How To Find The Best Adirondack Chairs For You (Plus A Few Deals)

628

Adirondack chairs are the perfect addition to any porch or patio. They’re comfortable, stylish, and they give you a great view of your yard.

An Adirondack chair is a wooden chair that is used outdoors especially on beaches, pools, etc. which have a slanted back and uplifted seat that enables resting of legs as well with wide armrests.

They were designed by Thomas Lee in 1903 and which was commercialized and patented by Harry Bunnel, a carpenter friend.

Materials used for making an Adirondack chair: Pine and hemlock were used but they are quite prone to mildew and rotting. They are frequently attacked with termites. These woods are not pricey but they need frequent UV rated coating of enamel.

Cedar is another wood that is used as it is resistant to rot and is readily available in North America. The best cedar with long life and durability is Western red cedar. Cypress and teak are resistant to rot and termites.

Other materials employed are engineered wood and plastic lumber. They are available in plastic which is light in weight and weather resistant and also less likely to damage.

Best Adirondack Chairs

Tourists flocked to the Adirondack region after the 1869 publication of Adventures in the Wilderness; Or, Camp-Life in the Adirondacks. The book’s author, William H.H. Murray, the father of the Outdoor Movement, wrote it for those “who pent up in narrow offices and narrower studies, weary of the city’s din, long for a breath of mountain air and the free life by field and flood.”

Outdoor life is still at the heart of Adirondack furniture’s appeal today. Though not made from crates, salvaged wood, or waste from sawmills as the first Adirondack chairs were, contemporary Adirondack chairs retain their rustic simplicity, albeit it with more elegant materials, including teak, mahogany, oak, cedar, white fir, and other attractive and durable woods.

Materials

Wood

Wood Adirondack chairs are the traditional choice. They can be stained or left unfinished and allowed to weather to a natural gray. White and dark green are the most traditional colors, but painted Adirondack chairs are also available in blue, pink, and other bright and cheerful hues.

When selecting a wood type for your Adirondack chair, consider not only color and texture but also the wood’s natural qualities.

Teak

Teak Adirondack chairs, for example, will offer superb durability and weather resistance.

Cedar

Cedar is another ideal Adirondack chair material because of its natural resistance to cracking and moisture rot. Cedar also has a rich aroma that’s not only pleasing to the senses but functions as a natural insect repellent.

Cypress

Cypress Adirondack chairs have tight grains that stand strong against warping. Natural oils in cypress, much like those in cedar, help the wood remain rot- and insect-resistant. A weathered finish, using acrylic stains in shades of white, is one of the most popular styles of finished cypress.

Pine

One of the most beautiful wood types when regularly stained, the naturally occurring knots in pinewood are one aspect that people enjoy. Pine resists insects, rot, and weathering when properly maintained.

Mahogany

A wood with beautiful, rich grains, Mahogany is a tropical hardwood that’s comparable in strength to oak or teak. It’s much more scratch-resistant than softer woods like cedar and pine. Refinish mahogany annually to maintain its scratch-resistant, unique finish. As a hardwood, tropical Mahogany is finely grained and can resist decay.

Shorea

Shorea is a great choice for people who like aged wood in shades of silver. Straight-grained Shorea will age from light lustrous brown to a beautiful gray when left unfinished (teak oil will preserve the original golden color). Shorea is also repellant to many insects and stands strong against harsh weather.

Oak

Tightly grained, this hardwood contains its own naturally occurring preservative, helping it resist insects and weather. Light oak is popular for its soft brown coloring.

All-Weather Plastic

The spirit of the Outdoor Movement that turned the Adirondacks into America’s campground has taken a new turn with today’s environmentally friendly Adirondack chairs. Using sustainable wood sources, for example, many manufacturers are conscientious in their efforts to prevent deforestation, harvesting only plantation-grown woods.

Our recycled plastic chairs are also extremely popular among eco-conscious shoppers. These pieces utilize plastic milk jugs and other refuse that would otherwise end up in our landfills. Recycled plastic furniture offers the added benefits of being maintenance-free.

Designs

Variations on the standard Adirondack design include chairs with curved “comfort” backs and oversized seats. For intermittent use or easy portability, we recommend browsing our selection of folding Adirondack chairs. Sunbathers love our reclining Adirondack chairs, and for those times when sitting outside with your feet up is an absolute must, our all-in-one Adirondack chairs feature a slide-out ottoman.

Adirondack rocking chairs were traditionally made from yellow birch, a wood that provided strength, a leather-like texture, and reddish color (the heartwood of yellow birch is actually reddish-brown). Wood is still perhaps the most popular material choice for Adirondack rockers, though consumers can now select from mahogany, teak, cypress, and cedar rocking chairs that provide the same comfort, durability, and tranquility as the yellow birch rockers of the early 20th century.

Other Adirondack designs include porch swings, benches, gliders, and coordinating side tables. For children, we offer a range of authentic Adirondack styles perfectly sized for smaller loungers, including chairs, ottomans, rockers, and benches.

Adirondack Sets

Along with outdoor leisure, Adirondack chairs are also about sociability: a casual conversation on the cottage porch, BBQs in the backyard, or fun times by the pool or riverside with friends and family. Choose a set with a matching side table for casual use or one of our Adirondack dining sets for more formal occasions.

Chair Cushions

We promise that our Adirondack chairs are comfortable, but they’re even more comfortable with our Adirondack chair cushions and toss pillows. Pillows and chair cushions are also a simple and inexpensive way to add color to your decor.

Plastic Adirondack Chairs

Why should you choose to have your beautiful classic Adirondack furniture made from plastic, rather than the traditional hardwood?

Well, you will find several more reasons than you might first realize. Polywood or plastic Adirondack chairs are really strong, these are certainly not like the cheap throwaway plastic chairs found in discount stores, the Poly-wood Adirondacks have guarantees for up to 20 years!

Firstly let’s define our plastic; Polywood is not the usual kind of plastic that costs next to nothing and will last 3 or 4 years if lucky, with sunlight (UV) fading the color, and frost making the plastic extremely brittle.

No; we’re talking about fully recycled plastic manufactured to replace wood, hence its name Polywood comes with long guarantees, 20 years isn’t unusual!

Polywood is impervious to sunlight and ultraviolet light, so the color won’t fade, it’s not affected by salt or swimming pool chemicals, and unlike wood will not split or splinter.

The look

They also look wonderful, are available in a wide range of non-fade colors, and can be manufactured with wood grain detail added. In fact, the detailing is so good, you’ll have to physically touch the chair to identify if it’s wood or plastic.

They’re also excellent for the environment. Recycled plastic Adirondack chairs are guaranteed for up to 20 years, no trees are harmed in the making of these chairs, and by recycling the plastic, we don’t have to manufacture more.

Cleaning Plastic Adirondack Chairs

Warm water and sponge, or light hosing down at the start of the season is all that’s necessary in terms of care and maintenance. No rubbing down, and re-painting, or re-staining and varnishing necessary with Polywood chairs.

Costing usually between $280 – $400 Polywood or recycled plastic Adirondack chairs are certainly not cheap. With long guarantees there designed to last a lifetime.

Being plastic there is an endless choice of colors, and with wood look-a-like finishes offered as well, they are something for everyone.

Average dimensions, weight 45 – 60 lbs length 33 – 38 x width 30 – 34 x Height 38 – 43 inches.

Though the Adirondack is a truly classic design, you’ll find several variations, and additions to enable you to build your ideal garden suite.

So as well as the classic chair, there are ottoman (footstool) options to compliment your chair, as well as recliner and rocker variations. Matching tables can also be added as required.

So enjoy checking through all the online and offline retailers to see all the Adirondack options from chairs, recliners, sliders, rockers, ottomans, and tables, and whatever you decide to buy, I hope you have many years of outside relaxation and pleasure.

Kids Adirondack Chairs

Kids Adirondack chairs are comfortable and cute chairs that are perfectly suited for your little ones. Just like their adult counterparts, Adirondack chairs for kids are also prepared from high-quality materials and are meant to last for years, even after children outgrow them.

Further, these chairs are designed creatively to make them appealing to children.

Kids simply love Adirondack chairs featuring animal prints. For instance, check out this intriguing Frog Adirondack Kids Chair prepared from solid wood. It has a hand-painted finish.

Colored Plastic Adirondack Chairs: Variety of designs

Manufacturers are getting more and more creative with their designs. You can now even find plastic Adirondack chairs that rock, benches, footrests, recliners, and even gliders.

In the country, you will often find these chairs painted in bright vibrant colors and you can do the same with the plastic versions as well.

They come in wide ranges of designs and colors. You shouldn’t have a hard time finding colored plastic Adirondack chairs that fit your style.

One of the best features of these plastic Adirondack chairs is their durability and ease of cleaning. Cleaning these chairs just takes some simple soap and water or your favorite household cleaner.

Plus with the plastic chairs, you don’t have to worry about insects getting into the wood and destroying them.

They are great for backyards, patios, around the pool, and even on the beach. They will provide you comfort in just about any area you can think of.

Accessories for Your Plastic Adirondack Chairs

Truth to tell, plastic Adirondack chairs don’t need much, if anything, in the way of accessories or extras. For many of us fans, they are perfect as they are–unless you consider a frosty drink sitting on the armrest as an accessory.

However, we know there is nothing in this world for which someone won’t come up with a few cool accessories, and the Adirondack chair, whether made of plastic (such as PolyWood) or traditional wood, is no exception.

Most manufacturers of plastic Adirondack chairs also make matching ottomans, footstools, and leg stools. The stools, often with a curved shape so you can comfortably rest and relax your legs on them, act effectually as an extension of the chair itself.

Having a few of these stools available for your guests will complete your outdoor seating ensemble rather nicely.

In addition to stools, you might want to outfit the seats with Adirondack chair cushions. These, of course, can be found in many styles and colors. Matching your cushions to your chairs is possible, though creating bright contrasts is a good decorating approach, too. For instance, why not add a sun-yellow cushion to a sea-blue chair?

Many seat cushions come with straps that will let you tie them to the chair to keep them from slipping off or being blown away. And for reclining Adirondack chairs, you can supply outdoor pillows or cushions, perfect for an afternoon snooze in the warm summer air.

Try to only buy cushions that are as weatherproof as your chairs themselves.

What else? Well, there are nifty little side tables that you can buy that are designed to go with your plastic Adirondack chairs.

Let’s face it: As convenient as this chair’s wide, flat arms are for holding stuff, some people like to settle in with more accouterments than even those famous armrests can accommodate.

An outdoor serving table can hold books, an iPod or radio, or a bottle of sunscreen as well as food and drink.

An offset umbrella (also called a cantilever umbrella) on a stand can provide shade for your chair, especially if that chair is out on an open lawn with no trees around it.

A well-positioned umbrella will turn your Adirondack chair into a cool oasis instead of a place where people broil in the sun.

We’re sure there are other accessories you can think of, but these should give you some ideas for starters.

Poly-Wood Plastic Adirondack Chairs Are All-Weather Marvels

Among the most popular of plastic Adirondack chairs are the ones made of Poly-Wood®. In fact, this environmentally friendly and amazingly durable material is turning up in all kinds of outdoor patio furniture.

Poly-Wood Adirondack chairs look like the classic summer seats in almost every way. Hard to believe they are made from recycled milk jugs, isn’t it? That’s right. The raw material in these recycled plastic Adirondack chairs is post-consumer waste such as milk and detergent bottles (high-density polyethylene or HDPE).

Decontaminated and cleaned, this recycled plastic material is made into the Poly-wood lumber from which Adirondack chairs and other outdoor furniture are then constructed.

The result is high-quality furnishings for your lawn or garden that are impervious to weather, including rain, saltwater, snow, ice, and sun. Poly-wood plastic Adirondack chairs will stand up to whatever nature throws at them.

A classic when it comes to durability

Although well made and carefully finished wood Adirondack chairs are certainly a classic, for durability the prize has to go to the modern “milk jug” plastic versions.

Think of what an outdoor Adirondack chair goes through sitting on the lawn or garden, or on the deck of your beach cottage, month after month. It is reassuring to know that you can own this classic design made from a material that is unusually resistant to insects, funguses, oil, salt spray, etc.

Furthermore, this type of plastic Adirondack chair will not absorb moisture. As a result, you do not have to worry about rotting, splintering, or cracking. And that means, in turn, that you will not need to spend time or elbow grease with such maintenance chores as waterproofing, painting or staining, etc. These plastic outdoor chairs can be left outside year-round.

Furniture made from Polywood can be had in every color of the rainbow. For a calm, sedate setting, you might choose a woodsy green or a beach-house white for your chairs. For more fun and whimsical atmosphere, you might instead choose a mix of colors, ranging from oranges and yellows to crimsons, from lime green to sky blue to colors as richly hued as those of the Caribbean Sea.

As for styles, you can get kids Adirondack chairs in this recycled plastic material, as well as folding Adirondack chairs and even reclining versions. The marriage of a traditional outdoor seating design with the latest and best all-weather materials has turned out to be one made in heaven.

We have to wonder what Thomas Lee would have thought of today’s modern Adirondack chair. Lee is credited with inventing the style back in 1903 when he needed outdoor chairs for his summer home, which was near Westport, New York, a town in the Adirondack mountain region.

It is Lee who came up with the idea of putting wide, flat armrests on a chair to make it suitable for holding refreshments on long, lazy summer days and on nights around a fire. Of course, his chairs–which were also called Muskoka chairs, after the place in Ontario from which Lee hailed–were made of wood.

Adirondack Chair Cushions

Adirondack Chair Cushions are designed such that they fit properly and are comfortable for seating and suitable for the weather. The cushion is covered with fabric that is a weather-resistant and durable material. The fabric is entitled to resist fading and staining. The material should be resistant to mildew.

They can be fitted to the chair by back ties. The cushion is filled thickly for comfort and the material used is polyester which is nonabsorbent. An Adirondack chair cushion covers the back and seating part of the wood to provide comfort to the back and seating.

What is an Adirondack chair?

This chair is also known by the name Muskoka chair or Laurentian chair. This is a wooden chair that is rustic in nature and employed for outdoor use. It is uniquely made out of flat boards of woods, about 11 in number. There are a back and seating is with wider armrests.

The material used for making the Adirondack chair cushions

Adirondack Chair Cushions need to weather-resistant, resistant to mildew and fungus. The materials employed are from polyester to foam to fiber with variant fabrics and covers. They come in various colors and styles and designs.

How to choose the best Adirondack Chair Cushion?

Adirondack chairs are usually slanted to the backside to lie down whereas in the front, it is upward. Hence a chair cushion with proper fitting and finishing should be chosen for a good look and for comfort. The fabric should be waterproof, the material of the cushion should be comfortable and of quality and the appearance should be designer and trendy. This chair should add to your style and pool lounge.

For a 2-piece Adirondack chair, a 2-piece cushion can be adopted. A single piece generally is a full cushion piece that covers the seat and the backrest whereas a 2-piece cushion employs one piece for the backrest and one for the seat.

The pattern of the Adirondack Chair Cushion can be chosen according to your interest and need. For an informal look, classic striped fabric or a floral pattern can be taken with a smooth texture whereas for a formal look a padded cushion that is thick with a backrest that is button tufted will look great.

These chairs can be made elegant with attractive cushions and can be used indoors to adding a décor element to your interiors. Various colors also can be adopted from green to jewel tones of blue. Even yellow or pink pastel shades give a royal look to the chair.

To get a good clean finish of the cushion, employ rear or side zippers. This will not give a tacky look to this furniture. Even a single piece of only seating cushion can be tied up for providing a natural wooden appearance of the Adirondack chair. Whether it is a single piece covering the whole chair or a double piece covering with divided cushioning, the fasteners should be tied such that there is no cushion slipping and fasteners should be invisible.

Even a zipper can be employed for the cover of the cushion which can later be removed and washed. As they are used outdoors they are prone to sand and dirt, hence removable covers will come in handy.

Always buy an Adirondack chair cushion that goes well with the color of the Adirondack chair. There should not be a mismatch in color. Different patterns and designs of the chosen color can be taken to add elegance and style to the chair.

Before you start a project, there are several Adirondack chair plans to consider and it is a smart move to know some things before choosing the right Adirondack chair plans for your new project. It will make everything simpler and easier for you on your first attempt.

1. People dealing with Adirondack chair woodworking plans would recommend wooden Adirondack chairs, the most sought-after type because of their unique beauty outdoors. It can withstand the heat of the sun and stay cool, an excellent material for comfort, durability, and style. It just needs to be cleaned and maintained to keep it fresh looking. With a flexible and folding design, you only need a small storage area to keep and protect it right after use.

2. Generally speaking, most people prefer the wooden Adirondack chair, and if you are one of them, the next tip to consider is to decide whether you want the hardwood or the softwood. Softwoods are not that durable at all but cheaper. Hardwood can be depended on for a longer period of time but are more expensive. Hardwood is best for Adirondack rocking chair plans both for permanent or folding Adirondack chair plans that practically hold extreme weight during its moving motion back and forth.

3. Plastic Adirondack chairs are also preferred by some because of their fair price and availability in the market. The fact that they can be stackable makes it interesting and more practical in terms of storage areas. They don’t need to be cleaned much, just a simple wiping will do. The plastic Adirondack chair plan must be used under a roof or a picnic umbrella to leave it cool avoiding the heat of the sun. Since it is made of light plastic, it can be moved frequently without too much effort. Being one of the most commonly used Adirondack chair plans, it is quite useful for parties and reunions.

4. Metal Adirondack chairs are favorable if you need a durable and sturdy piece of indoor furniture. It can be a resting chair inside a gym or receiving rooms. This metal Adirondack chair easily becomes hot under direct sunlight.

5. If you have seen and tried sitting on an Adirondack chair that you find comfortable according to your taste, try observing every detail of it. When you will be making your own Adirondack chair plans, put those likable aspects you have seen, and rest assured, you will be constructing a masterpiece.

Creating your own Adirondack chair plans for the first time will surely be rewarding as you actually build it on your own creative style.

Final Words

Adirondack chairs are undeniably comfortable and lovely furniture that can be placed in your garden or patio. If you want to achieve that classic yet timeless look, better start looking for the perfect Adirondack chair plans that will guide you in creating a masterpiece.

Last update on 2024-04-05 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API