The Outdoor Cushion Buyer's Guide

How can you tell really great outdoor furniture cushions from the duds? Is it all about that tush-feel? Or maybe for you it's luxurious styling. Then again, you can't forget about weather-resilience or the quality of the basic materials, right? Well, the very best patio cushions combine all of these features, so it's important you have a good understanding of outdoor cushion materials, styles, types, sizes... and everything in between.

Outdoor cushions are just as crucial as the patio furniture itself. After all, this is what you will be resting your bum on all summer! Beware of companies offering lower prices; often cost-cutting is done with cushions! Always look for Sunbrella fabrics held together by Tenara Sewing Thread and filled with Dacron cushions.

Frequently Asked Questions: Outdoor Cushion Buying

Performance fabric, Tenara thread, and supportive cores. Choose solution dyed performance fabrics, stitched with Tenara sewing thread, and filled with supportive Dacron. Great cushions balance comfort, durability, UV and water protection, and style so they last through many seasons.

Best: Sunbrella. Be cautious with vinyl and cotton. Sunbrella’s solution dyed acrylic is fade resistant, 100 percent waterproof, mold and mildew resistant, and chlorine safe. Vinyl and PVC coated meshes get very hot and can fade. Cotton canvas needs yearly waterproofing and is not chlorine safe.

Waterproof blocks water. Water resistant sheds light moisture. Waterproof fabric will not absorb water. Water resistant fabric sheds water but can soak through if submerged or exposed for long periods. Knowing this helps set care and storage expectations.

Dacron is firm and holds shape. Polyfill flattens. Polyester and clustered polyfill compress over time. Foam varies by density. Dacron provides durable support and a tailored look. Dacron wrapped foam uses only a thin layer and can still flatten.

Measure seam to seam with the cover stretched flat. Lay the cushion flat, pull it taut, then measure height, width, and depth from seam to seam. Note highest and lowest points. Good measurements prevent frumpy, ill fitting results.

Yes. In house sewing delivers a tailored result. Patio Productions hand makes custom cushions in San Marcos using quick drying foam and your choice of proven outdoor fabrics. You set goals and details. Typical turnaround is four to six weeks.

Clean regularly, store dry, add welting and ties. Brush weekly, blot spills, deep clean per maker each season, and store in a dry place during harsh weather. Welting elevates style. Cushion ties keep seats in place and cleaner.

Outdoor Furniture Cushion Buying Primer

Choose cushion materials based on your climate and maintenance preferences
Measure your furniture carefully before buying cushions
Understand your patio cushions' water, weather, and UV-resistance
Consider the filling material for comfort and durability
Explore custom cushions for a 'uniquely-you' look
Find a cushion style that compliments and elevates your outdoor aesthetic
Know how to care for your outdoor patio cushions

Why Your Patio Deserves the Best Outdoor Cushions

Your patio is your own slice of nature, and the patio furniture cushions you choose become the foundation of your outdoor living enjoyment. Quality outdoor furniture cushions definitely make your outdoor space more comfortable, but they provide so much more value than that.

Enhance the style of your patio
Provide support for long hours of lounging
Resist fading, mold, and mildew
Make your outdoor space feel like an extension of your indoor living area

Harmonia Living's Pacifica 2 Piece Sofa Set uses Sunbrella and similar high-quality outdoor fabrics on its cushions.

Outdoor Cushion Materials: Covers

Although they may look the same, the materials used on outdoor cushions vary drastically. This is important because cheap covers can lead to mold and mildew due to a lack of water-resistant properties. They will also fade and lose color in the sun after one or two Summer seasons.

Vinyl - also known as PVC. A plastic material is probably the least expensive option. Vinyl cushion fabrics do not do very well in the heat. They can get extremely hot while sitting under the sun and give a nice burn when you first sit down. It's the same thing as getting into a car that's been sitting in the sun. Ouch! PVC is also a non-recyclable material. Be nice. #SaveOurEarth

Cotton Canvas - an age-old fabric that dates back to the 13th century. Cotton fabric is economical and it can be dyed. The fabric is not water resistant so you may experience problems with mold and/or mildew. Need to be treated with a waterproof application once a year. Not safe for chlorine.

Texteline - a mesh woven material made from polyester yarns that are coated with PVC. Again, they will get hot in the sun but the yarn adds more strength to the covers. They aren't as susceptible to rips and tears from zippers and buttons. Texteline cushions are waterproof but they are known to lose color and fade in the sun. Do not use bleach on texteline covers because it will degrade the PVC coating. Mid grade outdoor cushion material.

a closeup photo of outdoor fabric on a teak chair

Patio Productions only chooses modern performance outdoor fabrics like Sunbrella, Outdura, and Revolution to keep your furniture looking beautiful and mold-free for years.

Sunbrella Fabric - a patented fabric that features solution dyed acrylics. This means that the actual material itself is colored. Sunbrella is the best (and most expensive) because they are fade resistant, 100% waterproof, mold & mildew resistant, and chlorine safe.

*Note: Keep in mind that there is a difference between waterproof and water-resistant. The two may be seen as interchangeable but they are not. Waterproof means that the fabric will not absorb any water whatsoever. Water resistance means the cover will shed water but it will fill like a sponge if dunked it in water.

The Styling Power of Custom Cushions

Do you want outdoor fabric performance with a look that is uniquely yours? Getting your own custom cushions is the way to go. And Patio Productions is THE place to find it.

Your highest-quality cushion covers will be hand-made in our San Marcos warehouse by our own in-house sewing department. The quick-drying foam is sourced from local factories, and you choose your own fabric from our list of proven outdoor options. Expert craftsmanship from local producers. What could be better?

You give the sewing team your goals, fabrics, cushion types, sewing details, and quantity needs. They’ll do the hard work. Four to six weeks later, your uniquely-created cushions are on your patio.

Outdoor Cushion Seat Core Materials

Polyester Fill - Polyester fill is that cheap, soft, fluffy stuff that offers no support. They flatten out over time and provide more visual benefits than they do functional comfort.

Clustered Polyfill - Essentially the same as the above, except the polyfill is wrapped in small bundles or made into tiny balls. This makes these cushions a little firmer but they are still susceptible to flattening out.

Foam - Foam comes in a range of densities so when you see foam cushions, it's hard to really be sure how supportive they are. Foam is graded based on density. You can find a chart on foam density here.

Dacron - Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) is a thermoplastic synthetic polymer resin that was originally used to make luxury beds. Also known by the brand name Dacron, a patented fiberfill technology. A durable foam padding insert that provides optimum support. Dacron cushions are very firm and they are touted because they do not flatten out like other cushion materials. Dacron gives the cushion a tight and well-kept appearance. They are usually wrapped in a thin layer of polyester to soften the cushions, much like a pillow topped mattress.

Dacron Wrapped - Some cushions advertise Dacron wrap, which differs from Dacron cushions. Cushions that are wrapped in Dacron are just that; wrapped in Dacron. They have a 1/2" layer of Dacron added to the cushion's exterior. These types of cushions use much less Dacron and can also be flattened like foam cushions. Looks nice but don't sit very well.

Castelle's Berkeley 5-Seat Round Dining Set sports tufted, welted, quick-drying cushions wrapped in performance outdoor fabrics.

Welting

Welting is all about visual appeal. Welting is a thin piping that is added along the edge of your cushion cover to accentuate the shape of the cushion. They are a luxury add-on and aren't absolutely necessary but can create a remarkable change to bland cushions. Welting looks great on patterned and custom cushions because it provides a border to accent the cushions shape.

Cushion Ties

Cushion ties make your outdoor experience enjoyable. Without ties, your cushions will move around behind you whenever you stand up and sit down. Cushion ties keep your outdoor arrangement presentable and organized. They will also help you keep them clean because they won't fall on the ground. Sometimes it's the small things that matter.

Measuring Outdoor Cushions

One of the quickest ways for your lovely, high-quality outdoor furniture to look frumpy is with ill-fitting patio cushions. So, let's learn to dump the frump. The proper way to measure outdoor cushions is from seam to seam. Have the cushion stretched out tightly and measure from the beginning to the end of the seam.

Accessorizing with Outdoor Pillows

Your amazing new outdoor furniture cushions need a bestie. And one of the best ways to accessorize your beautiful, comfy, weather-resistant patio cushions is with patio-quality pillows! Peanut butter, meet jelly. You have a lot of great decorative pillow options to fluff out your outdoor space.

Toss Pillows aka "throw pillows" are small decorative pillows. They are not designed for support and are solely there for decoration. It can be a way to add a pop of color to your outdoor sectional set.
Bolster Pillows are long circular pillows that are designed to provide support. You often see them in beds. They can provide neck support or be placed behind the back to add a healthy curve to your spinal cord.
Body Pillows are large pillows that can you can lay on. Body pillows aren't very ideal for outdoor furniture because they take up too much space and can get very dirty if they fall on the floor.

You'll want to apply much of the same shopping wisdom to outdoor pillows as you learned for patio furniture cushions. The most important lesson being this: look for high-quality outdoor fabrics.

a closeup photo of a hand using a soft-bristle brush to wash the cushion on an outdoor lounge

Caring for Your Outdoor Furniture Cushions

And once you've found the perfect cushions, you want to make them last, am I right? We have a full guide to help you care for every piece of patio furniture year-round, but here's the short version on how to keep your cushions looking fresh season after season:

Regular cleaning: Brush off dirt and debris weekly.
Spot cleaning: Blot (don't rub!) spills immediately.
Deep cleaning: Follow the manufacturer's instructions for a thorough cleaning at least once a season.
Proper storage: Store cushions in a dry place during off-seasons or extreme weather.

Another great way to protect your cushions is with an outdoor cushion storage box like this one by Harmonia Living

Sunbrella Outdoor Patio Cushions - The Gold Standards

Sunbrella cushions have long been hailed as the best outdoor cushions. This comes as no surprise, seeing that the company originally made marine grade fabrics for boats. What makes Sunbrella fabric so unique is that they do not use thread.

Instead, they use a solution-dyed acrylic material that is colorized so that the "thread" is the same color throughout. The color of the cushion cannot be removed. All other cushion fabrics use threads that are dyed with paint. Don't believe me, just look here. This is why Sunbrella cushions do not stain or fade. Simply brush away dirt and rinse away wine stains.

Furthermore, Sunbrella uses Tenara Sewing thread. Teneara sewing thread is used instead of polyester and cotton thread which can rip and tear. This means that your outdoor cushions can take a beating and will last much longer than any others you'll find on the market. Sunbrella is the designer's choice because they offer over 200+ custom fabric designs that can be made to order.

Learn more about Sunbrella Fabrics.

Where to Buy the Best Outdoor Cushions

Patio Productions only carries the best outdoor patio cushions. All of the products sold on this website come with Sunbrella Cushions that use Tenara Sewing Thread and Dacron cushions. This combination offers the absolute best blend of style, aesthetic, and all-weather qualities. You can visit their San Diego Patio Showroom to have a seat on a Sunbrella cushion.

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