Patio furniture on sale these days can be manufactured from many different materials. Some styles of patio furniture are modern while others have a more traditional look. There is one type of patio furniture that has a certain timeless quality about it, and that is wicker furniture. Wicker is probably the most popular choice of outdoor patio furniture and it is easy to see why. This report is a guide to wicker furniture including its benefits, styles and where to buy it.

The first thing to say is that wicker is not a material in its own right; rather it describes furniture that has been made by weaving stems of vines together. It has been around for thousands of years. The best wicker is made using vines from the Rattan plant. This grows in hot and humid areas such as the rainforests of South America, Asia and South Africa. The best of all stems from Southeast Asia.

Although wood and metal furniture would appear to be more robust than wicker, the opposite is actually true. The rattan vine is incredibly strong due to fibers that run along it. This makes it almost impossible to break. With the support of a lightweight aluminum frame, wicker furniture gains from being both sturdy and durable. In regards to materials used for patio furniture, wicker furniture has one additional advantage over other types. That is that it looks equally good inside the home as it does in your backyard. Iron furniture on the other hand looks out of place inside the home. Wicker also looks good in all surroundings as it is available in all styles covering anything from traditional to the most contemporary.

It’s always best to buy weatherproof wicker furniture since you can leave this outside all the year round. Wicker that has not been weatherproofed is liable to damage from water and from the UV in sunlight. Therefore untreated wicker should be coated with a protective oil or paint. If you stick to weatherproof furniture though, you only need to give it an occasional clean with a garden hose. If you live in an area where conditions are harsh in the winter it is recommended that you cover it with a protective cover so that it is protected from the worst of the ice and snow.

Among the best things about wicker is the way it lends itself to the use of cushions. Not only is this good from the comfort point of view, you can also choose just about any color scheme and it will go well with the wicker.

Find additional advice and review articles of patio wicker furniture at the Sunset Patio Furniture site.

Have you thought to read our review of the best-selling outdoor patio wicker deep seating set 4 piece.