Rattan furniture which is usually handmade can be extensively seen in offices, hotels, homes and shops around the world. Due to its unique nature of accepting paints and stains like many other kinds of wood, it is available in many colours and can be worked into numerous styles. It is also used for making baskets, plant containers and also for various works of decoration.

Rattan refers to the name given to approximately 600 species of palms usually found in tropical regions of Africa, Asia and Australasia. From the outside it is similar to a bamboo. However, unlike bamboo rattan boasts a strong core and is thus durable and even hard to break. The uniqueness of this species lies in its durability coupled with its resistance to splintering. The various sections of rattan are used in manufacturing staves or canes for martial arts. It is the only material employed for the construction of striking weapons in Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) martial combat.

Long strands of wood from a rattan plant, rattan material is interwoven tightly because they rarely break or split which accounts for its durability. This suggests that rattan furniture is bound to last for a long time. Rattan furniture also has the ability to brave the weather irrespective of whether it’s raining, or snowing or even conditions of extreme heat or frost. Rattan is so tough that it’s used to construct hot air balloon gondolas. The Malaysian uses it to create suspension bridges. The best part of rattan furniture is that they are free of mould and hence can be kept outside without any hesitation.

Many people are of the notion that Wicker furniture and rattan furniture are almost alike. Consequently, the two terms are quite often used interchangeably to address outdoor/indoor furniture seen in homes during summer months. Rattan is a vine that grows in the forests of South Eastern region with its diameter varying between one to three inches and can grow as high as a hundred feet. Wicker on the other hand is not a material but an ancient method used in the preparation of items from natural materials like willow, rush, rattan core and many more. Hence rattan furniture can be made out of rattan only but wicker furniture can be made out from numerous materials like bamboo, straw and even rattan. Rattan furniture is also superior to wicker furniture in terms of versatility and durability.

Durability is something that many people will want to consider when buying rattan furniture for their home.  Nobody wants to buy items for their garden or even indoor space and see them falling to pieces after a few months of exposure to the elements or the rough and tumble of a young family.  This durability is what makes it worth the investment.  Families who opt for rattan furniture will be able to get years of pleasure from it, no matter where they choose to put it, and it will add the stylish touch that they are looking for in their home.