People all over the world enjoy spending time outside, and many people choose to purchase patio furniture so that they can enjoy it even more. The challenge is in finding the perfect patio furniture for your specific needs.
One thing that you may be struggling with is which patio furniture is best for your climate. If you’re living in a desert climate, then this could definitely raise some interesting concerns about which type of furniture is best.
So today we’re going to be discussing what type of patio furniture is best suited for use in desert climates. Because everyone deserves to have a set of patio furniture that’s perfect for them, their needs, and their climate.
How To Choose The Perfect Patio Furniture For The Desert
Before you can even begin to understand how to choose the right outdoor furniture for this type of climate, you need to understand what its challenges of it are. Because at first glance, you might be thinking since there’s not much rain in the desert that your patio furniture will be safe no matter what.
This isn’t true, and living in the desert presents totally new problems for patio furniture.
- You need to remember that things like sun, changing temperatures, dust, wind, and even rain can affect patio furniture in the desert.
- And to avoid these issues you might need to pick materials like wicker or teak.
How Can Desert Climates Harm Patio Furniture?
There are a few different aspects of desert climates that can result in damaged outdoor furniture, and here they are…
- The Sun – The harsh sun present in desert climates is probably the biggest issue that your patio furniture will face. The UV rays can not only cause colors to fade, but if you choose certain types of furniture then it could cause the materials to become brittle and break.
- The Temperatures – The intense temperature fluctuations that desert climates have can cause your outdoor furnishings to and crack. The heat makes certain materials, like wood, swell. And then the cold temperatures at night might make the same material contract.
- Dust – It’s no secret that deserts are dusty. But what you might not realize is that the dust present there can actually collect heavily on certain types of patio furniture and be difficult to clean off.
- Wind – Desert climates can also be very windy at times and there aren’t very many trees around to act as windbreakers. So some patio furniture could be blown away.
- Water – This one seems unlikely, but even desert climates can have rain. And some desert climates even have monsoon seasons!
What Type Of Furniture Performs Well In Desert Climates?
Now to the part you came for, let’s talk about some types of patio furniture that could handle the harsh world of the desert. But keep in mind that there will be pros and cons to all of these options. So you’ll need to weigh your options based on your personal preferences.
Injection Molded Plastic Patio Furniture – Plastic patio furniture is good for use in the desert because it’s resistant to rusting, isn’t damaged easily by water, and is easy to clean off when you’re ready to use it. Additionally, plastic furniture is always on the cheaper side. So if you’re on a budget then this is a great option.
But you do have to be prepared that it won’t last very long. Plastic furniture is easy to break, and at most will last a few years. Plus since it’s so lightweight, it’s more likely to blow away than other types of outdoor furniture.
Aluminum – The quality of aluminum patio furniture will vary quite a bit depending on how much money you’re willing to spend on it. Higher prices will equal higher quality, whereas lower priced pieces will probably break within a few years. But this means that there are many budget friendly options!
Aluminum furniture is easy to maintain and clean, as well as even easier to rearrange because of its light weight. But this also means that it blows around easily. And another downside is that aluminum heats up fast, so it could be uncomfortable if temperatures get too high.
Wicker – Wicker is a popular option for desert-friendly patio furniture. One of the reasons is that it doesn’t heat up easily which means that you don’t have to worry about burning yourself when you sit down. And despite looking quite nice, wicker is often inexpensive.
But it isn’t the most durable type of furniture. And especially if you get a natural fiber wicker, it could easily come apart in the sun. At any rate, wicker furniture will probably require quite a bit of maintenance. It is also lightweight, so obviously it’s prone to blowing away.
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Teak – If you have a bigger budget, then the best type of patio furniture is definitely the kind made out of teak wood. Firstly, hardwood doesn’t absorb heat. So you’ll be perfectly comfortable in this furniture during even the hottest days. And teak is somewhat water resistant as well.
And as a bonus, teak furniture is obviously quite heavy. So you don’t have to worry about it blowing away.
The one downside is that over time the wood will turn from a honey brown to a silver color, unless you regularly treat the wood. Which can result in quite a bit of maintenance. But some people still like the gray color, so it’s all about preference.
Conclusion
So to wrap it all up… there are plenty of options for desert-friendly patio furniture. But you have to ask yourself exactly what it is that you want from your outdoor furniture, so that you choose the right one.
Many people’s top pick would probably be teak, but only if you have enough of a budget for it. If not, you could choose a cheaper option. Or temporarily use cheaper items until you can afford your set of choice!
