The Breakdown on HDPE Cabinets: Everything You Need to Know
HDPE cabinets are one of the biggest talking points of the outdoor furniture industry, but are they worth the hype? The short answer: absolutely, but you deserve the full picture.
With so many brands muscling to stand out with their HDPE kitchen cabinets or outdoor furniture, due diligence is crucial. HDPE materials are already the #1 choice for product packaging due to their durability and long shelf life, both qualities that carry over well to outdoor furniture.
Sadly, so much popularity increases the risk of false advertising.
For example, you could accidentally invest in a cabinet that ends up being 20% HDPE layered over cheap laminate. You could also purchase a cabinet that has no shelves or locking mechanisms for safe storage.
A tough outdoor cabinet isn’t just a box: it should make your outdoor kitchen as convenient as possible.
Fortunately, I’m here to do that research for you and get you closer to the outdoor kitchen furniture you’ve always wanted. If you’re short on time, the long and short of this guide is:
- HDPE is a durable thermoplastic normally used to outfit pipes, bottles, and boat hulls
- The material is resistant to hazards like rust, mold, peeling, fading, and infestations
- The downside to HDPE are its heavier weight, price point, and inability to take paint
- It easily outclasses cheap materials like particle board, Hardie board, and PVC
- Keep a close eye for brands that advertise ‘HDPE’ vs ‘100% HDPE’ – the latter is better!
How HDPE Works (and Why That Matters for Outdoor Kitchens)
The reason why HDPE works so well for outdoor furniture is due to its powerful thermoplastic structure. Short for high density polyethylene, its closed cell design makes it completely resistant to moisture.
In fact, it’s so moisture resistant, HDPE is the go-to choice for everyday constructions such as:
- Piping
- Boat hulls
- Bottles
- Skin care packaging
- Crates
This means absolutely no risk of water-related hazards such as mold, warping, swelling, corrosion, or rot. High-humidity states, such as Florida, benefit especially well from HDPE’s resistance.
It’s small wonder why so many homeowners enjoy the low maintenance of HDPE kitchen cabinets. Instead of constantly double-checking the cabinets for corrosion or mold spots, they can focus on eating and relaxing.
What makes HDPE a superior choice to other common plastic materials, though?
How HDPE Compares to Other Mainstream Plastics
Many outdoor kitchen brands use PVC to outfit their portfolios, but this material is starting to fall out of favor. It’s a difficult material to recycle due to its tendency to leak toxic chemicals back into the environment.
Aside from hazardous side-effects to the environment, are PVC outdoor cabinets and outdoor kitchens easy to use? In the short-term, yes. In the long-term, no. This plastic doesn’t hold up well to repeated heat exposure and has a tendency to become brittle or warped.
HDPE is a far safer thermoplastic that’s easy to recycle into all sorts of products, such as bottles, pens, and outdoor furniture. It also doesn’t lose its tensile strength from ongoing exposure to sunlight or temperature changes.
When you invest in HDPE cabinets, you’ll enjoy a greener and longer lasting outdoor kitchen. If you want to know even more benefits, I have eight below you’ll want to know about.
8 Benefits for Choosing HDPE Cabinets for Your Kitchen
It’s no secret that HDPE cabinets are the poster child for durable, sustainable outdoor kitchen materials. I’m going to break down exactly what you’ll enjoy if you decide to take the plunge.
1. Completely Weatherproof to Avoid Common Hazards
Just how weatherproof are HDPE kitchen cabinets? Since this high density thermoplastic is fundamentally waterproof, it’s completely resistant to any water-based hazards.
You won’t have to shuffle your outdoor cabinets back inside or cover them with a tarp once it starts raining. Likewise, you won’t have to worry that mold or rot will start growing if you missed a spot wiping it down. Remember: businesses regularly depend on this material for items like pipes or milk cartons.
Weatherproof also refers to the material’s ability to hold up to sunlight. Unlike PVC, which becomes brittle with long-term sun exposure, HDPE doesn’t fade or warp. It’ll look beautiful – and work well – for decades.
2. Practical Add-Ons Save You Time on Your Outdoor Kitchen
Putting together an outdoor kitchen is a balancing act of watching your budget and choosing a suitable design. HDPE cabinets come with convenient add-ons to take the legwork out of creating an outdoor kitchen space.
Don’t feel like hiring construction services to build a kitchen island? Try a prefabricated HDPE cabinet that already comes with a food-safe countertop and trash pullout. Wondering how you’ll position a grill to your outdoor kitchen? You can simply add a grill to your HDPE cabinet set-up and bundle everything in one convenient place.
A few more add-ons you can try adding include (but aren’t limited to):
- Trash pullout
- Ice chests
- Fridges
- Side burner
3. Customization Ensures HDPE Cabinets Match Your Furniture
Designing your outdoor kitchen is both enjoyable and a little exhausting. You have to balance details such as the style of your furniture, the colors of your accessories, and your outdoor kitchen finishes.
HDPE cabinets, fortunately, are easy to customize. They come in a wide array of brilliant colors and even authentic woodgrain patterns. When you consider how tricky wood is as an outdoor kitchen material, this feature is a delight for busy homeowners. You’ll get the beauty of wood, but none of the upkeep.
On a similar note, your HDPE kitchen cabinets also stay beautiful for longer. This feature is due to manufacturers building color into the material during the manufacturing process. As such, HDPE colors have no risk of peeling or chipping off (unlike paint applications on wood).
Similarly, HDPE doesn’t fade from sun exposure like PVC tends to.
4. You Don’t Need Permits to Install HDPE Cabinets
Permits are pretty inconvenient to deal with. Not only do they potentially add a few hundred to your home renovation costs, it can take weeks for them to be approved.
Not only that, your permit can potentially be denied depending on state laws or what you’re filling your kitchen with. For example, you may need to add an inspection to your building cost before your permit is approved. Without one, you could get turned down and have to re-apply.
5. No Bulky or Messy Construction Required for Immediate Use
Do you have room in your schedule for construction workers to move in and out of your home? Another benefit to prefabricated HDPE outdoor kitchens is skipping messy construction that can take weeks to complete.
Even worse, you may have to wait several days or a few weeks (depending) before you can use your outdoor kitchen. If you have any fun events or gatherings planned, that wait time can throw a wrench in your plans.
With a prefabricated HDPE outdoor cabinet or kitchen, you can use it the day it arrives.
6. HDPE Materials Are Safe to Use and Dispose of
You don’t have to choose between durability and eco-friendliness with your outdoor kitchen materials. In fact, some of the toughest materials out there are easy to repurpose and recycle.
A particularly nice detail about HDPE is just how easy it is to recycle. It doesn’t matter if you’re working with an outdoor cabinet, a bottle, or a bag – any form can be broken down and turned into something else.
For example, you could end up selling an HDPE outdoor cabinet thirty years later and it could be turned into brand new piping for someone’s home.
Manufacturers can also recycle an HDPE product ten times before it starts losing its quality.
7. Prefabricated HDPE Cabinets Take the Work Out of an Outdoor Kitchen
Putting together an outdoor kitchen involves extensive research into materials, local laws, and your own dining habits. There are also smaller outdoor kitchen details you may not consider, such as where to place filler columns.
Manufacturers today put even more value into cabinets, offering up extensive cabinetry that can work as a kitchen. HDPE cabinets can come with all sorts of functional features such as:
- A stone countertop so you can chop, mince, or wash food
- A built-in grill or side burner for more recipes
- Several shelves so you can organize food or items
A prefabricated option saves you the trouble of hiring a contractor to build your outdoor kitchen. You also don’t have to learn about measuring, building, or painting raw materials for a DIY kitchen.
Just call an HDPE cabinet business, ask for a quote, and you’re already halfway to your functional kitchen space.
8. HDPE Cabinets Work Well For Classic Outdoor Kitchen Layouts
Are you considering putting together a classic layout like a U-shaped or L-shaped kitchen? HDPE cabinets are easy to customize, giving you multiple sizes and add-ons to fit the limited space of your home.
For example, you can use an HDPE cabinet with a grill add-on as a small outdoor kitchen for your patio. You can then add a fridge or some outdoor furniture to complete the set-up.
If you have more room, you can use several HDPE cabinets with stone countertops to create a U-shaped kitchen. These cabinets do double-duty as complex storage units as well as countertop space for food preparation.
Are There Any Downsides to HDPE Cabinets?
There’s no such thing as a perfect material. Although HDPE outdoor cabinets are the cream of the material crop, there are a few downsides you should consider before purchasing.
The Price Point is Higher Than Common Outdoor Kitchen Materials
HDPE cabinets are on the higher end of the spectrum because they’re a higher quality material. Since they offer so many benefits, they’re experiencing growing demand compared to finicky materials like wood and aluminum.
Below is a brief table with the price ranges for the most popular outdoor kitchen cabinet materials:
| Material Type | HDPE | Stainless Steel | Aluminum | Wood |
| Low | $500 – $1,000 | $250 – $500 | $100 – $400 | $100 – $500 |
| Medium | $2,000 – $3,000 | $800 – $1,500 | $500 – $800 | $1,000 – $1,500 |
| High | $5,000 – $7,000 | $2,000 – $3,500 | $1,000 – $3,000 | $1,800 – $2,000 |
These prices are an average taken from national supply chains like Home Depot and WalMart. I also looked at local businesses such as ExtCabinets.
It’s important to note that Home Depot’s ‘HDPE cabinets’ are usually a composite of plywood, MDF, and HDPE. 100% HDPE cabinets cost more, but also provide much longer longevity.
Nothing Adheres to HDPE (So No DIY Paint Sessions)
HDPE customization is limited since the material doesn’t take paint. If you have a dream of adorning your tough outdoor cabinets with custom paint jobs, you’ll have to look to wood or Hardie board for that.
Fortunately, multiple HDPE cabinet manufacturers offer alternatives that will still match most outdoor kitchen designs. You can choose from a wide range of colors and shades to suit aesthetics such as minimalism, art deco, or rustic. You can customize your countertops or door styles, too.
You can also choose woodgrain textures that closely resemble the real deal – no need to varnish (and re-varnish) real wood.
HDPE Cabinets are a Little Heavy
Do you plan on moving your furniture around a lot, whether for practicality or aesthetic reasons? HDPE cabinets are a little on the heavy side, so you’ll need help when doing outdoor kitchen renovation.
This last sticking point is rather interesting, though, since this added weight comes with a benefit. If you live in an area prone to windy or rainy weather, they’re less likely to tumble over during a storm.
You also don’t have to worry about flying debris scratching or denting your outdoor cabinets since HDPE is impact resistant.
How to Choose Authentic HDPE Furniture From Low-Quality Imitations
How do you spot 100% HDPE in a sea of misleading marketing? I have a few tips to ensure you’re getting your money’s worth.
Know the Difference Between Different Types of HDPE
Your first order of business is to figure out whether you’re purchasing marine grade, recycled, or furniture-grade HDPE. Manufacturers use marine grade HDPE since it comes with useful additives such as extra resistance to UV rays or impact.
Marine grade HDPE frequently appears in boat hulls, water tanks, and sometimes shipping crates. While it’s sometimes called marine grade polymer, polymer doesn’t always mean HDPE.
When in doubt? Ask your manufacturer what your outdoor materials are made out of and get a clearer answer.
If you’re hearing a bunch of terms that aren’t straightforward ‘HDPE’, you may be dealing with less-than-authentic materials.
Furniture grade HDPE is for outdoor furniture such as outdoor cabinets, playground equipment, or benches. That said, you’ll sometimes encounter marine-grade HDPE for outdoor decks and patios. Overall, both grades are well-suited to the demands of outdoor kitchens.
Be Aware of Some of the Limitations of Recycled HDPE
Recycled HDPE is any HDPE material that’s been recycled at least once, while virgin HDPE is brand new. The good news is that recycled HDPE products have the same impact strength, environmental resistance, and longevity as virgin HDPE.
That said, be aware that recycled HDPE currently doesn’t meet USDA requirements for food contact. The reason for this is due to limited knowledge on the individual recycling and safety practices of each facility.
Does that mean you shouldn’t use recycled HDPE products? Far from it – just be sure to use a food safe material for your countertops like stone.
Make Sure the Rest of Your HDPE Cabinets Use Long-Lasting Materials
It’s not enough to find high-quality shelves or exteriors in your weatherproof cabinets. You also need fasteners, handles, and hinges made of long-lasting materials to reduce wear-and-tear.
The most reliable and longest-lasting materials for all your outdoor cabinet accessories are stainless steel. You should look for manufacturing companies who offer 304 and 316 grades in their HDPE cabinet construction – these grades are even more resistant to corrosion and maintain their appearance well.
Stay away from HDPE outdoor cabinets that come with unreliable materials such as:
- Wood
- Hardie board
- Weatherboard
- Laminate
- ‘Mysterious plastic’ (aka no details provided)
Steer Clear of HDPE Cabinets With Vague Or Dishonest Marketing
Sadly, the allure of high-quality HDPE cabinets makes them a magnet for vague or misleading marketing. For example, some brands only use a little bit of HDPE, then pad out their cabinets with weaker materials such as wood or Hardie board.
If you ever have any doubt about what you’re buying, listen to your gut and do more research before purchasing. It’s better to wait a little and make a smart decision than rush into a purchase and regret it later.
Need an easy reference on trustworthy outdoor cabinet brands? Check out my in-depth review of Florida outdoor kitchen brands.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Still have a few more questions? Below are some of the most common asked about outdoor cabinets.
What are the 3 Grades of Cabinets?
There are actually four grades of cabinets to choose from – you can do custom, semi-custom, stock, and ready-to-assemble. None are better or worse: just different depending on what you need.
Ready-to-assemble requires you to put the pieces together at home, while stock cabinets will be assembled at your home. Semi-custom cabinets let you make some adjustments to size, color, and finish. Lastly, custom cabinets are made-to-order and are completely customizable in every step of the construction process.
What are Most Cheap Cabinets Made Of?
Cheap cabinets are usually made with PVC, particle board, Hardie board, or laminate. These materials are extremely affordable, but don’t hold up well to impact or environmental hazards.
Some cheap cabinets will claim they use HDPE, but only for the exterior. These thin HDPE sheets are placed over weaker materials to cover up their weaknesses.
What Material Are High End Cabinets Made Of?
HDPE is easily the most high end material for outdoor cabinets, though stainless steel comes close. They offer the widest range of protection from the elements while still providing plenty of visual customization.
Try HDPE Cabinets for a Tough, Long-Lasting Outdoor Kitchen
HDPE cabinets are a worthwhile investment if you want an outdoor kitchen that stands the test of time. Instead of constantly maintaining your cabinets or tossing them every few years, HDPE cabinets will endure for decades.
The question isn’t whether or not HDPE cabinets are worth it, but how to spot them. Only some outdoor kitchen brands use 100% HDPE to give you the full range of benefits, such as the Florida-based ExtCabinets. Other businesses use HDPE exteriors over weaker materials like particle board or laminate, which will cost you in the long run.
Want to learn even more about outdoor kitchen materials? You’ll love the following guides:
![24 Practical Outdoor Sink Ideas to Make Life Easier [Pics]](https://outdoorkitcheninsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/outdoor-sink-ideas-mini.jpg)
Hey people!!!!!
Good mood and good luck to everyone!!!!!
Hey people!!!!!
Good mood and good luck to everyone!!!!!