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Rattan vs metal garden furniture

Updated: 22 October 2026

You are stuck between a woven sofa and a metal bistro, and the titles treat rattan and steel as single materials. In this amazon.co.uk capture from 21 October 2026, garden rattan is usually polyethylene over a frame. The metal rows are folding powder-coated steel, cast aluminium, or a mesh sling. Choose the weave when you want cushions and will store them. Choose metal for a small bistro or a sling seat, and read the rust reviews on the folding set. Prices are on the [garden furniture set comparison](/hub/garden-furniture/garden-furniture-set). Peter F. read those listings on 21 October 2026. This is not a laboratory test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are stuck between a woven sofa and a metal bistro, and the titles treat rattan and steel as single materials. In this amazon.co.uk capture from 21 October 2026, garden rattan is usually polyethylene over a frame.

Our top picks

Grand patio Grand patio folding bistro

Best overall

Grand patio Grand patio folding bistro
7.6/10about £99.98
View offer
TangXiaoQi TangXiaoQi rose bistro

Rank 2

TangXiaoQi TangXiaoQi rose bistro
5.7/10about £109.99
View offer
EVRE EVRE Madrid lounge

Best value

EVRE EVRE Madrid lounge
7.1/10about £129.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Rattan on these listings is polyethylene
  2. 2.The frame is not one metal
  3. 3.When the metal bistro is the better object
  4. 4.Cushions and wind, whichever you pick

Rattan on these listings is polyethylene

Which? says natural wicker is not weatherproof, and that outdoor sets are mostly synthetic resin, light enough to blow over. BBC Gardeners’ World treats PE rattan as the outdoor weave and natural rattan as a dry-conservatory material. Dunelm says a polyethylene frame lasts longer if it comes in over winter. None of those pages tested these twelve ASINs. Madrid, Marylin, Bali, rattanstar, the ATR rocking chairs and the propane sectional are in the PE group. Madrid’s attribute says polyethylene, a waterproof field says True, and the bullet says shower-resistant. Marylin and Bali print polyurethane on the attribute and PE rattan plus steel in the bullets. You are buying a plastic weave and a metal frame. One Madrid review says covers split after three uses. That is one cushion failure, not every PE set.

The frame is not one metal

Under the weave the bullets disagree. Rattanstar says rust-proof aluminium, and the material attribute is garbled. Madrid and Marylin say powder-coated steel. Bali says powdered steel. The rocking set says powder-coated metal with a PE seat. The propane sectional says powder-coated steel. Marylin at £599.99 is still a steel-framed dining corner, not cast aluminium. Rattanstar at £199.99 has an aluminium bullet and a shared review pool that calls the weave flimsy. BS EN 581 does not rank rattan above metal, and the seating part excludes weathering. No listing here cites it. The tape stays on the garden furniture set buying guide.
Grand patio Grand patio folding bistro

Testsieger

Grand patio Grand patio folding bistro
7.6/10about £99.98
View offer

When the metal bistro is the better object

Buy metal when you want two seats or a sling, and you do not want a pile of cushions. The folding Grand patio bistro, £99.98, is powder-coated steel, assembly none, 4.5 from 1,067. Reviews in the shared colour pool report rust at the joints within days. BBC Gardeners’ World says powder-coated steel needs more careful storage than aluminium. TangXiaoQi at £109.99 and Withniture at £129.99 are cast aluminium at 12 kg. They do not fold, and this file does not show that rust-within-days theme. Withniture has 19 reviews and an ASIN field that does not match the URL. The mesh set, £134.98, is steel with a sling, 3.9 from 246. Which? notes that metal gets hot. No listing prints a surface-temperature test.

Cushions and wind, whichever you pick

The folding set, the cast bistros and the mesh set have no thick cushion in the box. The PE sofas include cushions and tell you to bring them in. Rattanstar says so while an attribute says waterproof. Marylin recommends a 600D cover that is not included. Which? says light resin rattan can blow over, which fits a light corner on an upper balcony. It does not make Marylin’s 83 kg a wind certificate, or a 12 kg bistro safe to ignore in a gale. A 176 cm rattanstar L can be the right material and the wrong footprint. That measurement is the garden furniture set for a small patio. PE rattan if the pads have a dry home; metal if you accept a harder seat and, on the folding steel, the rust reviews.

Common questions

Is garden rattan real rattan?
On these outdoor listings it is polyethylene weave, not natural wicker. Which? and BBC Gardeners’ World both treat natural rattan as a poor match for a wet UK garden. Madrid, Marylin, Bali, rattanstar, the rocking chairs and the propane sectional sit in that synthetic group. A polyurethane attribute does not turn the bullet back into cane.
Will PE rattan survive rain?
The weave is sold for outdoors, and the cushions are the part the listings refuse to leave out. Rattanstar and EVRE say bring pads in when wet or keep them indoors. A waterproof attribute that says True does not cancel that bullet. Showerproof is not a winter left on the lawn.
Is cast aluminium the same as powder-coated steel?
No. The folding bistro is powder-coated steel, with rust-at-the-joints reviews and no assembly. TangXiaoQi and Withniture are cast aluminium at 12 kg. They do not fold, and they do not show that rust theme in this file. BBC Gardeners’ World describes aluminium as lighter and more rust-resistant. That is general guidance, not a coating test of these ASINs.
Do I still store cushions with either material?
Yes, when cushions exist. The PE sofas include them and tell you to bring them in. The folding set, the cast bistros and the mesh set do not include a thick cushion, so a pad you add yourself still has to come in. Dry any pad before you bag it.
Which is better in wind on a balcony?
A set you can move, or a 12 kg cast table you can lift before a storm, is safer than a light corner wedged against a rail. Which? flags blow-over for light resin rattan. The folding steel set stores flat, and it is the row with the rust reviews. Footprint comes before material if the balcony is under 2 m.
Can I leave the mesh set out because it has no cushions?
You avoid the cushion-storage job. You do not avoid steel care. The mesh listing says wipe with a damp cloth and mild soap, and the build is the main complaint in 42 saved reviews. The folding set is the clearer example: no cushion in the box, and rust at the joints in the reviews anyway.

Related pages

Best garden furniture set for the job

Garden furniture set

Assemble and care for a rattan garden furniture set

Garden furniture set buying guide: patio, door, load

Garden furniture set for a small patio: what will fit

Sources

Public UK sources used for this comparison. Listing prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk lines saved on 21 October 2026. There is no laboratory test.

  1. Which? how to buy garden furniture (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  2. BBC Gardeners' World, garden furniture (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  3. BS EN 581-1:2017 outdoor furniture safety (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  4. BS EN 581-2:2026 outdoor seating tests (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  5. General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  6. Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  7. Scottish Fire and Rescue, outdoor heating (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  8. London Fire Brigade, gas fires and heaters (retrieved 21 October 2026)