Whether you are choosing ready made patio chair cushions or creating your own, it is important to make sure that the fabric you choose is right for the job. Don’t be tempted simply by the look and feel of the fabric. It’s more important to get the right material for the job. For instance, choosing a luxury fabric like chenille would be marvellous for your bedroom furniture but a disaster for outdoor furniture. The key to choosing furniture for outdoor cushions is to make sure that it is weather resistant.
Buy weather resistant, I mean make sure that your fabric can stay out of hours in the sun and withstand a range of temperatures without bleaching, fading or falling to pieces quickly. So choose rain resistant fabrics that are tough and hard wearing. If you prefer softer fabrics, a throw or towelling can always be used to make it more comfortable for you.
For outdoor cushions, the more resistance to water and mildew, the better. Cushion fillings should be 100% waterproof and wrapped in a polypropylene cover. This is essential. For the outer casing, different smart fabrics, designed especially for the outdoors exist. Look for Outdura, Robert Allen and Sunbrela brands of fabric if you are looking for the latest in patio chair cushion fabric design.
A simpler option is canvas. Used for generations by fishermen, canvas is the original tough fabric. Once made from hemp but now mainly made with cotton, it is easy to obtain and a very versatile fabric. It can be waterproofed, dyed and hand painted. If you are want to create something really original, why not dye or paint your own designs to enhance your patio furniture? If you prefer to buy it pre-treated, canvas is available dye and printed.
Duck cloth is a variety of canvas with a tighter weave and therefore even more effective anti weathering properties. Like canvas, it can be bought plain for dyeing or with prints and colours already applied. Being of a higher quality, it is more expensive than canvas. I think that it is worth it for a durable, stylish look that won’t fade.
If you want the highest water resistance you can buy fabrics often used for awnings and hammocks. This material is called Textilene and is available from hardware stores. Textilene is made from strands of polyester woven together. These strands have PVC coating which makes them ultra waterproof. By using s synthetic fabric woven and waterproofed in this way, it is possible to have lightweight, and tough material at the same time.
These are some of the choices available to you for patio chair cushions. Other fabrics are also available, but these are the best.