Make online or in store payments through easy installments with no hidden fees. Aside from a good patio umbrella, Lonergan also recommends a top-tier pool float — both for soaking up the sun’s rays and serving as an Instagram-worthy decor element. Worthy of spending your hard-earned coin on, the San folding lawn chairs Blas Rattan Hanging Bench ($699) is a true showstopper, along with the Business & Pleasure Co. The Hammock ($298), a brand we love for all things coastal and charming. What’s more, Frontgate has divine poolside chaises to lounge and lay, including the Balencia Bronze Chaise Lounges ($1,049).
There are a few steps that go into finding the perfect patio furniture, including available space, material type and colors. But, At Home has countless options that will fit every budget and every style. The price difference is due to the manufacturer, the material used, the size of the table, the number of chairs, and any other features it may have, such as an umbrella and stand. On the low end of the price spectrum lies the Bromley set sold by Target for $200. In the middle lies the Cascade set, also sold by Target, for about $1000. At the high end lies the Mississippi 9-piece dining set sold for $2575.
For our 2018 update, we ordered another two dining sets and assembled them in another Los Angeles backyard. During both tests, we examined screws, joints, and the apparent quality of construction. Due to testing limitations during the pandemic, we were not able to assemble these new sets at home. So we narrowed our search to dining sets that we could touch and analyze at big-box stores, that had great reviews at the time, and that were eligible for return or exchange. In 2022, we expanded our research to direct-to-consumer brands—like Article, Blu Dot, and Neighbor—and added larger dining sets and new outdoor living room options, such as sofas and lounge chairs.
One dining set we tested—the Mercury Row Nikoleta—was perfectly suited to the smooth surface of a concrete patio or a wood deck. Yet when the set was placed on tiled concrete pavers, the chair legs consistently caught between the pavers, resulting in a few awkward, arms-flailing exits from the table. If your intended surface isn’t uniform and flat, look for a table and chairs with wide feet, ideally outfitted with levelers to adjust for uneven surfaces.
Introducing different lighting styles like string lights, tiki torches or citronella candles will set the mood and create a more inviting space. Are you close to the beach or live in a very humid location? Or perhaps you live in a place that gets a lot of snow but is very dry. Your climate can damage your outdoor furniture, so make sure you pick a set that will flourish wherever you live.