Outer Outdoor Furniture Review + A Promising Update After 2 Years of Use
My Outer outdoor furniture review + use my discount code LAKESHOREOUTER!
As many of you know, our outdoor space is pretty special. We love a LOT of things about this condo, but as soon as we walked out onto the deck, we looked at each other and SQUEALED 😂 We hadn’t seen anything like it before, and we could instantly envision spending so much of our time out there – enjoying coffee in the morning, hosting friends for dinner, or celebrating holidays. We knew we were going to be obsessed, and we were right!
Outer Outdoor Furniture Review
That being said, it took us some time to figure out what to do with all of that space. Quite honestly, we’re still figuring some of it out! But one thing we knew we really wanted was a high quality outdoor couch that we could enjoy for a long time.
This became extra clear when we impulsively ordered an inexpensive couch off of Amazon when we first moved in. Don’t get me wrong – it’s fine. But it’s not particularly comfortable, nor will it last. The cushions also don’t stay on, it’s impossible to clean… in other words, we are at the point in our lives when we can invest in an upgrade that makes our space look nicer, makes us (and our guests!) more comfortable, and will last.
So the search began! I scoured the internet for high quality options with a focus on comfort and sustainability. That led me right to Outer and I was instantly impressed. Their designs are gorgeous, the reviews are GLOWING, and I love the brand’s values. Plus, they have built in covers for your cushions. I mean… is that genius or is that GENIUS?!
Keep reading below for more information about the brand, an update after 2 years of use, along with my pros/cons of our Outer sofa. And if you’re interesting in purchasing Outer outdoor furniture, use code LAKESHOREOUTER for an extra 5% off your order! (This can be combined with other on-site offers and on sale items!)
ABOUT OUTER
Outer is a direct-to-consumer outdoor furniture brand based in Santa Monica. It was founded by Jiake Liu and Terry Lin, ex-executive at Casper Sleep and ex-Head Designer for Pottery Barn. They pitched their idea on Shark Tank, were given an offer, and they’ve been creating incredible outdoor furniture ever since!
Their mission is to make it easier to enjoy your time and make memories outdoors – and they certainly deliver. On top of great design and comfort, each chair is made from approximately 100 ocean plastic bottles. In addition, they have a personal relationship with the workers in their factory and are committed to ensuring fair wages, safe work environments, and benefits for families and their children.
What Outer outdoor sofa do you have?
We have the Aluminum Outdoor Sofa with Armless Chairs. This includes 2 corner chairs and 3 armless chairs, so we can seat 5 people – although you can definitely squeeze more than 3 people on the couch.
Pros and Cons of Outer Outdoor Furniture
Pro
It is so comfortable.
When I say these couches are comfortable – I mean, they are SO COMFORTABLE. As in on par with your high quality indoor couch. In fact, each chair has 2 different types of foam cushioning: visco elastic memory foam provides that extreme comfort and high resiliency foam provides support.
It looks beautiful.
When one of the co-founders used to be the head designer at Pottery Barn, you know they have some design chops. That being said, this couch is even more beautiful in person than I thought it would be. Anytime anyone comes out on our deck, they immediately compliment how good looking it is. And then they sit on it and love it even more 😉
It has built-in cushion covers.
Their built-in cushion covers, called the OuterShellâ„¢, is one of the biggest wow factors of this furniture. These covers are attached to each bottom cushion and quickly rolls out over each chair, securing underneath with velcro. It makes “closing up” at the end of the day/night so incredibly easy that there’s no excuse not to do it and protect your cushions from dirt, dew, and debris. Also, once they are secured, it converts into a little carrying case with a handle so you can easily transport them or bring them indoors.
They have All-Weather Covers for winter.
The built-in cushion covers are great when the weather is nice, but we live in Chicago and winters here are no joke. We initially thought we we could store the cushions inside in the depths of winter, but we don’t have a ton of space for that in our condo. Then we found out about their All-Weather Covers – COMPLETE GAME CHANGERS.
The All-Weather Covers are custom made to fit your Outer outdoor furniture perfectly. Just pull it over the top, zip it up and secure the buckled straps around the legs. This will protect your furniture from rain, snow, sun, and winds up to 70 MPH. No need to find a covered area to move it to for winter or bad storms!
It’s also made with fully water-resistant fabric and has also a sloped and vented design that prevents moisture and debris from building up. We have these on all winter and every piece of Outer furniture still looks amazing when spring arrives. The best.
It is durable and built to last.
Our aluminum frames are weather-resistant and will never rust, decay or loosen. They were also finished with a top-of-the-line powder coating that is guaranteed to last for more than 10 years, even when left outside year round. In other words, it can take the super hot days, humidity, heavy rain, snow, and even sub-freezing temperatures.
As for the cushions, those are fade-proof, stain-resistant, water-resistant, and easy to clean. And yes, they’re also still soft and comfortable. I know, MAGIC! When I first heard this, I thought it was too good to be true – but Luna has gotten her dirty paws on them many times this summer, and I can clean off the stains easily every time. So awesome.
It is easy to clean.
Speaking of Luna’s paws, not only are the cushions easy to spot-clean, but they’re also easy to wash in the washing machine. Just remove the cushion covers and wash them on a gentle cycle in cold water. Lay them flat to dry and then put them back on the cushions. It’s not necessary all the time because Outer cushions are designed specifically for Outdoor living – but it is a nice refresh at the beginning and/or end of the warm weather season.
Outer is committed to sustainability.
Each chair is made from approximately 100 ocean plastic bottles, and as a whole 30% of the Outer Sofa is made from recycled materials. It’s also 100% recyclable.
They also have ethical working conditions.
Outer’s factory is owned by their CEO’s family, so they have a personal relationship with the people who create these pieces. They also ensure fair wages, safe work environments, and benefits for families and their children.
They have a 10 year warranty.
Outer offers a 10 year warranty on the sofa frames and a 5 year warranty on the sofa cushions.
Cons
It’s expensive!
Umm yes, it’s pricey. There’s no denying that! This isn’t something that you would purchase on a whim. This is for people who have been looking to invest in really high quality outdoor furniture that looks great, is comfortable, and will last. They also offer the ability to pay in installments through Affirm if that works better for you!
No In-Store Locations
Outer does not have any stores, which is definitely a con for some people who prefer to see and feel furniture before they purchase. Totally understandable! That being said, they do have what they call Neighborhood Showrooms.
This allows you to search for real Outer customers in your area and then request an in-person visit or connect with a Host virtually. I think it’s so helpful to see Outer outdoor furniture at a real home – it makes it so much easier to visualize how it will fit in your outdoor space, too!
Outer Furniture Review After 2 Years of Use
Alright skeptics, you’ve heard me say that our Outer sofa will last – but will it really?! Well, we have had ours for 2 full years now and it’s still good as new, so I think that’s a good sign!
Out of all of the pros listed above, I think the OuterShellâ„¢ is the biggest selling point. It takes less than a minute to roll the covers over the cushions after sitting on the sofa, but that easy task helps protect the cushions SO MUCH. You don’t have to move all of the cushions to a dry spot every night or run outside to move them if it rains. It really is the best.
That, combined with the All-Weather Covers, has kept our Outer sofa looking brand new even after 2 full summers and 2 full winters. And since the structure itself is so sturdy and high quality, I don’t see any reason why we wouldn’t still be enjoying this furniture 10+ years from now.
I hope this Outer Outdoor Furniture Review was helpful! Don’t forget to use code LAKESHOREOUTER for 5% off your new Outer outdoor furniture! (Can be combined with other on-site offers and sale items!)
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PS. You might also like Advice for First Time Home Buyers, All About Our Gallery Wall, and Gardening Tips for Beginners. Follow me on Instagram for more updates.
