In a Nutshell:
A simply designed, rugged mission glider, offered in a variety of finishes and capable of supporting an impressive amount of user weight. The CAF Amish Heavy Duty Mission Porch Glider is recommended for anyone. It’s a little on the pricey side, but it’s well worth the extra money you’ll spend.
Value for the Money
Comfort
Brand Reliability*
Aesthetic Flexibility**
Overall Rating
4.5/5
Benefits
Drawbacks
Recommended For: Anyone looking for a simply designed, rugged mission glider. It’s a little on the pricey side, but it’s well worth the extra money you’ll spend.
Are you in the market for some new outdoor furniture?
Are you on the heavy side, or do you regularly entertain guests who are?
If so, then you know what a challenge it can be to find sufficiently rugged and robust furniture to withstand the elements and provide proper support.
If you weigh three hundred pounds or less, you’ll find many options. There isn’t much available if you weigh more than that.
The good news is that a few well-respected companies are making top-quality furniture that is not only great-looking but built to last and capable of supporting an impressive amount of user weight. The CAF Amish Heavy Duty Mission Porch Glider, offered by Amish Casual and sold through CAF, is an excellent example of the hidden gems you can find in this market corner if you spend enough time digging.
Porch gliders aren’t an obvious choice for many people, but if you’re looking for more than a simple bench-style seat but, for whatever reason, don’t want a porch swing, this is a great piece of high-weight capacity outdoor furniture that serves as a middle-ground between those two.
In the following sections, we’ll tell you everything this amazing glider rocker offers. While it’s not perfect and probably not for everyone, we think you’ll be impressed by what you read here. Let’s take a closer look.
Key Features of the CAF Amish Heavy-Duty Mission Outdoor Glider
At first glance, the CAF Amish heavy-duty mission porch glider looks like the bench seating offered by Amish Casual. On closer inspection, though, it becomes obvious that it’s something more.
Like the bench seating we mentioned, it’s built by Amish craftsmen in the Mission style, which is simple and timeless.
Available Finishes
Even better, if you decide you want one, you can order yours in a variety of finishes, including:
The light and dark wood stain options make it easy to blend this bench with just about any outdoor décor scheme. The white and black options are great for providing a weathered look. The unstained variant allows you unlimited flexibility in matching whatever color or décor scheme you use.
Be aware, however, that if you get one of the pre-stained glider rockers, they only come with a single coat of the stain you select. Most people who paint or stain their furniture use at least two coats, followed by at least two layers of polyurethane to protect it.
We regard this as one of the few genuine points of weakness regarding this product. It’s not awful, but a single coat won’t stand up as well over time, so even if you get one of the pre-stained gliders, you’ll have to restain it sooner than you’d like to.
Also, note that in addition to the selection of stain colors, you can order your glider rocker in four- or five-foot-long variants. We consider the four-foot variant significantly less versatile than its longer cousin, but we understand that opinions will vary. Ultimately, there are no right answers here. It comes down to your personal preferences and which option is the best fit for you.
Chair Specifications
Turning to specifics now, let’s look at the stats defining the model. Here they are:
We’re incredibly impressed with these numbers. The seat dimensions, especially on the five-foot variant, complement the maximum supported weight limit. The bench is more than heavy enough that you won’t have to worry about heavy winds blowing it over while remaining light enough to move easily (with a bit of assistance) if you decide you want to put it somewhere else.
Adjustability and Comfort
The CAF Amish Heavy Duty Mission outdoor glider is not adjustable, so this will be a fairly short section.
Glider rockers occupy a curious middle ground. They’re one part rocker, one part stylish bench seat, and one part porch swing, giving you the same feel as a porch swing without the added hassle of hanging chains and suspending your seat from the ceiling.
Comfort-wise, it’s about what you’d expect from wood furniture. The slats in the back have enough separation between them that the back is breathable. If you decide to make the bench more comfortable, that’s easy to do by adding either a padded seat, padded seatback, or both.
Doing so, however, comes with an unfortunate trade-off. This is a beautiful piece of furniture. It almost seems a shame to cover its natural beauty with padding, but if you intend to use it for lounging for extended periods, it may be the right choice.
Assembly is Required
As is the case with most of the furniture you can buy online these days, if you decide you want one of these, it will arrive in a large box and only partially assembled, so you will have to do some work before using it.
Fortunately, Amish Casual’s production quality is unbelievably good, and the assembly instructions are clear. Getting the CAF Amish heavy-duty mission bench glider ready for first use, including unboxing and sorting, will take about 40 minutes. You can shave about ten minutes off of that time if you have an assistant standing by to lend a hand on the day the bench arrives.
Also, note that you can pay extra for the expert assembly option, which makes the process hands-free. Naturally, you’ll pay a premium for the service, which amounts to about a quarter of the total price of the bench. It’s not cheap, but if you’re really averse to putting your own furniture together, it’s nice to know you have the option.
Pros and Cons CAF Amish Heavy Duty Mission Porch Glider
The heavy-duty Amish glider rocker is almost perfect. Our only genuine gripe is that the company cut a few corners on the pre-stained variants. We’d love to see this improved to two coats of your chosen stain color at some point, but we understand their thinking here.
Also, we really feel that the four-foot variant offers significantly less utility than the five-foot. If we could get the company to make just one change at our request, we’d love to see this bench offered in a five-foot and a six-foot variant.
Honestly, though, those are minor points. The simple truth is that this glider is amazing and belongs on your shortlist for consideration.
Final Thoughts: CAF Amish Heavy Duty Mission Porch Glider Review
Notwithstanding the quibble with the single coat of stain, the CAF Amish Heavy Duty Mission Porch glider is a wonder. We love it, but we understand that this is a bit of a niche product. Not everybody is going to want or need a glider rocker. If you’re a fan, you will want one and maybe two or more.
If you’re not, you can get a standard bench seat made by the same company for less money, which would be a better option for you. On that basis, we provisionally recommend it.
Recommended Reading
Step2 Outdoor Storage Bench Review
Our analysis focuses on the Step2 Outdoor Storage Bench, a versatile outdoor seat with a built-in storage compartment.
Kilmer Creek Cedar Porch Glider Review
Read our review of the Kilmer Creek Cedar Porch Glider, a beautifully constructed outdoor seating for the front porch.
Kilmer Creek Cedar Porch Swing Review
We explored the Kilmer Creek Cedar Porch Swing, a delightful chair made from red cedar and offered at a fair price.
REFERENCES & RESOURCES
- A Brief History of Amish Furniture, Modern Bungalow.
- How to Make New Wood Look Old, The Spruce.
- How to Create a Weathered Wood Finish, Hunker.
- DIY No Sew Bench Cushion, Old House to New Home.
- Choosing the Most Durable Wood for Outdoor Furniture, Today’s Homeowner.