Metal vs Plastic Outdoor Furniture

Both metal and plastic outdoor furniture can be excellent additions to you patio or garden. Metal outdoor furniture is made of durable materials, such as aluminum, wrought iron or stainless steel. Plastic outdoor furniture is made of cheaper and lightweight materials, such as hard plastic. Below are the pros and cons of using metal and plastic outdoor furniture.

Advantages of Metal Outdoor Furniture

• Outdoor metal furniture is rust-resistant, making it ideal for outdoor use.
• Outdoor metal furniture can withstand the ever changing weather patterns for longer periods of time.
• It will take ten to fifteen years of normal use before you need to replace your metal outdoor furniture, compared to plastic outdoor furniture, which can only last up to two years.
• You can easily repaint your metal outdoor furniture if it looks unsightly and weathered.
• Metal outdoor furniture looks more elegant than plastic outdoor furniture.
• Wrought iron outdoor furniture can withstand strong gusts of wind compared to plastic outdoor furniture.

Disadvantages of Metal Outdoor Furniture

• Metal outdoor furniture like the ones made of wrought iron are heavier compared to plastic outdoor furniture. Thus, moving metal outdoor furniture requires more effort.
• Metal outdoor furniture is prone to injure a child due to its sharp edges.
• The paint chips that falls off overtime on metal outdoor furniture is dangerous to young toddlers in the event of accidental swallowing.
• As the rust-resistant coating in your metal outdoor furniture wears off, rusts will begin to set in. Wounding yourself with a rusty edge of a metal outdoor furniture can result in serious medical problems, such as tetanus.

Advantages of Plastic Outdoor Furniture

• Plastic outdoor furniture is cheaper than metal outdoor furniture, making it an ideal choice to those with a limited budget.
• Plastic is a lightweight material, making plastic outdoor furniture easier to move than metal outdoor furniture made of wrought-iron.
• Since plastic outdoor furniture is cheap, you can easily replace the whole set rather than spending time and effort doing repairs.
• Plastic outdoor furniture is readily available for purchase at your local home improvement shop, making it easier to look for a replacement piece of furniture that is either missing or damaged.

Disadvantages of Plastic Outdoor Furniture

• Plastic outdoor furniture has a shorter lifespan compared to metal outdoor furniture.
• Plastic outdoor furniture easily breaks.
• Plastic outdoor furniture, due to its lighter weight, can easily be knocked down by a strong gust of wind.
• Plastic outdoor furniture cannot resist exposure to outside elements, such as rain, snow and scorching sun better than metal outdoor furniture.
• Plastic outdoor furniture tends to warp when exposed to strong, midday sun.