Ultimate Guide to Outdoor Furniture

Gathering your family and friends around a glowing, warm fire in your backyard is the perfect end to any night– but how does one create the perfect space for these fireside scenes? Fire pit furniture is the key to complimenting your outdoor space and with a myriad of styles, materials, and designs to choose from, it’s easy to bring any vision to life.

In this guide to fire pit furniture, we’ll help you navigate which furniture options best suit your lifestyle and outdoor space.

Things to Consider:

Fire pit furniture can be designed and arranged to create any kind of space desired. Whether it be an intimate circle closed around a simple wood burning pit, or a large seating spread with an intricate, stylish fire table in the middle, there are many options available to meet your needs.

It’s important to keep your purpose for furnishing an area in mind and ask yourself these questions:

• • Are you looking to create a space that mimics the warm and comforting feel of an indoor living area?

• • Do you want a fun, outdoor living space catered to embracing a “backyard” feel?

• • Are you looking to compliment an existing space/project or create a new reason to be outdoors around the fire?

• • What does your budget look like? To what degree do you view this furniture as an investment?

• Depending on your lifestyle, which materials will be best suited for your home and how much maintenance are you willing to commit to?

According to business owner Karen Heroux of Casual Image, a family-owned furniture and design business of over thirty years, fire pits serve as great feature pieces to any space– and when paired with the right furniture, can completely repurpose any yard or patio. Determining the intention and a plan for the space will help you minimize the overwhelming amount of options available on the market for fire pit furniture sets.  

Purpose: 

The outdoor furniture industry has exploded in recent years, opening up the possibilities for what an outdoor living space can look like. With the addition of a firepit, anything from crackling wood and roasting marshmallows to a full dining table with cooking capabilities can be created.

Today, lots of homeowners are straying away from showcasing the traditional formal living room in their homes.  These living rooms are filled with nice furniture which is not ever utilized. Instead, people are looking enjoy all the space in their homes and yards, turning formal spaces into casual and outdoor spaces into areas for relaxing and entertaining. A fire pit surrounded by comfy furniture makes the perfect the centerpiece for backyard soriees. With this mindset, the goal is to create a comfortable, inviting area that brings the ease of indoor living to an outdoor environment. A fire pit creates a reason to be outside, and comfortable, cushioned seating can allow for that to happen with extreme comfort and sometimes, even luxury.

With the availability of fire tables, a fire pit can also serve the function of being a dining space. With features such as flat top space and overlays intended for grilling, both cooking and sharing meals can take place with these added touches. If this set up sounds appealing, fire pits and fire pit seating can take the place of an outdated grill and picnic table in a unique, up-to-date fashion.

If the desires for your fire pit lean more towards a casual, family-friendly campfire feel, the furniture and features will look much different than a stylish living area. Furniture can be tailored to blend in with the outdoors.  Wood fire pit furniture would be a good choice for a rustic natural look.

With the right furniture, any of these ideas can easily transform your outdoor space and bring your dream backyard to life.

Shop Fire Pit Furniture By Material:

The most important aspect of selecting furniture to pair with a fire pit is finding the materials that will best suit your desires for comfort, longevity, and environment. Take a look at the benefits of different types of furniture to help you best select the perfect type for you.

• • Sling material chairs are popular for poolside seating and exposed patios. These chairs are easy to clean, low maintenance, and can be found at virtually any price point. They have a tendency to wear over a long period of time, but are easily replaceable. These chairs can tolerate weathering from rain or wind and  are easy to wash since they can be quickly hosed off because of the lack of cushioned and fabric materials. Sling is great for a casual area, but may not be the best for a comfortable, lounge design.

• Wicker furniture tends to be a popular choice for outdoor styles. 

• Synthetic resin wicker is typically used outdoors because it can handle exposure to heat and weather better than natural wicker– and it is much easier to clean. It is slightly more prone to being scratched or torn than other options due to its natural fragility, but it creates a very sought after stylish, classic feel. Wicker may be better suited for a covered porch– if you wish to expose it to the outdoors, you may want to consider storing it in a safer space during the off-season.

• Wood pieces are a classic, safe choice for outdoor furniture. Sturdy and strong, wood furniture comes in a variety of designs and types of wood to choose from. From adirondack chairs to rustic unfinished types, wood fire pit chairs offer  timeless furniture option for outdoor spaces. 
  • • Teak is typically going to be the most popular choice for outdoor wood pieces. It is resistant to weathering, will not rot, as it is an extremely tough wood. Its natural oil gives it an effortlessly pleasant finish, plus it repels insects that might invade other materials. It may be a pricier choice among the wood choices, but will make up for the cost with longevity and durability. Teak only grows in tropical rainforests and is limited in supply, so although it will make for long-lasting furniture, sustainability may be a concern you are interested in considering.
  • • A more popular choice, on the cheaper side, is cedar— this wood is extremely light and great for furniture will likely be rearranged. Cedar paints and stains very well, meaning it can be designed to match the existing style and color of your home.
  • Cypress is similar to cedar, since it can be left unfinished and is easy to get. Cypress is better at handling exposure to moisture and is more durable, whereas cedar tends to be better at combatting decay and it is often found to be cheaper.  

• Metal furniture can frame a piece of cushioned or sling seating.

• • Aluminum is typically the most popular choice for outdoor furniture, especially frames. Although this metal may be slightly more costly than some other metal furniture choices, it won’t rust and will maintain itself extremely well. Aluminum is light and easy to rearrange around any fire.
    • Extruded aluminum is extremely light, as it is hollow, and is bent to shape, while cast aluminum is denser, heavier, and molded (often giving it the potential to have intricate designs and detailing).
      • Aluminum Hampton Bay Set

• Wrought iron is another popular fire pit furniture choice– it is a heavy duty metal and weighs significantly more than aluminum will. Iron pieces are usually carefully crafted which makes for better a better design. Molded and detailed with various patterns, wrought iron looks beautiful. The material will rust with time, but can be stored, polished, and finished to help maintain its integrity.

Casual Image’s Karen Heroux  also stated that cushioned furniture typically outsells non-cushioned, since sofas and soft chairs create more of an inviting and cozy atmosphere. Fabric and cushions typically pair better with gas fire pits, because they don’t retain the smell of smoke that wood-burning pits produce, and they fare better under covered or screened areas where gas pits can be used.

Sunbrella fabric is extremely popular and seems to be the go to brand for outdoor upholstery. The material, soft like regular fabric cushions, is composed of plastics that make it completely suitable for the outdoors. These fabrics are so tough that they can be washed with chemicals as strong as bleach, yet maintain their true integrity and designs. Many furniture companies use Sunbrella to upholster their outdoor sets: 

Typically, furniture collections marketed for patios and yards are designed to be left outside for long periods of time and year round, but the resistance to the environment will vary based on your selection.

Styles:

When designing an outdoor area to perfectly synergize with your home, selecting a style for your fire pit space is crucial to optimizing its purpose. Retailers market fire pit furniture and matched sets to fit every desire, and many home decor services can help to perfect your desired image.

A popular style for outdoor spaces falls under the rustic theme. With an eclectic, rural inspired nature, rustic styles emphasize more rugged and natural looking pieces. This look typically leans toward wooden or wicker furniture and pairs well with tin wood-burning pits or wooden style fire tables. Rustic style furniture helps to embrace the natural and ambient nature of the fire pit’s flames in a comfortable, trend inspired manner. These wooden pieces and homey look would complement any yard for the perfect open living space.

Modern, contemporary looking fire pit furniture has become extremely popular, especially with younger demographics. This type of style typically includes metal pieces, such as cast aluminum that have been finished with sleek coatings. Clean lines and the absence of color dominate this style of furniture, with blacks, whites, and greys dominant in almost every scheme. Pairing modern pieces with a nice umbrella would complement a simple, yet stylish patio setting. The presence of a long, sleek fire table with clear glass stones flawlessly fits into the contemporary look.

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One of the most common styles today is a blend between traditional and contemporary, labeled “transitional” design. This style incorporates some of the clean lines and sleek frames that are typically found in modern themes, with the textures and curves popular with more traditional designs. Neutrals colors usually stand out in transitional styles, with deeper browns and tan shades. This is a perfect blend for people looking to keep up with trendy layouts, while maintaining the simplistic warmth of a traditional space.

Pricing:

The range of possibilities when budgeting for patio furniture provides extremes on both ends of the spectrum. From hand-picked designs with hand-crafted materials, to cheap mass-produced products found in any local retailer, there is a large variety of materials and styles available at virtually any price point.

Hampton Bay Cavasso Set

When selecting fire pit  furniture, the longevity of the products will be the biggest difference between price points. More inexpensive products, often found at large chain stores such as Lowe’s, Target, or Home Depot, are going to be much easier on your wallet, but the difference in quality may affect how long the pieces last. With entire sets available for as low as $350, these types of furnishings are built to last just a few years while  more expensive products purchased from niche, outdoor specialty stores will come warranted and are made from materials that are built to better withstand their outdoor environment. The cheaper products will often require more involved maintenance in order to prolong their life span. On the other hand, more expensive products will be able to withstand their environment, and often come with the reassurance of a 10-15 year warranty. Proper upkeep may make it possible to prolong the life of cheaper fire pit furnishings, but more expensive price points of products will be more carefully crafted, with less extensive upkeep.

It may be cheaper to  purchase an entire set if you want to stick to one consistent style throughout each piece, but picking and choosing individual items from different brands might be a smarter option if a cohesive style isn’t your main concern. Searching sales and picking products of different qualities based on intended use will help cut corners if you are on a tight budget and help create an eclectic look.

Amazon’s Options:

Popular fire pit furniture sets on Amazon start as low as $359.99. Complete with four cushioned chairs and a wood burning pit, this set provides all the basic pieces for a summer filled with fireside evenings. 

Budget Priced

For comparison, with the same search one can find that Amazon offers a similar five piece set with cushioned chairs and a pit for $6,127.24.  This set proves to be more stylish, made of more reliable and durable materials, and offers information about warranties. The widely available range of options allows you to find what best suits your desires and budget. 

Expensive

See our other blogposts for more information on fire pits, furniture sets, and outdoor brands you’ll love. 

Purchasing in the “off-season” will increase your chances of finding furniture on sale. Outdoor patio furniture tends to go on sale at the end of summer as stores try to clear out inventory to make room for newer and more seasonal products. August and September are usually the best months to find the best deals according to Lozo Expert, of USA Today and Business Insider.

According to Wes Reyher, a well-established representative of Tropitone Furniture and Seaside Casual, peak season for shoppers begins around March, as people begin planning for their summers. You may want to consider the traffic of the market, seasonality of the product, and planning periods when budgeting and scheduling time to layout your furniture purchases.

Sizing & Pieces:

With the growing popularity of outdoor living spaces, large sectional couches, loveseats, and fully reclining chairs are now offered in styles completely suited for outside. With this type furniture, a space similar in size and feel to a fully furnished living room can be pieced together. These couches and big cushioned chairs are more popular for screened or covered areas, as people seeking such comfort prefer some protection for such elaborate set ups and enjoy the bridge between indoors and out. These outdoor areas make the perfect outdoor spot to add a flat screen TV if the space is covered.

Outdoor sectionals are making appearances in the market. The benefit of selecting a sectional is the customization of the space you are trying to fill.

Photo from @cityfarmhouse1

Wooden or metal frame benches are a popular choice for cheap, practical seating. By adding decorative cushions and nice finishes, these pieces may be the most reasonable choice for an outdoor setup. Well suited to be left in a backyard, a few wooden benches can optimize seating in an open space.

Since fire pit furniture is available in both sets and individual pieces, think about the look, feel, and style you want to create in your outdoor living space. When purchasing sets, the designing and logistics of pairing pieces together has already been decided. If you’d rather use your creativity and design your own fire pit furniture set, you have plenty of options. As we’ve explored in this article, fire pit furniture sets are convenient and available in a variety of styles and color schemes so one can usually find a set that suits their taste.

Whether you choose wood or metal, rustic or refined, fire pit furniture will surely enhance your outdoor living space for years to come. Add some outdoor string lights and you’ll have a festive party space.

Check out our Top Outdoor Furniture Brands for great prices and quality.

Top Rated Fire Pit Furniture Sets:

Crested Bay Outdoor Aluminum Set

Price:  $1,455.33 with FREE SHIPPING

This fire pit furniture set by Crested Bay gets 5 stars!  Made of rust proof aluminum, this sleek modern set will last for years in any climate.  The 50,000 BTU fire table keeps everyone cozy as you gather around. With 2 aluminum patio chairs, 1 aluminum loveseat, and 1 propane gas fire pit, and 1 tank holder.  We love the neutral gray cushion color that blends in with any decor. Assembly is required but totally worth it.

Outdoor 4-piece Wicker Club Chair Set

Price:  $1,194.01 FREE SHIPPING

This stylish wicker set comes with 1 propane fire pit and 4 outdoor dark wicker chairs.  With 5 star customer reviews, this fire pit furniture set is sure to please. Weather resistant cushions by Sunbrella in creme blend in with any backyard surroundings.  

Crested Bay Outdoor Aluminum Sectional Sofa Set

Price: $1,550.72 FREE SHIPPING

This large sectional set from GDF will create a comfy, inviting space outdoors that mimics the feel of an indoor living room. The sleek appearance and subtle colors will make this set easy to pair with any existing outdoor space and can easily be complimented by colorful cushions and decor to add an entire new look. With plenty of seating, fire table space, and a side table, this set has all you need.

Check out the blog for more product reviews and buying guides at fireplaces.net.

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