What is HDPE outdoor furniture made from?

HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene) outdoor furniture is made from recycled plastic, primarily milk jugs and detergent bottles. At Carolina Casual, we transform this post-consumer recycled plastic into premium, fade-resistant outdoor furniture that lasts for decades without any maintenance.

How long does recycled plastic outdoor furniture last?

Recycled HDPE outdoor furniture from Carolina Casual is built to last 25+ years. Unlike wood that rots or metal that rusts, HDPE won't crack, splinter, fade, or deteriorate from UV exposure, salt air, or moisture. It requires zero maintenance — no painting, staining, or sealing ever.

Is Carolina Casual furniture made in the USA?

Yes! Every piece of Carolina Casual furniture is designed and handcrafted in our workshop in Jarvisburg, on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. We've been a family-owned furniture manufacturer since 1986, with over 38 years of craftsmanship experience.

What makes Carolina Casual different from POLYWOOD and other brands?

Carolina Casual is a family-owned manufacturer that sells factory-direct, cutting out the middleman markup. We use premium marine-grade HDPE with UV inhibitors throughout the material (not just surface coating). Our furniture is handcrafted on the Outer Banks, tested in real coastal salt-air conditions, and comes with free shipping and 20+ color options.

Do you offer free shipping on outdoor furniture?

Yes! Carolina Casual offers free shipping on all orders across the continental United States. Your furniture ships directly from our Outer Banks workshop to your door.

Can recycled plastic Adirondack chairs handle salt air and coastal weather?

Absolutely. Our HDPE Adirondack chairs are specifically designed and tested for coastal environments. The material is completely impervious to salt spray, humidity, rain, and intense UV exposure. We're located on the Outer Banks of North Carolina — our furniture lives in salt air every day. Colors won't fade, hardware is marine-grade stainless steel, and the material will never rot, warp, or splinter.

How do you clean HDPE outdoor furniture?

Simply wash with mild soap and warm water using a soft bristle brush. For tougher stains, a diluted bleach solution (1 part bleach to 16 parts water) works perfectly. You can also use a pressure washer on a low setting (under 1,500 PSI). No sanding, staining, or special treatments ever needed.

What payment options do you accept?

We accept all major credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and offer Buy Now Pay Later options through Affirm and Klarna. This means you can finance your outdoor furniture purchase with flexible monthly payments.

Our Story

Handcrafted Outdoor Furniture from the Outer Banks Since 1986

Carolina Casual is a family-owned outdoor furniture manufacturer based in Kill Devil Hills on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. For nearly four decades, we’ve been building premium outdoor furniture designed to withstand everything the coast throws at it—salt air, hurricane winds, blazing sun, and freezing winters—while looking beautiful every single day.

Our Story

Carolina Casual started in 1986 when our founder saw a gap in the market: people on the Outer Banks needed outdoor furniture that could actually survive the coastal environment. Wood rotted in the humidity. Metal rusted in the salt air. Plastic blew away in the wind and cracked in the cold. Nobody was building furniture specifically for the conditions where people wanted it most.

So we started building it ourselves. Right here on the Outer Banks, where every design is tested by the same conditions our customers face. We began with wood, perfecting joinery and finishing techniques for coastal durability. As recycled HDPE lumber emerged as a revolutionary material in the early 2000s, we embraced it fully—recognizing that it solved every problem wood couldn’t.

Today, every piece of Carolina Casual furniture is handcrafted from recycled HDPE lumber (made from post-consumer recycled milk jugs and detergent bottles) with marine-grade stainless steel hardware. It’s the most durable, sustainable, and maintenance-free outdoor furniture material in the world—and we’ve been perfecting how to build with it for over two decades.

Family-Owned, Family-Operated

Carolina Casual is owned and operated by the White family. Johnathan “Mike” White leads the company with the same hands-on philosophy that started it: every piece should be built with pride, sold with honesty, and backed for life. Our family lives on the Outer Banks—this isn’t just where we work, it’s our home. Our customers are our neighbors, and our reputation is everything.

How We Build

We don’t use assembly lines or automated production systems. Every piece of furniture is handcrafted by skilled craftspeople in our Kill Devil Hills workshop. Here’s what that means:

Cut to order — We don’t keep pre-built inventory. Your furniture is cut, shaped, and assembled specifically for your order, which allows full customization of colors, dimensions, and features.
Individually inspected — Every joint, every curve, every hardware connection is checked by the person who built it before it ships. Mass producers can’t offer this level of quality control.
Marine-grade hardware — We exclusively use 316 stainless steel hardware, the same grade used on boats and marine equipment. Cheap zinc-plated hardware starts rusting within months in coastal environments—ours lasts a lifetime.
Color-through material — Our HDPE lumber is colored all the way through, not painted or coated on the surface. This means scratches are invisible and the color never peels, chips, or flakes.

Our Commitment to Sustainability

Every piece of Carolina Casual furniture starts as recycled plastic that would otherwise end up in landfills or oceans. A single Adirondack chair diverts approximately 500 milk jugs from the waste stream. Our closed-loop manufacturing process recycles production scraps back into new lumber, creating near-zero waste.

We also prioritize domestic manufacturing to minimize shipping emissions, use recyclable packaging materials, and design furniture that lasts 25-50+ years rather than ending up in a landfill in 3-5 years like budget alternatives.

What We Offer

Adirondack Chairs — Our signature collection, from classic to bar-height to XL models
Outdoor Dining — Tables, chairs, and benches for family meals outside
Deep Seating — Cushioned lounge chairs for ultimate comfort
Full Collection — Swings, gliders, picnic tables, fire pit chairs, and more
Commercial & Hospitality — Bulk pricing for hotels, restaurants, and resorts
Vacation Rental Programs — Durable, photogenic furniture for Airbnb and VRBO properties

Every piece comes with a lifetime residential warranty, free shipping, and the confidence that comes from buying direct from the people who built it.

Visit Our Workshop

We welcome visitors to our workshop in Kill Devil Hills, NC. See our furniture being built, feel the quality of the materials, and sit in every model before you buy. Call ahead to schedule a visit—we’d love to show you around.

Carolina Casual Inc.
Kill Devil Hills, Outer Banks, NC
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