Why Is Patio Furniture So Expensive? (10 Reasons)

 

If you are looking to find some new patio furniture for your yard this year, you may be shocked at some of the pricing.

Patio furniture is often much more expensive than indoor furniture, and it takes many people by surprise.

If you have ever wondered what it is that makes patio furniture so expensive, we have all the answers for you.

Although these reasons may not help you to save money, they can certainly make the purchase feel a bit more justified.

Here are ten reasons patio furniture is so expensive.

 

Why Is Patio Furniture So Expensive?

 

1. Mold and Mildew Protection

 

Patio furniture is going to be exposed to a wide range of weather conditions.

Although most people will bring their furniture in and out in the cold months, during the wet weather, patio furniture is going to be exposed to water.

Because of the humidity and water, the patio furniture has to be produced with some mold-resistant qualities.

These qualities will help it last longer and help the patio furniture remain more useable.

Of course, the problem with this is that materials and surfaces that keep the mold and mildew away will be a bit costly to produce.

Mold and mildew protection is something that makes patio furniture unique.

If you are going to place indoor furniture outside, it won’t last for more than a few weeks.

This is an important thing to keep in mind when you are purchasing this furniture.

It certainly has a unique purpose to it.

Sometimes the furniture that you place outside may need to be treated for mold, but it should be rather infrequently as long as you are taking care of your furniture.

 

2. Longevity

 

When you make a patio furniture purchase, you expect it to last for many years.

Most people will hope to get ten or more years out of a patio set.

This, of course, means that the construction quality is going to be quite a bit higher on the patio furniture.

With better construction, you won’t have to make this purchase all that often.

When it comes to things like this that you will only purchase once every decade or so, try to think about the value that you get over the life of the product.

Don’t think about how much it is upfront, but instead, think of the cost per year over the next few years.

Many people will finance patio furniture because they want to split the costs up over a few years.

This is a great option to consider if you are going to make a high-end and expensive patio furniture selection.

Also, keep in mind the interest rates on these patio furniture sets may make this a poor idea.

Always try to get a deal that gives you the lowest rates possible for the furniture that you are purchasing.

 

3. Materials Used

 

The materials that are used for patio furniture must be treated to withstand the weather, and they must be heavy duty.

The sourcing and the manufacturing of these products are going to certainly add to the final cost for a nice patio set.

Patio furniture is typically made with teak, wicker, and sometimes a woven material.

There is no perfect patio furniture material, but you must be fairly smart about which one you purchase.

If you get a set that is not made with high-quality materials, you are going to see it start to deteriorate rather quickly.

The first signs of this deterioration will be rust and mold.

As time goes on, pieces of furniture can actually break off and be dangerous to even sit on.

Some patio furniture can be repaired over time, but most will need to be replaced should you see these issues.

When you shop for your next set of patio furniture, make sure that you pay careful attention to the materials that are used to construct the furniture itself.

If you have a choice between a longer-lasting material and a cheaper material, you will never be disappointed that you purchased the better material.

 

4. Extension of Living Space

 

When you put patio furniture in your yard, you will instantly extend your living space.

The outside of your home is going to make the inside of your home feel quite a bit larger.

For most people, the idea of expanding your living space like this could end up costing tens of thousands of dollars.

When you look at it that way, the price for a new patio set and an outdoor rug and umbrellas is actually well worth it.

Any time that you can make your home feel larger without having to knock down walls or do any structural changes, you will be quite lucky.

However, since the patio furniture manufacturers are also aware of this concept, the pricing on their furniture has increased considerably.

If they are helping to make the outside of your home just as beautiful as the inside, they expect that people are willing to pay for it.

For the most part, this is true, although most would be happy to pay a little less.

 

5. Timeless Design

 

Patio furniture has to undergo quite a bit of design work.

The designs are meant to last for a very long time and stay in style as well.

If you purchase a piece of patio furniture, you are expecting that it is going to be a timeless design.

Nobody wants to spend thousands of dollars on a new patio set only to have it look outdated in a few years.

The best way to avoid this is to stick with the brand names and choose a really classic-looking set of furniture.

Patio manufacturers hire designers to make sure that the furniture they put on the market will stay in style and remain current for quite some time.

The timeless nature of these designs is certainly going to increase the price, but it also makes them well worth it.

 

6. Pest Resistant

 

Anything placed outside is fair game for pests.

Most of the time, patio furniture will need to be resistant to bugs and other critters.

With certain types of patio furniture, you will have issues with termites and other bugs starting to eat away at it.

Of course, there are ways that you can treat the furniture to make sure that it holds up longer, but it is better to purchase something that is naturally pest resistant.

We have always found that patio furniture that is easy to wash is also a good investment.

If you want to be able to hose the furniture off after a few birds have had their way with it, then choosing something pest and weather-resistant is important.

It’s a good idea to think about your general area and the climate before you purchase furniture.

Do you know of a specific problem that your neighbors have been having with their furniture?

Try to do the best you can to purchase something that will help you avoid this issue.

If you end up going with something a bit less tolerant of pests, make sure that you plan on treating the area around the furniture so that there are no issues.

As always, it is a good idea to bring your cushions inside at night or put them in a patio cushion box.

You never know what local animals may try to make the patio furniture their bed for the night.

 

7. Fade Resistant

 

Patio furniture is going to be exposed to quite a bit of sun.

Therefore, it must be made to be fade-resistant.

Not only does the fabric need to be resistant to fading, but so does the furniture itself.

Even woven patio furniture or wood is going to fade if it is not treated properly or not designed in a way to handle the sun.

UV protection is essential for all products that are placed outside.

This is especially important when the furniture is darker in color.

The dark colors tend to fade quite fast, and before you know it, your black patio furniture set is going to be a light gray.

See if you can find pictures of the patio set that you are interested in after it has been outside for a few years.

This will give you a much better indication of what you are purchasing and whether or not it is worth it.

As with many of our other patio furniture specifications, the fact that these furniture pieces do not fade is going to make them quite a bit more expensive.

 

8. Cushions

 

If you purchase patio furniture that has cushions, get ready to pay quite a bit more for the set.

Cushions are expensive to make, and they are going to usually be required on most patio furniture.

The fabric used to make the cushions tends to be made with a very durable and long-lasting material.

This is great news, but you have to expect to pay for it.

The cushions are going to add up in cost quite quickly, and they are often not included when you first look at the price of an outdoor setting.

You may see a chair that is selling for $1,500.

When you find out the cushions are an additional $400, it could change your mind about purchasing the set.

Cushions also have to be carefully taken care of.

You can’t expect cushions are going to last if they are not brought inside and cleaned from time to time.

One way to avoid spending so much on patio furniture cushions is to make them yourself.

You will have to have a decent bit of knowledge when it comes to sewing, and you may spend some time on this project.

In addition, the supplies just to purchase the cushions are going to be quite expensive.

 

9. Shipping & Delivery

 

Patio furniture is large.

There is no way to get around the fact that it going to be difficult for this furniture to make its way to you.

The price that you pay for the delivery of the furniture will have to be carefully calculated.

Most of the time, you will have to put the furniture together yourself if you plan on saving some money.

If you don’t want to perform this task yourself, you can expect to pay a few hundred dollars more for the setup of your new patio set.

You can purchase patio furniture from large online stores like Amazon and Wayfair, but for the real premium furniture, there is going to be a delivery fee.

Shipping using traditional methods tends to end up causing some damage to the furniture.

Most manufacturers are going to want to make sure that the product gets there without any issue.

Of course, this is going to come down to the consumer having to pay a bit more to receive their patio furniture.

Overall, you will notice that moving patio furniture across the country and getting it to your home will be quite costly.

 

10. Brand Name

 

As we have learned with almost any product on the market, the brand name is going to increase the cost.

There are a few names in the patio furniture industry that are known for their impressive performance and durability.

Since these brands have earned the reputation of being superior, they will charge quite a bit more for their products.

There are good and bad things about going with a name brand patio furniture set.

If you choose something that is a lower quality or a lesser-known brand, you are taking a bit of a risk for the long-term functionality of the set.

When you purchase a name brand product, you will want to make sure it is something that makes sense and that you like it.

If you find that it is your favorite choice even after all the other research you have done, then that brand name is the one you should go for.

We also like to think about the warranty that many of these brand name products offer.

Since they are more durable, they may be able to offer you three or five years on the furniture.

Clearly, this will be quite a long warranty and something that is very much worth considering.

Be leery of a patio furniture company that does not offer any type of warranty on their products.

This should stand out as a bit of a red flag when it comes to how the company is going to handle any potential issues with your set.

 

Conclusion

Hopefully, you can now understand that patio furniture is expensive for a wide range of reasons.

The good news is that patio furniture is a great investment for your home.

You will get an updated look and extra living space.

These are things that everyone is looking for when it comes to making their home more livable and inviting.

If you want to save money on patio furniture, look for an older set that someone is selling used.

You may be able to do a bit of work on it to get it looking brand new again.

When you do make your patio furniture decision, choose something that is built to last.