Folding Patio Chairs

Buying folding patio chairs should be a breeze. After all, these seating pieces are always welcome sights in any home, or any other place for that matter. Camp sites, beaches, pool sides are great places to set up a patio chair or two. The front yard, the back yard or even a tail gate party are also likely places to sport such furniture. And because there are several folding models available, these seating pieces are also known to be extremely convenient and portable. But the question is: what is the difference between a patio chair and a great patio chair? There are several elements to look for in case you want to buy a really good seat like this. And no… setting your radar on the heftier priced selections is an indication that you are getting the best among the lot. In fact, there are very affordable patio chair models that work better than some of the most expensive seating pieces.

The first thing you always have to look for is quality. Many of the newer and obviously inexpensively made patio chairs are so flimsy that using these once is enough to change their dimensions entirely. The seats sag. The structure bends at odd angles. And you can not fold them in the original position anymore.

Apparently, the makers of such chairs were not even thinking about the possibility that people might actually sit on one of their chairs; much less, sit on that piece of furniture for long periods of time. If you really want value for your money, you might want to consider the materials used in the chairs’ construction. Aluminum is by far the most widely used material for folding patio chairs. Aside from being lightweight, aluminum is also relatively inexpensive.

However, this metal is also extremely malleable, and the chairs made from poor quality aluminum can be bent very easily. The only way to know precisely if the folding patio chair is made from low grade aluminum is to actually test it. Try to sit down on the piece and settle deeply into the seat. If the entire chair feels like it is sinking more than it should, or sinking slowly the longer you are on it, then you know for certain that this is cheaply-made furniture – and probably not even worth its inexpensive price tag.Chairs made from high grade aluminum should be stable enough to keep the seated person’s weight up.

Also, you might want to look for thick plastic coating that will help protect the aluminum tubing from getting wet or being exposed to too much sun. Other more stable patio chair materials are steel tubing (which is slightly more expensive, but definitely stronger than aluminum by 50%) and wood (which is the strongest material used for folding patio chairs.) Again, not all steel tubing patio chairs are great. Some may be poorly made as well, but you can test its strength by trying to keep your weight on the chair and see if it buckles.

Wooden patio chairs almost always never buckles. The one issue you have to face though is whether or not the legs are stable. Wooden patio chairs, even the foldable ones, should never rock due to the uneven length of the furniture’s legs.

You should also consider the actual backrest and seating material. When it comes to wooden folding chairs, the wooden slats of the seat should be spaced wide enough to allow normal air circulation. A solid wooden backrest or seat on a folding patio chair is never a good thing.

Nylon and plastic backrest and seats are also not that advisable. These can become extremely uncomfortable when used for hours at a time, trapping heat and sweat with prolonged use.

Cloth is still the best materials for patio chairs. Most patio chairs are covered in cloth anyway - especially sling chairs or hammock chairs. It does not matter if you have cotton or canvas cloths coverings, as long as these are very comfortable on the body. However, in case you do find some patio chairs that you like that do not have cloth backrests and seats; you might want to invest in patio chair cushions instead.

Installing great looking patio chair cushions is one way of making your patio chairs more enjoyable to use. But try to get the ones that really fit the chairs perfectly. If you have patio beach bum-styled chairs, then buy seat cushions only. Longer, full length cushions would be needed for lounge chairs or lounge chaises.

Beneath you can see two kind of different folding patio chairs. In the first video you can see that   design and good quality can go hand in hand. This teak folding patio chair is for indoor as for outdoor use. In the second video someone shows another wooden folding patio chair. I do like the way it folds and is easy storeable. The music in the video is a little bit hard so you might turn your volume a little bit down.