Rattan Recliner Chairs
Buy the best rattan recliner chairs selected and recommended by interior designers. By Caroline Patterson.
Perfect if you want a beachy coastal vibe but don’t live near the sea, a rattan recliner chair will let you sit back and relax. It’s all the perks of a holiday feeling without any of the stress. Recliners can be adjustable or manual, tall or wide, and we’ve narrowed down a few of the best rattan recliners for sale so you can find your textbook match.
Rattan Recliner Chairs
Buying Guide
Caroline Patterson
Interior Design Expert
Caroline is a young, New York-based interior designer and home decor writer, obsessed with textiles and designer furniture. Backed with rigorous training from a prestigious design school, as well as a profound understanding of material quality and fabric care, she offers spot-on advice on how to furnish your place with reliable, functional, and aesthetically pleasing pieces.
Rattan is a species of fibrous plant, the materials of which are often used in creating wicker – which is a type of weave used to make baskets and furnishings. The Merriam Webster dictionary defines rattan as a cane or switch, or as a climbing palm that has long, tough stems. Different parts of the rattan plant or plants are used in a variety of applications. The bigger, tougher parts are used to create framework while the slender, pliable parts are separated into fibers that can be woven.
By definition, a rattan recliner would be a reclining chair made using parts of the rattan plant. However, that could be something of a misnomer. Rattan is also sometimes known as manila, deriving its name from the city, or malacca, another city where it is supplied. Although there are more than 600 species of rattan, the one used in weaving is known as rattan genera – and it has several subspecies as well. Rattan can be found in Southeast Asia and Africa.
Recently, there have been some questions about the sustainability of rattan, as cutting the plant too soon cripples its ability to reproduce. For this reason, synthetic fibers that mimic the appearance and behavior of rattan are increasingly used in making furniture and similar items. Therefore a “rattan” recliner might be made of synthetic materials.
Rattan is sometimes confused with the word wicker. The difficulty is understandable because rattan is often used to make wicker. Wicker is a style of weaving that requires a flexible fiber that can be worked over a sturdy frame. Wicker has been historically made from materials other than rattan, including willow, flexible reeds, and other fibers. Rattan is stronger and more flexible than these materials. It was popular in Victorian England because it was believed to be more sanitary than upholstered materials. It’s useful as garden furniture because it is weather resistant, allows rain to flow through it, and therefore dries quickly. The woven fibers give slightly when weight is applied, making it more comfortable than lawn furniture made from wood or metal.
Wicker includes a simple in and out weave, but can also encompass fanciful patterns, such as those from the Celtic tradition. For example, a peacock fan chair made from rattan is a beautiful furnishing. Recliners made from rattan are comfortable, have excellent appearance, and are easy to care for and clean.
Rattan recliners can be part of your indoor or outdoor living space. Whether the rattan is made from the traditional climbing palm or whether it is a synthetic that imitates its appearance, chairs made from rattan are both beautiful and functional. Add a colorful cushion, a throw pillow or two and a coordinating afghan, and you have a cozy place to rest, read, watch television or to just relax and dream. These recliners combine old world style with new world comfort and convenience and can be the high note for your patio or even for your living room.