What's better: Rope or Rattan Furniture? We look into the benefits of Rope and Rattan as materials for the use of outdoor garden furniture and which is the best option for you.

Let's say you want to spruce up the garden. You're probably thinking about getting furniture that you can use as a centerpiece for the next hang-out spot, but you want to make sure it's worth every penny and lasts for years to come. The top contenders for garden furniture that's decorative, durable, and cost-effective are Rope and Rattan.

RATTAN

This furniture is easily recognised by its wicker weave build. Originating from Egypt, this furniture style gained notoriety in the West for its contemporary look. Having originally been made from the Rattan plant, it's now been re-made to modern standards with weather-resistant synthetic materials, while still paying homage to its simplistic heritage.

Weather Resistance

Rattan - regardless of whether it's synthetic or natural - can withstand extreme temperatures from both hot and cold weather. Making it one of the safest furniture choices here in England.

Here at Chimes Home and Garden, we've achieved even higher levels of weather resistance by powder coating the framework of our furniture sets with aluminium to prevent rust and withstand the elements. This means that not only is the Rattan weather resistant, but so are the frames it's built on.

UV-resistant

There's a science behind UV's degradation effects in most materials. It causes discoloration, fading and in some cases wear & tear. The fact that Rattan furniture is UV resistant, showing no bad side-effects from extreme sunshine, makes it impervious to splitting, cracking, or fading in hot weather.

Easily repairable

There are several scenarios in which your Rattan furniture may need to be repaired all of which are easy fixes, provided that the damage was done to the material. 

If you have natural Rattan and you see tiny surface-level cracks, you can repair them by coating the surface with linseed oil and a soft brush and letting it soak. Alternatively, if the weave has come undone or a piece has come off, it's easy to order rattan strips online that match your piece of furniture and weave it back together yourself. But this happens so rarely that we've confidently put at least a 5-year warranty on all our Rattan products.

Stain Resistant 

Because of how Rattan Furniture gets weaved together to form a surface, you can clean it like it's a surface. Say if you were to spill anything on your piece of outdoor furniture, a few hits of cleaning spray and a wipe down is all you need to clean off the surface and eliminate the risk of stains.

Customisable Design Choices 

The way Rattan furniture is built allows you to have textured rattan strips, and dark or light-coloured strips, and of course, you can mix and match them all to blend in perfectly with your garden. 

Perfect material for the garden

There’s no denying that its inherent qualities make it perfect for outdoor use. Able to fight extreme weather conditions, while looking natural and complementing your garden decor, rattan is always the first choice for any kind of outdoor furniture, from loungers to daybeds.

ROPE

Rope has risen in trends over the years, for both indoor and outdoor pieces of furniture. Known for its versatility in the world of furniture, rope has quickly become an interior designer's choice and it's easy to see why. 

Comfort

Rope furniture is notably more comfortable than rattan furniture. Unlike rattan, rope doesn't form together to form a solid surface, rope has a certain level of cushioning. This is why you almost always see rattan furniture complemented by cushions rather than being rattan alone. Whereas on the other hand, it's not out of the blue to see rope armchairs, sun beds, and hammocks on their own. 

Contemporary Designs

Despite how customisable rattan can be, it's hard to beat the functionality of rope material when it comes to creating furniture. Rattan weaves will only ever form flat surfaces, whereas ropes can be decorative pieces, create intricate patterns, or even contribute to structural integrity.

Is Rope Furniture Sustainable?

Yes. Rope itself can be made from recyclable materials, or natural fibers like hemp and jute. This makes rope furniture a very stylish sustainable choice for people looking for greener alternatives to their home renovations.

Overall

It depends on where you stand between comfort and practicality. Because of how much easier it is to repair rattan and how resistant it is to wear and tear, we'd recommend rattan for most homes that are looking for low-maintenance furniture that lasts. Whereas if you're looking for something stylish, comfortable, and on-trend, we'd suggest looking into rope furniture.