Guide To Adirondack Chairs – The Necessity For Outdoor Relaxation

In this comprehensive guide, read up on everything you need to know about Adirondack Chairs.

Jump To:
Where and When Are Adirondack Chairs Used?
What to Consider When Buying Adirondack Chairs
What are the Benefits of Adirondack Chairs?
Proper Care of Your Adirondack Chair
Important Care Steps

Adirondack chairs are a very simply designed chair which are traditionally made out of wood and sometimes synthetic materials.  These chairs are designed to be used outdoors on a deck and more specifically in a vacation home setting.  The first known Adirondack chair was created by Thomas lee in 1903 when he was on vacation in the Adirondack Mountains in Westport, New York.  He was vacationing at his summer home and decided that he needed some outdoor chairs so he decided to design his own.

The first step was to create the design and the next was for Lee to request that a friend of his (a carpenter) build some chairs.  The original design had 11 flat wooden boards with very wide armrests and a straight back and seat.  That friend, Harry Bunnell realized the massive commercial potential of the chairs and decided to file for a U.S. patent.  This was all, apparently, without Lee’s knowledge and Bunnell started to manufacture these “Westport” chairs under patent no. 794,777 in 1905.  He continued to manufacture these chairs for a further twenty years and they were generally painted medium dark brown or green and were signed by Bunnell.

The modern version of the Adirondack chair has a rounded back aid a contoured seat which were modifications made by Irving Wolpin who was granted a patent in 1938 for his updated design of the chair.

Where and When are Adirondack Chairs Used?

Due to the fact that Adirondack chairs are so comfortable and versatile, they are usually best suited for outdoor use and can usually be found on a sundeck.  These chairs are inviting and are always ready to sit in at any time of the day or night.  Many people choose these chairs for their summer vacation homes because they are durable and solid chairs.

Traditional deck chairs tend to only last for a season or two of use, but the quality and durability of an Adirondack chair ensures that it will be around for decades.  Many people choose these chairs over lower cost chairs because they understand the quality and workmanship behind the chair and know that they are investing in a chair that they will have for a very long time.

What to Consider When Buying Adirondack Chairs

There are a few important considerations when you purchase Adirondack chairs.  Will you be leaving them outside all year around?  If so, you may want to opt for chairs that are crafted from the harder man made materials so that they are more durable.  Wooden chairs may need more care over the years.  You also want to think about the weight of those chairs if you need to move them around.  Heavier chairs are a lot more difficult to move around and store than lighter ones.  The price can also be an important consideration for many.  Remember that the more you pay for your chairs, the better quality they are likely to be.

What are the Benefits of Adirondack Chairs?  Why are they so Popular?

Today’s Adirondack chair is manufactured from durable polymers and other types of hard plastic that are designed to be durable.  Instead of having to replace deck furniture year after year, these chairs are manufactured to be used for many years into the future and are extremely durable.  Many people love these chairs because they are so comfortable and they look very nice too.

When it comes to summertime, this is the one chair that truly conveys the meaning of relaxation just through the way it looks.  Although these chairs are highly affordable, they have long been associated with luxury vacation homes and many top resorts often feature these chairs on their relaxation decks.

Proper Care of Your Adirondack Chair

Every Adirondack chair is designed to be used outdoors.  These chairs are available in a variety of materials and each of those materials has a special care regime.  For the Adirondack chair manufactured from Western red cedar, this stable material is naturally resistant to the weather.  It is designed to last for a lifetime.  Many older Adirondack chairs have been painted with a high gloss paint over their wood coating in a traditional colour such as red or green.  Primary colours are generally the main choice for these chairs.

From season to season, these chairs tend to weather very will and have minimal shrinkage.  The chairs that are made from wood can also be found in oak, pine, teak and fir.  If you have a wood chair, you should think about the local weather in your area.  Do you have a lot of hot and sunny weather or is it routinely wet and cool?  Do you leave your wood chairs out all year around or do you store them for the winter or cover them during the off season?

Important Care Steps

Exposure to the hot summer sun can change the look of wooden chairs.  Paints can crack and chip and the colour of natural wood chairs can change from that exposure.  It will never change the structure of the chair, but your chair may “gray” and it is up to you to decide if you want to renew it or allow the chair to keep that gray appearance.

1. Wood Chairs – oil the chairs with a quality oil and varnish if you want to keep the natural look. A good weather finish should be the best quality one that you can purchase.
2. Painted Wood Chairs – the paint may need to be touched up if it is cracking and/or peeling. Sand the chairs down to clean and bare wood and then use a good quality primer to prepare the chair.  Paint the chair with a bright colour to renew the chair.  Wood finishes will last between 1 and 3 years depending on the quality.
3. Oil Based products will last much longer on a wood chair but are generally much harder to clean up and are not so great for the environment. Choose paints that have a natural oil base such as linseed oil or tung oil.
4. If you live in a wet climate choose a product that contains a mold inhibitor. A paint that can withstand marine conditions is a great choice.
5. Plastic chairs should be washed with mild soap and water to remove dirt and grime and keep the chairs looking new.

Once you purchase Adirondack chairs for your outdoor area, you are going to wonder how you got along for so long without these chairs.  They are durable, comfortable and make your home or vacation home look amazing.  They don’t require much care to keep them looking great and are always ready to offer up the best seat in the house.