Guide
Where to Buy Patio Furniture: Which Stores Are Worth Your Money
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The best place to buy patio furniture depends on what you value most: home centers and IKEA for pieces you can see before you pay, warehouse clubs and big online stores for price and convenience, and specialty brands for heavier materials and longer-lasting construction. Whichever you choose, buy at the end of the season and check the return terms first.
This guide compares the main places to shop, explains who each one suits, and shows how to avoid the usual mistakes. If you are still deciding what to buy, start with our roundup of the best outdoor furniture, then come back here to pick the store.
Where is the best place to get outdoor patio furniture?
There is no single best store. Home centers suit people who want to sit on a chair first, warehouse clubs and online shops suit people who want range and easy delivery, and specialty brands suit people who want premium materials. Match the store to your priority, then compare the same material across two or three of them.
Home improvement stores
Home Depot and Lowe’s are where most people start, and for good reason. You can walk the aisles, sit on a chair, lift a side table and judge how heavy a frame feels. Staff can usually point you to the weather-resistant lines. The trade-off is that floor space is limited, so the range you see in the store is smaller than what is listed on the website, and bulky sets often ship to your home or wait for in-store pickup.
They are the right first stop if this is your first patio set and you are not sure what size or style you want.
Warehouse clubs and big-box retailers
Costco and Walmart both sell outdoor furniture, mostly as complete sets. The appeal is that you get a matching group of pieces in one purchase, often with cushions included. The catch is that club stock is seasonal and changes constantly, so a set you liked in May may be gone in July. Read the specific return terms for the exact item, because outdoor and seasonal products can be handled differently from everyday goods.
IKEA, World Market and Yardbird
These three sit in the middle: design-led, easy to browse, and more affordable than most specialty brands. IKEA is the easiest to judge in person. Its US return policy gives you 365 days for unopened products and 180 days for open ones with proof of purchase, according to IKEA’s own returns page. That is a generous window for something you will only fully test once you have assembled it and lived with it. World Market is a good place for small tables, poufs and accent pieces. Yardbird sells in a more modern, designer style.
Online marketplaces and direct brands
Amazon and similar marketplaces have the widest range and the easiest comparison. They are also where product quality varies the most, so lean on dimensions, frame material, cushion filling and the return policy listed on the product page, not the photos. Direct brands that ship from their own site often give you better photos, clearer specifications and a warranty written for outdoor use. Use our best outdoor furniture roundup if you want a shortlist instead of browsing alone.
Who makes the best affordable patio furniture?
Affordable does not mean one brand. The best budget furniture is usually a simple aluminum or powder-coated steel frame with replaceable cushions, sold by a mainstream retailer with a clear return policy. Avoid thin cushion filling, bare steel and unfinished wood, which are the first things to fail outdoors.
What to look for in a low-price set
Start with the frame. Aluminum does not rust, which makes it the easiest material to live with on a budget. Powder-coated steel is stronger and heavier but rusts once the finish chips, so inspect the joints and the feet. Resin wicker over an aluminum frame looks like natural wicker and sheds water well. Our guide on which outdoor furniture is the most durable goes through every common material.
Then check the cushions. Cheap sets often use thin foam that flattens quickly and covers that fade. If the set is otherwise good, you can usually replace the cushions later without replacing the frame, so a solid frame with weak cushions is a better buy than the reverse.
Where the low prices actually are
Big-box stores, warehouse clubs, IKEA and the large online marketplaces carry most of the entry-level furniture. Specialty and direct brands rarely compete at this tier, but they can be worth a look when they run end-of-season clearance on last year’s colors. If you plan to keep the furniture for years, our overview of the best outdoor furniture separates picks by budget so you can see where paying more is justified.
Used and secondhand
Local marketplace listings, estate sales and consignment shops can turn up solid metal and teak pieces that cost far more new. Inspect them in person. Look for cracked welds, wobbling legs, rust that flakes off in sheets, and any sign of rot. Cushions are rarely worth buying used, but you can pair a good secondhand frame with new cushions.
Is Lowes or Home Depot better for patio furniture?
Neither is clearly better. Both sell a similar mix of mass-market sets and brand-name lines, both let you pick up in store, and both run seasonal sales. Compare the exact set you want at each, then choose on price, delivery date and the return policy shown at checkout.
How to compare them quickly
Do the comparison on the same product category rather than on the store as a whole. Search for the same material and size at both, then look at four things:
- Total cost: the shelf price plus delivery or assembly fees.
- Availability: whether you can pick it up nearby or it ships in days, not weeks.
- Return window: how long you have and whether bulky items can be returned in store.
- Warranty: the manufacturer’s coverage for frame, finish and cushions, which differs by brand rather than by store.
When a different store beats both
If you want to compare several brands, check the same set at a warehouse club or a specialty retailer too. If your priority is a single, well-built statement piece, a dedicated outdoor furniture brand will usually give you better materials than either home center.
When can you get the best deals on patio furniture?
Buy at the end of the season. Bob Vila’s buying guide points to August and September as stores clear summer stock, with late October bringing the deepest discounts, and it warns against expecting discounts going into the summer months. Our patio furniture sale calendar covers the timing in more detail.
The calendar that works
Bob Vila lists several windows: sales that begin in August, Labor Day weekend markdowns, late October clearances as stores make room for winter stock, January sales on leftover items in stores, and February online sales as retailers free up warehouse space. Holiday weekends such as Earth Day, Memorial Day and Labor Day also bring promotions. The trade-off is selection. By the time prices fall, the most popular sets and colors are often gone, so be ready to be flexible on style.
Buy now, store until spring
If you buy in the fall, you need somewhere to keep the furniture until spring. Read our guide to storing patio furniture and plan the space before you order. If you will leave the set outside, pair it with a proper cover. See the best patio furniture covers for options.
What to Check Before You Buy Anywhere
Store choice matters less than the product itself. Run through this short list at any retailer.
Frame, finish and cushions
- Frame material: aluminum for no rust, teak for premium weathering, powder-coated steel for weight, resin wicker over aluminum for a softer look.
- Finish: look for a clean, even powder coat or a sealed finish, and ask what the warranty says about chipping and fading.
- Cushions: removable covers, quick-drying foam, and a fabric rated for outdoor use.
Size, space and delivery
Measure the patio and mark the footprint on the ground with tape before you order. Leave room to pull chairs out and walk around the table. Check delivery details too: large boxes may arrive curbside, and some retailers charge extra for assembly. Ask whether a damaged part can be replaced without returning the entire set.
Returns and warranty
Read the return policy for the exact item before you pay, not the store’s general page. Seasonal and bulky items are sometimes treated differently from everyday goods. Keep the box and packaging until you have assembled and sat on every chair. Photograph any damage before you contact customer service.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
Keep going: best outdoor furniture, the most durable outdoor furniture, how to clean patio furniture, how to store patio furniture and best patio furniture covers.