Outdoor room dividers can serve numerous purposes depending on your space and needs. For example, you could use them to split a balcony, create privacy, or even hide your trashcans.
Of course, buying room dividers for use outdoors requires different considerations than indoor ones. However, once you’ve got these sorted, narrowing down your options shouldn’t be difficult.
In this article, we’ll suggest our top picks for the best outdoor room dividers. First, let’s look at what you should consider when picking the right room divider.
If you’re in a rush, here’s a quick summary before we get into the full reviews:
Best all-round: Sorbus room divider
These room dividers cover all bases while also being fairly budget-friendly.
Best budget pick: Bonzer waterproof curtains
Despite not being actual room dividers, you can’t get a more budget-friendly option than outdoor curtains.
Best for hiding things: Suncast 4-panel outdoor room divider
These small panels are ideal for hiding trashcans or AC vents or anything else in your yard.
Best retractable room divider: Tangkula retractable screen
This retractable screen offers a great balance between durability and convenience (and sun-blocking, of course).
Best for balconies: Giantex 4 panel room divider
Although not specifically rated for outdoor use, these panels will be fine. Also, they fold up pretty small, making them ideal for apartments.
Best for durability: Veradek decorative divider
You can’t get more durable than metal. Providing you’re willing to pay a bit extra, this panel is a great option.
Best for specific décor styles: Backyard Xcapes Reed Fencing Divider
Reed fencing isn’t for everyone, but will work as a great room divider in certain décor settings.
Why Use Room Dividers Outdoors?
Despite being called room dividers, we can find plenty of uses for them outdoors. We’ve mentioned most of them above, but why are room dividers a better choice than other options? Because they’re:
- Moveable – you can set them up wherever you need privacy
- Storable – folding options are ideal for balconies or decks
- Made from interesting materials
- Often decorative – a great way of adding more interest to your outdoor space
Outdoor room dividers are usually a less permanent option than traditional privacy screens. This can be helpful on balconies or decks, as it means you don’t always have an opaque screen set up. It can also be a useful solution if you have something like an inflatable hot tub that isn’t set up all the time.
Considerations When Choosing Outdoor Room Dividers
Before you go out shopping for outdoor room dividers, make sure you consider the following:
Material
You have plenty of options for materials, perhaps more so than other privacy screen options. These include:
- Wicker
- Bamboo
- Fabric (synthetic or natural)
- Wood
- Metal
- Plastic/resin
Along with style, it’s worth thinking about the material’s durability. For example, if you plan to keep the room divider up permanently, metal, plastic or wood could be the best options.
Permanence
On that note, think about whether you want to be able to store the room divider. For balconies, where space can be tight, something like a retractable fabric divider could be the best option. You can get folding plastic room dividers, but a fabric one takes up less space in storage.
Budget
Budget is always a necessary consideration when buying anything. Outdoor room dividers definitely don’t need to be expensive. But, as with most things, you get what you pay for.
If you just want something to hide your trashcans, there’s little point in spending loads. On the other hand, if you want a long-term solution for privacy on a balcony, it can be worth spending more to get better features.
Installation
For the most part, room dividers are freestanding. As such, most options are suitable for renters because you don’t need to drill any holes. However, we’ve included some options that do need installing, but we’ll make it clear that they might not be suitable for renters.
7 Best Outdoor Room Dividers
Best all-round: Sorbus room divider
This room divider from Sorbus can be used inside or outside. It’s made from plastic and wood, though, so it’s not completely water-resistant. But you can overcome this by bringing it inside if it’s due to rain.
It’s freestanding and consists of 8 panels that fold together. As such, you’ll have plenty of flexibility over size and it can be up to 10.5ft. wide. The only downside of it being freestanding is that it might blow over in the wind because its feet aren’t very big.
You’ll find it in a range of colors and, for the price, it’s not a bad outdoor room divider. It stands just under 6ft. tall, so you might struggle to store it in smaller homes.
Pros
- Extends up to 10.5ft. wide
- Comes in a range of colors
- Suitable for temporary privacy screen
Cons
- Might fall over in the wind
Best budget pick: Bonzer waterproof curtains
If you’re on a really tight budget, outdoor curtains will be your best option. For decent room dividers, you could be looking at paying at least $80. Outdoor curtains, however, usually cost less than $50.
These curtains from Bonzer balance quality and price and should do a decent job of dividing a space. Of course, you will need to hang the curtains from something. Check out our article on balcony curtains for some tips on how to do this.
The curtains are completely waterproof, so they’re fine to leave outside. The material is opaque and backed, meaning you can use them for privacy or a sunshade. Better still, they come in different colors and sizes, so it should be easy to find the perfect ones for your outdoor space.
Pros
- The best budget-friendly option
- Completely waterproof
- Essentially offer the same benefits as outdoor room dividers
Cons
- Hanging them in uncovered spaces can be a challenge
Best for hiding things: Suncast 4-panel outdoor room divider
These outdoor room dividers from Suncast are about 44” tall, so they’re not the best pick for a temporary privacy screen. However, they’re ideal for hiding bins or AC vents.
And, because they’re made from resin, there’s no issue with leaving them outdoors all year. The resin is water- and UV-resistant, meaning it won’t fade or rot.
The panels are freestanding but they’re not massively secure. You can overcome this by driving some metal stakes into the ground and zip tying the panels to them. While this isn’t ideal, it at least means they won’t blow away!
Pros
- Ideal for hiding trashcans and AC vents
- Completely weather-resistant
- 4 panels fold up for storage
Cons
- Feet aren’t the most stable
Best retractable room divider: Tangkula retractable screen
These outdoor room dividers from Tangkula are easy to pull open using the handle. Each set comes with sturdy poles, meaning there’s no danger of the room divider blowing over in the wind, despite being fabric.
The screens are polyester, meaning they’re completely weather-resistant. This is a good job really because you can’t take them down once installed!
Unlike other options on this list, you need to drill holes for the support poles. As such, they might not be suitable for renters. But, if drilling holes isn’t a problem, this is a great option for balconies, patios, and even decks.
Pros
- Easy to retract screens
- Weather-resistant material
- Sturdy and wind-resistant
Cons
- Requires you to drill holes
Best for balconies: Giantex 4 panel room divider
While this room divider from Giantex isn’t specifically listed as suitable for outdoors, it should be fine. The fabric is polyester, so it’s fine to get wet, and the frame is powder-coated steel. The only danger might be the color fading, but you can get around this by choosing the white option.
So, why is this room divider suitable for balconies? Unlike the others on this list, it folds up into a much smaller space. You can detach the 4 panels from one another and store them in a stack. Of course, if space is really tight, you could just take the whole thing apart. Luckily, this is pretty easy.
The feet are large and curved, which gives the panels decent wind resistance. The fabric is slightly see-through, but it’s definitely opaque enough to use as a privacy screen. Just be aware that you might be able to see silhouettes through it in bright light.
Pros
- Easy to store in apartments
- Fabric is weather-resistant
- Curved feet give panels stability in wind
Cons
- Fabric isn’t completely opaque
Best for durability: Veradek decorative divider
If you want an outdoor room divider with peak durability, look no further than metal. Unsurprisingly, it’s about as weather-resistant as you’re going to find. This Veradek panel is an outdoor-rated product because it’s made from powder-coated galvanized steel.
It offers pretty decent privacy, too, as the panel is 85% opaque. This is enough to let a little bit of light through but will still block the view. However, if you want true privacy, something like the Sorbus room divider will be a better option.
Metal outdoor room dividers win in durability but lose in both price and convenience. They’re the most expensive option, but are worth the investment if you want something decorative. Also, they’re not easy to store or move because they’re so heavy.
If you want to learn more about similar products, check out our article on metal privacy screens.
Pros
- The most durable option
- Adds a nice decorative element
- Can be used for privacy or dividing spaces
Cons
- Quite expensive
Best for specific décor styles: Backyard Xcapes Reed Fencing Divider
Reed fencing is often used as a balcony privacy screen, but it makes for an excellent room divider, provided that it’s tall and you have something to anchor it to.
This reed fence is 6ft. tall and offers a ton of privacy due to the number of small reeds used in its construction. It might give you more fence than needed at 16ft. long, but it can be easily be cut to size. In fact, if you’re working with a small balcony, you could cut the fence in half and use it as a divider between your neighbors on both sides of your balcony.
The reed fencing look isn’t for everyone but will work especially well with boho style or tropical style spaces.
Pros
- Inexpensive
- Can be used for privacy or dividing spaces
- Can be cut to size
Cons
- Won’t work with all décor styles
- Not freestanding – needs something to be anchored to
Final Thoughts
The picks above should give you a good starting point for choosing your own outdoor room dividers. As you can see, the best option depends on your needs and storage space.
The most important thing when choosing something for outdoor use is, of course, weather resistance. So, make sure you only look at options that can tolerate rain. Alternatively, bring them in every night!