>>> BlackFriday DC America SL5660CO-BR Palm Springs Camelback Bench Cast Iron Frame and Hardwood Slats Rust Resistant Bronze Finish
Product Features
Color: Bronze
- Cast Iron Frame
- Bronze Color
- Hardwood Slats
- Ship 1 by ground-Fed-ex
- Attractive outdoor seating
I liked the aesthetically pleasing design of this bench (which garners both stars of the rating) and the fact it had "cast iron" parts made me think it might hold up well in an outdoor setting. Probably not.
The bench goes together easily enough with a small bolt at each end of the five seat slats and another four attach the pre-assembled back piece to the cast end-pieces.
The wood used is not what you think of as "hardwood" like oak or even yellow pine. It's light-weight and marginally varnished but doesn't instill any confidence that it could support two adults of average weight for very long or that it could endure a winter's worth of weather.
The 4' long seat slats use two thin painted metal straps screwed to the underside perpendicularly for a semblance of lateral stability; but just a semblance. I weigh 170 lbs and sitting down (carefully) on the bench produces lateral movement and if you so much as twitch you will instantly feel lateral movement. This will inevitably lead to split wood or will snap one or more of the cheap 10mm bolts that hold the bench together.
The one year guarantee does not cover damage caused by rust or water freezing and thawing; and you know if you put this bench out in the rain it's going to rust. Filling out the warranty postcard has a surprise too: they want you to print and mail them a copy of your receipt! You know-- to protect against the possibility you might have shoplifted the 63 lb. 2' x4' bench in a box.
So. If you have to have this lovely palm motif bench: put it under a roof on your deck or patio and make sure your overweight friends or relatives sit somewhere else. It's pleasant enough to look at it's just not made to sit on.
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