True - the LL Bean product is 'fancy plastic' as Mermaid states, but that's where the comparison ends - normal 'plastic' breaks down (which is called 'planned obsolescence', so you will keep returning for new pieces).Beach Runner said:We considered this, but since we need at least 10 chairs, 4 chaise longues (and BTW the L. L. Bean has no matching chaise), plus side tables, it was going to cost us at least $5000 without shipping just for the chairs with no footstools and the chaises.
And it's still "plastic," although granted they do look better than the Home Depot chairs which are actually more comfortable because they're not so hard. So we decided not to invest that kind of money in outdoor furniture after just spending a fortune on beautiful ones.
I'm here to tell you this stuff holds up. Walmart or Home Depot's may be 'molded' for a comfortable fit, but what good is it if it doesn't last and the guests complain about how worn out it looks. We also purchased Bean's seat cushions which takes care of the comfort issue (they fit quite nicely in the owner's closet when we leave ;-) ).
When it comes to flimsy plastic, even if they aren't vocal about it - beleive me, guests are certainly thinking it: "...with such a nice beach home, why would they buy such cheap furniture???..."
High-density polyethylene furniture is actually quite inexpensive if you calculate the years of use it provides - even without the matching chaise lounges
BTW: shipping was free when purchased with our LL Bean Visa
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