I’ve searched high and low for the best garden chairs for every budget and style – these are the top 18 I recommend
From the most comfortable design to the best egg chairs, these are the garden chairs that should be on your radar
Amy Lockwood
Over the past few months, I’ve sat on and looked at countless garden chairs so that you don’t have to. Instead, you can use my top recommendations of the best garden chairs I’ve seen and tried as a guide to when shopping for the one (or ones) for your outdoor space.
I’ve been speaking to experts a lot about what the best outdoor furniture styles are and the biggest garden furniture trends that are taking over this year. And while in previous years, people favoured matching garden sets, 2026 is all about mixing and matching – and adding a new garden chair to your existing set up is one of the easiest ways to update it.
Whatever your budget, the aesthetic you like and the style of chair(s) you’re after - traditional adirondack, rattan or dining ones - there’s something for everyone in this round-up of the best of the best garden chairs I’ve seen and tried.
Where to buy garden chairs
- Amazon: affordable garden chairs with quick delivery
- Argos: Habitat and own-brand outdoor chairs
- B&Q: practical patio seating at low price point
- Barker and Stonehouse: high end-looking designs
- Dunelm: playful, colourful styles at affordable prices
- George Home: stylish seating for limited budgets
- Holloways of Ludlow: designer chairs all in one place
- John Lewis: good quality and wide range of garden chairs
- La Redoute: classics with a stylish twist
Top 3 garden chairs
Colour options: navy, green, greige, burnt orange, fuchsia, golden olive Materials: powder coated steel, polyester
I first tried the John Lewis Marcy chair last year when it first launched and it was like sitting on a cloud. I couldn't believe how comfy it was! It's back this year in three striped colourways, as well as three new vibrant solid shades.
Colour options: iron red, sky grey, anthracite, cream white, hot galvanised, olive green Materials: steel
The HAY Palissade metal garden furniture, including this beautifully curved lounge chair, can be found in some of the most stylish gardens. It's a true aspirational piece for many, myself included.
Colour options: green Materials: steel, polyester
This £31 George Home lounge chair is the most affordable one I could find that also still looked stylish and inviting. There is a ticking-stripe version of it available for £8 more which quickly sells out year after year.
Best rattan garden chairs
Colour options: natural Materials: wicker, steel
If you still want a genuine rattan garden chair but your budget is limited, I can't recommend this Habitat design enough. It looks so chic and it even comes with a matching footstool - I can hardly believe it's only £120!
Colour options: natural Materials: rattan
Nkuku is one of my top places to go for the best rattan garden furniture, particularly if you're after genuine rattan rather than the synthetic kind. I love the rustic, handmade look of this armchair and the coordinating Nkuku rattan pieces - they're sure to add character to any outdoor space.
Colour options: natural Materials: PE wicker, aluminium, fabric
These days, most brands opt for synthetic rattan and wicker over the real thing as it's easier to take care of and it's more weather resistant. But while some synthetic rattans can look a bit cheap, Neptune creates some of the most elevated designs. Based on a rust-resistant aluminium frame, this garden armchair features the prettiest of woven wicker designs.
Best swivel garden chairs
Colour options: natural Materials: rattan, boucle fabric
After gaining popularity in interiors, swivel chairs are coming for our gardens, too, as garden swivel chairs are trending. This rattan style from Next is one of the most stylish I've seen that won't break the bank.
Colour options: natural Materials: PE wicker, iron, polyester
This cocooning swivel chair is designed to work both for indoors and outdoors and it makes for the perfect spot to snuggle up and read a book. I love the decorative pattern of the all-weather wicker and the slightly different take on both a swivel chair and an egg chair.
Colour options: 21 Materials: powder-coated steel, fabric
Swivel chairs, both indoor and outdoor ones, can be a little pricier compared to traditional armchairs. And the Aura outdoor swivel is definitely an investment piece - but one you won't regret. It looks identical to its indoor counterpart, comes with removable covers and it's both stylish and comfortable.
Best garden egg chairs
Colour options: jade mist, multicoloured Materials: powder-coated steel, rattan, polyester
I find a lot of egg chairs looking the same as the next which can be very boring. But an egg chair can be stylish and fun just like any other piece of furniture. Dunelm's Santorini garden egg chair is the perfect example of this - so vibrant, chic and also comfortable.
Colour options: natural Materials: PE rattan, steel, polyester
Habitat's Selene egg chair is another great example of an unconventional take on the look. But I'd say I prefer this version as it offers more space for whoever's using the chair - you can even lie in it sideways, I've tried - and it looks more stylish. The one downside? It takes up more space than the traditional ones.
Colour options: natural, black Materials: steel, PE wicker, polyester
The archetypal hanging egg chair, this circular design will make a real statement in the garden or on the patio. Available in a natural or black colourway, it offers plump UV-resistant cushions and a rust-resistant base. This egg chair design is one of Barker and Stonehouse's bestsellers year after year for a reason.
Best Adirondack chairs
Colour options: natural Materials: acacia wood
Designed in America back in 1903, the Adirondack chair has become something of a design classic. Perfect for lounging around the fire pit, this affordable acacia wood option from VonHaus features a distinctive fan backrest and reclined seat. The brand also offers a folding Adirondack chair if patio space is at a premium.
Colour options: grey-blue, natural, Prussian blue, eucalyptus green, honey yellow Materials: acacia wood
This Adirondack chair is a contemporary take on the classic design, with the distinctive silhouette decked out in a choice of stylish shades like this on-trend soft blue for a modern twist, as well as a natural acacia wood option.
Colour options: natural Materials: New Zealand pine wood
Why settle for just laidback lounging when you could also add some therapeutic rocking motion into the mix? This wooden Adirondack rocking chair is ideal for gently swaying back and forth on a dreamy summer's day. I defy you not to drift off to sleep when the weather is balmy...
Best garden dining chairs
Colour options: paprika, natural, black Materials: acacia wood
Last year, I got an early preview of Laura James' outdoor furniture range for this spring and summer. And these acacia wood chairs were my favourite piece from the whole range. They're comfortable, stylish and the perfect way to inject some pattern into your outdoor space.
Colour options: khaki, charcoal Materials: aluminium
Not only are these La Redoute chairs among the best budget alternatives for the HAY Palissade range, but they're also one of the best investment pieces for longevity. Aluminium is known to be one of the most durable styles of garden furniture as it's rust and weather-resistant. And that's exactly what these chairs are made of.
Colour options: putty, moss Materials: aluminium
If you're after a unique design that's not as widely spread as HAY's Palissade chairs, Tom Dixon's Groove chairs are the perfect alternative. Made from aluminium, they're also more durable than Palissade's powder-coated steel. And even though they look heavy, they're not as the interior of the tubular design is hollow and easy to manouevre.
How to choose an outdoor chair
One of the key things to consider when choosing an outdoor chair is the size of your garden or patio space.
If you have a compact patio then space-saving options like stackable outdoor dining chairs or folding garden chairs will allow you to expand the seating when you have guests over, and enable you to clear the decks for maximum outdoor floor space when they're not in use.
If you're blessed with more space to play with then a comfortable rattan garden armchair could be right up your street, or you could create a focal point by opting for a garden egg chair or grouping some Adirondack chairs around one of the best fire pits on the market
Next up, there are materials to consider. The most affordable garden furniture tends to be made of either powder-coated steel or polypropylene. However, paying a little more could get you more durable garden furniture that works out better value in the long run. We've broken down the main types of materials to consider below.
1. Powder-coated steel
Affordable metal garden chairs tend to be made from powder-coated steel. Steel is highly corrosive when it comes into contact with water, so it's protected from the outdoor elements by way of powder-coating the surface with a protective paint barrier. This means steel-based outdoor furniture can be prone to having weak points at joints and fixings where moisture can penetrate and gradually form rust, and any chips in the paint surface will need repairing promptly to maintain durability. For this reason, it's generally recommended that steel-based garden furniture is stored under cover during inclement weather.
2. Aluminium
Aluminium-framed garden chairs are by far the more durable option, as the metal itself forms a barrier that prevents moisture from penetrating the surface. It may still be powder-coated, but this is purely for aesthetic reasons rather than protection. For this reason, aluminium garden furniture can be left outside all year round making it a super low-maintenance option. However, this does mean aluminium-based outdoor furniture tends to be by far the more expensive option. The added durability can make it the most cost-effective and better value investment long term though.
3. Rattan
Rattan garden chairs offer a timeless look that blends with most garden styles. These days most modern 'rattan' garden furniture is made of PE-rattan or polyrattan, a polyurethane plastic that offers the benefits of being lightweight, waterproof, weather-resistant, and low maintenance. Make sure to also check what metal the chair's frame is made from. As explained above, the best rattan garden furniture will have an aluminium frame. Rattan furniture with a powder-coated steel frame is likely to weather much faster than aluminium-framed rattan garden furniture and will therefore need storing under cover to prolong its lifespan. Aluminium-framed rattan furniture will prove more of an initial investment but can be left outside without risk of rusting and is more durable longterm.
4. Plastic
Polypropylene or plastic garden chairs have the benefit of being relatively low-cost, lightweight, and low maintenance, although they will generally need storing under cover to protect from hard frosts, and may fade under prolonged exposure to the sun. Plastic chairs tend to come in a range of bright and cheerful colours and favour contemporary designs.
How I compiled this guide
In order to put this guide to the best garden chairs together, I've visited press previews presenting garden furniture, as well as outdoor furniture stores and showrooms. And whenever I'm out and about and see a new style of garden chairs, I make sure I try it out. In some instances, I've relied on the experience of some of the other Ideal Home team members and what they had to say. As some brands don't have physical presence on the high street, I sometimes also have to go by customer reviews and the companies' websites.
You'll find full details of the Ideal Home review process on our How We Test page.
