First and foremost, it's a coating that will protect the wood like varnish, paint. Without a coating, the wood is sacrificed to the elements. Some species are better than others at this but you're still allowing the wood to wear and rot away.

Cetol sounds like a good compromise in geographical areas where the sun is the most damaging. Also, some applications even in this area of the world, are good candidates for Cetol and I see it used successfully. I think the new products are pleasing to the eye, I'd use them on that basis alone.

Any coating will have to be removed sometime. One of the biggest reasons varnish is still so popular is the overall system. First, it protects the wood beneath. Just as important, varnish is easy to remove without damaging the wood it's coating.

Once you've turned this full coating circle once or twice you can weigh the pros and cons of a coating and decide what works best for you.

The biggest drawback to varnish is it's not forgiving of improper application and requires some maintenance for the system to perform. Some newer products are more forgiving of this drawback.