Aluminum and steel patio chairs

Metal is the workhorse of the patio. This group holds 43 chairs in aluminum, steel and plain metal frames, every one listed for patio use, 28 of them stackable and 20 in the Tolix style. The first decision is the seat: 31 are metal, and metal has opinions about a July afternoon.

The seat is the part that meets the sun

A metal seat that has sat in direct sun at 4 PM in July is not a gentle place to sit. Of the 43 chairs, 31 have metal seats and three have resin ones. If your patio faces west, think about where that hot seat meets a guest in shorts, and whether the umbrella line or the layout can keep the afternoon off the chairs.

Frames read as metal on 34 chairs, steel on four and aluminum on four, with one resin. Twenty carry the Tolix style, the classic cafe look. Prices run from about $61 to $127 a chair, a tight band, so frame, stacking and seat decide the buy more than the price tag does.

Stacking, arms and the odd swivel

Twenty-eight chairs stack, which makes the end-of-season job a one-person task: rinse, drain, stack, cover. Nine have arms. One swivels, which suits a seat at the end of a long table where guests turn to talk both ways.

Seat heights are listed on only six of the chairs: three at 17 1/2 inches, two at 18 and one at 17. An outdoor resin armchair lists 24 1/2 inches wide, 21 deep and 34 tall. A metal dining chair lists 33 high by 20 long by 18 wide. Compare chairs by width and depth, because a row of narrow chairs seats more people than a row of wide ones.

Wind, weight and the listing

On a windy corner the light chair goes first. Look up the weight on the product page for any chair headed to a rooftop or an open corner. Stacking helps with storage, but it does not help in a gust.

Every chair here is listed for patio use, and 38 are listed for indoor use as well. At the end of the season, hose them down, give them a day to drain, then cover them. The warranty on patio chairs runs six months and excludes damage from neglect, so a short care routine protects the coverage.

Want other materials? Faux rattan patio chairs and resin patio chairs cover the woven and the molded. For the same style indoors, see Tolix chairs. Save the count in patio plans.