Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

PE rattan vs natural rattan

Updated: 23 October 2026

You are looking at two chairs that both say rattan, and one of them will spend a British winter in the rain. PE rattan vs natural rattan is that choice. All six listings in this comparison are synthetic sets, and this page does not rank them by price. Prices stay on the [rattan garden furniture comparison](/hub/garden-furniture/rattan-garden-furniture). For an open patio, choose a PE weave and then read the frame metal twice. Keep natural cane where it can dry. 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 looking at two chairs that both say rattan, and one of them will spend a British winter in the rain. PE rattan vs natural rattan is that choice.

Our top picks

EVRE EVRE Madrid 4-piece, cedar brown

Best overall

EVRE EVRE Madrid 4-piece, cedar brown
9.2/10about £129.99
View offer
ATR ATR rocking bistro, beige

Rank 2

ATR ATR rocking bistro, beige
8.1/10about £293.55
View offer
rattanstar rattanstar L-shape, brown and white

Best value

rattanstar rattanstar L-shape, brown and white
7.8/10about £199.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Two materials, one shop label
  2. 2.Wicker is the weave
  3. 3.The frame is the rust question
  4. 4.What that means for the sets in this table

Two materials, one shop label

Natural rattan is the cane from the plant. BBC Gardeners' World puts it in a conservatory, because sun fades it and a long wet spell rots it. Which? draws the same line: natural wicker needs a store, and it should not live in the garden. PE, polyethylene, is what these amazon.co.uk sets mean by rattan garden furniture. The strand is plastic, woven to look like cane. A retailer line that no rain will damage PE is a sales line, not a standard. Harbour Lifestyle, writing about its own PE sets, calls fade and brittleness normal wear, and notes that the weave expands and contracts with temperature.

Wicker is the weave

Wicker is the method: strands crossed around a frame. Rattan, seagrass, paper, or PE can all be wicker. On the synthetic strand, water beads more than it soaks, so a hose and a soft brush are the wash, not an oil feed. That routine, including why you dry the frame before a cover, is the how to clean rattan garden furniture page. The listings still tell you to bring cushions in for rain, snow or heavy weather, or they call the covers shower-resistant while a field says waterproof. BS EN 581-2 tests seating strength and stability. It does not include ageing from light, temperature and moisture. None of these ASINs prints a report. All weather on a title is the seller's phrase.
EVRE EVRE Madrid 4-piece, cedar brown

Testsieger

EVRE EVRE Madrid 4-piece, cedar brown
9.2/10about £129.99
View offer

The frame is the rust question

Powder-coated steel can rust where the coat chips, at a screw, a foot, or a joint that worked loose. Aluminium does not rust in that way when the coating is damaged. It is lighter, which Which? ties to sets that can blow over on an exposed patio. Heavier steel stays put more willingly and needs you to watch the chips. The rattanstar bullets say rust-proof aluminium. The material field is garbled and includes rust-proof steel, so you cannot call that frame rust-proof. The EVRE Madrid set and the EVRE Marylin dining corner state powder-coated steel in the bullets. Plan for chips. The ATR rocking set says powder-coated metal, and the alloy is unnamed. The rattan garden furniture buying guide puts that double read before the stars. The metal choice does not stop UV fade.

What that means for the sets in this table

If you want cane, you need a dry room. If you want the patio, the useful split is the frame. The Madrid set states steel and a PE weave, with shower-resistant covers. Leaving the cushions out because the weave is plastic is the mistake the bullets do not support. The rattanstar L-shapes are PE, and they say to bring cushions in when it rains or snows. The rocking pair is PE on an unnamed powder-coated metal, with 5 mm glass. The Marylin dining corner states steel again. There is no winner on this page. Who each row suits is the best rattan garden furniture set page. Use the main table for the prices.

Common questions

Can I leave natural rattan in the garden over winter?
Which? and BBC Gardeners' World both say no. Sun fades it and prolonged wet rots it. A conservatory or another dry room is the place they describe. An open UK patio through winter is the wrong store, even under a cover that still lets damp sit in the cane.
Is PE rattan waterproof?
The weave shrugs off rain better than cane. It is not a sealed shell, and it is not a promise about the cushions or the frame. These listings still say shower-resistant or water-repellent, and two of them tell you to bring the cushions indoors. A waterproof field on the same page does not cancel that.
What is the difference between wicker and rattan?
Wicker is the weave. Rattan, in the plant sense, is one fibre you can weave. PE can be woven the same way and is then wicker too. The outdoor question is whether the strand is cane or plastic, and what metal is inside it.
Is HDPE different from the PE named on these listings?
Yes as a resin name, and it is not what these six pages say. They say PE, polyethylene, or resin wicker. Do not assume HDPE because a buying guide uses that abbreviation. Quote the word on the listing you are holding.
Will a powder-coated steel frame rust?
It can, at chips and joints, which is why Gardeners' World talks about storing steel components and Which? separates coated steel from a metal that does not rust when cut. It will not rust on a timetable these listings prove. Watch the feet and the screw heads after the first winter and keep the coating intact.
Why does one listing say aluminium and steel?
The rattanstar bullets say rust-proof aluminium and the material field mentions rust-proof steel in a garbled line. The page never chooses. Treat the frame as unresolved. The EVRE bullets that say powder-coated steel do not have that clash.
Are all six sets in this comparison synthetic?
Yes. They are PE weave on a metal frame: a conversation set, three colours of one L-shape, a rocking pair, and a dining corner. None is natural cane. If the photo looks like a plant fibre, the bullets in this folder still say polyethylene or PE rattan.

Related pages

Rattan corner sofa set

Rattan garden furniture

Best rattan garden furniture set for your UK patio

Rattan garden furniture buying guide before the stars

How to clean rattan garden furniture before you cover

Sources

Public UK sources used for this comparison, last checked on 22 October 2026. Listing prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk lines saved on 21 October 2026. There is no laboratory test.

  1. BS EN 581-1:2017 outdoor furniture, general safety (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. BS EN 581-2:2026 outdoor seating tests (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. GOV.UK designated standards notice 0004/21 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. Trading Standards furniture guide (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 22 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. Which?, how to buy garden furniture (retrieved 22 October 2026)