Last updated: August 20, 2026
Storing wicker furniture for winter takes an hour if you do it deliberately and costs you a set if you do not. Natural wicker has to come indoors; freezing temperatures combined with damp fiber are what crack strands. Resin wicker can usually stay out, but it still needs cleaning, draining and lifting off the ground first.
This guide covers which pieces genuinely need storing, the preparation that has to happen before anything goes into a garage, where to put things when there is no garage available, and how to bring a set back out in spring without discovering a problem in May that started in November.
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Quick Answer
How should you store wicker furniture over winter?
- Clean it and let it dry completely first. Anything stored damp comes out smelling of it.
- Natural wicker goes indoors, in a space that does not freeze and is not damp.
- Resin wicker can stay outside in most climates, raised off the ground and loosely covered.
- Cushions always come inside, stored on edge or upright rather than compressed flat.
- Do not seal anything in plastic. Trapped condensation over months is worse than the weather.
Which Pieces Actually Need Storing
Natural wicker, always. Reed and rattan absorb ambient moisture, and fiber that is damp when temperatures drop below freezing becomes brittle and cracks. Resin wicker generally does not need storing at all in mild and moderate climates, since the strands are unaffected by cold on their own.
The judgment call is a resin set in a region with heavy snow load and hard freezes. Snow sitting on a seat for weeks pushes water into every frame opening, and repeated freezing inside a hollow frame does real damage. In those conditions storing a resin set is worth the effort even though the weave itself would survive.
Prepare Before You Put Anything Away
Three steps in order: clean, dry, inspect. Cleaning removes the dirt and pollen that hold moisture against the strands. Drying is the step people rush, and it needs a full day of moving air rather than an afternoon. Inspecting takes ten minutes and tells you what to fix before spring.
Cleaning and Drying
Use the routine for your material from our guide to cleaning wicker furniture, then let the piece stand somewhere with airflow until it is dry through, not just on the surface. Turning a chair upside down for a few hours drains water from tubular frames and from the base of a weave.
Inspecting
Look for sprung strands, unravelled binding, loose frame joints and any rust starting at a chip in a coated steel frame. Note what you find. Winter is the sensible time to order repair material, and a small repair made in January is a much smaller job than the same one in June.
Where to Store It
The ideal storage space is dry, ventilated and stable in temperature. A heated basement or a spare room suits natural wicker best. An unheated garage is acceptable if it is genuinely dry. A damp shed or a crawl space is worse than leaving a resin set outside, because months of still damp air do more harm than weather.
| Storage spot | Natural wicker | Resin wicker | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heated indoor room | Best option | Fine, usually unnecessary | Space, and sun through a window |
| Dry unheated garage | Good | Good | Condensation on cold concrete floors |
| Basement | Only if dry | Fine | Humidity, standing water |
| Shed or outbuilding | Risky | Fine | Damp air, rodents in cushions |
| Left outside covered | Not advisable | Workable in mild climates | Trapped condensation, snow load |
Wherever it goes, keep pieces off a bare concrete floor. Concrete wicks moisture upward and a chair leg standing on it all winter will show a dark line at the bottom by spring. Pallets, boards or furniture glides solve it.
When There Is No Garage
Plenty of households have no indoor space for a patio set, and the workable compromise is to move pieces to the most sheltered position available, raise them off the ground, and cover them with a breathable cover that is strapped down. That is a real improvement over leaving them where they stand.
Stack what stacks, nest what nests, and turn tables on their side against a wall so water cannot sit on the surface. A cover that pools water in the middle will eventually leak at that point, so drape it over something that creates a peak, or choose a cover with a shaped top.
Cushions Over the Winter
Cushions come inside without exception, including from a covered set. Foam holds moisture through months of cold, fabric mildews where it stays damp, and cushions left outdoors are also the most attractive thing on the patio to rodents looking for nesting material.
Store them upright or on edge rather than stacked flat under weight, in a breathable bag rather than sealed plastic, somewhere that is not damp. A moisture absorber in a closed storage space helps in basements and garages. If a cushion set is already past saving, replacing it is a spring job worth planning; our guide to cushions for wicker chairs covers sizing and tie downs.
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Bringing It Back Out
Give a natural piece a day to acclimatize before you load it, since fiber that has been in dry indoor air all winter is stiffer than usual. Check every frame joint and fastener before use, then clean off the storage dust and apply the season opening treatment for your material.
This is also the moment to act on whatever you noted during the autumn inspection, while the piece is empty and accessible rather than in daily use. The full seasonal rhythm is set out in our guide to protecting wicker furniture outside, linked below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can wicker furniture be left outside in winter? Resin wicker usually can, in mild and moderate climates, provided it is clean, raised off the ground and loosely covered. Natural wicker should not be, because damp fiber becomes brittle at freezing temperatures and cracks.
Does cold weather damage resin wicker? Cold alone does not harm polyethylene strand. The damage comes from snow and ice sitting on a set for weeks, pushing water into frame openings where it freezes. In heavy snow regions, storing a resin set is still worthwhile.
Should you cover wicker furniture with plastic for winter? No. Sealed plastic traps condensation for months, which is worse than the weather it is keeping off. Use a breathable cover designed for outdoor furniture, fitted closely and secured against wind.
Where should you store patio cushions in winter? Indoors, upright or on edge rather than compressed flat, in a breathable bag in a dry space. Cushions left outside hold moisture all winter and are the first thing rodents use for nesting.
Can wicker furniture be stored in an unheated garage? Yes, if the garage is genuinely dry. Keep pieces off the bare concrete floor, because concrete wicks moisture upward and leaves dark marks at the base of legs by spring.
Do you need to clean wicker before storing it? Yes, and dry it fully afterward. Dirt and pollen hold moisture against the strands over months of storage, and anything put away damp comes out smelling musty even in a good space.
The Bottom Line
Clean it, dry it properly, inspect it, then store it. Natural wicker goes indoors somewhere dry and stable. Resin wicker can usually stay outside, raised off the ground under a breathable strapped cover, unless you get serious snow. Cushions always come inside, stored upright and unsealed. Skip plastic wrapping entirely, and keep everything off bare concrete.