If you’ve ever paused at a home goods store or scrolled through outdoor furniture listings trying to pick the perfect pieces for your patio, deck, or garden, you’ve almost certainly landed on teak and cedar. As an outdoor furniture supplier who’s spent 12 years walking customers through the muddy, sunbaked realities of picking furniture that lasts, I can tell you this: the difference between teak and cedar isn’t just about wood type—it’s about how your furniture will hold up to rain, harsh summer sun, salt air, and even that random hail storm that blows through in June. I’ve seen customers pick cedar for its lower upfront cost, only to replace it three years later when it warps, and I’ve had clients splurge on teak that’s still looking pristine 20 years later. Today, let’s break this down like we’re talking over a sample crate of outdoor cushions, no jargon, no fancy sales pitches—just real talk for anyone investing in outdoor furniture. Outdoor Furniture
First, let’s start with the basics: where these woods come from, because that’s half the story of their performance. Teak is a tropical hardwood, native to Southeast Asia (Thailand, Indonesia, and Myanmar) is where most of the responsibly sourced stuff comes from these days, though small groves exist in Central America and parts of Africa. It grows slowly—think 50 to 100 years before it’s mature enough to harvest for furniture. That slow growth is key to its properties. Cedar, on the other hand, is a softwood, mostly grown in North America (Western Red Cedar is the most popular for outdoor furniture, though Eastern Cedar is also used). It matures in just 20 to 30 years, which is why it’s more readily available and cheaper. But that speed of growth translates to different internal structures for the wood.
Let’s talk durability first, because that’s the number one question I get: “Will this hold up year after year?” Teak’s superpower is teak oil—wait, no, actually, it’s not the store-bought teak oil, it’s what the wood makes on its own. Mature teak has a natural, waxy substance called silica that oozes out of its cells when the wood is milled. Think of it as a built-in waterproofing layer. I’ve teak benches that sat uncovered through three straight North Carolina winters—freezing rain, snow, 90-degree summer humidity—and when I checked last spring, they didn’t have a single rot spot, warp, or crack. The silica also repels insects, which is why termites don’t mess with teak (a huge win for anyone in warm, humid climates where bugs are nonstop).
Cedar, by contrast, has natural oils too, but they’re not the same as teak’s silica. Cedar’s oils give it that signature, fresh-forest smell, and they do help resist some rot and minor insect damage—but only for a few years. The problem is cedar is softer, and its cellular structure is more porous. After three to five years of being exposed to the elements, those pores get clogged with dirt and mildew, the oils break down, and it starts to warp. I had a customer a few years back who bought a full cedar patio set for $1,800, thinking it was a steal. By year four, the table top had a 2-inch gap between planks, the chairs had legs that twisted, and he had to sand and stain it every single spring to keep it from falling apart. Teak, by the way, only needs a light sand and a reapplication of teak sealer (not the oil-based stuff—we use a UV-protectant sealer that’s meant for the wood’s natural properties) every 5 to 7 years, max.
Next up: weathering and appearance, because let’s be real, these pieces are on display. Everyone asks about that silver-gray patina everyone talks about. Teak will turn that soft, muted silver if you leave it unfinished, which a lot of people love—it’s that classic, European coastal look. But if you prefer the warm, golden-brown teak color when it’s new, you can seal it to slow the graying. We have a lot of customers in California who do this, because they want their patio to match their indoor wood floors, and it works perfectly. The color of teak is consistent, too—even when it weathers, the silver is uniform, not patchy.
Cedar weathering is a lot more inconsistent. When you first get cedar, it’s a light, honeyed tan. After a year or two, it will start to fade to a dull gray, but not evenly. Some spots will turn darker from sun exposure, some will get black streaks from mildew, and if you have a shaded part of your deck, the cedar might stay tan there forever. It’s a messy, uneven look, which is why most cedar owners end up staining or painting it, but even then, the stain will peel and flake in two or three years. I’ve had customers who painted their cedar cushions a sage green, and by the end of the summer, it looked like a patchwork quilt of chipped green and dull gray. That’s not a look you want for outdoor furniture you’re proud to have guests sit on.
Weight is another factor people don’t think about until they’re moving furniture around. Teak is heavy—solid teak chairs weigh 20 to 25 pounds each, and a full patio table is 80 to 100 pounds. That’s a good thing, though, because it won’t blow over in a strong wind (we had a hurricane in Florida a few years back, and every teak set we installed stayed put, while half the cedar sets were tossed into neighbor’s yards). The weight also gives it a sturdy, high-quality feel—when you sit in a teak chair, it doesn’t wobble or creak.
Cedar is light—chairs weigh 10 to 15 pounds, tables are 40 to 50 pounds. That’s great if you’re rearranging your patio often, but not so great if you live in a windy area, or if you have kids or pets that might tip it over. I had a customer with a golden retriever who kept knocking over his cedar side table—one time it fell and cracked the leg, and he had to glue it, and it still never fit right. Teak is dense, so it’s less prone to cracking from impact, too.
Cost is the big divide here. Teak is more expensive upfront— a 6-piece patio dining set runs from $3,500 to $7,000, depending on the size and style. But when you do the math, it’s a long-term investment. That teak set will last 20 to 30 years, so if you spread the cost over 25 years, that’s $140 to $280 a year. Cedar is cheaper upfront— a similar 6-piece set is $1,500 to $3,000—but it only lasts 5 to 7 years, so that’s $214 to $600 a year. Plus, you’re paying for stain, sealant, and maintenance every year or two, which adds up. I had a customer who went with cedar, spent $2,000 on the set, $500 on stain every year, and by year 5, he had to replace it, so total cost was $4,500 for 5 years. The teak set he’s had for 15 years? Only spent $300 on sealer total. That’s a no-brainer for most people planning to stay in their home long-term.
But wait—cedar isn’t bad. It’s just a better fit for certain people. If you’re renting a place, or you know you’ll move in 5 years, or you want to swap out your outdoor furniture every few years for new styles, cedar makes sense. It’s easier to customize, too—you can paint it, stain it bright colors, or even distress it to fit a bohemian or modern look. Teak has a classic, timeless style that doesn’t change much, so if you like a look that stays consistent, teak is better. Cedar is more versatile for trendy designs, but it won’t hold up as long.
One common myth I hear all the time: “Teak is environmentally destructive.” That’s why only buying responsibly sourced teak is key. At our company, we only use teak from FSC-certified forests, which means the wood is harvested from sustainably managed groves, where new trees are planted to replace the ones cut down. Old-growth teak is banned for furniture, because it takes too long to grow, but FSC teak is 100% sustainable. Cedar, on the other hand, is also a sustainable wood, since it grows quickly, but most cedar used for furniture is sourced from private forests, not old-growth, so it’s a greener option for people who prioritize fast-growing woods. But don’t let that myth steer you away from teak—just make sure to ask your supplier for FSC certification.
I also want to talk about care, because that’s a big part of owning outdoor furniture. Teak is low-maintenance. If you leave it unfinished, it will turn that silver patina, and all you have to do is wipe it down with a mild soap and water once a month. If you want to keep the golden color, just apply a UV sealer once every 5 to 7 years, and that’s it. No scraping, no sanding, no constant reapplication. Cedar needs way more work. Every spring, you have to sand it to get rid of mildew and faded finish, then apply a stain or sealant, and even then, by fall, it’s starting to look dull again. If you live in a humid climate, you might have to treat it for mildew twice a year. I’ve had customers who hate the maintenance, so they just cover their cedar furniture all year, which means they have to put on covers, take them off, clean under them, and it’s a whole extra chore. Teak doesn’t need covers, by the way—unless you live in a place where you get a lot of intense hail or heavy ice, a cover is optional.
Let me give you a real example, from a customer I helped last year. Maria was moving into a new house in Portland, Oregon, which has lots of rain and mild, cloudy summers. She was torn between teak and cedar. She had a budget of $4,000 for a dining set. At first, she leaned towards cedar, because it was cheaper. But when I walked her through the numbers, she realized: she planned to stay in the house for at least 15 years. The cedar set would cost her about $2,500 upfront, plus $500 a year in maintenance, so over 15 years that’s $10,000. The teak set was $3,800 upfront, plus $300 total in maintenance over 15 years, so that’s $4,100 total. She ended up going with teak, and emailed me six months later saying it was perfect—no mildew, no warping, and the silver patina looked exactly like the coastal style she wanted. She said she’s never regretted it.
Another example: a college student named Jake, who was renting an apartment in Austin, Texas, for two years. He wanted a small bistro set for his balcony, and his budget was $500. Cedar was the only option that fit his budget. He painted it bright blue, and loved it for the two years he lived there. When he moved, he sold it for $100, and bought a new one that fit his next apartment’s style. For his situation, cedar was the perfect choice—he didn’t need something that lasted 20 years, he just needed something that lasted two years and looked good.
So, to wrap this up, the difference between teak and cedar outdoor furniture comes down to three things: how long you need it to last, how much work you want to put into maintenance, and your long-term plans for your space. Teak is the long-term, low-maintenance, high-quality investment that pays off over time. Cedar is the short-term, budget-friendly, customizable option that works if you’re not planning to keep your furniture for decades.
If you’re trying to figure out which is right for you, or you want to see samples of our teak and cedar pieces, just reach out. We work with homeowners, interior designers, and property managers to find the perfect outdoor furniture for their needs, and we can walk you through everything from sourcing to care. Don’t guess—let’s talk about your patio, your budget, and how many years you want to enjoy your outdoor space, so you can make the right choice.
Woven Outdoor Furniture References
Forest Stewardship Council. (2023). FSC Certified Teak for Outdoor Furniture.
American Wood Protection Association. (2022). Durability of Softwoods vs. Hardwoods for Exterior Use.
University of Minnesota Extension. (2021). Outdoor Wood Furniture: Care and Maintenance Guidelines.
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