Gloster Garden Sofas Built to Live Outside
Gloster has been making outdoor furniture since 1981, and it shows. These are garden sofas built to sit outside all year, not to be carried in and out with the seasons. Frames are solid teak or powder-coated aluminium. Cushions are made with quick-dry foam and fabrics that hold their colour in the sun.
There is a wide range here and you may well feel spoilt for choice, so the guide below explains what separates each collection. If you would rather talk it through, our team knows these sofas well and you can reach them on 01277 812777.
How to Choose Between the Gloster Sofa Ranges
Gloster sofas fall into three broad groups. Once you know which group you need, the choice gets much easier.
Grid, Lima and Maya Modular Sofas
Modular means you buy the sofa in parts and build the shape your space needs. A centre unit here, a corner unit there, an ottoman on the end.
Grid has a strong, geometric look with slim aluminium frames and deep upholstery. It suits modern terraces and roof gardens, and the Chill Unit gives you a wide, lounger style seat at one end.
Lima comes in low back and high back versions, which matters more than it sounds. Low back keeps sightlines open, so it works well where a sofa sits in front of a view or a window. High back gives you proper head support for long evenings outside. Headrest cushions are available separately.
Maya works as ottomans and modular pieces that fill in gaps or extend a seating run.
Modular is the right call if your space is an awkward shape, if you entertain in different sized groups, or if you think you might rearrange things later.
Bay, Haven, Saranac and Zenith Deep Seat Sofas
These are fixed sofas in two and three seater sizes. You choose the size, you place it, and that is that.
Haven uses solid teak frames with deep seat cushions and back pillows. The back and side panels curve gently inward, so the sofa wraps around you a little. It is the most enveloping seat in the range.
Bay is softer and more relaxed, with a footstool and ottoman available to match.
Saranac and Zenith sit in similar territory, with Zenith offering a neat two seater for smaller terraces.
Fixed sofas are the simpler choice. If your space is a straightforward rectangle and you know how many people usually sit outside, there is no need to pay for modular flexibility you will not use.
Fern, Wrap and Mistral Slim Frame Designs
These have a lighter visual weight. You see more of the frame and less bulk.
Fern is the most versatile design here, because it comes in both teak and aluminium, and in high back and low back. Four combinations, same design language. Matching lounge chairs are available too.
Mistral includes chaise loungers as well as sofas, so you can build a seating run that ends in somewhere to stretch out properly.
Wrap is a teak lounge chair rather than a sofa, but it pairs neatly with any of the above.
Should You Choose Teak or Aluminium
Most Gloster sofas are offered in one or the other, and the decision is mostly about how you want the furniture to age.
Teak starts a warm honey brown and slowly turns a soft silver grey outdoors. This is normal and it does not damage the wood. Some people love the silvered look and leave it alone. Others prefer to keep the original colour and clean it once a year. Teak is heavy, which is genuinely useful in a windy garden.
Powder coated aluminium stays the colour you bought it. It does not rust, it is much lighter to move, and it gives a crisper, more contemporary line. If your terrace is exposed or you shift furniture around often, aluminium is the easier life.
Neither one is better. They just weather the storm in different ways.
Planning a Modular Layout
If you are looking at Grid, Lima or Maya, do this before you order.
Measure your space, then take 60cm off each side. You need walking room behind and in front of a seating group, or the terrace feels cramped no matter how good the sofa is.
Work out your usual number, not your maximum. Most people buy for the one big party a year and then live with an oversized sofa for the other 364 days. Build for your normal evening and add an ottoman for the rest.
Decide where the corner goes first. Corner units anchor a layout. Everything else follows from there.
Leave space for a table. A seating run with nowhere to put a drink is a false economy. Our Gloster side and coffee tables are sized to work with these sofas.
If layouts are not your thing, our interior design service can plan it with you.
Looking After Gloster Sofas in the British Climate
Gloster frames are made to stay outside through a British winter. The cushions are the part that needs a little thought.
All weather cushions handle rain and dry quickly, but they last much longer if they are stored somewhere dry over the coldest months, or kept in a cushion box. Give teak a wash with warm soapy water once a year. Aluminium needs even less than that.
Do not use a pressure washer on teak. It strips the soft grain and leaves the surface rough.
Get this right and a Gloster sofa is genuinely in it for the long haul. These are pieces people keep for fifteen or twenty years.
Complete Your Outdoor Space
A sofa is usually the starting point rather than the whole job. The pieces below are worth looking at alongside it:
If you are still comparing brands, it is worth seeing how Gloster furniture sits alongside the other names we stock. Manutti leans towards sharp, tailored lines and a strong Belgian design signature. Royal Botania is known for precision engineering and quietly restrained shapes. Paola Lenti is the most colourful of the three, built around woven yarns and soft, rounded forms. Our outdoor lounge seating collection puts them all in one place so you can compare properly.
You can also browse all luxury garden furniture or the complete outdoor furniture range.
Planning a covered terrace? Gloster sofas sit well under our Umbris pergolas, which extend the season considerably.
Why Buy Gloster Sofas From The Modern Furniture Company
We publish our prices. Every Gloster sofa on this page shows what it costs. You should not have to fill in a form to find out whether something is in your budget.
You can sit on them. Our showroom is just off junction 29 of the M25 in Childerditch, Essex. Photographs cannot tell you how deep a seat is or how a high back feels against your shoulders. Ten minutes here saves a lot of guesswork. Directions are here.
We tell you the lead time up front. Some pieces are in stock. Others are made to order. We will tell you which before you pay, not after.
Free delivery across mainland UK on orders over £500, with most deliveries handled by our own team. Full delivery information is available.
FAQs
Can Gloster sofas be left outside all year?
Yes. The frames are designed for permanent outdoor use in the UK. Cushions will last longer if stored dry over winter or kept in a cushion box.
What is the difference between the low back and high back versions?
Low back keeps the view open and suits terraces where the sofa sits in front of something worth looking at. High back gives you head and shoulder support, which is more comfortable for longer sitting. Lima and Fern both offer the choice.
Will my teak sofa go grey?
Outdoors, yes, over the first year or two. It is a surface change and does not weaken the wood. Clean and treat it annually if you want to keep the original honey colour.
How much do Gloster sofas cost?
Individual modular units start around £3,700. Two-seater sofas typically run from £3,800 to £8,700. Larger three-seaters and statement pieces go up to around £12,500. Current prices are shown on each product above.
Are they delivered assembled?
Most Gloster sofas arrive ready to use or need only minimal assembly. Modular pieces simply connect. We will confirm the details for your specific order.
How long will delivery take?
In-stock pieces move quickly. Made-to-order configurations take longer, and we will give you a firm lead time before you order. Call 01277 812777 if you have a date to work to.
