We all want to make our gardens more attractive. But instead of decorating with more flowers and plants, perhaps it's time to think about some furniture. The right furniture will not only create a beautiful look for your garden, it will also be a resting place for you and your guests during a visit to your colorful garden. Of course, when it comes to choosing the right material for your garden furniture, there are a wide range of options on the market depending on your style and taste. However, no other choice seems to be more popular than rattan furniture. This is because rattan has always been used as the most popular material for decoration and design, and furniture made from it has an unparalleled elegance and unique style. Even after decades, you will never get bored with this type of furniture. If you're interested in learning more about it, we'll cover the basics of rattan garden furniture in three areas to help you make a sensible choice when faced with the many types of such furniture available.

Materials
If you are not familiar with this type of furniture, you are highly likely to think that furniture marked with rattan is made of natural products. In fact, you would be right. But with the weather and other uncertainties, this is not the case. While natural rattan style furniture is still being manufactured today would be mainly for indoor use, the garden furniture that is rapidly emerging and replacing most of the garden furniture is made of synthetic rattan. On the market, synthetic rattan can be carefully differentiated into the following three main materials.

1. Natural rattan. Natural rattan is a kind of rattan plant. It comes from tropical climbing palm with thick and thin stems, which are woven together to form rattan material. After cleaning and bleaching to ensure that there are no defects, the natural rattan is processed into a size suitable for making furniture. However, in the humid and cold weather familiar to Britain, real vines will rot and fall off if left outdoors for a long time. If you live in a country with warm climate and little rain, natural rattanis very durable.

2. PVC rattan. PVC rattan is a very popular choice for furniture woven with rattan as it is a lightweight, durable and inexpensive material to produce, making rattan furniture sets cheaper. However, PVC rattan cracks and becomes brittle when exposed to moisture and cold. As a result, garden furniture made from it is not completely weatherproof and will usually only last a few years if left outside all year round.

3. PU rattan. PU rattan is made from polyurethane, a polymer commonly used in the manufacture of high resilience foam seats, rollercoaster wheels and surface sealants. PU has good elastic strength and offers good resistance to cracking. PU is another popular choice for rattan and is also a cheap option on the market. It also has good UV and mildew resistance, but rattan made from PU is not recyclable and is not as durable.

4. PE rattan. PE, also known as high density polyethylene, is a polyethylene thermoplastic made from petroleum. PE rattan has excellent resilience and durability. They have excellent resistance to mold, sunlight, harsh weather conditions and extreme temperatures. This ensures that it can withstand all the effects of the British climate and helps your garden furniture to look as good as new year after year. Generally speaking, rattan made from PE is a little more expensive, which also means that the quality of rattan outdoor furniture made of PE will be better.

Frames
Different rattan garden furniture will also differ in the raw materials used for the frame. Both wood and metal are used to make chair frames, especially for outdoor furniture frames. Traditional frames for rattan furniture are made of wood, but modern versions mainly use metals such as steel.

1. Wood frames. Wood is the classic framing material for outdoor furniture and can last a lifetime if it is properly maintained. However, the problem that should not be overlooked is that wood will rot if exposed to the ground for long periods of time, so it is best not to leave wooden framed furniture on the lawn for long periods of time and trap too much moisture. Also be sure to always use furniture covers to keep your furniture as clean as possible.

2. Metal frames. Quality metal frames are popular in rattan furniture. Usually, metal frames are available in steel or aluminum. Aluminum frames will be lighter than steel frames and will not rust. However, metal frames are generally supplied with a powder coating and a steel frame combined with a powder coating will also last for a long time and be well protected. If your garden is located in a windy area, then a heavier steel frame would be the ideal choice.

Weave forms
This type of furniture has a variety of weaving styles to choose from, and different weaving styles have certain influence on the weight, durability, comfort and price of the furniture.

1. Flat weave. Flat weave is the most common style of weave on the market and is very popular for both garden and commercial use. Flat weave rattan effect garden furniture is usually more economical and affordable than other furniture made of rattan, and is also the lightest to move around. Also flat weave is very durable and requires little maintenance.

2. Half round weave and rod weave. Half round or rod weave looks more authentic, it is very comfortable and looks luxurious and therefore be more expensive. It is also heavier, but also very durable and requires little maintenance.

These are three basic areas about this type of furniture and we hope that this information will help you to make an informed decision when choosing it.