The Best, Affordable Wicker Patio Furniture
Our porch makeover game changer is this great Better Homes and Gardens wicker patio furniture set that perfectly suits our space.
With the first signs of spring, do you head out to your porch or patio as soon as it’s bearable? That’s all me since we made over our screened-in porch last year and updated our wicker patio furniture.
First, I found the perfect shade of haint blue ceiling paint. Then, our porch game changer was deciding on this great Better Homes and Gardens wicker patio set.
While our previous patio furniture still worked fine, I wanted to upgrade the look and really loved the idea of the swivel glider chairs. Something about gliding on the back porch with a book and a glass of tea is one of the joys of life!
SOURCES: Outdoor Swivel Gliders | Outdoor Sofa | Outdoor Patio Set
If you’re looking for strong, stylish and affordable wicker patio furniture, the Better Homes and Gardens outdoor furniture line at Walmart is the way to go. Ultimately, we chose the BHG River Oaks Outdoor 5-Piece Conversation Set in natural tan wicker. This set of outdoor patio furniture also available in a dark brown color.
Meanwhile, the entire BHG Outdoor Collection at Walmart includes several other patio furniture styles, colors, and sets. This includes the fluted planter in the corner of my patio and another planter I have in my yard. The great prices help you create your own patio paradise without breaking the bank.
Benefits of Better Homes and Gardens Patio Furniture
While I am speaking about our experience with the BHG River Oaks set, you’ll find many of these same advantages and features across the brand’s entire outdoor furniture collection.
All-Weather Wicker That Looks Natural
First, if you wonder which is better, wicker or rattan, it’s important to know that wicker is a style of weave you see in basketwork and furniture. Rattan is a type of wood often used in wicker pieces.
The real question is whether you should choose an all-weather wicker, usually made of synthetic material. The alternatives are wicker made of natural fibers, like rattan, or something else entirely, like teak.
Our BHG River Oaks set is made of weather-resistant resin wicker. Most furniture of high quality and made to hold up in all weather conditions uses this material. People often ask how long will outdoor wicker furniture last. Like most things, it depends on what it’s made of and how well you take care of it.
Durable Wicker Patio Furniture Pieces
With regular cleaning, proper care and water-resistant covers, all types of wicker patio furniture can last five years or more, even in completely open outdoor spaces. You gain a huge advantage with weather-resistant synthetic wicker, which is more durable and easier to maintain than natural wicker. Our set’s pieces also have powder-coated steel frames that are rust-resistant.
While it’s hard to beat the inherent beauty of natural material, the exposure of elements to your patio area must be your first consideration.
Even though I knew our outdoor furniture would be on our screened porch with little to no weather exposure, we still liked having the option. Plus, these features are all big selling points about the value you get for the price.
Bonus: Custom covers are included with this set’s furniture pieces too. Perfect for using this set outside in an uncovered space!
Stylish & Easy-to-Clean Wicker Furniture
As for the look I wanted, choosing a natural color has the appearance of rattan. The lighter shade also brightened up my space so much more than the dark set we had before. More on that later.
Finally, the seat cushions have polyester fabric treated with Scotchguard to repel stains. And when these weather-resistant cushions do need cleaning, the covers are removable!
The Best Wicker Patio Furniture for Your Space
Our screened porch is long and narrow, so we had ample space for the BHG River Oaks wicker set we chose. That line offers several options. There’s the 5-piece set we have – a sofa, two swivel chairs and two nesting, metal tables with marble-tiled tops.
You can also just go with just the sofa and two nesting tables, or a pair of chairs.
The swivel chairs are the true star of the set, so if I had a different layout, I would 100% buy two sets of the swivel chairs and put them in a square sitting area.
I opted to use the nesting tables as side tables and kept our long, low, wicker table from our previous set to serve as a coffee table. That still left a good bit of real estate on one end of the porch, which was just perfect for creating a bistro vignette with this adorable bistro table and folding chairs I’d had my eye on.
SOURCES: Bistro Table | Folding Bistro Chairs
Choosing the Right Style of Outdoor Furniture
The Better Homes and Gardens Outdoor Furniture at Walmart ranges in styles to suit most folks’ design aesthetic, from traditional to coastal to boho. Consider your personal taste and style first, and then decide how many pieces of wicker furniture you will need to suit your space and anchor the design.
One of the main reasons I wanted a change was purely aesthetic. Our previous set had held up very well despite being almost 10 years old. Yet the dark color, which, paired with the brick, kept things from feeling as light and airy as I wanted.
The natural wood color was a beautiful addition that works nicely with our light neutrals. Keeping the darker wicker table softens the contrast with the light hues and the darker brick. The selected blues mute the brick’s red just enough.
Our Unbiased Review After 1 Year
After 1 year of consistent use, I’m 1000% glad we made the switch from our 8-year-old, darker patio furniture to this lighter, fresher patio set! Since it’s under our screened-in back porch, we never covered it or put it away. And it still looks just as good today as it did the day we bought it.
The swivel glider chairs are the stars of the show, and they are always my top seat choice when going outside to hang out. They still look, feel and move great.
The sofa was never my favorite piece of furniture in this set or our old set. I think I simply love the single seats more. But the sofa cushions feel a little less fluffy than they were when we first set them up. Overall, though, they still are in good condition and I would recommend them.
Final Thoughts
As we roll into the warmer weather months, I sure am glad we made the big upgrade to new wicker furniture last season. While this new patio furniture was one of our bigger purchases, this year I can put my energy into more small, fun details to make this special space even more inviting. (New rug and pillows are coming soon!)
I’d love to hear about your plans and patio upgrades! Drop a comment to share. As always, I am happy to answer any questions about our Better Homes and Gardens wicker patio set if you don’t see it here!
MORE POSTS YOU WILL LOVE:
I am want to purchase this sofa this year but trying to decide between the dark or light wicker. I prefer the light but everything else we have out on our pool deck and patio areas are the dark wicker or dark brown/bronze. Considering the contrast instead of everything matching. We too, have red brick. Our covered space, where I would put this sofa, has limited space.
Where did you get the cushions? I have this set, but I want to replace the cushions to a different color.
Hi Kim,
The cushions are the ones that come with the set. Sorry we can’t be more help!