Adirondack chair: metal vs recycled HDPE
Metal solves weight. It creates three other problems.
Aluminium Adirondack chairs are light — you can move a set with one hand — and they do not rust. They also conduct heat, which means the arms are hot enough to notice by two in the afternoon and cold enough to notice by nine at night. The slats are thin, so the classic contoured seat is usually replaced with a flatter one, and the chair loses the reason it is comfortable. In wind, light is a liability.
Steel chairs are heavier and cheaper, and they rust: at every weld, every scratch, and from the inside of the tubes where you cannot see it. Powder coating slows this; it does not stop it.
HDPE lumber sits in between on weight and wins on the rest. It does not conduct heat, so it is the temperature of the shade around it. It does not rust because there is nothing to rust. The slats are full-thickness boards, so the seat is the real contoured seat.
| The other | Greens.ly | |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | Aluminium light; steel heavy | Heavy, on purpose |
| Hot sun | Arms get hot | Warm at most, in dark colors |
| Rust | Steel: yes | None |
| Comfort | Flatter, thinner slats | Full contoured seat |
| Wind | Aluminium blows over | Stays put |
When metal is the right answer
A rooftop where weight limits are real, or a space where chairs must be stacked away nightly. For a chair that lives in one place outdoors, it is the wrong material.