The Best Outdoor Chairs for Warm-Weather Shenanigans
March 22, 2023If there’s one thing we learned from A History of the Metal Lawn Chair: What We Know Now, other than how to flirt, it’s that we deserve nothing short of the best outdoor chairs. (After all, lord knows chairs have been around long enough to be perfected.) Next to logs, thrones, and Pedro Pascal’s face, they should feel like the perfect place to rest our peach, and they should be both aesthetic and affordable.
The best outdoor chairs should help you recline, relax, and unwind like a boss, whether you’re turning your patio into a lumbersexual paradise, or seeking the perfect pair of stackable bistro chairs that will make everyone think you speak several languages. We’ve found outdoor sets for every budget, from the Ina Garten-worthy West Elm swivelers to contemporary takes on the iconic Adirondack chair and more pieces that will become your throne as you hold court this summer.
The best stackable outdoor chairs
There comes a time in every BBQ when you have to clear the patio and make way for a heated breakdancing competition. You’ll thank your stars if you've invested in some durable metal jawns from West Elm, Amazon, or Wayfair, which all offer versatile, space-saving sets in a variety of colorways.
The best outdoor rocking chairs
What is it about rocking chairs that makes us feel so wise and interesting? There’s nothing like roosting in a wooden rocker for the afternoon, nursing a mint julep, and looking mysterious. The Suncrown set is a best-seller on Amazon, where it has a 4.7-star average rating and over 2,500 reviews praising how much bang you get for your buck (it comes with a side table), while the Efurden rocking chair looks like the kind of antique you’d find from a chef’s kiss estate sale.
The outdoor best chairs for your Topanga Canyon cosplay
Mentally, you’re on a redwood porch in Topanga Canyon, feeding your chickens before the marine layer rolls in and wondering if you left your copy of The Four Agreements in one of your chairs—or perhaps it was in the one crafted from acacia? Leave it to Anthropologie and Best Choice Products (love an enigmatic brand name) to give you cozy, more delicate rattan designs worthy of 1977, while the foldable Tamarack chair offers a more geometric design.
The best outdoor chairs for transporting you to Paris
You know who are hard chillers? The French. No one knows how to massage and bon voyage quite like ‘em, as evidenced by the hours they can spend lounging in the sage-colored outdoor chairs of their public parks. As durable as they are comfortable, the “senate” chairs first appeared in Paris’ Luxembourg Gardens in the 1920s, and have since become a visual shorthand for the City of Light. The official chaise supplier is Fermob, whose bistro sets and iconic recliners are finally available in America—and will last you a lifetime.
You can get the same laid-back European summer vacation vibe with dupes from brands such as Hay, or go for a Maison Gatti woven bistro chair replica from sites including Wayfair, Anthropologie, and Amazon. If you’re feeling spendy, and want to go the antique route, Chairish has a set of six that’s currently 60% off.
The most nostalgic outdoor chair
“These chairs bring me back 50 years to summer vacations at my grandmother’s” writes one reviewer about this classic Crosley chair, which has a 4.7-star average rating on Amazon and 1,000 stars in our hearts for blending Route 66 nostalgia with the energy of a dreamy, divey gas station in a David Lynch movie.
The best wood recliner
The kind of chair that will ruin all other chairs for you, because it’s ample enough to cradle you during afternoon nap time, while still being very aesthetic. Plus, it looks like it was built by the kind of person who shops at Bespoke Post and (actually) uses their Swiss Army knife. Crafted from solid teak, this is the kind of lounger that could easily go for three times its price, and will look great as a foundational piece for your patio’s whole vibe.
The perfect Japandi chair
Trying to achieve that minimalist Japandi vibe? The Legette patio chair from Birch Lane has a 4.7-star average rating on Wayfair, and the kind of silhouette that makes it look like it was carved by JB Blunk on a rainy day in 1966. There’s just something about the combination of natural eucalyptus wood and wicker that makes our heart go pitter-patter—especially when the wicker is made out of premium, UV-resistant fibers.
Someone get this chair its own A24 movie already
We can already see papa Olaf reclining in this chair before the harvest feast. It’s a minimalist take on the classic Adirondack chair, only in lieu of an arched top, it boasts a spartan, straight line that says, “I mean business. Also, where is my snus?” It’s crafted out of moisture-resistant mahogany and solid eucalyptus wood, and given a wire-brushed surface finish to add to the rustic aesthetic.
The best swiveling outdoor chair
There is no greater power move than swiveling—or rather, being swiveled—while you hold court at your garden party. This Scandinavian-inspired chair is made with FSC-certified wood and water-resistant cushions, and is about 60% off the original price.
Here’s to a summer of hard chilling.
The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story. Want more reviews, recommendations, and red-hot deals? Sign up for our newsletter.