Function

• Porch swings came into vogue when front porches started being built on houses. They were the most popular piece of lawn and garden furniture, so almost every home that had a front porch had one. In the days before air conditioners cooled houses on steamy summer days, people would sit on their porches and visit with neighbors until the house cooled off after sunset. The porch swing served the function of the living room sofa in this outdoor guest parlor. Today, they still invite people to sit and swing.
  
  

Types

• The most common type of porch swing is wooden, with the back and seat made of slats nailed on a frame. The slats have space in between, which allows for greater air circulation to keep people cool on hot summer days and evenings. Some are made of wicker, mainly seen on the porches of Victorian-style homes. Both types typically hang on hooks from the porch ceiling. There are also free-standing swings and gliders that have their own platform and roof on the unit.
  
  

Geography

• Porch swings can be found everywhere, but they are seen more on homes in the South, the Midwest and the Northeast.
  
  

Benefits

• The growing popularity of the porch swing seems to signal a desire by its owners to slow down and relax in this high-tech, fast-paced world. There are also environmental benefits to adjusting the thermostat to use less air conditioning and using the porch swing to cool down on summer evenings.
  
  

Potential

• Porch swings have the potential to allow their owners to get to know their neighbors better, a trend that has declined in the past two decades as technology has improved. Neighbors who sit on their front porches have a front-row seat to see what the children are doing, and to see people who come into the neighborhood who do not belong there. The simple porch swing may have the potential to keep children safe and lower the crime rate in neighborhoods.