Teak Garden Furniture Buying Guide

Teak is one of the top choices of material for wooden garden furniture. It’s a premium hardwood known for its durability, weather resistance, and beauty. However, teak furniture isn’t created equal. This guide covers the different grades, whether you’re buying soon or looking for future references.

Teak in Garden Furniture

Teak is a benchmark material that holds up over time. In fact, it’s regarded as one of the most sought-after wood types for crafting outdoor furniture. Teak also contains resin that gives it natural resistance against water and rot, making it the gold standard of decay resistance. In furniture making, it creates a beautiful and long-lasting piece.

Teak garden furniture has a golden brown in colour thanks to its natural oils, which age into a silvery-grey patina over time. Investing in teak means you’re getting sturdy outdoor pieces that will last for many years, even with little maintenance. You can find everything from dining sets and benches to loungers and coffee tables, to name a few! It can be easily mixed and matched with other wooden pieces or furniture accessories, like garden cushions.

Different Grades of Teak Garden Furniture

Teak wood grades determine how long your furniture will last and its appearance over time. The grade depends on where the wood is sourced from the tree; the higher the grade, the better the quality. So, how is this determined?

Grade A

Grade A teak is the best quality and is favoured for its uniform finish, honey colour, close grains, and glossy sheen. It’s taken from the heart of the tree—the central, darker part of the teak trunk. The heartwood, as they call it, is the densest and strongest part of the tree, composed of older, dead cells. This maturity makes Grade A teak garden furniture durable, rot-resistant, and packed with natural oils.

Grade B

Grade B teak makes great garden furniture. It’s sourced from the outer heartwood section, also known as the sapwood. This part has a lighter-coloured layer with uneven grain and less shine, and it contains fewer natural oils than A-grade teak.

Note: Sapwood is younger and less dense, making it less durable than heartwood.

Grade C

Grade C teak is of inferior quality, taken from the tree’s outer sections, aka bark. It contains no natural oils, has a very uneven colour, and is easily damaged because it’s so soft. This grade level is often found in less expensive patio sets with numerous knots and irregular grain patterns.

How to Identify Genuine Teak Wood?

You can identify genuine teak wood in a furniture piece by paying attention to its look, feel, and fragrance. It should have even, pale, golden colour, close, straight grains, and a glossy sheen—most of which are found in Grade A teaks. It will feel oily to the touch and won’t splinter. Plus, it has a light, earthy smell, sometimes likened to leather.

This Lincombe Adirondack rocking chair set is a great example. It has that rich golden colour with a glossy finish of a Grade A teak. For more selections, browse through our available items, including wooden garden dining sets.

We hope you find this guide helpful! Always remember these grades to find the best teak garden furniture for your needs. Feel free to read our next guide, ‘Wooden Garden Furniture Buying Guide,’ for more information.