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If you’re looking to add some relaxing seating to your patio or porch, the This Old House Team is here to help. We researched the best outdoor rocking chairs on Amazon and created a buyer’s guide to help you make an educated purchase. Here are our top recommendations.
Top 5 Outdoor Rocking Chairs
- Best Features: GCI Outdoor Freestyle Rocker
- Best Portable Rocker: GCI Outdoor RoadTrip Rocker
- Best Set: SOLAURA Outdoor Rocking Chair Set
- Best Plastic Rocker: POLYWOOD Presidential Rocking Chair
- Best Wooden Rocker: Shine Company Vermont Porch Rocker
Best Features
GCI Outdoor Freestyle Rocker
- $70
- $75
- 7% off
Prices taken at time of publishing.
This outdoor rocking chair uses a unique spring-action rocking system to ensure its base is stable on a variety of surfaces, including porches, yards, and campgrounds.
Best Portable Rocker
GCI Outdoor RoadTrip Rocker
- $80
Prices taken at time of publishing.
With molded armrests and a mesh backrest, this rocking chair is comfortable to sit in. It also has a built-in cup holder to hold your drink of choice and multiple color options to match your style preferences.
Best Set
SOLAURA Outdoor Rocking Chair Set
- $118.99
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Each chair in this set has a metal frame for durability, a high-density sponge cushion for comfort, and a built-in buckle clip for cushion security. This bistro set also comes in multiple colors to match your outdoor decor.
Best Plastic Rocker
POLYWOOD Presidential Rocking Chair
- $182
- $229
- 21% off
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Because of its stain-resistant design, this outdoor rocking chair is easy to clean with soap and water. Other than that, the chair doesn’t require painting, sanding, or other maintenance. Plus, it has a contoured seat for added comfort.
Best Wooden Rocker
Shine Company Vermont Porch Rocker
- $111.79
- $249.98
- 55% off
Prices taken at time of publishing.
This wooden rocker arrives with a preassembled seat and back for quick and easy setup. It also has rust-resistant hardware for added durability to support up to 250 pounds.
Buyer’s Guide
Before buying an outdoor rocking chair, it’s important to consider how its design and specifications impact its user experience. Here are four factors to keep in mind before making a purchase.
Material
Outdoor rocking chairs come in a variety of weather-resistant materials, with the most popular being wood, metal, plastic, and fabric. Traditional rocking chairs, including the Shine Company Vermont Porch Rocker, are built with wood that’s coated in weather-resistant paint. To emulate the look of traditional wood, some models use recycled plastic, which provides additional weather resistance and durability.
Alloy steel, aluminum, and other metals are used for the frames of many outdoor rocking chairs. The seat that goes over the frame is usually made of mesh or fabric. For example, the GCI Outdoor Freestyle Rocker has a powder-coated steel frame that’s covered in durable canvas with a breathable mesh back piece. On the other hand, the SOLAURA Outdoor Rocking Chair Set uses fabric cushions on the rocking chairs’ metal frames for more comfort.
Weight Capacity
An outdoor rocking chair’s weight capacity refers to how many pounds it can hold. Typically, outdoor rocking chairs have a weight capacity of 250 pounds. However, it’s important to check the manufacturer’s recommendations to be sure before making a purchase.
Rocking Mechanism
Outdoor rockers use a variety of mechanisms to create their back-and-forth motion. The most common rocking mechanism is U-shaped legs, seen in models like the POLYWOOD Presidential Rocking Chair. These legs use their shape and the weight of their user to rock back and forth.
Other rocking chairs use spring-action technology to push the back legs into pistons using flexible springs. Many outdoor models, such as the GCI Outdoor RoadTrip Rocker, use this technology because it allows the main frame to rest firmly on an uneven surface as the back attachment rocks.
Additional Features
Many outdoor rocking chairs have additional features that make them more user-friendly. For example, the GCI Outdoor Freestyle Rocker has a built-in carrying handle that helps users transport the chair from place to place. Other models come in bistro sets that include side tables for convenient storage of drinks, phones, books, and other items.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I stop my rocking chair from rocking?
If you have a U-shaped rocker that you want to keep from moving, you can install a wooden wedge between the back of the legs and the ground. The wedge can be cut from a 2×4 and painted to match your rocker.
How can I maintain my outdoor rocking chair?
Here are some cleaning instructions that will help maintain the structural integrity and look of your rocking chair:
- Start by using a broom or cloth to wipe off dust and cobwebs.
- Then use soap on a damp cloth to clean stuck-on dirt and grime.
Are rocking chairs dangerous?
Rocking chairs can be dangerous for babies and young kids. Their moving parts can jam fingers, and their motion can push children to the ground. If you have young children that want to sit in your rocking chair, keep a watchful eye on them at all times.
Why Trust The This Old House Team
This Old House has empowered homeowners for more than four decades with top-notch home improvement content in the form of television programs, print media, and digital content on its website and social media platforms. The This Old House Team focuses on creating in-depth product and service review content to help inform your purchasing decision for just about any item or resource that you might need for your home. The This Old House Team has written over 1,000 reviews on products in the home space, from cordless drills to kitchen trash cans, lawn mowers, and dining room decorations.
We recommend products in each review using an intensive research process, spending hours combing through the best available models on Amazon. For a product to make our list of top picks, it must hold a solid sales record on Amazon, have consistently positive customer reviews, and offer unique features, among other factors. After narrowing down our list of recommendations, we conduct additional research and sometimes in-person testing to ensure that the products meet our standards. Once we conclude the research phase, we craft a well-rounded, user-friendly article that includes our recommended products and additional information to help homeowners like you make the right purchase.
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