Key takeaways
- Stackable resin or plastic chairs and stools
- Folding steel bistro sets (table plus two chairs)
- Rope- or string-woven accent chairs on metal frames
- Occasional acacia or hardwood folding tables and benches
- Outdoor cushions, seat pads and picnic accessories
- Parasols and small garden umbrellas
- Rattan-look woven side tables and loungers
Mr Price Home patio furniture: the short answer
Mr Price Home patio furniture is best bought as budget, small-space outdoor seating — think bistro sets, resin chairs, rope chairs, cushions and parasols, typically priced between roughly R150 and R3,000 — rather than as your main entertaining furniture. The powder-coated steel and polypropylene pieces hold up well for their price if you maintain them, while the rattan-look weaves and outdoor cushions are the items most likely to disappoint within a season or two. Because Mr Price Home is a South African retailer that rotates its outdoor range seasonally (peak stock roughly September to January), exact models and prices change — so treat this as a guide to the typical tiers and materials rather than a catalogue.
What the range actually covers
Before comparing prices, it helps to know the range’s ceiling. Mr Price Home’s patio offering generally tops out at 2- to 4-seater scale. You will typically find:
Rattaner 3 Pieces Patio Furniture Set Outdoor Sectional Wicker Patio Furniture Patio Couch with Ottoman and Outdoor Table All-Weather Anti-Slip Cushions Waterproof Covers, Light Grey
Included for 'Mr Price Home Patio Furniture: Prices, Ranges and What's Worth Buying' because the listing specifies Light Grey, details this guide uses to compare options.
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Aoxun 10-Piece Wicker Rattan Patio Furniture Set with 44" Fire Pit Table
Included for 'Mr Price Home Patio Furniture: Prices, Ranges and What's Worth Buying' as a relevant option in this category; details come from the product listing.
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Oasbira Aluminum Outdoor Patio Furniture Set with Coffee Table, 5 Piece Patio Conversation Sets with Washable Thick Cushions, Outdoor Sectional Furniture Set for Porch, Balcony, Deck, Yard, Graphite
Included for 'Mr Price Home Patio Furniture: Prices, Ranges and What's Worth Buying' because the listing specifies 5 Piece Patio Conversation Sets with Washable Thick Cushions and Outdoor Sectional Furniture Set for Porch, details this guide uses to compare options.
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Relax Tree Aluminum Outdoor Patio Furniture, 5 Piece 7-Seat Conversation Set with 2 Chairs, Loveseat, 3-Seat Sofa and Coffee Table, Thick Cushions, Waterproof Covers, Gray
Included for 'Mr Price Home Patio Furniture: Prices, Ranges and What's Worth Buying' because the listing specifies 5 Piece 7-Seat Conversation Set with 2 Chairs and Loveseat, details this guide uses to compare options.
View on Amazon- Stackable resin or plastic chairs and stools
- Folding steel bistro sets (table plus two chairs)
- Rope- or string-woven accent chairs on metal frames
- Occasional acacia or hardwood folding tables and benches
- Outdoor cushions, seat pads and picnic accessories
- Parasols and small garden umbrellas
- Rattan-look woven side tables and loungers
What you generally won’t find is a 6-seater dining suite, a proper outdoor sofa set, or anything engineered for permanent year-round exposure. If you’re furnishing a large entertainment patio, this is the wrong shop for the core pieces — it’s the right shop for accent seating, accessories and balcony-scale furniture.
Price tiers: what your money buys
| Item type | Typical price range (ZAR) | What that actually buys |
|---|---|---|
| Stackable resin chair | R130–R350 | Monobloc or tubular-leg design, roughly 110–130 kg load rating, 3–5 kg weight |
| Rope/string accent chair | R400–R900 | Steel frame wrapped in PVC or polypropylene cord, seat height ~40–45 cm |
| Steel bistro set (table + 2 chairs) | R900–R1,800 | Folding or fixed frame, table 60–70 cm diameter, chair seats ~45 cm high |
| Acacia/hardwood folding set | R1,500–R3,000 | Oiled timber slats, usually flat-packed or folding for storage |
| Outdoor cushion / seat pad | R100–R300 | Polyester cover, polyfill or low-density foam insert |
| Parasol (1.8–2.7 m canopy) | R400–R1,000 | Steel pole and polyester canopy — the weighted base is usually sold separately |
The sweet spot of the range is the R400–R1,800 band. Below that, you’re buying accessories or single resin seats; above R2,000, the value argument weakens and specialist outdoor retailers start offering better materials for similar money.
Which materials hold up outdoors — and which to skip
| Material | How it fails outdoors | Realistic lifespan | Maintenance needed | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powder-coated steel | Chips at welds and screw points rust first, then spread under the coating | 3–5 years inland; 1–2 years near the coast | Touch up chips with enamel paint before they bloom | Buy — best value if you maintain it |
| Polypropylene resin | UV chalking and brittleness; fades rather than rots | 2–4 summers in full sun | Wipe down; store out of harsh sun when possible | Buy for pools, kids and rentals |
| Acacia / hardwood | Silvers and dries out; joints loosen if never oiled | 3–6 years with care | Teak or linseed oil twice a year | Buy only if you’ll actually oil it |
| Rattan-look plastic weave | Strands dry out and snap where the sun hits; can’t be repaired invisibly | 2–3 years under cover, less in full sun | None that really works | Skip unless it’s for a covered patio |
| Polyester cushion covers | Not waterproof — foam inside stays wet, seams pop first | 1–2 seasons if left out | Bring inside or store in a box overnight | Fine as styling, not as all-weather kit |
Where to spend
The steel bistro sets and resin chairs are the range’s backbone. A folded bistro set stores in under 0.3 m of wall space, the seats are the standard ~45 cm dining height (so they pair correctly with any 74–76 cm table you already own), and the frames are light enough — usually 4–7 kg per chair — to move daily. Before buying steel, inspect the weld points and screw holes: that’s where the coating is thinnest and where rust always starts.
Where to save your money
Skip the rattan-look woven pieces for exposed patios — the strands can’t be oiled, painted or patched once they snap. Be realistic about cushions too: they sell the look, but the inserts are ordinary polyfill, not reticulated quick-dry foam, so one forgotten rainstorm can leave them damp for days.
The right pick for your situation
| Your situation | Buy | Avoid | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small flat balcony (under ~4 m²) | Folding bistro set or two resin chairs + side table | Fixed lounge pieces | You need roughly 2 × 2 m for a bistro set with chairs pulled out; folding lets you reclaim the space |
| Coastal home (within ~5 km of the sea) | Resin seating, parasol with aluminium pole | Any painted steel | Salt air finds coating flaws within months |
| Pool area / kids | Stackable resin | Rattan-look weave, anything with glass | Hose-down cleaning, no strands to snag swimsuits |
| Renter who moves often | Folding and flat-pack pieces | Heavy benches | Boxes and folded sets fit through a standard 81 cm door and into a hatchback |
| Regular hosting of 6+ people | Shop a specialist outdoor retailer instead | Expecting full dining suites here | The range simply doesn’t scale to that size |
Fit and spacing numbers to check before buying
The mistake that wastes money isn’t usually the furniture — it’s the fit. Work to these minimums:
- Walkway: keep 90 cm clear behind seating so people can pass while someone is sitting.
- Chair pull-out: allow 60 cm from table edge to the back of a pushed-out chair. A 70 cm bistro table therefore needs a footprint of about 2 × 2 m to be comfortable.
- Seat height: aim for 44–46 cm for dining-height chairs. Some decorative rope chairs sit lower (~38–40 cm) — comfortable to lounge in, awkward at a table.
- Parasol stability: a freestanding 2 m-plus canopy needs a 15–25 kg base. Budget parasols are usually sold without one, so add R200–R500 to the real cost.
- Storage reality: if you can’t fold it, stack it, or carry it under one arm, it will live outside all year and age accordingly.
What wears first (and how to slow it down)
In rough order of failure on budget outdoor pieces: cushion zips and seams go first, then paint chips at weld points, then resin UV chalking, then sagging woven cord. Three habits extend everything’s life: cover or store cushions nightly, touch up steel chips the week they appear rather than next season, and re-oil any timber before winter and again before summer. An hour of maintenance per season is the difference between a bistro set lasting two years and lasting five.
FAQ
Can Mr Price Home patio furniture stay outside all year?
The resin and oiled-timber pieces can, with maintenance. Steel should ideally live under cover or be painted over chips promptly, and cushions should never live outdoors — budget polyester covers are shower-tolerant at best, not weatherproof.
Does it come assembled?
Most resin and folding pieces arrive ready to use or needing minutes of unfolding. Flat-packed tables typically take 15–30 minutes with the included fixings — check that bolt holes have intact coating around them, since that’s a common rust entry point.
Is it worth buying out of season?
Usually yes — the range rotates with the season, so end-of-summer clearance pricing can be meaningfully lower than September prices, though selection thins fast.
What should I buy elsewhere instead?
Dining sets for six or more, loungers you’ll lie on daily, and anything with a glass top — a specialist outdoor retailer offers better frames and tempered glass at prices Mr Price Home’s entry range can’t match on durability.
