It's Patio Season: Furniture Recommendations?

We bought Actiwin stuff with Sunbrella cushions about 8 years ago and it looks like the day we brought it home. L couch, a 4x4' coffee table, and a chair. I originally wanted a table and chairs but have never looked back. 95% of my deck time is sitting not eating.

That said, Actiwin is probably out of your stated price range. But screw tables, go couch.

I have a Costco seating and dining set, and a 10' umbrella. All are holding up pretty well, except the covers... most are peeling and falling to bits. You figure they could make cushions that never fade, but for some reason they cheap out on the covers. My only complaint.

bjl

t3359 wrote: ↑ You figure they could make cushions that never fade, but for some reason they cheap out on the covers. My only complaint.

bjl

They do. They are Sunbrella fabric and cost an arm and a leg. My cushions were a considerable portion of the cost of our stuff. Our outdoor furniture cost more then our indoor stuff did initially. Of course we bought cheap inside stuff when first married and were in a better financial place when it came time to buy outside stuff.

I agree that the Azaleh is lower priced than the Hampton but from what I've read, the Hampton is better quality so you're not comparing apples to apples. Finding patio furniture at the price point you want is easy, finding it at the quality you want is much harder.

We purchased about three full sets of patio furniture last year from Foremost when it was on sale (end of year and got around 80% off. We're very happy with the look and quality as well as comfort and have had many compliments on both looks and comfort. I did find the list prices high so in reality I'd say we got 50% off the reasonable selling price. I believe their warehouse is located In Mississauga.

Jerico wrote: ↑ They do. They are Sunbrella fabric and cost an arm and a leg. My cushions were a considerable portion of the cost of our stuff. Our outdoor furniture cost more then our indoor stuff did initially. Of course we bought cheap inside stuff when first married and were in a better financial place when it came time to buy outside stuff.

So, the Costco set seems to be Sunbrella fabric. I suppose it's worth the extra cost for the quality and the reassurance of buying from Costco. I'll try some of the other places mentioned here as well. I am assuming that you've all bought patio furniture covers as well? Or do you just leave it uncovered during the summer?

I've bough the patio lounge set from Costco 4 years ago (L-Shape couch and ottoman) with Sunbrella fabric - In our case it was well worth the cost as we had mustard and ketchup left on it overnight (long story) - Totally shocked that It came off without any staining the next day.

One bonus when dealing with Costco - We did have a quality issue with one of the seat frames (over a year later) - we called the company (in the States) of the issue and let them know where we bought it - They sent a replacement right away with no hesitation. Although not a certainty - I think buying from Costco has to do something to do with their speedy reply/action.

milhaus wrote: ↑ I am assuming that you've all bought patio furniture covers as well? Or do you just leave it uncovered during the summer?

We left ours uncovered, for one and two years, since we bought more than one set. There has been absolutely no discolorations and all we've done is scotch guarded even though it was already done at factory. Below are a couple of the sets we purchased.

are covers really that necessary?

I bought a huge blue tarp (<$30) from lowes and tied it down using twine to the furniture

nx6288 wrote: ↑ are covers really that necessary?

I bought a huge blue tarp (<$30) from lowes and tied it down using twine to the furniture

For the summer? Or for winter storage? Either way that's pretty hideous compared to a fitted cover. However I think they were referring to the cushion covers.

engineered wrote: ↑ For the summer? Or for winter storage? Either way that's pretty hideous compared to a fitted cover. However I think they were referring to the cushion covers.

oops yeah i meant for winter storage. it's not bad cause its not even being used in the winter anyways.

So, just to confirm: buy Sunbrella fabric if you can. No need for covers in the summertime?

We bought all of our patio furniture from Pioneer Pools & have been satisfied with the quality.

At this time of year, they have a lot of their products marked down to make room for the new stock.

milhaus wrote: ↑ So, just to confirm: buy Sunbrella fabric if you can. No need for covers in the summertime?

If it rains, cushions get wet.
Also, I have a Sunbrella awning with a valance thing that is exposed. Is it a slightly lighter shade than the rolled up part is. Covers do make good sense. A car garaged all the time from the hot sun will have it's paint job last longer than one left to the elements.

milhaus wrote: ↑ So, just to confirm: buy Sunbrella fabric if you can. No need for covers in the summertime?

I've had my costco sunbrella chairs/cushions for quite a few years now and they are still in great condition. The furniture is under the gazebo tho.

Thanks for the recommendations, everyone. Likely will go with the Costco set just for convenience's sake. Could someone recommend a solid, well designed cantilevered umbrella and base for a reasonable price? Thanks!

milhaus wrote: ↑ Thanks for the recommendations, everyone. Likely will go with the Costco set just for convenience's sake. Could someone recommend a solid, well designed cantilevered umbrella and base for a reasonable price? Thanks!

anything portofino is usually very well made with quality materials and workmanship

I have the Costco Hampton set. I bought the sectional set with ottomans and the club chair set based on reviews. It's been 4 years and mine are exposed on the lake in high winds (so much so we had to bolt the set down to keep it from falling into the water), and we do not cover it. We put the cushions inside the shed for the winter but leave the wicker parts out. No problems at all. I also have three of the Costco sunbrella umbrellas (3 different styles). Other than the covers ripping, the umbrellas are still fantastic. When I go to replace my dining set, I will buy from Costco again.