Garden Benches

Choosing a garden bench for your space

A garden bench gives you a reason to stop, whether that is a sunny corner for a morning coffee, a seat by the back door to pull your boots on or a quiet spot at the far end of the garden. Most of our garden benches are made for outdoor spaces, and choosing well starts with where yours will stand.

Watch how sun and shade move across the spot during the day, check what the ground is like underfoot, and sit there to test the view. A seat facing your best border, or set against a wall for shelter, tends to get far more use than a bench left out in the open. A bench near the house makes it easy to bring out a tray of drinks.

Metal garden benches in iron and aluminium

Most of our garden benches use metal, and the type of metal shapes how a bench behaves in your garden. We stock iron garden benches, and the weight of iron helps a bench sit firmly on an exposed patio or in a windy spot, though you may want a helper when you move it.

We stock aluminium benches too. Aluminium is the lighter metal, so it suits a garden where you like to move seating around to follow the sun. Whatever the metal, a painted or powder-coated finish keeps moisture away from the metal underneath, so check the finish on the product page and look after it.

Wooden and woven garden benches

Wood brings warmth to a garden and feels kinder to sit on than bare metal on a cool morning. We stock wooden garden benches, including teak, a dense hardwood long favoured for outdoor furniture. A few are made from acacia, another hardwood with a warm tone. Some use reclaimed teak, which carries the marks and grain of its former use.

We also stock polyrattan benches. Polyrattan is a woven synthetic with the relaxed look of wicker, and its texture softens the line of a patio full of hard paving. For something different, a few use sintered stone or composite.

Garden bench styles from classic to rustic

We stock classic garden benches that look at home beside a lawn, a rose bed or a brick path. We also stock rustic designs, which sit happily in a cottage garden or beside a vegetable plot.

A few have a modern style, for a cleaner, simpler look. Some lean industrial, a look that sits well beside concrete, slate and bare brick. Whichever you prefer, choose a style that echoes something already in your garden, such as the colour of a fence, your paving or the age of your house, so the bench feels part of the space.

Colours and finishes for an outdoor bench

We stock garden benches in grey, beige, brown and natural finishes, which sit quietly against planting, stone and timber decking. A few come in black, white or ivory, which stand out well against foliage. Some come in green, blue or red, which can lift a shady corner or a plain fence. A few have deeper rust, graphite or anthracite tones.

Colour also affects comfort and upkeep. Paler finishes show dirt and pollen sooner, while darker metal warms up quickly in strong sun, so it is worth thinking about where the bench will sit at midday. A distressed or aged finish suits a rustic setting and hides the odd scuff.

Sizing and placing your garden bench

Width settles how much room there is to sit side by side, depth settles how far the bench reaches into a path, and height settles whether it will sit neatly below a window sill. Weight settles how easily you can move it and how well it stays put in wind. Measure your spot, then compare it with the listed dimensions, leaving room to walk past and stretch your legs.

Stand your bench on firm, level ground such as paving, decking or gravel; on a lawn, slabs under the feet stop it sinking. If you have a mature tree, a tree bench puts its shade to good use, and we stock a few. Some of our benches also suit a hallway, living room or dining room, so they can work as extra seating indoors.

Looking after your garden bench

Brush off leaves and dirt regularly, then wash the bench with warm, mildly soapy water and a soft cloth, rinse and let it dry fully. On metal, touch up chips in the paint quickly so moisture cannot reach the metal beneath. On wood, a suitable oil or protector, applied when the timber is clean and dry, keeps the colour rich. Polyrattan needs little more than a soft brush and soapy water.

During long spells of wet or icy weather, a fitted cover or a dry spot under shelter helps keep an outdoor bench in good condition. If you cover it, leave room for air to move underneath so damp does not get trapped against the bench.