Many amongst you looking for a great outdoor/indoor patio furniture, might have come across these two terms several times– Wicker Furniture and Rattan Furniture. The point is – some people consider wicker and rattan as one and same thing, where some believe that these two are almost alike. As a result, these terms are often used interchangeably to address indoor/outdoor furniture, which further can create problems in maintenance of furniture. Very few know the fact that though wicker and rattan furniture fall under same category, but still there is a remarkable difference between the two. This article throws a light on some points that will aware you about difference between wicker furniture and rattan furniture, so that you can get what you wanted.
What is Rattan?
Rattan is a close relative of the palm tree, but it’s not a tree! It is a type of a vine that rapidly grows in tropical and sub-tropical regions of South Eastern countries like Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore. This is the reason why it also known as climbing palms.
Main Properties of Rattan
Growing in the shape of a pole, a rattan fetches the diameter between one to three inches at its maturity. Possessing the ability to grow up high as hundred feet, rattan is considered as one of the strongest woods and therefore is used in making varied furniture styles.
Unlike the bamboo pole, rattan boasts a strong core and is thus durable and even hard to break. The solid core of rattan along with vertical grains is harvested, and is cut into smaller sections and is generally steamed to give varied shapes. The outside skin of the rattan pole, which is the peel, is generally used to bind furniture joints together. Read our Sarang Buaya Rattan article to know more about rattan.
What is Wicker?
Now coming to wicker! Actually, it is not a material from which a furniture is made out. In fact, it is an ancient technique which is used to manufacture varied items out of natural materials, such as willow, rush, cane, rattan core and more. The natural materials are made wet so that they can be easily woven to create various designs and patterns in furniture pieces. To clarify, scroll through various wicker furniture styles at Unicane.com.
Rattan is a specific material, hence rattan furniture can be crafted out of rattan only, but wicker furniture may be crafted out of different materials such as bamboo, straw and even rattan. Recently, synthetic materials are also being used for manufacturing various wicker furnishings. So now you know where the difference lies.
Do check out our next furniture article that tells about how to care for rattan furniture and wicker furniture separately. Stay tuned!