Buyers’ guide: Best buy garden armchairs

The inspiration for this surge of stylishly sloping lounge chairs can be traced directly back to an innovative early 20th-century American design. Widely referred to as the Adirondack chair, it was designed in 1903 by Thomas Lee so his family could comfortably settle down outside and soak up the wild and rugged surroundings of the Adirondack Mountains in New York. Far roomier and more supportive than the then-standard, small, Victorian, cast-iron designs and, crucially, with a sloping seat that made for a more relaxed experience, the wooden Adirondack quickly became popular.

Best of all, the sloping angles mean you don’t need cushions to be comfy and rain runs quickly through the open-weave designs, making them a great choice for showery spring days as well as the summer to come. With a few key changes, including an arched back and rounded front edge, the Adirondack is still adored today, and there are plenty of classic all-wood designs on the market if you want to bring an iconic edge to your patio.

There are models that stick closely to the classic design, but are made of different materials, designs that have retained nothing but the angles of the iconic original, and garden armchairs that showcase every stage of evolution in-between! Some have moved just a little way towards more sinuous, easy-on-the-eye curves, while others have ditched the armrests altogether and opted for the sleekest, most minimal of lines.

As the design has been reinterpreted, a whole host of different features and adjustments have been added to tailor these low-slung armchairs to suit our modern needs. Some models - such as hairpin style garden furniture - have nifty folding and lightweight steel frames, to enable you to move the seating with ease, and there are stackable products for simple storage too. There are designs with no armrests at all and those with wide arms for ultimate relaxation, and some come with handy notches to hold your wine glass.

All-wood designs are still popular, and you can find slatted timber designs in everything from smooth-grained teak and pale birch to warm, honey-toned acacia. There are durable faux-wood designs in shades of turquoise, slate blue, and terracotta, which are perfect for adding a dash of colour outdoors. Wood is also being used as a frame around which synthetic polypropylene rope is wound to create chairs with a chic, linear look and a timeless, easy-to-live-with vibe. They’re very comfy too, as these rope-strung sections cleverly yield to support each individual user in pure bliss.

Synthetic or all-weather rattan outdoor furniture is always a good choice because of its easy-care good looks. There are lots of lovely open-weave polypropylene designs in pale natural shades, but we’re seeing an emerging trend for darker rattan shades. Other tantalising options include hardwearing Textilene, which is a crisp, non-stretch fabric perfect for simple sling-style chairs, smooth powdered-coated aluminium in a range of cheery shades, and recycled polypropylene that is moulded into seamless ergonomic forms.

Many slatted timber chairs require metal fixings, so check that they are rustproof and made from stainless steel or are galvanised. Where screws are countersunk into timber, the heads should be filled, ideally with wooden plugs, and sanded smooth for a smart, water-resistant finish.

Natural softwoods are prone to absorbing water, so they will need regular maintenance if they’re to last a full lifespan. If you’re not likely to bother re-treating the wood, then it’s worth spending a little more on hardwoods such as teak or iroko, which contain natural waterproofing oils and need little care to keep them looking good.

If you’re choosing armchairs made from all-weather rattan, look for those that have been through mono-extrusion processes, where the dye is present throughout the entire strand, rather than just the coating, so any scuffs won’t show. And opt for a rigid steel or aluminium frame with minimal joints and screws.