How to Choose Between Rattan and Metal Garden Furniture

Rattan and metal are two of the most familiar materials in UK garden furniture, and both have devoted followings. Rattan is woven, soft to look at and forgiving in mixed weather, while metal is sleek, sculptural and often more architectural in feel. Choosing between them is rarely a question of style alone, because each behaves differently across the British seasons and across the routines of family life. In this guide we set out how rattan and metal compare on comfort, atmosphere, weather performance, cleaning, weight, longevity and the kinds of gardens they tend to suit. We explain why synthetic rattan is the right kind of rattan for British weather, what to look for in aluminium and steel frames, and why many households end up choosing both materials for different zones of the same plot. The aim is to make a sensible, lasting and well informed choice rather than a hurried one....