Synthetic or natural rattan outdoors?
Natural rattan is beautiful and belongs under a roof. PE rattan is engineered and belongs in the weather. Mixing them up costs a season.
Published by JP Furniture · Chair manufacturer in Foshan, China · 2026-09-26
PE rattan
Polyethylene extruded into a weave profile, usually over an aluminium frame.
- UV: stabilised grades handle years of direct sun.
- Water: non-absorbent; dries after rain.
- Maintenance: hose or wipe down.
- Failure mode: cheap unstabilised PE goes brittle and cracks in 2–3 seasons. Ask for the UV-stabilised grade.
Natural rattan and cane
- Appearance: warmer, with a depth synthetic weave has not matched.
- Water: absorbent. Swells, splits and mildews if left wet.
- UV: bleaches and dries out; the cane binder fails.
- Use: covered terraces, conservatories, indoor
Natural cane is the right material indoors and in fully covered spaces, including on our covered-terrace models.
What to specify
- UV-stabilised PE with a stated warranty for exposed sites.
- Aluminium frame, not steel, under the weave.
- Hand-woven versus machine-woven: hand-weaving holds tension better at the edges.
- Drainage and open weave on seat faces so water does not pool.
