Good Buys: Outer Brown Wicker Outdoor Armchair Conversation Set

Whether it’s the pristine beaches of San Diego, the bracing salt spray of Ocracoke, or the majestic Aspens of Colorado, let’s give nature the respect it deserves. That means buying sustainably. But when it comes to furnishing your outdoor spaces, it can be hard to find the union between the style you want and the sustainability you believe in. Outer aims to fill that niche, creating furniture that’s designed to last but can also be recycled, taking a thoughtful approach to materials and offsetting its carbon impact. 

Outer’s Brown Wicker Outdoor Armchair Conversation Set is a great example of the brand’s ethos. The elegant set is made with 100 percent recyclable hand-woven synthetic-wicker, a welded frame, and recyclable foam cushions. These modular chairs do a respectable job with sustainability without sacrificing style.

What is the Outer Wicker Outdoor Armchair Conversation Set?

Specs:

— Dimensions: 34 inches W x 37 inches D x 29 inches H
— Weight: 55 pounds per chair
— Number in Set: Two

The Wicker Set is a modular armchair set designed for the outdoors. Created by a California-based brand, the rearrangeable set features synthetic wicker hand-woven by artisans that’s both elegant and durable. A snap to assemble, its cushions come in a range of pastel tones that can complement a range of decors. The generously sized plush memory-foam cushions are comfy enough to let you drift off to the drone of cicadas (or watch the kids play Marco Polo in the pool). The Conversation Set is also easy to clean and water-resistant to withstand those surprise summer thunderstorms.

Design

With a muted palette of neutrals, grays, sages, and teak, Outer’s furniture reflects a refined minimalism that blends traditional American patio furniture, sailboats, and SoHo rooftops. The wicker material is hand-woven by artisans and the cushions come with a nano-protective coating also used in camping materials that make the fabric water-, mold-, mildew-, and stain-resistant. They’re also designed against fading from ultraviolet rays. 

The armchair set is made of plastics, foam, and metal, most of which are 100 percent recyclable. The plastics include olefin, polypropylene, polyethylene, and memory foams — nearly all recyclable. The legs are made of welded recyclable stainless steel, and the frame is made of recyclable aluminum and magnesium. The materials are mostly highly color-fast, and Outer brags that the cushions are actually bleach-cleanable. 

The Outer set is also a cinch to clean: Just hose the frames down and toss the cushion covers into a cold cycle and air dry. Altogether the set is slick, sleek, and weather-resistant, while mostly staying true to the company’s sustainable ethos.

Sustainability Check

Outer does a solid job with sustainability. The company is Climate Neutral-certified, which means the company has pledged to reduce its carbon emissions and educates buyers on how to recycle the materials involved, while making sure that the majority are indeed recyclable. As you browse the Outer website you’ll find simple, reusable components, such as Forest Stewardship Council®-certified teak, recyclable aluminum frames, 100 percent recycled PET rugs, and glass fiber-reinforced cement. The company also participates in 1% for the Planet, donating one percent of its annual revenue to environmental causes through the international nonprofit. 

However, it bears noting that recyclable is not the same as recycled. While much of the material in the modular armchairs are technically recyclable, in practice many parts of the United States do not have facilities and recycling programs that are capable of doing so. Simultaneously, most Outer items would require a significant breakdown job before they could actually be recycled. Because of this, we would love to see more items that use more post-consumer recycled plastic like their recycled PET rugs (the Armchair set’s wicker uses 30 percent). It’s not hard to find brands that use more recycled materials in their furniture. Polywood makes outdoor furniture that is made of 100 percent recycled plastic, while even Lowe's offers a 90 percent recycled chair option. 

Still, we appreciate Outer for doing a markedly better job than the vast majority of brands, and bringing sustainability to the luxury outdoor furniture market in a way that’s polished and authentic. We think they do a good job overall at living up to their sustainability pledge. We hope to see them launch more products that use the same 100 percent recycled PET found in their beautiful rugs.

Warranty

When you’re buying patio furniture, warranty is important. The Wicker Outdoor Armchair Conversation Set comes with a warranty you can trust. The chair’s frame and legs come with 10-year warranties, while the wicker and cushions both come with 5-year warranties. Outer believes in its products, and this generous warranty seals the deal on this outstanding set of armchairs.

Who Should Buy It?

You ask who should buy from Outer? Well … probably most anyone. This armchair set may price many users out, but for those who can afford it, it’s a good combination of qualities. The luxurious memory-foam cushions are incredibly easy to clean (and even bleach-proof), the 100 percent recyclable plastic weave offers longevity and classic aesthetics, while the frame gives the chairs reliable support. The 5- and 10-year warranties provide additional peace of mind. 

The Outer: Wicker Outdoor Armchair Conversation Set provides a great combo of tasteful design and sustainable materials, in a luxury carbon-neutral package, that will enhance your outdoor space. And they go great with Outer’s 100% recycled PET rug as well.

Good Buys are products selected by the Futurism Commerce team that are both high quality and made by companies with campaigns that give back to the community in a significant way.

This post was created by a non-news editorial team at Recurrent Media, Futurism’s owner. Futurism may receive a portion of sales on products linked within this post.