Plastic or Teak Outdoor Furniture: which is better?

by Hendrik Engel September 18, 2019

The hottest “new” trend is plastic: plastic furniture, accessories, and even clothes. However, as many of you know, plastic is the #1 biggest pollutant for our land, water, and air. This is due to the fact that, it takes hundreds or even thousands of years to break down (and even when it does the toxins can seep into our groundwater etc.).

Teak, on the other hand, is naturally grown and is not a pollutant.

Plastic Bench

But, what if the plastic is “eco friendly”? This is where things get tricky. Re-melting plastics significantly downgrades the quality. This is because, plastic is a polymer and each time it is melted the polymer chain grows shorter, in turn reducing its quality. Since the quality is being significantly reduced, manufacturers are forced to add virgin material to even compete in today’s furniture market. Even though some virgin material is used, the product will still be labeled as “recycled plastic.” A product is not actually eco friendly if new plastic had to be added in order to improve the quality… On another note, if we demand more plastic for our furniture, clothes, etc., companies will have to meet the consumers’ demands and create even more plastic just, so people can “reuse” it. Thus, this promotes a vicious cycle.

Teak Wood Bench

Many people believe that plastic is the only material durable enough for outdoor use, however this is just not true. Our teak furniture may be a long-term investment, but this is all worth it if the product lasts a lifetime and doesn’t pollute the Earth. Our teak furniture is sure to withstand any weather as well as termites. Plus, our teak furniture is only harvested from legal Indonesian plantations, so you can be sure that you are doing no harm to the environment!

Lastly, let's talk about the aesthetic element. Nothing beats teak's beautiful honey tones and tight grain patterns. Many plastic furniture designs try to mimic real wood but nothing compares to the real thing. Finally, why settle for boring cookie-cutter furniture designs when Chic Teak manufactures unique designs from rustic to classical to elegant to fit your specific decor.

Here's some of our most popular teak wood bench designs that are real head turners: