Comfortable and resistant outdoor sofa: Best choices

To make the most of your garden or terrace as it should be, we have invented nothing better than the sofa! The outdoor furniture market has understood this well, and no longer hesitates to put this piece of furniture in the spotlight, in a wide variety of styles and combinations of materials. The objective? That you can admire its aesthetics and enjoy its comfort in perfect harmony with your tastes and your existing decor.

And if you have any doubts about the resistance of an outdoor sofa to bad weather, know that the available models have elaborate designs that have been thought out to go a long way with you, without losing their beauty.

So, how to combine comfort and resistance for your future outdoor sofa? Here are our top picks.

Ipé wood, teak and synthetic rattan: safe bets for an outdoor sofa

When we think outdoors, we think of wooden garden furniture, aluminum… but others options have proven themselves with undeniable qualities!

Outdoor furniture and ipe wood

Thus, Ipé wood has exceptional resistance to insects, mold and rot. It is also able to withstand temperature variations, the sun’s UV rays, heavy rains and salty environments without warping, cracking or fading. With such characteristics, it is not surprising that it stands out for its longevity! When properly maintained, it can last for decades without requiring replacement.

The question then is: are you ready to live with the same sofa for so long? The answer will undoubtedly be yes! Naturally attractive and warm, Ipe wood has a range of shades that can range from dark brown to reddish brown with grain variations that add interesting texture. Over time it can take on a natural silver patina, but it can also be preserved with oil treatments to maintain its original color.

With its wide variety of colors, Ipé wood offers you the guarantee of a versatile style that will stand out with refinement on your paving. The honey brown of this set is for example beautiful on a light gray stone.

Speaking of upkeep, apart from this oil treatment, you will only need mild soap and water to make it look good again! On the other hand, the price of an outdoor sofa made of Ipé wood is on average higher than for other materials. But with all its qualities, it is definitely an investment that is worth it!

And what about outdoor teak sofas?

Can teak compete with this high-end competitor? Absolutely! Also recognized for its resistance, durability and low maintenance – a special teak oil is enough to restore its original shine – it is above all its look that makes it so popular. Its naturally beautiful appearance with a color oscillating between golden brown and dark brown tends to deepen and gain character over time. Its success is explained by this warm, luxurious and affordable combination that allows you to dress your exteriors with an assumed style at a lower cost.

This sofa, daybed style, illustrates the chic of teak. An accessible material that has a much appreciated dose of charm through its textured and nuanced appearance and its robust yet light finish, which have nothing to envy to wood.

What about synthetic rattan?

Forget the “dated” and outdated side that is often associated with synthetic rattan furniture, and discover instead a trendy material, offering great design flexibility and ecological, since it avoids the use of natural rattan from tropical forests.

If we tell you about it, it is because it also has the same qualities as its competitors. But what is its added value? The variety of styles and patterns allowed by its different weavings. You can find synthetic rattan outdoor sofas in different designs, from curved shapes to straighter lines. A definite asset when the time comes to choose the one that best suits your taste and your space.

The synthetic rattan imposes itself by its charisma and its character which find body in its braiding. In this set, the essentially vertical and rectilinear pattern offers a subtle and relevant contrast with the freer texture of the base wooden.

The braiding of the synthetic rattan is more marked here with its wide lines, enough to enhance plain and light cushions with taste.

Open, vintage or combination: what is the winning style of your garden sofa?

The materials we just mentioned have a natural beauty that you can enjoy in a raw way. But did you know that you can also benefit from more elaborate and original designs, which will give you a remarkable, versatile outdoor layout that is always focused on sustainability?

In such a context, aluminum holds its own particularly well, since it gives you access to two very popular trends: the open style and the two-material structure.

As its name suggests, the open style relies on a light and refined rendering, with modern and minimalist lines. The “block” effect disappears in favor of an airy look, which offers more contemporary comfort than classic.

We love the feeling of furniture that “breathes” with an open design that promotes elegance. The sofa is enhanced here by a wooden base modernized by a simple but not simplistic aluminum structure.

Discover this amazing exterior furniture made of aluminum with unusual colors combined with an equally surprising material, namely resin. This arrangement of two materials takes on its full potential in the layout of a garden furniture close to a body of water, putting forward a light, barely contrasting look.

The combination of light aluminum and dark resin offers a renewed aesthetic for your layout, without weighing it down. The sofa presented here could very well officiate in a living room, but finds its place perfectly outdoors, thanks to a fine structure, but solid, light, but resistant, original, but durable.

The aluminum never ceases to amaze us, arranged with rope patterns, which will certainly give a very appropriate marine style to the water’s edge, but above all a fresh and reinvented touch, which you can also enjoy near your pool.

Character and allure come together in this set of very mineral inspiration, from which emerges a serenity, a raw naturalness reminiscent of the Scandinavian style in vogue, but in a more assumed variation.

Outdoor sofas: Choice of finishes

This review of the best choices for outdoor sofas wouldn’t be complete without the finishes that give the material that extra dose of exclusivity.

Among the most beautiful, we find the wood finish of the aluminum of course. Lightness, texture and price come together in stable, robust, classic and always elegant bases. But the one that caught our attention the most is the vintage finish brought by the distressed teak. This is a teak treatment technique that aims to create a naturally aged look, as if it has been exposed to the elements and time. Each piece of furniture is thus hand painted to obtain artificial signs of wear and age, and therefore a more rustic patina.

Advice for choosing your outdoor sofas

Choosing an outdoor sofa can be both simple and complicated! Whether you have a certain taste for furnishing your exterior or you are still looking for what suits you best, come and take advantage of the advice of the experts at JML inc. They will know how to combine comfort and resistance, and how to open up new perspectives for you!

Sources :
Bois Ipé Canada. Ipé – Pourquoi ce bois ? [Ipé – Why this wood?]. 2023.
La Galerie du teck. Pourquoi choisir une table de jardin en teck ? [Why choose a teak garden table?]. 2023.
BFMTV. Les 5 meilleurs canapés de jardin 2023. [The 5 best garden sofas 2023]. 2023.