Outdoor Bench Glossary

When you're deciding which outdoor bench best suits your needs, it's important to be totally in the know. Our handy glossary gets you started.

Outdoor Bench Styles

Glider Bench: Glider benches look like traditional outdoor benches but are mounted on stationary tracks that allow the seat to "glide" back and forth. A glider is a great alternative to a porch swing.
Park Bench: The park bench is a classic outdoor bench, typically with a high back and 2 arms. Some modern park benches are simpler in design without a back or arms - just an elongated seat.
Porch Swing: A porch swing looks like a park bench without a base; rather, these seats can be suspended by a chain from porch beams (hence the name) or even a sturdy tree in a backyard garden.
Storage Bench: The storage bench doubles as a long chest of sorts; the seat lifts, allowing users to store materials inside the frame. Once closed, the bench is ready to be used for traditional seating.

Outdoor Bench Materials

Cedar Benches: A fragrant favorite, cedar wood has natural oils that repel moths and other pests, making it ideal for outdoor uses.
Redwood Benches: Old-growth redwood is durable and beautiful, as well as rare. Many redwood tree species are endangered, but you can rest assured we use redwood harvested in a low-impact, sustainable manner during times when growth exceeds extraction.
Shorea Benches: Shorea, a teak relative, is a favorite wood for outdoor benches, largely because it is hard, heavy, resistant to rot and infestation, and more affordable than teak.
Teak Benches: Teak, a warm brown wood, handles exposure well even when untreated. It, too, has pest-repelling oils.
Wicker Benches: Wicker - often used in more delicate settings, such as gardens - is composed of treated woven fibers. Wicker furniture is lightweight and highly decorative.
Wrought Iron Benches: Wrought iron - today, mainly melded steel - is also highly decorative, often handmade, in either intricate or more rustic designs.