Neither material wins outright: the answer depends on how exposed your garden is and how you use the furniture. Synthetic wicker on an aluminium frame is the better choice for comfortable lounge seating, since the weave stays cool in sun, warm to the touch in cooler weather and forgiving to sit on. Powder coated aluminium or steel is the better choice for dining sets, small spaces and windy or coastal gardens, because metal is easier to clean, sits flat and stable, and copes with heavy rain without holding moisture. In practice, many British gardens are best served by both: metal for the dining area, woven seating for the lounge corner.<\/p>\n
The important distinction is that wicker describes a weave and metal describes a frame, and most woven furniture sold today has a metal frame inside it. So the real comparison is between a woven surface over metal and an exposed metal surface, rather than between two entirely different constructions.<\/p>\n
Synthetic wicker is woven from polyethylene or resin strands over an aluminium or steel frame. Good quality strands are UV stabilised and coloured throughout rather than surface printed, which is why some sets fade in two summers and others hold their tone for a decade.<\/p>\n
Natural wicker is woven from rattan, cane or willow. It belongs indoors or in a fully covered space, since it absorbs water and splits when repeatedly frozen. If you like the material, keep it in a conservatory or covered veranda.<\/p>\n
Metal outdoor furniture usually means powder coated aluminium, powder coated steel, or occasionally cast aluminium and wrought iron. Aluminium is light and does not rust. Steel is heavier and stronger but relies entirely on its coating to prevent corrosion. Cast aluminium is heavy, ornate and extremely durable.<\/p>\n
Anything sold as rattan effect, poly rattan or all weather wicker is synthetic weave, and this is the material most people mean when they compare wicker with metal.<\/p>\n
Synthetic wicker sheds water well because the strands are non porous, and water drains through the gaps in the weave rather than pooling. Its weak point is ultraviolet light: cheaper strands become brittle and pale after a few seasons, and once a strand snaps the repair is fiddly. The frame is the other consideration. Aluminium inside the weave will outlast the strands. Untreated steel inside the weave can rust from within, and you will not see it until the frame flexes.<\/p>\n
Aluminium is effectively immune to rust and shrugs off rain, which makes it the standout performer in wet British gardens and near the coast, where salt air attacks steel quickly. Powder coated steel performs well until the coating is chipped, at which point rust starts at the chip and spreads under the finish. Touching up chips promptly is the whole maintenance regime for steel furniture.<\/p>\n
Neither material minds frost, provided water can drain away rather than sitting in a hollow tube or a cushion.<\/p>\n
This is where woven furniture has a clear advantage. The weave has a slight give, it does not conduct heat or cold sharply, and a woven seat is bearable even without a cushion. Metal is unforgiving by comparison. Bare aluminium and steel become hot in direct sun and cold in spring and autumn, so cushions or slings are effectively essential on metal seating.<\/p>\n
For long afternoons and evening lounging, woven seating with deep cushions is the more comfortable option, which is why so many garden armchairs UK<\/a> shoppers choose use a woven frame with generous seat pads. For dining, where you sit upright for an hour or two, metal chairs with slim pads are perfectly comfortable and considerably easier to move.<\/p>\n Aluminium is light, which is both an advantage and a drawback. Easy to rearrange, easy to bring under cover, but light chairs blow over in an exposed garden. Steel and cast aluminium are heavy enough to stay put in most conditions.<\/p>\n Woven furniture sits somewhere in between: bulkier but not necessarily heavier, and its larger surface area catches more wind. A woven sofa is unlikely to move, but lightweight woven chairs on an aluminium frame can shift in a gale.<\/p>\n If you live somewhere genuinely exposed, weight matters more than material. Choose heavier pieces, and store or secure anything light through the winter.<\/p>\n Metal is the easier of the two. A wipe with warm soapy water removes almost everything, surfaces are smooth, and there is nowhere for debris to lodge. Annual tasks are minimal: check for chips in the coating, treat any rust spots on steel promptly, and check that bolts remain tight.<\/p>\n Woven furniture collects dust, pollen and leaf debris between the strands, and shaded weave attracts a green film over winter. Cleaning means a soft brush, warm soapy water and a little patience working along the rows. Avoid pressure washers, which force water into the frame and can split strands. Once a season, applying a UV protective spray slows fading.<\/p>\n Both benefit hugely from covers. A breathable cover keeps debris off and reduces cleaning enormously, and lifting furniture clear of standing water on small feet prevents the base of legs corroding or discolouring.<\/p>\n Woven furniture is visually softer and physically bulkier. It suits larger patios, garden rooms and spaces where the seating is meant to look inviting and settled. It also carries a warm natural tone that sits comfortably against planting and timber decking.<\/p>\n Metal reads slimmer and more architectural. In a small courtyard, a balcony or a narrow side terrace, slim metal profiles make the space feel less crowded, and stackable or folding metal chairs solve storage problems that woven chairs cannot. Metal also offers colour: black, charcoal, olive, cream and clay powder coating all give a crisper look than woven texture.<\/p>\n Where you want both, keep the palette tight so the two materials read as a scheme. A charcoal metal dining set with a woven sofa in a neutral grey brown works well; three different tones will not. Our modern garden coffee tables UK<\/a> range includes both metal and woven bases, which makes bridging the two easier, and combined arrangements are common across our garden bar sets UK sale<\/a> options for smaller terraces.<\/p>\n A well made powder coated aluminium set will comfortably last a decade or more with minimal attention, and cast aluminium longer still. Quality synthetic wicker on an aluminium frame achieves a similar span, but the weave is the limiting component: once strands become brittle the piece is difficult to restore.<\/p>\n Poor quality versions of both fail quickly. With woven furniture, the giveaways are thin flat strands, uneven weave tension, visible plastic sheen and a steel frame described only as metal. With metal furniture, look for a thick, even powder coat, welded rather than crimped joints, and stainless steel fixings.<\/p>\n Judged over a decade rather than a season, the frame material and the coating quality matter far more than the surface you can see. It is worth comparing construction details rather than headline appearance, which is easy to do across our garden furniture UK sale<\/a> listings where frame and weave specifications are set out on each product page.<\/p>\n Choose synthetic wicker if you want relaxed lounge seating, the furniture will be used for long periods, comfort without cushions matters, and you have somewhere to store cushions and space for bulkier pieces.<\/p>\n Choose metal if you are furnishing a dining area, working with a small courtyard or balcony, live in a wet or coastal location, want to stack or fold chairs away, or prefer minimal cleaning.<\/p>\nWeight, Stability and Wind<\/h3>\n
Cleaning and Maintenance<\/h3>\n
Space and Style<\/h3>\n
Longevity and Value<\/h3>\n
Which to Choose for Your Garden<\/h3>\n