Home & Garden Home The Best Sustainable Outdoor Furniture of 2023 Our top pick is the Polywood Farmhouse Dining Set. By Arricca SanSone Arricca SanSone Hiram College Georgia Southern University Arricca SanSone is a health and lifestyle writer, specializing in home, kitchen, and gardening. She has written for Dotdash Meredith since 2019. Learn about our editorial process Updated July 21, 2022 Share Twitter Pinterest Email Home Green Living Pest Control Natural Cleaning DIY Family Thrift & Minimalism Sustainable Eating We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. Getty. Spending time outdoors is a soothing escape for many of us. Whether you have a tiny balcony or a roomy patio, outdoor furniture adds beauty and function so you can make the most of your space. But before purchasing furniture, consider how you want to use your space. Do you need a huge table for extended family cookouts? Or just a cozy nook to take a break from your work from home office? Maybe you regularly invite friends for cocktails, so you need lots of seating and a few end tables, rather than a dining table. Don’t forget that, in most of the country, you’ll need to have somewhere to store your furniture off-season so it lasts longer. Also, don’t neglect to measure! It can be tough to tell just how much space furniture will take up from a photo, especially if you have a compact area. You’ll still need room to walk around it, too. One word of advice: Production delays still are causing a backlog on many home furnishing orders (ranging from two weeks to four months!). So, read everything when ordering to be sure your furniture will ship in time for you to enjoy it during the best weather of the year. Ahead, our top picks for the best sustainable outdoor furniture for your home. The Rundown Best Dining Set: Polywood Lakeside 7-Piece Farmhouse Dining Set at Polywood.com Jump to Review Best Adirondack Chair: Highwood Folding & Reclining Adirondack Chair Jump to Review Best Bench: Viva Terra Reclaimed Outdoor Bench at Vivaterra.com Jump to Review Best Porch Swing: Loll Designs Go Porch Swing at 2modern.com Jump to Review Best Chaise Lounge: Pottery Barn Chatham FSC Mahogany Chaise Lounge at Pottery Barn Jump to Review Best Splurge: Outer Teak Outdoor Sofa at Liveouter.com Jump to Review Best Garden Glider: Polywood Traditional Garden 48" Glider at Polywood.com Jump to Review Best Dining Set Polywood Lakeside 7-Piece Farmhouse Dining Set 4.8 Polywood View On Polywood.com This reasonably-priced dining set seats six guests and includes a large 37 x 72-inch farmhouse table with four matching side chairs and two matching armchairs. It’s made in the United States from recycled plastic lumber, created from landfill- and ocean-bound garbage, and it comes with an amazing 20-year warranty. It’s weather-resistant and is available in several neutral and bold colors with UV stabilizers to prevent fading. The table also has an umbrella hole. Clean-up is a snap with soap and water, and it never needs to be painted, stained, or waterproofed. The company’s waste stream is 99 percent recycled. Price at time of publish: $1,595 in Slate Grey Best Adirondack Chair Highwood Hamilton Folding & Reclining Adirondack Chair 4.2 Amazon View On Target View On Walmart View On Amazon Nothing says summer like the quintessential Adirondack chair (plus, they’re way comfier than you’d guess). This one folds, so you store it easily when necessary. Made in the United States from recycled plastic milk jugs that would otherwise end up in landfills, this chair never needs to be painted, stained, or waterproofed. It weighs 34 pounds and comes in a range of color options. Price at time of publish: $307 The 7 Best Sustainable Adirondack Chairs of 2023 Best Bench Viva Terra Reclaimed Outdoor Bench 4.2 Courtesy of Viva Terra View On Vivaterra.com This reclaimed wood bench is made from repurposed railroad ties (some more than 100 years old!) and shorea wood, which is similar to teak. The frame is made from coated iron. Each bench is unique, so it’s the perfect conversation starter or a pretty accent piece to tuck in a corner of the garden. It measures 36 x 18 x 18 inches, and the seat is 15 inches from the ground. A 2012 EPA study found that wood makes up about 8 percent of landfill content, so salvaged wood products prevent waste. Price at time of publish: $329 Best Porch Swing Loll Designs Go Porch Swing 4.2 Courtesy of Loll Designs View On 2modern.com View On Design Within Reach View On Modernplanet.com Lounging on a porch swing in the cool of the evening is the stuff of memories. This sturdy swing with updated styling is made in the United States from 520 recycled/reclaimed milk jugs. It comes in nine colors and can be left outdoors year-round. It never needs to be painted or stained and can be cleaned with soap and water. It weighs 65 pounds and requires some assembly. Loll products have a 5-year warranty. Price at time of publish: $1,295 Best Chaise Lounge Pottery Barn Chatham FSC Mahogany Chaise Lounge with Wheels 4.7 Courtesy of Pottery Barn View On Pottery Barn Catch your afternoon nap on this elegant mahogany chaise that’s made from FSC-certified wood. Mortise-and-tenon construction makes it extra-sturdy, and it adjusts to five different positions. Choose a cushion to match the rest of your outdoor décor from a variety of fabric options including canvas or the gold-standard of outdoor fabrics, Sunbrella. Sunbrella has a strong focus on sustainability with zero waste to landfill manufacturing and a recycling program which gathers leftover scraps to create new fabric. In 2010, the company also created a Sunbrella fabric recycling program for homeowners. Price at time of publish: $1,548 in Performance Strip Petite Oatmeal Best Splurge Outer Teak Outdoor Sofa 4.4 Courtesy of Outer View On Liveouter.com This three-seat sofa is pretty enough to use indoors, but the FSC-certified teak will hold up well outdoors in the elements, too. At 97-inches long, it’s roomy enough for either hanging out with friends or to stretch out for a catnap yourself. The cushions come in two colors, and both the frame and cushions have a five-year warranty. It’s modular, so you can rearrange the two corner chairs and one armless chair in many different configurations to change up your seating setup as needed. Price at time of publish: $5,290 Best Garden Glider Polywood Traditional Garden 48" Glider 4.8 Courtesy of Polywood View On Polywood.com This glider, like the one you may have loved on Grandma’s porch, has a gentle sway that will lull you into a sense of peace on a summer evening. It’s made entirely of recycled plastic, comes in a number of neutral or bold colors to coordinate with your house, and has UV protection to prevent fading. It’s weather-resistant, comes with a 20-year warranty, and is made in the United States. Price at time of publish: $569 in Teak What to Look for in Sustainable Furniture Second-Hand Furniture When possible, purchase second-hand outdoor furniture to reduce the environmental impact of manufacturing new products. Vintage pieces offer a certain flair that mass-produced furniture can’t, and even shabby pieces can be dressed up with paint and new cushions. Warranty Read the product description carefully because some products come with a warranty ranging from five years to 20 years; others have no warranty at all. Recycled Materials Some products are made from landfill- and ocean-bound garbage such as milk jugs or laundry detergent bottles, which are turned into plastic lumber used to construct the furniture. Long-Lasting Fabrics Look for durable materials for cushions, such as solution-dyed acrylic fabric, which means the pigment doesn’t just penetrate the surface but goes all the way through the fibers. This process makes the fabric more UV, fade, mold, and mildew resistant. Of course, it's also pricier. FSC-Certified Wood Products Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified products means wood comes from responsibly-managed forests. FSC Products that have earned this designation have been evaluated to meet 10 principles and 57 certifying criteria to promote environmentally sound, socially beneficial, and economically prosperous management of the world’s forests to include tenets such as: Supporting indigenous people and local worker’s rights; managing the environmental impact on water, soils and ecosystems; and promoting reforestation and conservation of forests. Why Trust Treehugger? To create this list, we extensively researched materials and applicable certifications such as FSC-certified or recycled content to find the most sustainable outdoor furniture that will not require constant maintenance, will stand up to the elements, and will last for years. Arricca SanSone specializes in writing about home, shelter and gardening for many digital and print publications. Her favorite place to be on a summer morning is on her patio with her two dogs. The 8 Best Outdoor Motion Sensor Lights of 2023