Patio Cushions

Once you have selected outdoor furniture, you’ll need to think about choosing patio cushions to add style and comfort to your furniture to make the perfect garden seating area. Here are the 5 steps to making the right choice for your outdoor patio furniture.

1. Decide on a budget

Patio cushions vary greatly in price as well as quality. The cheapest patio cushions will probably not do much to enhance your patio furniture – they will cheapen it, no matter how much the furniture cost. But you don’t have to go overboard either. It’s unnecessary to spend a small fortune to have your patio looking good. Do a little browsing and then set a budget based on the typical prices you have seen for quality patio cushions.

2. Measure Your Furniture

Cushions come in all shapes and sizes. For a typical chair you need to measure the width and height of the back as well as the width and depth of the seat. For a lounge chair, you would just need the full length and width. And for a cushion pad, the size of the seat – diameter if round, width and length if rectangular. Also, think about what type of cushions will work with your furniture – a deep seat can take very thick cushions but they may not look right with your furniture.

Patio Cushions add comfort and color

3. Decide on a Look

If you are looking for a place to relax in natural surroundings choose a design for your patio cushions in simple neutral and natural colors with a restrained pattern (if any). If you are going for a tropical pool look, then choose a patio chair cushion with a bright patterned design. If you are decorating your patio for fall choose rustic red, brown or green colors to help set the stage. Whatever look you would like to create there will be a design for patio furniture cushions to match.

4. Consider Fabric Type and Features

Do you need your patio chair cushions to be weather resistant and waterproof? This will affect the type of fabric you choose. If you leave them out in the rain (or have a poolside patio) be sure and choose a waterproof fabric. If you take the cushions in after use you can choose a finer fabric.(See our article on Patio Cushions fabric selection for more details)

5. Check Out the Quality of the Options Available

Take a look at some cushions online or in your local store. When you have found something suitable you like think about the quality of the patio cushion covers .

• Check whether the patio cushions are machine washable. This will help them stay looking good.
• A quality cushion designed to withstand a lot of use will have reinforced seams, zip closure and piping to help durability.
• Check also how the cushions are secured – do they have tie tabs for example?
• Do the fabrics have a Teflon coating to resist moisture and spills?
• Are the outdoor cushions UV resistant coating to prevent fading if they will be left out in the sun for long periods?
• Are they thick enough to be comfortable without being too thick for your patio furniture?
• How firm is the foam filling?
• Will it withstand as much use as you have in mind?

Once you have surveyed the options available in your budget you can make a wise choice when buying your patio cushions and then all you have to do is wait for a sunny day, sit back, relax and enjoy your garden.

Patio cushions can be quite pricey. Rather than saving money by buying poor quality outdoor cushions which will not last or make your garden furniture look as good, seek out top quality patio cushions on sale at reduced prices.

Where can you find these discount patio cushions?

1. Online

You will find many stores online selling quality cushions at great prices and you will find a huge selection too. A little work with your mouse and you will uncover many bargains and find just the right cushions for your patio furniture too. Online stores know that you are able to compare prices in this way so that they are always keen to offer a good deal.

2. Auction Sites like eBay

If you can’t find the discount outdoor cushions you’re looking for on standard e-commerce sites, go to eBay for the ultimate in online comparison shopping. There you will find a huge selection of patio cushions at great prices. Often you do not have to bother bidding and waiting to see if you have won, you will find “Buy it Now” prices and can buy instantly. Just remember to include shipping charges when calculating how much you will have to pay for your cushions.

3. Sales at Garden Centers

Many garden centers are feeling the pinch and are offering sale prices on patio cushions. The main sale period for these is July but you can sometimes find deals all year round if you look. Also if you have seen some cushions on display which you like, ask at the end of the season whether you can get a reduction on the display items. No one will know it is an end of range discount patio cushion once it is on your chair!

Discount Patio Cushions Required?

4. Mail Order Patio Cushions

Look out for bargains in the back of newspapers, gardening magazines and weekend newspapers especially those which have a ton of leaflets and catalogs falling at your feet when you open them. You will sometimes find great deals on patio cushions here. Also look for opening offers which are supposed to persuade you to become a customer of a mail order company. You can use these to get a good reduction on a big purchase like a set of replacement cushions for your outdoor furniture.

5. Combined Purchase

If you are looking for new patio furniture too, look for patio sets which include cushions with the furniture. As long as you like the patio cushions and they are of good quality then this can often be the way to buy cheap patio cushions without compromising on quality. Some companies offer choice in design too so that you are not stuck with one color.

If you don’t get the discount patio furniture cushions you’re looking for in one of these five ways you could consider making your own. Do this only if you are very handy with a needle as outdoor furniture fabric is quite tough to sew. Alternatively, you could look for used cushions at garage sales. Although they may not be the bright shiny brand new set of discount patio chair cushions you had in mind, some items being sold from garages are as good as new.