Is it worth it to buy expensive patio furniture?

Ever wanted to shop for patio furniture, and the cost of each item got you wondering why outdoor furniture is so expensive? It’s normal to want to find out what makes outdoor furniture more expensive than indoor furniture items, this also helps you understand why each patio furniture is worth the investment. In this guide, we help you unpack every detail you need to discover about the cost of outdoor patio furniture.

A lot of details and intentionality go into the design of patio furniture and every detail ultimately contributes to the cost of each piece of furniture. However, one profound truth about outdoor patio furniture is that, it's always worth the expense in terms of your comfort and outdoor relaxation.

Patio Outdoor Furniture and High Expense; Here’s What You Need to Know

Every day, the outdoor décor space is increasingly gaining competition with design companies giving it all it takes to outdo one another in providing premium comfort to their clientele, and one thing is certain—price remains a major technique that brands use to gain customers. So, if all outdoor brands sell furniture pieces at a huge price, what then is the big deal about outdoor furniture that makes them so expensive?

Type of Materials:

Would you like to purchase a piece of outdoor furniture that crumbles under your weight in a short time, because it has been weathered down? Not good, right?! This is why a lot of intentionality is put into the manufacture of outdoor furniture pieces to ensure that they serve you well for a long time despite intense weather exposure.

Although not all materials come at the same price points, you’ll find that the furniture piece is designed based on its material combination. A tempered glass table with a rattan base and steel frame is a combination of three materials that would contribute to the cost of the furniture. But you won’t just be spending mindlessly on these pieces, as they are designed to be long-lasting, aesthetically pleasing and highly weather resistant.

High Demand:

Contemporary outdoor furniture has become popular and increasingly in demand in the last few decades. As more people are becoming aware of their natural environment and the therapeutic effect of nature, they tend to desire to spend more time outdoors with friends and family in warm seasons. This leads to a high demand for outdoor patio furniture.

The high demand makes sourcing for the furniture materials challenging and even expensive, this ultimately creates a ripple cost effect on the final price of the furniture. A shortage in supply could also mean that the pieces will only be available to those who are willing to pay more to have them. Thankfully, here at Cosiest, you don’t have to pay extra for such reasons, we always have something eclectic to suit your taste.

Shipping fees:

Some outdoor pieces are fairly priced until the shipping cost is added to them. Sometimes, the cost of shipping could hike as high as the furniture’s original cost, and because you can’t just say no to the gorgeous piece, the cost of shipping eventually adds up to the cost of purchase.

On some other occasions, some companies may choose to offer free shipping of their furniture pieces. On a closer look, you might find that the cost has been added to the purchasing price, except your location is close to the warehouse and the company is taking it upon themselves to deliver to you. However, if the product will be shipped internationally, then you must be aware that you might be paying more for the same furniture set than someone else within the products’ manufacturing region.

Futuristic designs:

As design trends keep changing various manufacturers are interested in curating futuristic outdoor furniture designs to stay atop the game and beat the competition. This means that a lot of details and resources go into curating the perfect outdoor furniture piece that you’ll always be proud to own.

And of course, that means you’ll be spending a whole lot extra to be amongst the lucky few to own such designs. Some designs are also made to be timeless as a way to ensure your furniture never goes out of style; that requires a lot of work and attention to detail as well, and this would reflect in the cost of purchasing them.

Quality assurance and environmental safety standards:

Many manufacturers ensure that they pass all quality assurance checks, including following all eco-safety standards in their choice of material. This means that material sourcing may involve complex processes that make it a necessity to reflect it in the cost of sales. Alternatively, some manufacturers may also be contributing to major environmental campaigns based on the sales of their products, hence there would be a high cost of purchase on such products.

Skilled Craftsmanship:

One thing common to many outdoor spaces is the fact that the furniture pieces form the core of the aesthetics of the space. As a result, most manufacturers do not take the design process lightly, hence they hire the most skilled craftsmen and artisans who bring the details of the design to life. Hiring these craftsmen and retaining them comes at no small cost, hence this ultimately reflects in the cost of the furniture pieces.

Manufacturers tend to increase their profit margin to be able to consistently pay the wages of their craftsmen and to keep them out of the reach of their competitors.

The complexity of the design process:

The process of curating outdoor furniture is a complex one, many manufacturers have research and development teams, that spend time researching innovative designs for outdoor spaces. After the R&D process, there’s a lot of complexity involved in finishing the materials to perfection. Working intricate designs into steel, wood, and even coating finishes for durability are all complex processes that eventually increase the cost of the furniture.

Demand for furniture set:

When buying outdoor furniture pieces, you’re more likely to buy a set of furniture than just a piece. A sectional sofa set paired with a matching fire pit table, for instance, may cost more than buying unmatching pieces separately. Even when it doesn’t cost as much, having to purchase about 8 pieces of individual furniture in a set is a major expense that will tell on your budget. Hence you need thoughtful planning when buying your outdoor patio set.

Longevity and maintenance:

In addition to the choice of strong materials, manufacturers use coating finishes, rot and pest-resistant oils, to maintain the longevity of outdoor furniture. Likewise, some pieces come with furniture covers, storage boxes, and other functional accessories that make them more expensive. Some of these accessories help to preserve the life span of the outdoor pieces, and a lot of detail also goes into their design. Also, selecting the right materials for protective accessories requires attention to detail and intentionality as well.

Investing In Outdoor Furniture: Why is it Worth It?

Outdoor spaces remain an important part of your home that you must pay attention to. The fact that most outdoor pieces are expensive shouldn’t discourage you from paying attention to your outdoor space. As a matter of fact, investing in your outdoor space should be considered a priority, as there are many benefits attached to it.

On many occasions, a comfy outdoor space contributes to the home living experience and allows a family to bond and create memories. Instead of spending extra bucks to have a fun time outdoors, that money could be invested into the home, to enjoy various benefits that often cannot be quantified monetarily.

Another interesting thing about outdoor furniture is that it can quickly add to the value of your home. So you can consider it as an early investment if you plan to sublet the space later on. Another way to save money on your outdoor furniture is to purchase them during off-peak seasons. Summer is one season everyone wants to troop outdoors, why wait till summer when you can buy it in spring?

Conclusion

A lot of details go into your outdoor furniture design, hence it's important to purchase from the best brands. A brand like Cosiest prioritizes your comfort and gives you value for your money. We also prioritize longevity and durability, so you don't have to spend twice on the same set of furniture.

Our initial research in 2016 rounded up 33 dining sets representing a promising balance of cost, features, and design. We whittled down that list by examining online reviews and, in some cases, talking to people who owned the furniture sets. We made trips to Home Depot and IKEA to examine sets in person and witness how shoppers reacted to them in the stores. Then we ordered three dining sets and timed how long it took to assemble them in a Los Angeles backyard. For our 2018 update, we ordered another two dining sets and assembled them in another Los Angeles backyard. During both tests, we examined screws, joints, and the apparent quality of construction. And, over the course of several weeks, we paid attention to how comfortable the dining sets were for different purposes, asking visitors to compare the comfort of the seats and the overall aesthetics of the sets. In June 2021, we researched six more patio dining sets. Due to testing limitations during the pandemic, we were not able to assemble these new sets at home. So we narrowed our search to dining sets that we could touch and analyze at big-box stores, that had great reviews at the time, and that were eligible for return or exchange. In 2022, we expanded our research to direct-to-consumer brands—like Article, Blu Dot, and Neighbor—and added larger dining sets and new outdoor living room options, such as sofas and lounge chairs.