.
Most painted or outdoor wicker sectional furniture contains metal frames underneath them. However, their quality bothers on the type of metal used in manufacturing them. Steel and aluminium are mostly used. Steel is most times the manufacturer's choice mainly because it’s cheaper.
The downside to buying furniture framed with steel is that they are prone to rust which leaves permanent stains on your table. On the other hand, furniture with aluminium as its underlying frame will never rust, thereby making better choices as far as quality is concerned.
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Consider Comfort
You require a quality outdoor sectional sofa for relaxation, so pick a comfortable set. For added comfort, it's best to go for packs with cushions and throw pillows.
Ensure they are soft and cosy, with fabric that's gentle on the skin. In addition to outdoor sectional cushions, you can get daybeds and hammocks as they aid in stretching out while lounging.
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Prioritize Quality Fabrics
When selecting outdoor furniture, it is crucial to prioritize the fabric as it plays a vital role in determining its quality. It is advisable to opt for durable materials that are both soft and resistant to fading. The three most commonly used fabrics for outdoor furniture sets are polyester, acrylic, and olefin.
Polyester has a soft touch and appears relaxed and comfortable. It, however, doesn't hold its colour under direct sunlight. To maintain quality, if you must go for polyester fabric outdoor furniture, consider choosing one with a light shade so it won't be apparent when the colour fades over time.
Acrylic, on the other hand, shares the soft texture of polyester but tends to be more expensive. It excels in color retention, making it highly resistant to fading. Additionally, acrylic fabric does not easily retain stains. Therefore, when purchasing outdoor furniture intended to last for years, opting for acrylic fabric would be a superior choice.
Olefin is also good with stains; they quickly go off when cleaned. However, olefin doesn't give that cosy, soft, and comfortable feel that quality outdoor furniture should have. Besides, the fabric disintegrates within one or two years of outdoor usage. You should avoid outdoor furniture sets covered with olefin if you consider quality.
Another fabric tip for identifying quality outdoor furniture is to look for tight-knit cushions resistant to ultraviolet rays. Tight-knit fabrics cannot absorb many ultraviolet rays, nor does moisture easily penetrate them.
Added to their ultra-violet-resistant quality, these fabrics will offer your outdoor furniture set double protection. Examples of such materials are polyester, acrylic, and polyethene blends.
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Don’t Skip Quality Styling
One of the elements that your outdoor sectional sets put up with is wind. The style of a good quality set is such that it can withstand the pressures of strong winds.
It would help if you looked for collections with the bulk of their weight positioned near the ground, giving the furniture an anchor effect that prevents them from easily tipping over under strong winds. Going by that, you should buy wide and heavy based sets with thick chair cushions rather than stylish sets with long thin legs.
Another quality outdoor set to look out for is powder-coated styled sets. The frames of these sets are coated with dry-coloured powdery substances, which are then cured onto the metal frame via a heating process. This powder coating process replaces the usual industrial spray painting process. The advantage of powder coating is that it prevents peeling, wear, and tear, which makes the set more durable.
There are also non-cushion-styled outdoor sets made of faux wood, aluminium, or polyethene. They are very good at resisting weather effects and corrosion. You are more at an advantage when these non-cushion sets are powder-coated.
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Test The Set
How will you feel after picking out a set of outdoor furniture because it appears classic, only to discover later that it doesn't give you the desired comfort and feel when you sit on it? Worst still, you find out it has shaky legs!
To avoid such unexpected experiences, you should test the set to ascertain if it’s of good quality. Do that by sitting on it or placing an object on its top. Examine the armrests and legs. Do you notice any shaking? A quality outdoor set will be firm and fit right from the manufacturer's showroom.
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Assembling
You must note how the pieces of the outdoor set are assembled. If there are too many bolts and screws for you to fix when you get home, then there are chances that one of them can easily come off.
Quality outdoor furniture is mostly those put together via moulding or welding. Parts of welded furniture are assembled through a synthetic process that joins metal parts together by melting base metal. This process, also known as fusion, forms a firm bond that can't break or bend easily. On the other hand, moulded furniture is created by pouring synthetic materials into furniture moulds and allowing them to cool down into intricate pieces. Tips for choosing outdoor furniture.
Welded and moulded furniture takes little time to assemble because you will find them in large parts which you can quickly put together at home.
Related Reading: factors for buying the perfect outdoor deep seating.
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Branded Zippers
One tricky way to identify quality outdoor furniture, known only to a few people, is to look closely at the cushion zippers.
Check if the zippers carry the manufacturer's branding. Many manufacturers cut corners using cheap, substandard zippers that can quickly go bad. On the other hand, mindful manufacturers who care about quality will go all out to use their branded zippers on all their collections, putting their brand to an open test!
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Conclusion
There you have it! Tips on how you can identify quality in your next outdoor furniture. The aim is to ensure you enjoy your small outdoor sectional sets after purchase.
You can now confidently shop for your next outdoor furniture, having armed yourself with valuable information on making the best choice.