Patio Cushions

5 Steps to Choosing 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 chair cushions vary greatly in price as well as quality. The cheapest outdoor 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 sitting area 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.

Outdoor Cushions add comfort and color

Outdoor OCushions 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 furniture cushions in simple neutral and natural colors with a restrained pattern (if any). If you are going for a tropical pool look, then choose an outdoor fabric 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.

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 fabric is machine washable. This will help it 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 : Fabric Choices

Which fabric is the best for patio cushions? It depends on many factors such as

  • How much wear your patio furniture cushions will get. Are they for every day or occasional use?
  • Whether the fabric needs to be waterproof. Some fabrics are OK to be used by a pool or can be left out in the occasional shower. But note that most patio chair cushions last better if they do not to get a repeated soaking. Waterproof fabric is mildew and mold resistant but they can’t protect against it completely
  • Patio cushion covers ought to be coated so that they are stain resistant. If they do not have this it is a good idea to use a protectant spray yourself.
  • If the cushions are going to be in full sun for a good part of the year, fabric needs to be UV (fade) resistant
  • How comfortable you want the fabric to feel against your skin – some patio cushion fabrics feel rougher than others
  • Your budget – some fabrics are more expensive than others

Patio cushions are commonly made from the following outdoor fabrics :-

Acrylic

Acrylic is durable and strong fabric that is designed for outdoor use. It is a soft cloth fabric which feels like soft canvas and it can be cleaned simply with warm water and detergent. The fabric resists fading, mildew and rot. Although more expensive than other fabric options acrylic fabric patio cushions are likely to outlast cheaper fabrics.

Poly/Olefin

Poly/Olefin is a synthetic fabric which is well known to resistant to fading as fiber is solution dyed before being woven into cloth. Cushions made in this fabric are also resistant to mildew and staining. Clean with warm water and mild detergent. Avoid contact with oils and lotions and wash if contact occurs to prevent staining. The material also feels like a soft canvas.

poolside patio cushions

poolside patio cushions

PVC/Vinyl Coated fabric

PVC or vinyl coated fabric patio cushions have a strong polyester fiber core which is coated with PVC and woven into fabric. They are weather resistant but you should avoid prolonged contact with suntan lotion and oil which cause deterioration over the long term. (Clean after contact with these substances to avoid this). PVC coated fabric is slightly less comfortable than acrylic fabrics as the material is stiffer and they have a smooth plastic feel to them.

Spun Polyester

Spun Polyester is a 100% polyester fabric with a soft slightly silky feel. The fabric generally has an open weave construction which stays cool and comfortable. Spun Polyester is generally treated for soil and stain resistance (but check this when looking at the cushions you like). Wash with water and mild detergent then rinse.

You will find a wide range of designs in each of these fabrics for your outdoor patio cushions online so you should be able to get the right cushions for the kind of look you have in mind. Of course you can also get cheap patio cushions which do not have much resistance to fading, weather and mildew made from simple untreated cotton canvas or polyester. Cheap patio cushions will not last but they may be a good option for you if you like to change your cushions frequently.

Buying anything usually involves a compromise between cost and quality and patio cushions are no exception. Browse the many patio cushions available online and then think about what will provide the best value for you.

Patio Cushions Make Your Garden Special

Welcome to Patio Cushions For You! I have put together this blog to offer information about the range of outdoor chair cushions available to buy – once you start shopping you will be amazed at the variety and it can be a confusing choice.

Patio furniture is so much less comfortable and attractive without cushions however I am constantly puzzled by seeing the most beautiful and expensive patio furniture topped with what look like the cheapest patio cushions around.

And the other hand you would be amazed at how the right cushions can enhance a patio set bought with a modest budget.

Patio furniture cushions can make or break the look of your patio – there’s no doubt about it. You don’t have to spend the earth but you should budget for decent quality if you want to enhance the look of your patio furniture and enjoy both looking at your garden from your home AND sinking into a comfortable outdoor chair whenever you have a moment to relax.

Ouch No Patio Cushions!

Ouch No Patio Cushions!

You may find that you have selected and bought a beautiful patio set which had cushions included and they are not particularly to your taste or your patio chair cushions may have become dirty over time. In that case you can purchase replacement patio cushions or patio cushion covers for all types of outdoor furniture so you are not stuck with the ones your furniture was delivered with. New patio cushions are a great way to revamp tired furniture that you don’t want to replace. You can even buy custom patio cushions in all shapes, sizes and designs if your patio furniture is not a standard size.

Whatever your reason for buying, look for thick and soft patio furniture cushions in a quality material that shout comfort and luxury in a design which suits your garden scheme. Think how a bright modern print would jar with a traditional garden while a tropical poolside area would be enhanced by it.

You may even find you want to give your patio a different look for different occasions and at different times of the year. You can do this by ringing the changes with the furniture cushions. Think outdoor patio cushions in beautiful pastel colors for a spring baby shower get together, a jungle print patio chair cushion for a summer barbecue or rustic fall shades for a Halloween party complete with outdoor lights in the shape of ghouls and ghosts. If that is beyond your budget select a neutral shade for your patio furniture cushion so that you can dress up your outdoor space in other ways without your design clashing with your theme. It also means you can add other decorative items such as a bird table, garden wind spinner or even just pretty pots of flowers without worrying about colors clashing.

Whether you are looking for a set of cushions for new outdoor furniture or for replacement patio furniture cushions, look for more information on making the right choice, on materials and on measuring up for outdoor cushions in other articles on this blog. We are here to help so that your patio cushions play a role in enhancing the beauty of your garden with style and color rather than detracting from it.