Best wooden garden furniture 2022: what and where to shop

Looking for the best wooden garden furniture? Whether you're searching for a timeless wooden garden table and chairs, a classic teak garden bench, or a durable wooden sun lounger, we've rounded up the best places to find wooden patio furniture this year, including some top picks from Garden Trading, Dobbies, Homebase, and many more.

But what is the best wooden garden furniture? After all, whether you're looking for the best garden furniture for a patio, decking, or balcony, or one of the best garden benches, you’ll soon come to realise that upgrading your outdoor furniture doesn’t come cheap! So how can you ensure that your investment is built to last? And what's actually the difference between teak, acacia, eucalyptus wood, or any of the other timbers you might come across in your search?

In this article we tap into the Gardeningetc team's expert knowledge to demystify the wooden garden furniture buying process, helping you to understand the woods that are worth splashing the cash on, and those that are a little more cheap and cheerful, along with plenty of inspiration on where to shop to help you find the perfect wooden patio set for your outside space.

Best wooden garden furniture

Ready to get straight into shopping? Here's the Gardeningetc edit of the best wooden garden furniture you can shop today, with options for every style of garden, and budget. 

Want to find out how to choose the best wooden garden furniture in terms of durability and longevity first? Just scroll to the bottom of this guide for all of the detail.

Garden Trading

Cool, calm and collected, Garden Trading's outdoor furniture collection offers durable teak wood and whitewashed acacia wood furniture in mellow neutral tones. There are simple yet stylish Scandi-inspired wooden garden sofas and lounge sets in the Porthallow range, statement wooden garden benches, and timeless wooden bistro sets.

Editor's pick: Porthallow 2 Seater Sofa

Tikamoon

Timeless designs with a contemporary twist dominate Tikamoon's outdoor collection, and that includes plenty of wooden options, with solid teak outdoor dining tables and chairs in a whole host of dimensions, sculptural teak wood lounge chairs, and modern teak and aluminium picnic table and bench sets.

Editor's pick: Capri Acacia Garden Furniture Set

Barker and Stonehouse

If you're looking to create a contemporary outdoor living area that will become the focal point of the garden, then Barker and Stonehouse has to be one of our favourite places to shop, offering a wide selection of modern designs alongside some timeless classics. We particularly like the industrial Beach outdoor trestle tables for wow-factor dining, but there are plenty of more subtle wooden patio options too.

Editor's pick: Beach Garden Dining Table

Dobbies

Dobbies' garden collection truly embraces the idea of outdoor living this season, with some super stylish collections that offer everything you need to transform your patio into the place to be; whether that's socialising with friends, or escaping to the garden for some stay-at-home rest and relaxation. From teak to acacia to roble, the brand's wooden outdoor furniture offers a range of timbers and price points.

Editor's pick: Contemporary Country Wooden Dining Set

MADE

A great place to source contemporary garden furniture, MADE focuses on stylish seating and dining options that are perfect for an urban courtyard, but work just as well in a modern family garden. This season that extends to some great wooden garden furniture options, with dark-stained acacia wood lending a classic touch to the Mediterranean-feel collection.

Editor's pick: Zambra Garden Accent Lounge Chair

Amara

If you want to bring designer style to your outside living area, then alongside Amara's own-label garden furniture range, the brand offers a curated collection of outdoor furniture from some of the biggest names in contemporary international design, including some great wooden garden furniture from Danish brand Skagerak. Think simple, modern and minimal teak wood furniture that makes for a timeless investment.

Editor's pick: Skagerak Selandia Garden Armchair

Cox & Cox

Combining the classic English country garden look with clean-lined Scandinavian-inspired minimalism, Cox & Cox's outdoor furniture collection is a dreamy range of pale grey-washed and muted honey-coloured acacia wood. Lead times can be long however, so just make sure you pre-order early to be sitting pretty on your new wooden lounger when the sun gets into full swing.

Editor's pick: Malmo Lounge Chair & Foot Stool

La Redoute

French online retailer La Redoute is a great option for sourcing affordable wooden garden furniture. It offers a great mix of classic wooden bistro sets and practical wooden outdoor furniture, alongside some super contemporary on-trend designs. The brand's online sales are also well worth keeping an eye out for, with some hefty sitewide discounts regularly making an appearance.

Editor's pick: Sumba Teak Garden Table

Homebase

Homebase is offering a smaller outdoor furniture collection than previous years this season, but there are still some great buys to be found, with competitive pricing and a good balance between hardwearing woods and affordability. The wooden garden bench collection is particularly strong and offers function and practicality.

Editor's pick: Anchor Fast Milldale Curved Bench FSC

What makes the best wooden garden furniture?

Wooden garden furniture is an ever-popular choice, and it's easy to see why. The organic material complements natural surroundings, is strong and durable, and designs can be either classic or contemporary in style.

You'll find wooden garden furniture made from many types of timber, but when shopping for the most durable wooden outdoor furniture, it's hardwoods that you'll want to look out for. 

Teak is the hardwood most prized for its strength and durability outdoors. As well as offering an extremely dense grain that prevents moisture from penetrating, teak retains high levels of natural oils in its timber once cut, which further helps to prevent the wood from weathering. You can top up the wood with teak oil to offer even more weather resistance, although many allow the timber to weather over time to its signature soft silvery patina.

However, this dense grain is down to teak's extremely slow-growing habit, and that slow growth, plus the difficulty of working with such a tough timber makes it one of the most expensive wooden options. 

Like many woods, teak is also in danger of being harvested unsustainably. Reclaimed teak wood can be a more eco-friendly solution, or, as when buying any wood product, make sure to look for FSC-certification which should ensure the tree has been felled within a managed forest rather than contributing to damaging deforestation.

Cheaper and faster-growing alternatives that are now becoming very popular outdoor furniture choices are the hardwoods acacia and eucalyptus. These woods may be slightly less dense than teak but they are far-quicker growing, allowing them to be grown and managed to yield greater quantities of wood more sustainably – although again, it's important to look for FSC accreditation. A little low-maintenance upkeep with a coat of wood preservative each year should ensure these hardwoods retain plenty of weather resistance.

If you're looking for durability, then try to avoid garden furniture that is simply listed as a 'wood' or timber' build, as it's more likely these options are crafted from less weather-resistant softwoods.

How to care for wooden garden furniture

Wooden garden furniture is easy to maintain and doesn't take much work to keep looking its best. 

Check out our guide to how to clean wooden garden furniture to find the best tips on care and upkeep.

Although high-grade hardwood furniture like teak and acacia are usually strong enough to withstand the outdoor elements, some manufacturers still recommend they are covered or stored during winter to prolong their life. 

If you don't have the storage space free in a shed or garage, find a suitable alternative in our guide to the best outdoor furniture covers.