I have director's chairs (wood) I've been using since 1967, on their third set of fabric inserts (seat wears out, back tends to stretch). My wood frame, canvas seat camp stool has lasted about 15 years now on original fabric.
I used to get 15-20 years out of aluminum frame lawn chairs with webbing replacements every few years, before someone heavy trying to rock the chair breaks the frame. Since the 80's they started using plastic in structural parts like the arms, cuts life to about 5-10 years. Now they are all steel frame, square tubing, and even the metal parts are now fragile.
I've picked up an aluminum frame director's chair, but there is so much plastic in the joints I'm guessing the frame is going to fail before the fabric wears out.
I've seen some well made outdoor furniture, hardwood frames and adequately sized galvanized hardware, at craft shows. it is not as cheap as the metal and plastic stuff in the discount stores and camping and sporting goods outlets. The lounge chairs are much like the deck chairs they used on ships the past 100 years, before going to disposable molded plastics.
Tom Test
Itasca Spirit 29B
