Choosing the Best Materials for Outdoor Rocking Chairs
Rockers are the most common classic furnitures found in much North American porches and patios. The outdoor rocking chair, originally made out of wood, is nowadays available in plenty of styles and materials. As an outdoor furniture, one of the main differentiation factors, beyond design and style, is the material.
When buying outdoor rocking chairs you need to consider appropriate weather resistant materials. Humidity and sun are the most impacting elements on outdoor furniture, being humidity and direct water contact the major causes for material degradation. Therefore, if you’re looking for the best all-weather resistant materials for outdoor rockers keep on reading.
There are three important factors to consider when searching for online options, these are: weather effects on materials, resistance level to natural elements and intended use of the outdoor furniture. Understanding these factors is key for selecting the best outdoor rocker for your needs.
Weather Elements and How They Affect Outdoor Rocker Materials
As a rule of thumbs, the more exposed the outdoor rocker to the natural elements, the more resistant its materials needs to be to the different weather conditions. This is because prolonged exposure will cause harsher effects such as corrosion or rot.Â
This is why looking for appropriate all-weather materials is a must when buying an outdoor rocker. This applies, of course, to any outdoor furniture in general.
The degree of exposure to elements, intended use and the type materials will determine the rocker’s overall durability. So the more exposed to direct sunlight, humidity and marine environment, the more all-weather resistant the outdoor rocker materials need to be.
Humidity and Direct Water Contact on Mold, Rust and Rot
Metallic parts that are not well coated will end up rusting and loosing paint to corrosion. if not stoped on time, rust keeps on expanding underneath the paint as the oxidation process has already begun from direct contact. To avoid dealing with this check our guide on how to remove rust from metal furniture.
In wood, high humidity and low sunlight generates mold and rot. Direct water contact on wood tends to quickly affect the coating and varnish. Furthermore, some less dense wood might even start rotting. Even hardwoods such as Teak and Ipe need to receive oil and coating maintenance several times a year to prevent degradation.
On the other hand, plastic based materials prove to be very resistant to humidity and water. So the more humid the environment, the better coated the rocker’s material needs to be. Except for plastic based rockers, which tend to be maintenance free under these circunstances.
Direct Sunlight on Discoloration and Cracking
Metallic materials hold pretty well under the sun. Nevertheless, they tend to retain heat, which makes them pretty unpleasant if not kept under the shade. Furthermore, frequent and prolonged heating generates cracking in paint.
Wood generally holds well under the sun and endures fine if it is oiled from time to time. Plastic based materials tend to crack easily unless they have a solid mix of HDPE or recycled plastics, previously heated.
Fabrics can also fade and discolor or break over long UV exposure. So it’s important to check the outdoor rocking chair’s fabric composition. Quality ones are generally made out of highly resistant plastic based materials such as PVC, acrylic, polyester, polypropylene, among others.
Marine environment is very corrosive to metal parts and degrades low grade plastics relatively fast. So have this in mind if you plan on buying a metallic outdoor rocker for a beach house.
Pay special attention to coatings and the fabric’s UV rays resistance. Outdoor metallic rocking chairs usually have PVC based fabrics and solution-dyed acrylic, for which Sunbrella is famously known, to enhance comfort. Other renown brands include Kravet or Robert Allen.
Check our post on how to paint your wooden rocking chair to get relevant tips for extending your chair’s looks, protection and durability.
As expected, some types of materials are more resistant to certain elements and conditions than others. Â We review some of the most popular materials for outdoor rocking chairs.
Best All Weather Materials for Outdoor Rocking Chairs
Some outdoor furniture materials can be pretty costly depending on their properties and exclusivity. Also, some materials might be very resistant to certain elements but not to others. Nevertheless, you don’t need to spend that much if you want durability. For example, a porch rocking chair’s materials don’t need to be as all-weather resistant as a patio rocker in a humid environment.
In addition, special coatings (paints, varnishes and other) strengthens the furniture’s surface resistance. So there are ways of buying great outdoor rockers at a fair price.
Wooden Outdoor Rockers
Wood is one the most popular materials for outdoor rocking chairs for multiple reasons. The classic and natural looks of a wooden rocking chair is hard to beat in aesthetics and overall durability.
Nevertheless, the different wood types and qualities have various degrees of resistance to weather elements, which generates a wide price range. Also, some wood types demand much more maintenance than others, which adds to overall costs with time.
It is generally not advisable to use softwoods such as treated Pine, Cedar, Redwood and Fir for outdoor rockers. As they have a low resistance to prolonged weather exposure. You can always apply a strong varnish and coating to a softwood porch rocker, located in a dry environment. See how the intended use is important in material selection?
As you can imagine, woods that grow in humid environments are very water resistant. Tropical hard woods such as Teak, Ipe and Mahogany tend to be the strongest wood types. Nevertheless, it is advisable to oil them twice or more a year.
Tempered hard woods such as Oak, Maple, Walnut or even Cedar, are also a great choice for outdoor rocking chairs. Remember, even if the rocker is protected from the rain or snow, mold and mildew can still affect it in a humid environment with low sun exposure.
Plastic Based Materials
If you are looking for a carefree patio rocking chair, wood-plastic composites (WPC) is the way to go. It is the same material used for outdoor decks, so it’s long lasting and practically maintenance free.
However, designs are limited since Wood Plastic Composite rocker parts are usually molded. In that regard, Polywood is likely to be the brand that offers the most variety of WPC outdoor chairs made out of recycled plastic, which is definitely a plus. WPC rockers usually look as if they are made in wood and are pretty sturdy.
Resin based materials are made out of a mix of High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE), PVC and nylon and are very resistant to all-weather conditions. Resin wiker and other similar textures are widely used in coastal properties and hotels due to their strong resistance to UV light. They tend to be lightweight and mounted on a light aluminum structure.
Recycled plastic is also a great option as it is particularly strong and environmentally friendly. It is also all-weather resistant, care-free and an easy to work material to give all kinds of creative shapes.
These two plastic materials tend to be very lightweight and even though they might feel flimsy they are pretty strong. They are usually mounted in aluminum structure, which is also very lightweight and weather resistant.
Metallic Outdoor Rocking Chairs
The important things to look for with metallic outdoor furniture are rust resistance, color retention and durability (fabric and overall structure). As with wood, there are some tradeoffs between different types of metals. But overall, the best metallic materials for outdoor rockers are:
Aluminum is one of the most popular metals for outdoor furniture in general. Specially in hollow tube format, widely used in beach areas. This is due to their high rust resistance, lightweight and manageability. Aluminum outdoor rocking chairs usually demand very low maintenance. Nevertheless, we advise to buy a coated aluminum rocker if it will endure intense and prolonged hours under direct sunlight and humidity.
Wrought iron, on the other hand, is a more traditional looking heavy furniture, but prone to rust if not maintained. Nonetheless, wrought iron rockers can stand the test of time if properly cared for. To achieve this, it’s important to check for small rusty areas and quickly sand them. Then the best is to apply anti-rust paint and a resistant powder or e-coating on top.
Stainless steel is less heavy than wrought iron but more than aluminum and should not rust. As with other metallic materials for outdoor use, we recommend buying a powder coated stainless steel outdoor rocker if you plan to use it close to the sea or in very humid environments. Usually a bit more costly than other metal materials, but practically does not require any care.
Beware, the sun tends to impact harder on plastic based fabrics, often used with metallic structures. So if you look for a long lasting metallic outdoor rocker, make sure its fabrics are resistant enough.
Cleaning and maintaining your outdoor rocker is key
Even though materials used in outdoor rocking chairs have different weather resistance levels they need to be propperly cared for.Â
Thankfully there are plenty of cleaning and protection products for all types of outdoor furniture materials. Some of these include widely used Rust-oleum’s coatings for outdoor metallic rockers, oil based paints, rust, mold and mildew removers and even water repellant sprays for outdoor fabrics.
Since outdoor fabrics tend to get stained quit a lot we have selected for you the best tips for cleaning your outdoor cushions and upholstered furniture.
Intended Use of an Outdoor Rocker
The intended use you plan on giving your porch or patio rocking chair is very important. You should select the type of outdoor rocking chair materials according to the use intensity and exposure to elements.
As we mentioned earlier, a porch rocking chair does not need to be as all-weather resistant as a patio rocker. For example if you wish to buy an outdoor metallic rocker set for your patio, make sure is has necessary coatings to withstand corrosion.
A lot of campers like to travel with foldable rockers. These tend to be made with a steel frame or solid aluminum tubes with an ultra strong coating and plastic based fabrics. For more on these great travel and outdoor chairs check our review on the best camping rocking chairs for 2022.
You should also consider who’s expected to make a higher use of the rocker; young people, seniors? For example, deep seated rocking chairs are not recommended for elderly people, persons with back, belly or knee pain or moms with recent C-section. Because you need to make additional efforts for rocking and standing up. Instead, higher seated rockers are more adequate to these types of customers.
Conclusion: Evaluate potential tradeoffs according to your needs
Are you planning on buying an outdoor rocker to highlight your porch or patio area? Or are you simply looking for cheaper more practical options? In either case, there are some things you need to consider. Some factors such as brands, usage, materials and status (used or new) influence a rocker’s price.Â
So you will need to base your buying decision based on whats best for you, considering potencial drawbacks between weather resistance / quality / price.
The decor style you want to achieve in your outdoor area is another deciding factor on what type of outdoor rocker is best for your patio or porch. Do you prefer a more transitional and modern style, or a more traditional, classic one?
Architect and interior designer Monika Acosta from myhausProject.com states that you do not need to use the same style as your home’s interior. Instead, it will depend on how integrated or independent you wish your exterior area to be.Â
Nevertheless, it is important for both areas to complement each other. This can be done through the use of colors, shapes, styles and materials.
