Buying designer garden furniture is not easy especially with the many exciting materials and designs to choose from.

One such material that has had a resurgence the last few years is rattan and synthetic rattan. So many seem to sell this material so we thought we'd take a few moments of your precious time and explain, how are rattan chairs actually made?

What is rattan?

Rattan is a kind of palm found in various parts of Asia, Africa, and Australasia. Rattan, also known as wicker, is popular, but they deteriorate rapidly outdoors, which is why the trend for synthetic rattan dining chairs is growing in Europe and the US.

Synthetic rattan furniture looks and feels very similar to authentic rattan, being built to imitate the precise structure of the smooth and strong rattan palms. Only by looking very closely at the details of synthetic rattan are some very small differences really noticeable, and actually synthetic rattan furniture is in some ways better than authentic rattan furniture, due in part to its durability, which makes it especially good for outdoor use making it an obvious choice for those looking for durable wicker garden furniture.

Additionally, designer garden furniture made from synthetic rattan can come in an array of colours to give a modern and fresh look to your garden. The chairs below are a great example of synthetic rattan with a retro design and a spice of colour.

Synthetic rattan chairs are often built around an aluminium frame; this is to ensure that they keep their shape and strength for years to come, and provides a good starting point from which to weave the rest of the chair. This aluminium frame is composed of a thick tube which can be bent and welded to match the desired shape of the rattan chair. The type of aluminium used for the frame is just as important as the rattan itself, as this will affect the strength and durability of the final product.

What is synthetic rattan made from?

Synthetic rattan itself is made from a kind of plastic; often, synthetic rattan is made from either High-Density Polypropylene (HDPP) or High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE). This plastic is then coloured and treated with chemicals in order to keep it durable, waterproof, and resistant to bacteria. Once the frame of the synthetic rattan chair has been built, the synthetic rattan itself can be weaved around the chair.

The exact way that resin rattan is weaved around the frame of the chair will depend entirely on the desired look of the final chair. Some weaves are big and flowing while others are very intricate and complex. The final chair will always look like a work solely built of synthetic rattan; the weaver should always cover the aluminium frame up entirely during their work.