Outdoor Mesh Furniture Roundup and Buyer’s Guide

Outdoor mesh furniture is a popular choice for many, as its minimalist design is appealing against a wide range of landscapes, and it’s also relatively durable and easy to maintain. But is it right for you and your yard? Before you make the investment, spend the time to see how types of mesh furniture stack up against the competition, and be wary of a few minor wrinkles you might find.

Outdoor Mesh Furniture 101: The Basics

Mesh outdoor furniture is an alternative to solid items made from other materials like wood, metal, and hard plastic. You might see many different variations of the mesh design, with wicker, plastic, or even metal construction typical. 

A mesh is a type of design that’s net-like in appearance or anything that is woven in an interlocking, evenly spaced arrangement like a screen. This configuration lends itself to furniture that needs to be both lightweight and sturdy, like the outdoor furniture we use seasonally in our backyards, on our porches, and during barbecues on the patio. 

But if you walk into a store or ask online for mesh furniture, you’re likely to see a number of products with a ‘sling’ of interlocking vinyl-coated plastic strips woven into a mesh and strung tightly across a frame. This particular style of outdoor mesh furniture is known to be comfortable, durable, and supportive.

Why Mesh?

A woven mesh of polyester is flexible yet strong. It pairs well with solid, lightweight, rigid frames made from wood or plastic. But instead of sitting on the equivalent of a wooden picnic bench’s hard slabs, you’re on a weight-absorbing and springy woven mat strung between the solid frame. 

Instead of having a solid seating surface, the woven or interlocking design of mesh furniture is usually much more comfortable than rigid plastic or similar. Plus, it’s a lot more supportive than cheap seats made from cloth, low-grade plastics, or other inferior materials. 

Typically, mesh furniture is relatively supportive, flexible, and adaptive to your body’s contours, so it’s often quite comfortable and accommodating for people of various shapes and sizes. This makes it an ideal choice for outdoor events and relaxation. 

Mesh seats and supportive furniture are at their best even without cushions, and that feature can save you hundreds of dollars by avoiding the additional expense for cushions. The only drawback is that the mesh might leave an imprinted copy of the design on your skin if you rest on it for an extended period. 

When considering comfort, remember that any type of mesh furniture is airy by design. Its net-like construction with spaces between each woven strand allows excellent circulation, so you’re less likely to have to peel yourself off the seat!

One of the biggest appeals of mesh outdoor furniture is its durability. The coated polyester used most often is protected by PVC plastic, making it nearly impossible to tear and entirely resistant to mildew, rot, and fading in strong sunlight. If you abuse it or let it cook in the sun uncovered for years, it will deteriorate, but with simple maintenance and care, it will last a long time. 

How to Buy Mesh Furniture

To make it easy, here are four top choices for outdoor mesh furniture. They’re all highly rated and desirable, albeit for different reasons. As such, they appear alongside a quick description of who might be shopping for it and why it might appeal to them. 

The Top Choice: Crate and Barrel’s Lanai Collection

The Lanai Collection of outdoor mesh furniture from Crate and Barrel is a financial investment. A couple of chaise lounges can cost $1,000. But you won’t find sturdier or more durable high-end mesh outdoor furniture on the market. It has some captivating color options, including contrasting frames with gray mesh or coral. 

It’s sleek, lightweight, and comfortable, though you might want to upgrade with additional cushions if you plan to use it a lot. The Lanai Collection features outdoor dining tables, chairs, ottomans, and lounges, as well as a line of accessories. Some of the tables even fold flat for easy off-season storage. 

Add Some Color: The Hot Mesh Collection from BluDot

For those with a vivacious fashion sense, many of the austere and drab mesh outdoor furniture collections are an insult to their color palette. That’s where the Hot Mesh Collection at BluDot comes in. 

These chairs, ottomans, tables, and stools are stackable bursts of color. They are available in at least nine separate colors, including yellow, blue, green, white, and more. 

These chairs come in a mesh design but feature powder-coated steel surfaces instead of vinyl. That makes them a little more durable in comparison, though the steel could be punctured fairly easily by a sharp tool forgotten in a back pocket. 

Beauty on a Budget: Christopher Knight Home Cape Coral Lounges

If you’re looking for outdoor mesh furniture lounge chairs with a modest price tag, you may have just found them. The Home Cape Coral Chaise Lounges are available as a two-pack that costs less than a single lounger from Crate and Barrel. While they don’t have the same level of fit and finish or the same brand reputation, they are elegant, sturdy, and affordably priced. 

In addition, they have an easily adjustable back section, so you can lounge in any position you’d like. The only caveat is, you will have to get up to move the adjustment bar. Nonetheless, they look fitting arranged next to outdoor furniture that might cost quite a bit more. 

Just Chairs: Target’s Belfast 2PK Acadia Chairs

These Acadia Chairs from Target come in a money-saving two-pack. They are squared-off, sturdy, and come with gray or teak framing and a dark mesh sling. They pair well with most other outdoor furniture and offer a much less expensive alternative to some other brands. 

Since they’re sold by Target, you may even be able to find them in a physical store, which is hard to do with some other outdoor mesh chairs. If you can find some locally, go and sit in them before you buy!

Mesh Furniture: Bottom Line

Mesh furniture is often the right choice for a backyard or patio, but it varies in degrees of function and durability. With this information, you can curate a luxury outdoor living space with high-end outdoor mesh furniture.