What Is the Best Type of Rattan Furniture?

For most UK homes and gardens, the best type of rattan furniture is synthetic rattan woven from high density polyethylene, known as PE rattan, over a powder coated aluminium frame. It handles rain, frost and sunlight without splitting or fading quickly, it is light enough to move, and it does not rust. Natural rattan remains the better choice indoors, where its finer texture and warmer tone are worth having and where damp is not a constant threat.

Rattan is a family of climbing palms, and the term now covers three quite different things: natural rattan cane, synthetic PE rattan, and cheaper PVC rattan. Understanding which one you are looking at matters far more than the style of the piece, because the material determines whether the furniture lasts one season or ten.

Natural Rattan: Beautiful Indoors, Fragile Outdoors

Natural rattan is harvested cane, steamed and bent into frames then wrapped or woven with thinner strands. It has a lovely irregular texture, takes a light stain well and feels warm in a room. It is also strong for its weight, which is why rattan chairs have been a fixture of conservatories and bedrooms for generations.

Its weakness is moisture. Left outside, natural rattan absorbs water, swells, then dries and cracks. Sunlight makes it brittle. Even in a conservatory, prolonged damp can loosen the weave. Use natural rattan in bedrooms, hallways, garden rooms and covered porches, and keep it away from radiators, which dry the fibres and cause splitting.

Synthetic PE Rattan: The Practical Outdoor Choice

PE rattan is extruded polyethylene shaped to imitate cane. Good quality PE is UV stabilised, so it resists fading, and it stays flexible in cold weather rather than becoming brittle. It can be hosed down, and it does not stain from rain or bird droppings the way an untreated natural weave does.

Quality varies. Flat weave PE strands feel more substantial than very thin round ones, and half round strands sit somewhere in between while looking closest to real cane. Press a palm into a seat panel: a well woven piece flexes evenly and springs back. A loose weave that dips sharply will sag within a season. Our garden seating sets UK sale pages specify the weave and frame material so you can judge this before ordering.

Avoid Thin PVC Rattan for Anything You Value

PVC rattan is cheaper, stiffer and much more prone to cracking after a cold winter or a hot spell. It often has a shiny, plasticky appearance and can smell faintly of vinyl when new. It is acceptable for a decorative planter or a piece you expect to replace, but it is a poor choice for seating you plan to keep.

A quick tell is flexibility. Bend a strand gently at the edge of the weave. PE gives and returns. PVC feels rigid and may crease permanently, and a crease is where a crack will start.

The Frame Matters as Much as the Weave

Almost all rattan effect furniture is a weave over a frame, and the frame decides how long the piece stays square. Powder coated aluminium is the standard for outdoor use: light, rust free and strong. Steel frames are stronger but heavier, and if the coating chips the exposed steel will rust and stain the weave. Some budget pieces use plastic or thin tube frames, which flex and eventually break at the welds.

Check the joints where the arm meets the frame and where legs meet the seat. Welded and fully coated joints last. Bolted joints should have washers and locking nuts you can tighten later. Indoors, timber frames wrapped in cane are common and perfectly sound, and they pair well with the timber pieces in our modern wooden side tables UK range.

Cushions, Covers and Comfort

Rattan seating is only as comfortable as its cushions. For outdoor use, look for quick drying foam or fibre with a water resistant outer fabric and unzippable covers. Olefin and solution dyed acrylic fabrics hold colour better in sunlight than cheaper polyester. Thicker is not automatically better: a very deep cushion raises the seat height and can make a low table feel wrong.

Store cushions in a bench box or bring them indoors when the weather turns, which does more for their lifespan than any spray. Indoors, rattan chairs benefit from a firm seat pad and a lumbar cushion, particularly on the wider tub shapes that also appear in our modern tub chairs UK collection.

Weave Styles and How They Wear

Flat weave gives a clean contemporary surface and hides marks well. Round weave looks closer to traditional cane and creates more shadow, which suits looser, more relaxed schemes. Open lattice weaves are lighter to look at and drain quickly, but they can be less comfortable without a cushion and collect leaves and debris in the gaps.

Colour ages differently by weave too. Mixed tone weaves, where two or three shades are combined, disguise dust and pollen better than a single flat grey. If you are matching an outdoor set to indoor furniture, a mid grey or natural beige is the easiest colour to live with over time.

Choosing by Where You Will Use It

For an exposed garden or roof terrace, choose PE rattan with an aluminium frame and removable cushions. For a covered porch or a conservatory that stays dry, natural rattan with a timber frame is the nicer material and will look better as it ages. For a balcony where the furniture must move often, prioritise weight: aluminium framed pieces you can lift with one hand.

For indoor rooms, use rattan as an accent rather than the main scheme. A single rattan chair beside a fabric sofa adds texture without tipping the room into a themed look. That balance is easier to judge when you can see the pieces together, and you can browse the full range of modern furniture at Furniture in Fashion, where our sofa and chair collections sit alongside our garden ranges.

Maintenance in Practice

Synthetic rattan needs a wash with warm soapy water and a soft brush two or three times a year, paying attention to the crevices in the weave where dust settles. Rinse and let it dry naturally. Avoid pressure washers, which can force strands out of alignment, and avoid solvent cleaners, which dull the surface.

Natural rattan should be dusted with a soft brush and wiped with a barely damp cloth, never soaked. A light wax or a suitable furniture oil once a year keeps the cane supple. If a strand lifts, it can often be glued back with a wood adhesive and held with masking tape until it sets. Keep either type out of standing water: a saucer under a plant pot on a rattan side table prevents the most common damage we hear about, and the same care applies to the timber tops in our modern coffee tables UK sale selection.

Judging Build Quality in a Showroom or Photograph

Two rattan sets can look identical online and behave very differently after a season outdoors. A few checks separate them. Look at where the weave meets the frame: on well made furniture the strands are wrapped and tucked so no cut ends are visible, while cheaper pieces show loose tails or visible staples. Press a palm into the middle of a seat base. It should feel taut with a slight give, not spongy or hollow, which suggests too few support straps beneath.

Check the feet as well. Adjustable or capped feet keep the frame off wet paving and prevent water wicking upward, and they let you level a chair on uneven flags. Bare metal legs standing directly on stone will corrode first, whatever the weave is made from.

Finally, sit in it. Rattan seating is often photographed with deep cushions that disguise an awkward back angle. A chair that pushes you forward will not be used, however smart it looks on a terrace.

Living With Rattan Through a British Year

Rattan handles our climate well but benefits from small seasonal habits. In spring, wash the weave with warm soapy water and a soft brush, paying attention to the underside of seats where algae builds up in shade. Rinse and let it dry fully before adding cushions. Through summer, move seating occasionally so one side does not fade more than the other, since prolonged sun gradually lightens even the better synthetic weaves.

Autumn is the moment to check for loose strands. A single lifted strand caught by a sleeve can unravel a section, and it is a five minute repair if caught early. In winter, either bring pieces into a shed or garage or cover them loosely so air still circulates. Avoid stacking heavy items on top of a covered set, as pressure on a damp weave leaves permanent flat spots.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can synthetic rattan stay outside all winter in the UK?
Good quality PE rattan on an aluminium frame can, provided cushions are stored indoors. A breathable cover helps keep the weave clean, but a sealed plastic sheet can trap condensation and should be avoided.

Is natural rattan stronger than synthetic?
Natural cane is impressively strong for its weight, but synthetic rattan on a metal frame usually carries more weight in practice because the frame does the structural work. Strength claims should always refer to the frame, not the weave.

How can I tell PE from PVC in a showroom?
PE feels slightly waxy and flexes without creasing. PVC feels harder and shinier, and creases when bent. PVC also tends to have a stronger plastic smell when new.

Does rattan effect furniture fade?
UV stabilised PE fades very slowly and evenly. Cheaper unstabilised weaves can lighten noticeably in a single sunny summer, particularly on the side facing the strongest light.

What is the difference between rattan and wicker?
Rattan is the material and wicker is the weaving technique. Wicker furniture can be woven from rattan, willow, seagrass or synthetic strands, so the term describes how a piece is made rather than what it is made from.