Cheap Outdoor Benches
Buy the best cheap outdoor benches selected and recommended by interior designers. By Tara Gosselin.
These inexpensive outdoor bench ideas are a great way to get a lot of seating without breaking your budget. Sit a spell and take a nice, long look at all the fun and creative thoughts organized below to add seating to you outdoor venue. There's sure to be an idea or two that will work for your next big event.
Cheap Outdoor Benches
Buying Guide
Tara Gosselin
Interior Design Expert
Tara is a San Antonio-based award-winning landscape architect, writer and educator, passionate about eco-friendly solutions and growing her own food. She knows all it takes to help you create a sustainable backyard retreat that combines blissful charm with a modern take on landscaping.
When you're shopping for benches, it's essential to consider the bench's material. Each medium has its pros and cons. To choose the best fit for your garden, determine the climate and the usage of your bench.
Wood
This material is always an excellent choice for outdoor spaces. You can't go wrong with wooden outdoor benches, which is why wood is often used for park benches and other public outdoor seating areas.
Look for wood that is center-cut hardwood. Check the grain, as well, as it should be consistent. The material of the screws holding the bench together is also essential; stainless steel or zinc-plated screws work very well in outdoor climes, and if your seat gets loose with age, you can tighten the screws to make it sturdy again.
Some of the best types of wood to build an outdoor bench are cedar, pine, or teak.
- Pine and cedar age into a silvery finish unless they're treated, and benches constructed of pine or cedar lasts for generations. Cedar is more expensive than pine.
- Teak is a tropical tree used to make boats. It is excellent in withstanding the wear and tear of the outdoors and can last up to 50 years if properly taken care of, which is why it tends to be on the pricey side. To maintain its lovely reddish hue, apply oil once or twice a year.
"The real enemy of wood in the outdoors is not sun or rain, but frost and ice. That is easily remedied by placing your hardwood bench in a shady, protected spot and using the protective cover in the winter."
Metal
This material is another excellent choice in terms of durability and price. Metal benches do not need as much care but also aren't quite as comfortable as wooden or wicker benches.
There are a few types of metal that work better in the outdoors than others. Cast aluminum, extruded aluminum, and ornate iron are three superb choices for outdoor metal benches.
- Cast aluminum is heavy and durable, more so than extruded aluminum, and can convey intricate design patterns.
- Extruded aluminum is not as durable as cast aluminum, but it is lighter, so it's easier to move around if you haven't decided on a spot yet.
- Ornate iron was all the rage in the Victorian Age, and its curlicues and elaborate designs are reminiscent of this style period.
Metal outdoor benches are a great choice because they will last 50 years or more and won't wear visibly as wooden benches will.
Other materials
There are also outdoor benches made of wicker, resin, or plastic. Wicker benches, whether all-natural or treated to make them weather-resistant, are made of rattan vines, bamboo, or cane. These should only be used in a covered area outdoors as they can degrade quickly.
Plastic or resin benches are a great affordable choice as they are lightweight, easy to care for, and the newer models offer some fantastic style choices.
Some materials lend themselves naturally to certain styles. Japanese benches are usually simple, with a wide seat, and without a back. These benches work best when they're made of wood or reclaimed wood.
Baroque benches are incredibly romantic and would fit perfectly underneath a weeping willow next to a meandering stream. The whorls and viney designs on these benches are best displayed in metal, although wood or wood-like plastic could make a credible substitute.
A contemporary bench would work in almost any material as this style can refer to the clean lines and simplicity of modern design or the slightly more ornate mid-century modern.
When talking about style, you should also consider whether you need a straight or curved bench. This will be affected by where you need to placeyour garden bench.
- Weather-resistant cushions are a fabulous way to jazz up your outdoor bench. You can swap them with the changing seasons.
- Clean outdoor cushions with warm water, soap, and a sponge or, if there are tougher stains, use a stiff-bristled brush.
- Locate your bench amid a copse of trees or flowering bushes to create a private paradise.
"When siting garden benches it is best to consider laying a hard surface or gravel standing beneath the seat. This means that regular use will not wear away the lawn and, secondly, that mowing is much easier and the garden bench will not need to be moved with each mowing."