Moulded furniture, in this case, does not refer to furniture that has been allowed to get damp and musty, but rather, to moulded plastic furniture, which is completely different. This type of furniture, unlike wood, starts with a liquid plastic, which is then moulded in one of three ways in order to form the finished product. The different processes result in different types of furniture, suitable for all types of uses from patio furniture to hospital waiting room chairs. Here is a look at the different processes involved in making these items.

The easiest and least expensive way of manufacturing these furnishings is called rotational moulding. The process involves injecting a polymerised plastic powder into a large metal mould, which is then heated (to melt the plastic). The mould is then rotated to ensure that the liquid is being distributed equally; the end result is a hollow plastic chair (or other furniture).

Injection moulding differs from the above process in that the plastic polymer is melted before being placed into the mould; the mould does not spin, as in rotational moulding. This process creates a solid, rather than hollow, piece. As this process is a bit more labour intensive, injection moulding is not nearly as popular as the above, however, these types of products do have a longer lifespan that those using rotational moulding.

Gas assisted injection moulding creates the strongest pieces of moulded furniture; the combination of solid and hollow components make this the strongest of the three types.