Outdoor Living Products Worth Considering for Australian Homes

Picture a Saturday in January: the deck boards are too hot for bare feet, the table has no shade until four o'clock and someone has wheeled the barbecue under the eaves because the sky looks doubtful. Most outdoor-living shopping starts from a scene like that. The products on offer are easy to picture; the useful questions are less glamorous, and several of them have official answers.

Shade before furniture

Cancer Council Australia says seeking shade should be top of mind whenever the UV Index is 3 or above, and lists trees, built structures and a high-UPF umbrella or gazebo as options. It also notes that reflected UV can still reach you, particularly near water, so shade is meant to be combined with clothing, a broad-brimmed hat, sunglasses and sunscreen rather than relied on alone.

Two other points from the same pages affect what you buy. The UV Index is not about heat: Cancer Council says UV can be high on cool and overcast days, and that thin cloud does not block much of it. And the Bureau of Meteorology issues sun protection times when the index is forecast to reach 3 or above, which you can check before planning a long lunch outside. A shade product that looks generous at noon may not cover the table at 2 pm, so it is worth thinking about where the sun will be as well as where the product sits.

Gas barbecues and burners

The South Australian Government's barbecue page says to check that the barbecue, hose and regulator are labelled as safety certified for use in Australia, and to use the barbecue outdoors only, in a well-ventilated area. It advises checking for leaks before each use, looking over the hose for cracks, kinks, crushing or stretching, and replacing the hose every five years. Turning off the cylinder first and then the barbecue stops gas being trapped in the line. It also suggests a licensed gas fitter check the barbecue every two years.

Western Australia's energy-safety regulator describes the leak test as applying soapy water to the cylinder, hose and connections: bubbles or a gas smell indicate a leak. It adds a detail that matters when shopping. Barbecues bought since April 2022 have an LCC27 connector and need an LCC27-valve cylinder, and the regulator says never to use an adaptor to join an LCC27 barbecue to an older POL cylinder, a practice it says has been banned. If you are buying a cylinder or a second-hand barbecue, ask which connection it uses.

Heaters and fire pits stay outside

Winter evenings in the south and highlands make a deck heater tempting. Energy Safe Victoria says outdoor heaters, including patio heaters, barbecues and fire pits, release carbon monoxide, which can be fatal indoors, and tells people not to bring outdoor gas appliances into the home, a caravan, a car or a tent. Western Australia's regulator puts it plainly: outdoor use means the open air, and opening a door or window does not make an enclosed space safe.

That has a shopping consequence. A product marketed for a covered patio is still an outdoor product, and an enclosed or half-enclosed outdoor room may not give the ventilation the guidance assumes. Read the manufacturer's instructions on clearances and enclosure before choosing a spot, and treat a carbon monoxide alarm as a backup, not a substitute for servicing, as Energy Safe Victoria notes.

A quick way to compare

If it does not last

Under the Australian Consumer Law, the NSW Government says goods must be of acceptable quality, meaning what would normally be expected for the type of product and cost, and must match descriptions given by the seller, on packaging and in advertising. If they do not, you may be entitled to a repair, replacement, refund or cancellation depending on whether the problem is minor or major. The ACCC adds that these guarantees apply whether or not a warranty exists, and that a warranty cannot remove them. Sun-faded fabric, rusted fittings and failing hoses are the sort of outdoor wear where it helps to know what you are entitled to ask for, and the exceptions listed by NSW, such as misuse, apply too.

Before lighting up on a hot day, WA's barbecue guidance also says to check for fire bans or other restrictions on barbecue use. Rules differ by state and can change daily, so use your own state fire authority's current information. For more ideas on making the space work as a whole, see Making the Most of Your Outdoor Space, or browse Leisure & Outdoors.