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Whether you’re dining al fresco with the family, entertaining friends or simply soaking up the sunshine with a good book, an outdoor sofa is a fantastic, and suitably more casual, alternative to a full-blown dining set.
Setting the scene and elevating your outdoor space, a garden sofa helps bring the inside out by creating a cosy external living area, thus giving you a whole new “room” to make good use of throughout the summer months.
When it comes to creating an outdoor living area there’s much to consider and, while accessories such as waterproof rugs, cushions and outdoor candles are all key to mimicking the ambiance we love in our homes, an all-weather sofa is the ultimate laidback buy and one that’s sure to become the focal point of your space.
From sofas that come with coffee tables to compact two-seaters, those with built-in storage and even hanging seats, there’s an option to suit everyone and every type of outdoor scene. Many garden sofas are modular too, giving you ultimate flexibility to change up your sofa shape, switching from a corner sofa to two individual sofas, or even a sofa and a daybed, for example.
Almost all garden sofas are, by definition, made from weatherproof materials. However, while some may come with upholstered cushions that are designed to withstand some rain, others will need to be stored away over the winter months, so it’s worth considering where you’ll keep yours, and whether you’ll need to buy a waterproof cover. As for finish, you can opt for everything from woven synthetic rattan to natural wood or a more modern metal frame.
How we tested
To help you narrow down your search, we’ve spent the past few weeks and months testing the best garden sofas on the market and, owing to the classic British weather, they had everything thrown at them – including heavy rain. We looked for the best garden sofas to suit a range of spaces, from compact options that are ideal for small gardens and balconies to modular seats and swing seats. To make it onto our list, all sofas had to seat at least two adults comfortably and be durable enough to leave outdoors in the warmer months. We gave extra points to stylish sofas and those that offered additional features like storage and customisation options. Naturally, we put a lot of emphasis on overall comfort, too.
The best garden sofas for 2024 are:
- Best garden sofa overall –
- Best budget sofa set – Charles Bentley 4 seater rattan garden furniture set, grey: £400, Wickes.co.uk
- Best compact garden sofa set – Atkin and Thyme Gabriela 4 seat packaway lounge set: £799, Atkinandthyme.co.uk
- Best modula sofa – John Lewis & Partners platform 4-seater modular garden lounging set: £1,199, Johnlewis.com
