Creating a welcoming outdoor living space can completely change how you use your home during the warmer months. After years of styling our patios, deck, and backyard spaces, I’m sharing the outdoor furniture stores, materials, and pieces that have truly held up to hosting, kids, Chicago weather, and real life.
During the summer, we host outside constantly. Friends over for cocktails, family dinners on the patio, movie nights under the pergola, kids running barefoot through the backyard…our outdoor space becomes an extension of our home for a good six months out of the year. Because of that, I’ve learned pretty quickly what outdoor furniture is actually worth investing in and what simply doesn’t hold up.
I’ve dealt with beautiful teak tables that require tons of maintenance, white cushions that looked dirty almost immediately, rugs that lasted one season, and coffee tables that peeled after a few harsh winters.
But I’ve also found outdoor sofas that lasted five years beautifully, affordable side tables that look far more expensive than they were, and durable materials that survive rain, kids, entertaining, and Chicago weather surprisingly well.
So today, I wanted to share where I personally shop for outdoor furniture, what I think is worth splurging on, where you can save money, and the pieces that truly make the biggest impact when creating an outdoor space that feels comfortable, functional, and lived in.
How Our Tiny Condo Balcony Shaped My Outdoor Style
Back in our condo days, we had the tiniest awkward triangle-shaped balcony. That little space taught me the most about outdoor design. When you’re working with limited square footage, every piece has to earn its place. We squeezed in a couch, chair, coffee table, plants, string lights, and way too many flowers…and somehow made it feel incredibly inviting.
That experience completely shaped how I approach outdoor spaces now. Whether you have a tiny balcony, suburban deck, or large backyard patio, I think outdoor spaces work best when they feel layered and lived in. Comfortable seating, an outdoor rug, lighting, planters, and a little shade can completely transform even the most basic patio setup.
What I’ve Learned About Buying Outdoor Furniture
After years of decorating outdoor spaces, I definitely have a few strong opinions at this point.
Seating is worth the splurge
We’ve had our Article outdoor sectional for five years, and it has held up incredibly well through kids, hosting, rainstorms, and everyday life. If there’s one category I’d spend more money on, it’s comfortable outdoor seating.
White cushions are stressful
They look beautiful for about five minutes. I now almost always gravitate toward darker cushions that hide dirt and can handle real life a little better.
I usually don’t splurge on lanterns, planters, or patio decor. All of these things can take a beating, so I prefer more affordable options that I won’t stress about replacing down the road.
We store our cushions during the winter, roll up our rugs, and cover larger furniture pieces. But during the summer? I want furniture that can survive real life without constantly stressing about every rainstorm. If we can, we throw our cushions in the garage before the rain comes. However, we don’t worry if they get wet. They dry out quickly!
My Favorite Outdoor Furniture Stores
When it comes to outdoor furniture, I’ve learned that every store does something well. Some are great for investment pieces that will last for years, while others are perfect for affordable accessories, patio decor, or trendier items that you may only want for a few seasons.
I also think it’s important to mix high and low pieces outdoors. I’d much rather splurge on comfortable outdoor seating or a dining table that gets constant use, then save on rugs, lanterns, side tables, and planters.
Here are the outdoor furniture stores I personally shop most often and what I think each one does best.
Article: Most of our outdoor furniture is from Article and it has honestly held up really well over the past five years. Their pieces are definitely more of an investment, but I love their modern, contemporary style and the quality has been great for us. Our outdoor sectional and cozy lounge chairs are all from there and have survived kids, hosting, and Chicago weather surprisingly well.
Wayfair: One of my favorite places to browse for affordable outdoor furniture and patio decor, especially around Memorial Day sales. You definitely have to dig a little, but there are some really stylish finds hidden in there. I’ve had the best luck with side tables, patio umbrellas, outdoor coffee tables, and accessories.
Yardbird: We bought our teak dining table from Yardbird about five years ago and it’s still beautiful. Their furniture feels substantial and high quality, but teak definitely requires yearly maintenance and sealing. Gorgeous pieces if you’re looking for long-term investment furniture.
Target: Their outdoor collections have gotten much more stylish over the years, and it’s an easy place to find affordable furniture.
Lowe’s & Home Depot: I know people don’t always think of these stores for stylish outdoor furniture, but I’ve actually found some really chic side tables, planters, outdoor rugs, and patio umbrellas there over the years. Great for affordable pieces that still look elevated.
Pottery Barn & Crate & Barrel: Definitely more splurge-worthy, but both stores have beautiful outdoor furniture collections if you’re looking for timeless pieces and classic outdoor styling. I especially love browsing these stores for inspiration and larger investment pieces.
HomeGoods: One of my favorite spots for inexpensive outdoor accessories. I’ve found planters, lanterns, outdoor pillows, and random patio decor pieces there for years.
POLYWOOD: People swear by POLYWOOD for a reason. Their furniture is made from high-density polyethylene, which basically means it’s incredibly durable and can handle harsh weather conditions really well. I personally lean a little more toward a modern style, but if durability and low maintenance are your top priorities, this is one of the best outdoor furniture brands out there. It does come with a price tag though!
Costco: I personally haven’t purchased outdoor furniture from Costco yet, but I constantly hear good things from readers and friends. Their outdoor furniture sets tend to sell out quickly every spring and people rave about the value for the quality.
AllModern: While they sell a wide range of furniture, they do have a nice selection of contemporary outdoor styles.
What’s Actually Worth Splurging On Outdoors
Comfortable seating: If you spend a lot of time outside like we do, comfortable outdoor seating is absolutely worth the investment. A good outdoor sofa or sectional completely changes how often you’ll actually use your space.
A dining table: Our teak dining table has required maintenance over the years, but it’s also where we’ve hosted countless dinners, birthday parties, and summer nights with friends. If you entertain often, a good outdoor dining setup is worth it.
An umbrella stand: This feels random, but trust me on this one. A sturdy umbrella stand makes a huge difference, especially if you deal with wind. Cheap ones tend to tip, slide around, or feel flimsy pretty quickly.
A fire pit: We use our Solo Stove constantly. It instantly makes the backyard feel warm and extends how long we can comfortably hang out outside during spring and fall. This Substack post has all of the scoop about our solo stove.
Outdoor TV: We have an outdoor TV underneath our pergola, and it is so amazing to do outdoor family movie nights. We keep the TV up all year round, but just put a cover on it during winter. Yes, it’s rated to handle outdoor weather and even snow!
Pergola: Hands down the best addition to our backyard. Instantly made the side of our garage feel like an outdoor living room.
Planters & accessories: I’ve found great affordable patio decor at Target, HomeGoods, Lowe’s, and Wayfair over the years.
Lanterns: Some of my favorite outdoor lanterns have actually been inexpensive finds. They still create that layered glow without needing to spend a fortune.
Trendier decor pieces: I usually save on pillows, side tables, and smaller accent pieces since my style changes more often with those items.
How We Store & Protect Our Outdoor Furniture
One of the questions I get constantly is how we protect our outdoor furniture during Chicago winters. From about November through April, we bring all of our outdoor cushions into the garage or store them inside a large deck box hidden behind our sectional. We also roll up our outdoor rugs for the winter and store our patio umbrella in the garage.
For the larger furniture pieces that stay outside, we use furniture covers during the colder months. It’s definitely not the prettiest setup, but it helps protect everything from snow, ice, and constant moisture.
During the summer, we are much more relaxed about it. If a big storm is coming and we’re already outside, we’ll sometimes move cushions into the garage so they dry faster. But overall, I want outdoor furniture that can survive being lived on without constantly stressing about it.
One thing that has helped tremendously is our pergola setup. As long as it’s not a heavy storm, the furniture underneath actually stays surprisingly dry. It’s made our outdoor living space so much more functional and low maintenance.
And finally, I cannot recommend pressure washing enough. Every spring, I pressure wash our cushions, rugs, patio surfaces, and outdoor furniture to freshen everything back up after winter. It makes such a difference.
Best Outdoor Furniture Materials
Over the years, I’ve realized the material you choose matters just as much as the style.
Teak: Beautiful and timeless, but definitely high maintenance. Our teak dining table still looks gorgeous after five years, but it requires yearly cleaning and sealing.
Weather wicker: One of the most durable materials we’ve used outdoors. I’d just recommend looking for styles that feel a little more modern and less bulky.
POLYWOOD: Probably one of the most durable and low-maintenance outdoor furniture materials out there. It handles harsh weather conditions incredibly well, and people absolutely swear by it.
Performance fabrics: Worth every penny if you have kids, entertain often, or live somewhere with unpredictable weather.
Dark cushions: This may be my biggest outdoor furniture opinion of all. Darker cushions simply hold up and hide dirt so much better than white or cream fabrics.
Roundup of My Favorite Outdoor Products
If you’re looking to purchase a few new things for your backyard, here are some options I recommend. You can also shop everything from my backyard here.
Outdoor furniture can get expensive quickly, which is why I’ve become much more intentional over the years about what’s worth investing in and where I prefer to save money.
At the end of the day, I really think outdoor spaces should feel lived in and easy to enjoy. Some of our favorite family memories happen outside during the warmer months, and it honestly doesn’t take a massive backyard or a huge budget to create a space people naturally want to gather in.
