Grey Aluminium Rattan 2 Seat Reclining Bistro Set

The aluminium frame is built to deal with rain and frost. If you’ve owned a steel-frame set before, you’ll know what happens after a couple of wet winters. Rust starts where you can’t see it first — inside the joints and bolt holes — then the whole thing ends up looking tired far too soon. This 2 seat bistro set is built to avoid that problem completely, so you can leave it outside all year round and get on with using it.

The aluminium frame cannot rust, meaning you don’t need a cover for the frame or rattan and you won’t be replacing it after 2 or 3 seasons like many steel sets. The rattan is UV-stabilised HDPE, not the PVC type that goes brittle and starts cracking after a few summers in direct sun. We’re rattan garden furniture specialists, so we only stock sets that deal properly with the issues customers keep telling us about: rust, fading weave and furniture that looks fine in year one but not in year three.

You get 2 reclining chairs, 2 footstools, 1 coffee table and natural seat and back cushions included. The chairs recline with an easy side handle, the back cushions are 10cm thick, and the footstools are properly padded rather than just there for show. In terms of size, each reclining chair measures 69 x 74.5 x 89cm, the footstools are 62 x 62cm, and the coffee table is 50 x 50cm with a 45cm height and a 5mm clear tempered glass top that handles British temperature swings better than standard glass.

All you need to do is store the cushions away when you’re not using them. They’re not waterproof by design, because waterproof coatings feel clammy and tend to crack after a couple of summers in UV. The covers can be removed and machine washed at 30C, and the frame and rattan just wipe clean or rinse down with a hose.

Delivery included. Cushions included. 3-Year Rust-Free Structural Guarantee included. It arrives on a pallet with minimal assembly needed — usually near-ready with no tools required. We stock it ourselves, we check it before it ships, and if you want a compact reclining set for a patio, balcony or courtyard, this is the sort of furniture we’d happily put in our own garden.