Thursday 2 December 2010

Comfortable Chair - chaise lounge, strathwood


After reading numerous reviews on the chairs, i was a little concerned with the mixed responses. First let me say the price is the best I found. Second the shipping was amazingly fast, I think 3 or 4 days total. As far as when they arrived the boxes were a little beat up but the chairs were fine, plus the company can't control the shipping once it leaves. The directions were not bad but I am pretty patient and can use a pair of tools. I put them together in about an hour or so and that was while watching tv and sitting on the floor taking my time. The finished product went together fine, I personally had no issues with missing hardware, holes not lined up, and the quality was WELL worth the money. I have only had them outside for a day or two and I personally spent the time to rub them down with teak oil, $10 for a can at Home Depot. We also purchased polyester covers that we will keep on the chairs when not in use. I was a little worried about the stain leaching from the chairs based on other reviews so I oiled them and cobvered them, but I would do that even if the reviews never said anything about the stain. Bottom line, well worth the price, I bought them for my wife for her birthday as well as the chaise lounges made by Stratwood and couldn't be happier. Strathwood Gibranta All-Weather Hardwood Arm Chair, Set of 2

We ordered 2 sets of these chairs along with the matching table based on all the glorious reviews I read on amazon. I now think that most of the reviewers wrote their reviews in their excitement upon just having taken them out of the box. But the question that needs to be asked is: does the furniture stand up to the test of time?



We were just as excited as the other reviewers when we first started using the furniture, as brand new it looked like a nice step up from our previous set which had kind of gotten old. But after only a couple of months we already started to notice the wood cracking, even to the extent of giving splinters (which even if we didn't have little kids would still be far from ideal). Now after a mere six months or so, the table has increasingly started to show disturbingly ugly areas of what appears to be dark green mold.



The website tells you that there is already a protective coating of hard wood oil on the pieces. Well, if that is so I must say that it must be so minimal that it can safely be said to be ineffective.

The website also tells you that it is optional to apply hard wood oil, and if one does not it will not be detrimental to the furniture and will only cause it to change color over time and show slight cracking. Nowhere does it tell you about splinters, whole pieces of the outer wood layer coming off leaving sharp areas(in the case of one of the chairs, which along with the table I had thought were solid wood...?!) , nor is there mention of molding (all appearing within the first year of use).



We live in San Diego where we get plenty of sun but not much rain (although the nights have humidity). I have come to understand that this furniture cannot handle either rain nor shine.....pretty sad for outdoor furniture if you ask me. We would never have bought these knowing what we know now.



So if you decide to buy these pieces, my recommendation is; only do so if you have the time to add a substantial layer of protective coating on them as soon as you set them up. Or keep them covered whenever they are not in use. If this is all too much hassle for you, look elsewhere. Hope this helps.

Fabulous price, great appearance . . . but these chairs are not comfortable for lounging. These are more like a good-sized dining chair, not the large chairs I envisioned for reading the morning paper on the patio. I'm perched in the chairs, not relaxed. I'd return them, but of course waited too long to set up then make a decision.

I have purchased these chairs with 3 other pieces to create a seating area in our school library. We are very pleased with the quality and appearance, not to mention a price much lower than other sets I had found.

When I first placed this order, I was scared to death (because of a negative review) that I was only going to receive one chair. It is a PAIR of chairs, with cushions, and they are gorgeous! We ordered this set along with the coffee table and two-seater bench for an amazing patio set. So many compliments on it already! Shipping was very fast, and it was so easy to put together. Highly recommended!!

We purchased these chairs with the matching bench, and are very pleased!



Pros:

SUPER easy to assemble (two adults, one on crutches, less than an hour for both chairs and a bench with the "help" of an energetic 2 yr old.)



Looks a lot more expensive than it was!



Cons:

The cushions are thin, and won't be comfortable for long periods on the patio, but that's an easy fix.



The back cushions are.. odd. The cushion itself is big enough to cover all of the rails, but the velcro attachment is short so that it only really covers about four slats. This forces you to squish some of the cushion through the slats to fully fasten the back cushions.



The fabric the cushions are covered in.. I wouldn't leave it out exposed to the elements... Be prepared to either replace it, launder it (a lot), or bring them in each evening.

First, open a side flap on the outside box. This will expose two inner boxes, each containing a seperate chair. Then open the side flap of one of the inner boxes. This will expose the chair tied together with nylon straps. Pull up on the chair using the strap. Then open the other inner box using the same procedure. This will allow for easy disposal of the cardboard for recycling.



Now for putting the chairs together. First they are well design and easy to put together. Tools are supplied for the assembly, in fact they even include a screwdriver for the 4 wood screws.



Here is the easiest way to assemble the chairs:



1. Attach the back at the top using the two bolts. The correct bolts are the ones which DO NOT have the fastening nut on them. By doing this it allows for you to have the chair to stand up with much assistance.



2. Then install the lower bolt. The bag includes two hex wrenches. Use one of them to lineup the treaded hole for the bolt. Once the bolt is started you can remove the hex wrench.



3. The last step should be screwing in the four wood screws. I used a cordless drill with a screwdriver bit. Be careful not to strip the wood.



The set is EASY to assemble. Well designed. And the cushions good great and are also well designed.



I HIGHLY recommend these chairs, especially for the price. - Outdoor Furniture - Comfortable Chair - Strathwood - Chaise Lounge'


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