Are your Garden Chairs comfortable? It’s a good question. An important question too, and one that is often overlooked.
This month we’ve already looked at How many garden chairs do I need? and we recently published our Garden Chairs: A Buying Guide that touched on comfort. However, I felt a much closer look at why comfort is important was merited...
In an interview with Esquire, Robert De Niro discussed what he’d learned as he approaches his seventies, the icon reflected on his Godfather days, his relationship with Marlon Brando, and why he'd never retire. However, for me, it was the following quote that stuck in my mind:
“If it's the right chair, it doesn't take too long to get comfortable in it.”
Is that true though? As much as I love the man and his work, I think I’d have to disagree with Mr Taxi Driver.
I’m specifically talking about outdoor dining chairs here too, whereas I think Bob is talking about an indoor sofa... Or if you have a garden sofa or cushioned reclining style garden chairs, then I would assume you’ve purchased those for comfort, and maybe you can ‘wear them in’?
However, when it comes to garden dining chairs such as those in the Lazy Susan collection, then comfort is often an afterthought…
Dining style chairs for the inside of our homes are purchased with the purpose of sitting down for an hour or two, eating, then retiring to the lounge.
But is that always an option outside?
Do people have the luxury of space for more than one garden set? Sofa and dining? If you do, then great, I always advise you to zone your garden and create areas for cooking, eating, relaxing, etc.
In fact, I’ll double back on my comment about purchasing garden sofas or reclining seats for comfort. I think if we are brutally honest, we have all purchased outdoor furniture based on looks. Form over function.
Even when it comes to indoor, I know I’ve purchased a sofa before that looked great but was awful to sit on.
Of course, looks are important. You don’t just want some big bean bag on your patio just because it is comfortable. You want and need both style and substance.
In the garden, I think our chairs have to work even harder than their indoor counterparts. When you dine outside, you don’t want to rush. You want to linger over your meal. Sit with drinks and chat.
Plus, most of us have limited outdoor space, you often need pieces that serve a number of different purposes. You have to make sure your garden/patio makes the best use of that space and allows you to use said space the way you like to use it.
In the UK those sunny days can sometimes feel few and far between. Especially, on a weekend when we usually have free time. So when we do get them, you want to make the most of them.
Garden chairs and tables are more than just a side room like a dining room might be. They’re a focal point. In many ways, a better comparison would be the kitchen table or breakfast bar. They are more likely to be the main hub of activity inside the home.
And just as they’re often a focal point inside the home, our garden table sets become the focus of the outside. The part of the garden or patio people naturally gravitate towards. The piece of furniture that makes the biggest statement on your patio.
However, what is the point of a garden chair if it is uncomfortable to sit on?
Even if it is just for a few hours or so of outdoor dining, surely you still want it to be comfortable. And if it is, those few eyes might extend long into the evening.
Different Types of Garden Chair
- Outdoor Dining Chair
- Reclining Garden Chair
- Folding Garden Chair
- Outdoor Ottoman
- Garden Chaise Lounge
- Suspended/Hanging Garden Chair
- Day Bed
- Sun Lounger
- Outdoor Patio Stool
- Adirondack
- Swivel Chair
- Rocking Chair
Comfort is King
There are lots of factors to take into account when choosing the type of garden chair you need, and each of the different types listed above has its advantages and disadvantages.
At Lazy Susan the bulk of the offer is focussed on outdoor dining. Yes, we sell Garden Benches and Sun Loungers that can be set to a seating position, but Garden Dining Sets form the core of what we sell.
And a good garden dining chair should do what it says on the tin.
It is designed to be paired with our Garden Tables.
It should be the right height to sit comfortably at a table.
You should be able to pull it close to the table so that you can eat without leaning forward, without arms clashing with the table edge.
A good Garden Chair should also be ergonomically shaped to support the back and provide comfort by following the contours of the spine.
You should be able to sit for a long period of time without constant adjustment.
Our collection does all of the above and more.
They are not designed to rock or recline so that you can fall asleep, they are designed for the purpose of outdoor dining, but that does not mean we’ve sacrificed on comfort.
Constructed from high-grade cast aluminium with a protective painted finish, our Garden Chairs can easily be wiped down, so you don’t have to worry about spills too.
Our metal garden chairs are classically styled to complement and function with the tables in our collection.
Each set comes with a default choice of chair, but there is also an option to upgrade. You may want a chair that is stackable, wider, with or without armrests?
All our chairs are constructed in the UK from rust and rot proof cast aluminium so value for money and longevity is guaranteed.
Outdoor Cushions
If you love to host long, leisurely outdoor dinner parties or BBQ’s, then you might want to pair our garden chairs with our Outdoor Furniture Cushions.
We offer a choice of different colours that help to up the comfort and look of your chairs.
All our cushions are made from a waterproof fabric that won’t fade in the sun. Plus, you and can easily remove the fabric cover from the foam via a zip to wash if they get dirty.
Our collection includes high back styles that can be tied on and fit any of our Lazy Susan chairs, seats and benches perfectly.
Available in green, terracotta, navy or stone, each design is created in an armless silhouette that’s lightweight and perfectly complements our furniture.
Extra Outdoor Seating
Our Garden Chairs are sold in sets of 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10+ seaters. However, if you need additional seating, they can be purchased individually.
It’s normal to think of big family BBQ’s when we’re furnishing our patio, but at Lazy Susan we take a different approach…
Furnish your patio for the every day, then worry about seating 12 guests when the sun is shining and you’re firing up the BBQ.
Our Garden Chair Range for 2024
April Garden Chair £150.00
Available in Antique Bronze, Slate, White and Sandstone.
Emma Garden Chair £169.95
Available in Antique Bronze, Slate and White.
Rose Garden Chair £169.95
Available in Antique Bronze, Slate and White.
Kate Garden Chair £179.95
Available in Antique Bronze, Slate and White.
...So, to answer the original question posed in the title of this article, yes, our Garden Chairs are definitely comfortable!