If you are in the market to buy some new teak patio furniture, we have a couple of must-know tips to follow as you shop around.
If you are just starting your shopping process or are right in the middle weighing different options, there are some key things to know for picking the right teak outdoor furniture.
So, keep reading below to find out!
When you are done reading below, come back and check out:
👉 See how Teak compares to Acacia wood furniture (spoiler: Teak wins!)
👉 Find out how Teak compares to other great furniture frame materials of HDPE and Aluminum (no spoiler here!)
#1: Not All Teak is the Same! Get Grade-A Teak
One thing people love about teak patio furniture is that it is extremely weather resistant, and it can last decades in your backyard. That’s right, decades! Read all about the pros and cons of teak patio furniture in our full review of this excellent outdoor furniture material.
Teak is such a great material for patio furniture because it is water, heat, rot, and decay resistant and is very durable. In a lot of backyards, you can leave a teak patio set out nearly all year long.
However, not all teak is the same. And as a result, not all teak patio furniture has the same high weather resistance and durability.
There are three grades of teak: A, B, and C. Grade A teak is the highest quality and has the greatest weather resistance and durability.
The problem is not all patio furniture brands and retailers state if their teak patio furniture is Grade A teak or not, but they may price it like it is Grade A (even if it isn’t).
Our Recommendation: Look in the description details of the furniture to see if the patio set is made with Grade A teak to make sure you are getting the highest quality teak. If the quality of the teak wood isn’t clear, reach out to customer service for more clarification, either using a retailer’s online chat feature or calling a product specialist.
Also, stick to reputable and trusted brands because these companies use some of the best materials. Below are some of our favorite brands with teak patio furniture:
🚨 Buyer Beware! As we have reviewed patio furniture across many retailers, we found one retailer (not one that we recommend or link to across our website) marketing a furniture set as being made with teak wood. When we asked their product specialist about the quality of the teak, they notified us that the supplier noted that the wood is actually acacia wood! We have requested the retailer to update their product information to appropriately reflect the actual product materials. However, this should serve as an example to always check the product information and buy from trusted brands.
#2: Watch out for “Teak-Colored” Furniture
One of the most frustrating aspects of shopping for teak furniture, if you haven’t already experienced or noticed it yet, is that a lot of your search results for teak patio furniture will come back with “teak-colored” patio furniture – not actual teak furniture.
These “teak-colored” options are often made with acacia wood, which is not as highly weather resistant or durable as teak but is still a good patio furniture material.
This can be quite confusing and frustrating, especially if you get excited by finding a teak furniture set at a great price, only to quickly find out that it is not teak at all.
Or worse yet, you don’t realize that the “teak-colored” furniture isn’t teak, and you end up buying patio furniture you don’t want or expect.
So, please, make sure you check that the actual wood material is teak and not another wood.
#3: Get FSC-Certified Teak
FSC-certified teak patio furniture is considered some of the best patio furniture because it is of a high level of quality in addition to being sourced from a responsibly managed forest.
FSC-certified wood is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. This NGO organization was founded in 1993 and is a major player in the sustainable forestry industry. The FSC sets standards that ensure forests are managed responsibly, and that wood is sourced ethically.
If you can, we recommend purchasing teak patio furniture that has been FSC-certified because you will be getting a higher quality wood that is sustainably sourced.
#4: Be Prepared for Teak to Change Color
As you shop for teak patio furniture, you will find that teak outdoor furniture will be a warm, golden-brown color. Many people love this color for their backyard (and why so many other brands using different types of wood will try to imitate this with “teak-colored” wood).
A key thing to note, though, is that this beautiful brown color of teak will naturally turn to a light, silver-gray color over time if it is not treated. There is no cause for alarm with this color change – the durability and weather resistance of the wood are still intact despite the color change.
So if you want to keep the natural color of the wood, be prepared for a little annual maintenance for your furniture. We recommend reading the brand or retailer’s recommendations on how to maintain the natural brown color of the teak wood.
For example, here is what Outer says about maintenance for its teak furniture:
It’s a good idea to give teak a light cleaning at the end of the season, but no regular maintenance routine is required. If left unmaintained, teak will naturally develop an attractive silver-gray patina.
For deeper cleaning or to restore the color back to the original golden tone, you can use teak cleaner such as Star Brite’s Teak Cleaner and Losso’s Teak cleaner. Follow the directions provided by the manufacturer for best practices.
#5: Shop Around to Find Best Prices
You will find that teak furniture is some of the priciest patio furniture because it is one of the best outdoor materials that can last a long time in your backyard.
We have found that there can be a wide range of teak patio furniture prices across different brands and retailers. So, we recommend you shop around to find the teak patio furniture that fits your budget.
Additionally, if you can wait to make your purchase, we recommend buying patio furniture during a holiday sales event. Typically, you will find some of the best patio furniture deals on Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day.
Here are some brands that offer teak patio furniture that we recommend to our readers:
Additionally, you can find some great teak patio furniture on amazon; check out some of our favorite wooden patio furniture from Amazon, which includes some teak furniture options.
#6: Consider Eucalyptus or Acacia to Better Fit Your Budget
As you shop around for teak patio furniture, you may find that you aren’t able to get the furniture you want at your budget. If this is the case, and you still want wooden patio furniture, we recommend that you consider patio furniture made from eucalyptus (see pros and cons of eucalyptus) or acacia (see pros and cons of acacia).
These are great materials for wooden patio furniture and offer great durability and weather resistance but at prices that are typically lower than a comparable teak patio furniture set.
Below are some examples of eucalyptus and acacia patio furniture that we recommend.
