I Finally Upgraded to High-Quality, Comfy Outdoor Chairs — And They’re Worth the Price

I live in the swampy suburbs of New Orleans, Louisiana. And while it’s a magical place full of gorgeous architecture and Mardi Gras fun, it also has a humid, subtropical climate with very hot summers that seem to last longer and longer every year. There are many months where being outside is virtually impossible for most of the day (and some of the night). It can rain so hard that our streets and yards flood in hours. Swarms of termites give wood around the city a run every year. 

Don’t be fooled by the fact that there are historic houses that are hundreds of years old; this is a city that’s tough on outside furniture.

Simple wooden chairs that we’ve kept on our deck or porch have fallen apart in a matter of months. Plastic chairs were bleached by the sun almost instantly. A rope and wood bench literally disintegrated in front of our eyes over the course of a year-and-a-half. We’re lucky if we even get one season out of outdoor cushions. Metal doesn’t stand a chance against rust. We even tiled an outdoor table ourselves with tiles that are meant to withstand the weather, and they’ve started peeling after a few years! 

To say that it’s been difficult finding outdoor furniture that can withstand what the city of New Orleans’ weather throws at it is an understatement. But my partner and I have put a ton of work into transforming our backyard into a tropical oasis, and we love entertaining friends. We need seating that can live on our deck and in our grass. 

I’ve always opted to buy secondhand or cheap furniture precisely because everything seems to fall apart so easily here. But I don’t feel great spending money on low-quality furniture and treating it as a one-time-use. So when I was given the opportunity to sample Häti Home’s Bali Afternoon Lounge Chairs, I jumped at the chance to finally test a high-end chair made of high-quality materials.

Priced at $975 each, the Bali Afternoon Lounge Chair is not a cheap product. According to the Hati Home website, the frame of the chair is made from high-grade Indonesian teak wood. Teak wood is known for having a dense grain and good oils, making it naturally able to resist water, rot, and even damage from insects, and Hati Home sources “young teak to prevent deforestation.” Because of its value and how high-quality it is, teak can be more expensive than other woods.

But it’s not just the frame that they’ve made sure can withstand weather. The back and seat are made from non-toxic, 100% recyclable synthetic rattan, which is treated with UV to make it even stronger. I love the appearance of rattan, and was worried that synthetic rattan would look too artificial, but that’s not the case here at all. Hati Home’s synthetic rattan offers the same textured, natural look of rattan but with the promise it won’t fall apart under bad weather conditions. 

The dimensions of the lounge chair are generous, too. At 35 inches deep and 26 1/2 inches wide, the Bali Afternoon Lounge promises plenty of space to get comfy in.

First, there’s no screwing this chair together with a flimsy Allen wrench yourself; the Bali Afternoon Lounge chairs came fully assembled and ready to be lounged in. I’m not sure that I’ve ever bought furniture before that I didn’t have to put together myself, so this product experience already feels luxurious.

The chairs look even better in person than they do in photos. They remind me of the kind of lounge chairs you’d find on a private balcony of some White Lotus-esque luxury eco-resort. The bohemian style of the chairs fits right in next to our luscious tropical plants. 

The chairs also just feel very sturdy. While I wouldn’t describe the synthetic rattan as necessarily super soft, it’s also not uncomfortable. The texture isn’t rough on the skin. The design of the chair’s shape is perfect, as is the height. I’m a huge fan of sitting cross-legged in chairs, and the seat’s ample width allows for that pose. The chair back’s height also falls at a perfect place along your back when you lean into it. Plus, my elderly dog is able to comfortably sit in the chair, which of course is a vital element when I’m outdoor chair shopping.

I’ve only had the chairs for a few months now, but the weather is getting really sticky and gross outside currently, while these chairs continue to keep their cool look and feel. I’ve seen no evidence that they’ll be disintegrating before our eyes any time soon. And while I did pick these chairs out mainly for their ability to withstand the weather of my city, full disclosure that I haven’t completely left them to fend for themselves. We have moved them inside for a few of our stronger rainstorms because our backyard can flood, and I didn’t want the gorgeous legs sitting in tepid rainwater for days. Honestly, I think they would have been fine, but they’re still so new that I’m being precious with them!

I can say that I’m quite happy so far with how they are holding up, and I even look forward to seeing how they evolve over the years; teak has a reputation for gaining a gorgeous patina after being outdoors for a while.

Honestly, I’m not sure if I’ll always keep these chairs outside … they’re so gorgeous that they look good inside our home, too! But I know for sure that I’ll always keep these chairs in some place. They are forever chairs. 

Buy: Häti Home’s Bali Afternoon Lounge Chairs, $975