Christopher Knight Home Banning Outdoor Chair Review

The Christopher Knight Banning chair is built for people who want a chair that lives outside full-time. The frame is galvanized steel with a triple-coat powder finish. We left it out for 6 weeks through sun, rain, and temperature swings and saw no rust, no color shift, and no weld fatigue.

The resin wicker is UV-treated. Most natural rattan fades visibly after a single season of sun exposure. The Banning chair looked almost the same after our 6-week outdoor test as it did on day one. The weave is tight and even, with no loose ends after repeated weather exposure.

The 300 lb weight limit is the highest in our test group. The wide-base stand distributes that load well. We tested it on both a wood patio and on a grass lawn. On grass, the stand feet dig in slightly rather than tippling, which is actually better behavior than a narrow stand.

The cushion is about 3.5 inches thick. It is slightly firmer than the Serenelife cushion, which some people prefer and some don't. The polyester fabric is weather-resistant. You can leave it out through light rain without damage. For heavy storms, bringing the cushion inside is still a good idea.

Assembly is the most involved of the chairs we tested. The multi-piece stand has more hardware, and the instructions could be clearer. Most people finish in 45 minutes. The hardware quality is solid and nothing stripped during assembly.