Adirondack Chairs Buying Guide
Adirondack chairs: a breath of "free life and mountain air".
Few furniture pieces are distinctive enough to become icons of a particular way of life. The Adirondack chair is one of those few. The wide wood slats of its arched back, its deep sloping seat, and its flat arms invite you (and your cold drink) to loll your way through a sunny day or a lazy summer, much like the Huntingtons, Vanderbilts, and other wealthy families did over a century ago in the Great Camps of New York's Adirondack Mountains. Durability, comfort, and indulgence in the great outdoors: that's the enduring legacy of the Adirondack chair.
Adirondack Chairs Tourists flocked to the Adirondack region after the 1869 publication of Adventures in the Wilderness; Or, Camp-Life in the Adirondacks. The book's author, William H.H. Murray, the father of the Outdoor Movement, wrote it for those "who, pent up in narrow offices and narrower studies, weary of the city's din, long for a breath of mountain air and the free life by field and flood." Outdoor life is still at the heart of Adirondack furniture's appeal today. Though not made from crates, salvaged wood, or waste from sawmills as the first Adirondack chairs were, contemporary Adirondack chairs retain their rustic simplicity, albeit it with more elegant materials, including teak, mahogany, oak, cedar, white fir, and other attractive and durable woods. As you browse our selection at AdirondackChairs.com, you'll notice a diverse range of materials and designs: |  |
Materials
Wood Adirondack chairs are the traditional choice. They can be stained or left unfinished and allowed to weather to a natural gray. White and dark green are the most traditional colors, but painted Adirondack chairs are also available in blue, pink, and other bright and cheerful hues.
When selecting a wood type for your Adirondack chair, consider not only color and texture, but also the wood's natural qualities. Teak Adirondack chairs, for example, will offer superb durability and weather-resistance. Cedar is another ideal Adirondack chair material because of its natural resistance to cracking and moisture rot. Cedar also has a rich aroma that's not only pleasing to the senses, but functions as a natural insect repellent.
The spirit of the Outdoor Movement that turned the Adirondacks into America's campground has taken a new turn with today's environmentally friendly Adirondack chairs. Using sustainable wood sources, for example, many manufacturers are conscientious in their efforts to prevent deforestation, harvesting only plantation-grown woods. Our recycled plastic chairs are also extremely popular among eco-conscious shoppers. These pieces utilize plastic milk jugs and other refuse that would otherwise end up in our landfills. Recycled plastic furniture offers the added benefits of being maintenance-free.
Designs
Variations on the standard Adirondack design includes chairs with curved "comfort" backs and oversized seats. For intermittent use or easy portability, we recommend browsing our selection of folding Adirondack chairs. Sunbathers love our reclining Adirondack chairs, and for those times when sitting outside with your feet up is an absolute must, our all-in-one Adirondack chairs feature a slide-out ottoman.
Adirondack Sets Along with outdoor leisure, Adirondack chairs are also about sociability: a casual conversation on the cottage porch, BBQs in the backyard, or fun times by the pool or riverside with friends and family. For these and other occasions, Adirondack chair sets are a must have. Choose a set with a matching side table for casual use or one of our Adirondack dining sets for more formal occasions. Adirondack Furniture Rocking chairs, porch swings, benches, gliders, tables: with these and other Adirondack furniture accessories, you can decorate your entire backyard or cottage in the Adirondack style. And maybe it's just us, but we think the Adirondack chaise lounge is a very interesting style hybrid: 19th century rustic New York meets 18th century rococo France. |  |
We promise that our Adirondack chairs are comfortable, but they're even more comfortable with a few of our Adirondack chair cushions and toss pillows. Pillows and chair cushions are also a simple and inexpensive way to add color to your decor.
