Review of the Leigh Country Metal Welcome Bench
As of this writing, there are 296 customer comments and 42 answered questions for the Leigh Country Metal Welcome Bench. I have read the customer feedback and then condensed the results into this review. I hope that this review helps you when shopping for the best outdoor bench for your home.
Best Features
- Holds up to 550 pounds
- Features a “Welcome” back panel
- Powder-coated finish
- Good price
- Easy to assemble
Item Specifics
The Leigh Country Metal Welcome Bench is a beautiful and rustic bench that is built for the outdoors. It is a reinforced seat panel that holds up to 550 pounds. It has a powder-coated finish. This outdoor bench has a beautiful and unique “Welcome” back panel design. Assembly is required, but it is semi-assembled. The size of this product is 51″ length X 24″ wide X 34″ high.
Multiple Complaints of Backrest Not Fitting Together with the Seat
A common complaint with this bench is that when you try to assemble it, the backrest is too short to fit together with the rest of the chair. Here is just one of the many complaints, “This bench looks good, but the one we received was defective. We have put together many patio benches, but this one just would not go together. First of all, the holes to put the back on were not aligned. We then discovered that even if we redrilled the holes to make everything line up, the back wasn’t wide enough to meet the sides — by about three inches. We loosened all of the screws in the sides as much as possible to try to pull them in, but the back still wouldn’t reach from side to side. After trying for about two hours, we called it hopeless and packed it all back up to return it.”
The reason this flaw has happened is that the legs were labeled improperly. If you switch the legs, it should work. Some people returned it without calling customer service first, so they never could enjoy this bench. If you choose to buy this bench and have this problem, simply switch the legs. Hopefully, by now though they are getting the leg labeling issue corrected. A customer explained, “I reached out to the company that actually makes this bench, Leigh Country. After reading multiple other reviews, the short backrest seems to be a reoccurring issue. I was advised to switch the leg pieces. This worked. The back piece fits perfect. So if you run into this problem, try flip-flopping the legs. Beautiful chair! Recommend buying a cushion for it as well.”
May Rust
Even though this bench is advertised as being for outdoor use, some people found that it will still rust. This is unfortunate if you plan on keeping it outside. A customer complained, “It is very bad! because it is suppose to be an outdoor bench but it got rusty after only 2 times raining! Unbelievable! I wish I can give it no star! The yellow rusty water just nonstop coming out from the holes on the chairs and make the ground all yellow, the rusty marks on the concrete are not able to be removed!”
May Want to Purchase a Cushion
If you plan on sitting on this bench for any extended amount of time, you may want to purchase a cushion. Buying a cushion to go along with this bench was a common recommendation. Here is what one of the customers said, “We brought the garden bench for our garden, very solid, beautiful but not very comfortable. We need a cushion to sit for a long time.”
Poor Directions but Easy Assembly
If you realize that the legs were marked improperly, and get over that stumbling block, this bench should go together in about 10 to 15 minutes time according to customers. A customer shared, “The instructions for assembly could have been more clear in establishing left vs right side but that was minor. Fit was ok but finish was lacking by way of paint blotching along the seating cross bars. The other good news is that our unit properly assembled was comfortable and quite stable in supporting our combined weight of 425 lbs.”
Good Price
For what you are getting, the price is good. This is not a top of the line bench but neither is the price. One customer reviewed it by saying this about the price, “This is more substantial than I thought I would get at this price. It graces my entry porch and is heavy enough to stay put in a windy storm. I recommend a second person to put it together.”
Other Than Rusting, It Is Durable
If you don’t mind the fact that this bench will rust when left out in the weather, other than that it is durable. A person who bought this bench said, “Well, it rusts. Other than that, it is pretty, I’ve had it for 1 1/2 years now, very sturdy, rust is only on the back of the bench so it doesn’t affect clothing when you sit on it. All in all, it was a great buy for the price and looks beautiful in our yard. My husband sits on it every day, I replaced a wood/metal bench that lasted 9 years before rotting out, I hope to get nine years out of this.”
Color Is More Bronze Than Gray
Some people found that the color was more of a bronze than gray. The color is true to the image more so than what the description states it is. A customer explained it this way, “The color was STATED to be gray, but is bronze. I wasn’t looking at the color in the picture, but at the description, which at the time of purchase said, “gray.” However, it was a pretty bronze, and we liked the way the bench looked. I liked it enough that I plan to buy another one and attempt to put it together. We’ll use the bench we bought in another location and give this one another chance.”
Good Customer Service
The reviews left about the customer service were mostly very positive for the Leigh Country Metal Welcome Bench. Unfortunately, a lot of people did have to contact them about the parts being labeled wrong during assembly. But once contacted, the customer service is good. One customer said, “We really like our new bench in front courtyard. I had a bit of difficulty with assembly but they were phenomenal at helping me/a couple of smartphone photos and short pep talks and we were in place. Highly recommend this bench, antique bronze color matches the porch lights perfectly.”
Welcome Sign Makes It Nice for Entrance Way
A lot of customers who were pleased with this bench thought it looked nice in front of their house, on a front porch, deck or entrance way. The Welcome letters on the back of the bench make it very welcoming looking. One person commented, “LOVE the WELCOME bench; it’s of good quality materials, was easy enough to assemble and looks great in front of our home! Thanks.”
Possible Flaw in Leaf Pattern Design with Broken Pieces
There may be an issue with comfort on backrest in the upper right hand corner of the backrest. A customer explained it this way “ordered 2 of these benches. They are large size and fairly comfortable BUT in the backrest leaf designs, the corners of the leafs are broken off in the upper right hand corner on BOTH benches. Must be an issue with the metal mold as there were no broken parts in the boxes.”
Pros
- Good price
- Attractive design
- Sturdy
Cons
- Parts labeled incorrectly mean bench won’t fit together unless issue is figured out
- Color description off. It is a bronze like the photo, not gray as described
- Will rust if left outside
Leigh Country Metal Welcome Bench Conclusion
The Leigh Country Metal Welcome Bench is built for the outdoors, though it could also be used indoors. It has a reinforced seat panel that holds up to 550 pounds. The finish is powder-coated. On the backrest is a “Welcome” back panel design. Assembly is required, but it is semi-assembled. The bench dimensions are 51″ length X 24″ wide X 34″ high. The two most common complaint about this bench are that the parts are labeled wrong for assembly and it will rust if left out in the weather. It is very important to know that if you buy this bench and the backrest doesn’t bolt on properly, to switch the legs. The price is good for the quality you will receive. This is not a top of the line bench, but the price is not too high either. The color is more of a bronze like the image shown and not a gray as stated in the specifications.
Common Questions
Here are some top questions that I found for people considering buying the Leigh Country Metal Welcome Bench.
- Is this outdoor bench rust-proof? The bench is made from aluminum, which means it is supposed to resist rust. However, there were some complaints about this outdoor bench rusting.
- Is this bench light enough to blow in the wind? No, it shouldn’t blow in the wind.
- How much weight can this outdoor bench hold? It will hold 550 pounds.
Related Article: The Best Outdoor Bench Options to Add in Your Yard
