Spending time outdoors with your loved ones is one of the most heart-warming things you can do.
Whether it’s grilling delicious food with friends while you watch your kids play in the fresh air or sipping some cold wine while admiring the sunset, the outdoors is where you create special memories.
Having the perfect outdoor furniture enables you to do this comfortably, so it is crucial that you purchase the best furniture for you.
This article is going to be comparing two brands that create poly furniture: Highwood, and PolyTEAk, so you can make an informed decision on what is going to be your next purchase!
What Is Poly Furniture?
Poly lumber furniture is furniture that is made from polyethylene plastic, often from recycled material.
Made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE), that is highly durable and weather resistant.
It does not attract insects, rodents, or termites, and does not absorb moisture. HDPE is what many household products are made of, such as water bottles and milk cartons.
These products are washed, ground and moulded into planks or sheets to make durable, long lasting, outdoor furniture.
Highwood Furniture
Highwood
is a brand that prides itself on creating low-maintenance, durable outdoor products that will last you a lifetime.
Their outdoor furniture is incredibly realistic, and resembles real wood, making it a great alternative that won’t wither away after being exposed to the elements.
“Carefree Backyard Living”
Highwood Vision
Highwood’s beautiful furniture is designed to be left outdoors all year round, which means there is no time limit when it comes to making memories outdoors with your family and friends.
All of their products are made with love in Pennsylvania.
Highwood Patio Furniture
This brand understands how important it is to express your style outdoors.
But to create individual choose they offer 3 lines or brands of patio furniture.
- Highwood®
- Sequoia Professional
- Elk Outdoor
The three lines include the classic Adirondack chairs, ottomans, rocking chairs, benches, porch swings, conversation seating, dining sets, and pool and spa furniture! A lot of choice for your deck.
Each of these products is available in a variety of colours, such as chestnut brown, black, white, Nantucket blue, and many more.
This makes it easy to select pieces to suit the aesthetic you are looking to create!
Their furniture also contains wood-like grains and texture, similar to wood, but you won’t need to worry about any cracks or rotting.
Highwood Warranty
Highwood are warranted protecting your investment in patio furniture.
But does require registering to ensure that Highwood is there for you if you ever need them.
If a product purchased by them experiences a defect within 12 years involving the regular residential use of the product, then they will repair or replace the defective item or refund a certain portion of the price that was paid for the item.
One exception for length is their Sequoia Professional line which they boost the warranty length to 20 years for residential.
However, the company does not make itself liable for any damage caused to the product by improper assembly, or failure to abide by Highwood’s recommendations for the product.
This also refers to any staining from foreign substances, acts of God, or abuse/damage caused to the product.
Prices
Despite the lovely design and the variety of colours in which you can purchase these products, Highwood patio furniture is on the higher end for poly furniture.
Their cheapest Adirondack chair is priced at just under $300, along with many of their other furniture being priced higher.
They do have a durable product with an attractive look but do expect to pay a little more for it.
Availability
Aside from being able to purchase Highwood products from their website directly, you can also find their patio furniture in many stores and online. Companies like.
- Home Depot
- Lowes
- Walmart
Websites such as Amazon and Wayfair also stock a variety of their furniture, giving you the chance to purchase them from a variety of different stores both conveniently at home or picking them up in person.
PolyTEAk Furniture
Another well-known poly furniture company is PolyTEAk. Based in Southern California, they understand what it’s like when your favourite outdoor furniture withers away from salt sprays, constant sun, and rain.
They started their company on the basis of producing stylish outdoor furniture that is durable enough to withstand these conditions but also looks realistic enough to resemble wood.
They use Premium HIPS Recyclable Lumber, which is a unique material that is environmentally friendly and resembles real wood very closely.
It is also durable and doesn’t splinter, rot, or peel, is easy to maintain, and is completely weather resistant.
This means you can leave these pieces of furniture outdoors all year round, just like you can do with Highwood!
PolyTEAk Patio Furniture
In comparison with Highwood, PolyTEAk offers slightly fewer options when it comes to their Adirondack chairs and tables. Both compact and folding to complement their chairs.
Offering many vibrant realistic colours. Including black, brown, brown, blue, gray, white, and red.
PolyTEAk also offers umbrellas which can be paired with tables and chairs in order to complete the set.
Warranty
PolyTEAk has a lifetime warranty on all of its products. However, in order for this to be valid for your products, you must register them within 30 days of purchase.
This lifetime warranty is valid for any defects after normal conditions of use.
If any defects do take place, then PolyTEAk will take responsibility for offering a refund, replacement, or will repair the product after it has been inspected by an authorized representative of the company.
PolyTEAk will not be liable for any defects that have occurred from misusing the product, going against the PolyTEAk guidelines, inappropriate assembly, or any acts of God, such as hurricanes, flooding, etc.
They will also not be liable if any other foreign substances come into contact with the product leading to a defect, such as a grease.
Compared to Highwood’s 12 and 20 years warranty. PolyTeak is better with increased years of protection.
Availability
All the wonderful patio furniture created by PolyTEAk is available on their website to buy directly.
- Home Depot
- Lowes
- Walmart
You can also purchase their pieces from other online sites such as Amazon and Wayfair.
Many of the same stores as Highwood.
Highwood VS PolyTEAk Furniture – Which Is Better?
Both brands take pride in their work of providing customers with outdoor furniture that has been made with environmentally friendly, recycled materials.
Both make furniture that can withstand seasonal weather conditions, lasting years round outdoors.
However, poly furniture can sometimes look plastic and fake, so both brands have paid close attention to detail in their design process and have created gorgeous pieces of furniture that resemble wood very closely.
When it comes to variety, Highwood offers more of a variety of products and colours. Their colours are also a lot more natural, therefore they resemble wood more closely.
Although PolyTEAk offers fewer products in fewer colours, their products are cheaper than those in Highwood. Their colours are also a lot more vibrant, as they offer furniture in bright blue and bright red colours.
When it comes to their warranty, PolyTEAk offers a lifetime warranty as opposed to the 12 and 20-year cover offered by Highwood.
Both companies abide by the same limitations in their warranties and will offer a refund, replacement, or repair service as long as you have abided by their terms of agreement when it comes to their products.
The products offered by both brands are widely available in several online stores such as Amazon and Wayfair, as well as their direct stores.
The Pros And Cons Of Poly Furniture
As mentioned earlier in this article, poly furniture is made with high-density polyethylene (HDPE) which is normally derived from household materials used in milk jugs, laundry soap bottles, and shampoo bottles. To name a few.
The Pros
There are many benefits of purchasing furniture made from HDPE. But also drawback but let’s discuss advantages first.
Environmentally-Friendly
Firstly, as insinuated above, it is very environmentally friendly. Roughly 1.3 billion plastic water bottles are consumed each day.
By purchasing furniture made from recycled materials such as HDPE, you are reducing the amount of plastic waste that goes into landfills.
Nto only will your HDPE furniture last longer than others but reduce pollution while doing it.
Design
HDPE tends to be very opaque which means it can take on any colours added to it very nicely. This is evident in the PolyTEAk products, as they offer patio furniture in bright blue and red.
Normally, UV stabilizers are added to the process of making this furniture, which prevents the colors from fading.
These colours are distributed evenly through the material, the surface to core. Making it harder to notice any scratches or marks.
Plastic is also very easily moulded, creating limitless design options.
Maintenance
Another wonderful benefit of poly furniture is the lack of maintenance. There is hardly any maintenance that needs to go into this type of furniture.
It is non-porous, so it resists moisture, it withstands high and low temperatures, does not attract any insects or termites, and does not splinter, rust, rot, or crack!
Furniture made with this material is also resistant to sun, rain, sleep, snow, wind, saltwater, chlorine, and mildew.
Resistant to all kinds of elements and weather conditions. Its furniture suitable for being left outdoors all year round.
Allowing year-round enjoyment without needing to be packed up when the weather changes. So when a warm day comes around you can easily slip out and enjoy your deck. Even if it’s only for a day.
The Cons
Despite many pros to HDPE, there are cons.
Cost
Most HDPE furniture will cost more than wood or aluminum furniture.
Generally lasting longer saving money in the long run but the initial price can be a hurdle to some.
Weight
This can be both a pro and a con.
A pro in that your poly furniture will stay put on your deck in the wind.
A con because they can be hard to move around.
Lifting can be challenging which often leads to poly across your deck. Which can damage the decking.
For a more in-depth of pros and cons of poly furniture, click the link.
