Choosing Your Adirondack Chair: Wood, Plastic, Metal?
An Adirondack chair is a summer classic.� Some (including me) consider it the epitome of a summer outdoor chair.� If you’re considering getting of these classics for yourself, here on some tips on choosing the best Adirondack chair for you.
First let’s define an Adirondack chair.� A working definition is: a casual chair designed for outdoor use with a sloping seat and back and, most importantly, wide arms.
These chairs are made of many materials now a days,� so the first decision to make is what material you want for yours.
Wood is the classic and generally the best choice for most people. Wood has great esthetic appeal.� It feels substantial.� Its stays cool even if placed in direct sun.� On the downside wood requires maintenance.� Some species of wood require less than others, but all need some care.
Plastic Adirondack chairs have become quite common and they do have some things going for them.� They’re cheap and widely available.� They have the advantage of being stackable so they take up less space in storage.� Their light weight makes them easier to move if this is a factor.� The only maintenance they require is occasional cleaning.�
Having said that, plastic isn’t my favorite material for Adirondack chairs.�
Quality varies, but they will never feel as substantial as wooden chair.� Another disadvantage is that they can get quite warm in the sun.�
And lets face it, plastic just doesn’t have the character of wood.
Metal Adirondack chairs exist but they aren’t very common.� A few issues prevent them from becoming popular.� The biggest one is they get hot in the sun.� It’s just no fun to try to sit on a scorching hot metal seat.� Although the finish on metal chairs can be quite durable, when it does break down, controlling rust and refinishing it is more difficult than refinishing wood.
If you’ve decided on a wood chair, you next choice is between softwood or hard wood.� In general a soft wood, such as pine will be less expensive but also less durable.� The opposite applies.� That is, an Adirondack chair made out of a hardwood such as cedar will likely cost more but can be expected to last longer.
Pine chairs can be a good choice if budget is an issue.� Actually, pine chairs can be a good choice period.� One of my favorite Adirondack chairs was made of pine.�
The main draw back of pine is its durability.� Pine is more susceptible to rot than select hardwoods.� However, if well finished and stored under cover in the off-season, it can do quite well for years.
My chairs tend to stay outside year round, maybe with a tarp on them in the winter.� Pine chairs don’t hold up well under these conditions.� That’s why I referred to my favorite chair in the past tense.� Since I haven’t been able to find one I like as well since, I kind of wish I’d babied it a little more.
Common hardwoods used to make Adirondack chairs are cedar, mahogany, teak and oak.� All are quite durable.� The first three are especially resistant to rot.� Cedar is usually more affordable than mahogany teak.�
If you do choose mahogany or teak, be sure that the maker certifies they use only wood from sustainable sources.� Using teak and mahogany from non-sustainable sources contributes to the depletion of rain forests.
I’ve had a pair of mahogany chairs for almost twenty five years.� I left them unfinished for years.� When they started to develop some surface mold, I washed them with bleach and painted them.� They aren’t my most comfortable chairs, but they’re still perfectly sound after all those outdoor winters.