A front porch calls for a nice, old-fashioned wicker chair, along with a glass of lemonade and a sleeping cat. While the cat and lemonade may be feasible, that wicker chair might be harder to come by. Authentic antique wicker rarely holds up against the elements, and even on a covered porch it can be subjected to hours of sun, wind and rain. Then there's that matter of all those relatives who sat in it over the years.


As time went by, Grandma gained some weight, and that wicker chair seat became a bit, umm, rump-sprung.

Looks Like the Real Thing

To satisfy the desire for a nostalgic look and feel, in recent years, casual furniture manufacturers came up with a wicker alternative built to last: all-weather wicker, or resin wicker. Woven with polyethylene resin fibers on a sturdy frame, these chairs and tables will withstand the elements, time and use.

Natural wicker furniture is made from rattan, a tropical climbing palm, or, sometimes, bamboo, a tropical grass. All-weather wicker, however, is woven from resin, which can be made into fine, vine-like pieces that resemble the authentic, natural materials.

High quality, well-made all-weather wicker is wrapped or woven on a steel or aluminum frame, which is sturdy, rust-proof (aluminum), doesn't warp and is less likely to come unglued. Some manufacturers of resin wicker claim that the furniture can be used outside throughout the year in any climate -- probably not advisable.

If you own a piece of the older wicker, you know it can peel or flake. Not so with the all-weather variety, because dyes (coloring) are mixed right into the resin.