Best garden chairs: from lounge chairs to dining chairs

The best garden chairs need to tick quite a few boxes: comfort, design, quality of build... Our selection includes outdoor seating that strikes a balance between these qualities. Whether you like reading outdoors, or enjoy your breakfast in the garden, there is a garden chair for everyone.

Trying to decide how to choose a garden chair? Material is the most important consideration. Synthetic rattan and wicker will do find outdoors year round, but you will need to move some types of wood, as well as metal furniture, indoors. 

You should also watch out for whether you’re paying for one chair or two; not all outdoor chairs come in pairs and you don’t want to end up paying over the odds for a full set. Finally, what style of chair do you want? After reading, why not check out our guide to choosing garden furniture? And visit our sourcebook of top garden suppliers for all your garden shopping needs. 

Our list includes different types to give you a range of choices, but if you know you want a specific style, jump straight to the buying guide on that chair:

• Best hanging chairs
• Best swing seats
• Best sun loungers
• Best Adirondack chairs

The best garden chairs

These Salsa garden chairs from John Lewis will certainly draw the eye, especially if you like the look of the Saffron and Heatwave colours. They’re perfect for bringing a touch of summer to your garden and thanks to their metal and rattan composition, they can remain outside all year round, serving as a reminder of summer even in the dingiest of winter weather.  

Looking for more rattan? We have the best rattan garden furniture in our guide. 

Shop more garden chairs at John Lewis

Take your morning cup of coffee out to the garden; this lightweight but sturdy all-weather bamboo chair has been mounted onto a stainless steel base and will do just fine in any type of weather, although the manufacturer does recommend covering it if left outside for long periods of time. We love the unusual shape, which makes for a welcome contemporary update on the traditional rattan look.  

Shop more outdoor chairs at Cuckooland

Described by the brand as groovy and graphical, this outdoor garden chair is all about relaxing with a difference. Featuring a vibrant, jungle-like colour scheme, the Copa garden hanging chair has been designed to stand out and fit right in all at the same time. The chair comes with a comfortable, padded cushion, while the outside unit is weather resistant enough to remain outside all year round.  

We have the best hanging chairs in our buyer's guide. 

Shop more hanging chairs at Made

Boldly simplistic in its design, this garden bench, with its natural teak finish will blend beautifully into your garden greenery. With space for three people to sit, it’s a great piece of furniture to have if you host garden parties. Habitat mention that it’ll weather over time, bringing a character and warmth to the outdoor chair. It can be purchased alongside a table and an additional bench for a stylish outdoor dining set.

Check out more of the best garden benches in our buyer's guide.

Shop more outdoor seating at Habitat  

There’s nothing wrong with buying a cheap metal sunlounger until you sit on it and it collapses inwards on itself or topples over backwards. This outdoor chair is made from strong eucalyptus wood and has been well constructed to defy the sunlounger curse. The chair offers five reclining positions, perfect for sunbathing and reading, while the seat pad should provide plenty of comfort for long stints in the garden.  

Choose more from our pick of the best garden sun loungers.

Shop more garden seating at John Lewis

If you like the eccentricity of the Copa Garden Hanging Chair, then you should certainly make room for this dining chair set, too. Blending summery tones of blue and red, these chairs are modern and playful and will make the perfect choice if you’re looking to brighten up any patio or decking area. The outdoor chairs are made from polyrattan, so they’re weather resistant to an extent – just ensure you bring them inside when the weather turns.  

For more funky chairs, have a look at our buyer's guide to the best contemporary dining chairs. 

Shop more outdoor tables and chairs at Made

This is our favourite garden armchair for serious lounging. The generous dimensions of this chair allow to get truly comfortable, as do the sumptuous cushions. The robust synthetic weave and aluminium frame mean it's fine to leave the chair outdoors during the colder months, although it's best to bring the cushions indoors when it starts raining.

Shop more outdoor armchairs at John Lewis

Bring a chic, ultra-modern design to your garden with this stackable chair make from lightweight and weather-resistant resin. Get several of them to create a trendy outdoor dining area perfect for BBQs. 

Shop more outdoor chairs at Maisons du Monde

This Adirondack chair by Pure Day is really quite a find; made in Germany from hardwearing eucalyptus and finished in a stunning marine blue shade, this is definitely the best of style and substance. The curved seat makes it even more comfy than other chairs. Our top pick. 

A wooden garden chair that's as comfortable as an armchair? But made from durable hardwood? And with a sumptuous cushion included? It's a yes for all of those from Plant Theatre's Hardwood Garden Sofa Armchair. The proportions are generous, making it very comfortable to sit in. And the design of this chair is truly timeless, as is the natural stained finish of the wood. What's even better, this chair can be paired with a two-seater sofa and table from the same range. It comes part-assembled, so expect to fiddle around with the nuts and bolts for a bit. 

Read more about lounging outside:

•  Discover the best wooden outdoor furniture for dining with style 
•  Also be inspired by our list of the best rattan garden furniture 
• 10 best small garden tables