Sunbrella Cushions: Fabric Facts & Premium Alternatives
What Sunbrella fabric actually is, where it earns its price, and how our Tech Fabric & Premium Velvet tiers compare.
Start with your shape
Not sure? Pick the closest — every measurement is confirmed before we cut.
Don't see your shape? We make any shape.
Trace your old cushion on paper, photograph it next to a tape measure, and email it to us — a Custom Template order is routine work here.
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Measure the old cushion flat, edge to edge — never the frame.
Foam density How to choose density →
Choose your fabric
Six families, 119 cuts, one flat rate — pick by look and feel. Click a family to see its swatches below, or its ⓘ for what the fabric is and where it works best.
All covers sewn to your exact dimensions — no stock sizes, no zippers (sewn envelope closure).
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Calculated live from your measurements — every line, no surprises.
Price breakdown
Estimates only — we re-verify every dimension before cutting and will contact you if anything looks off. Prefer email? Email me this quote
Your cushion
Your configuration
Factory Direct
Source workshop, no middlemen
119 Fabrics
Free swatch program
±½″ Tolerance
Cut to your exact measurements
Remake Free
If we cut it wrong, remade free
Sunbrella Is Solution-Dyed Acrylic
Sunbrella is solution-dyed acrylic: the color pigment goes into the fiber before it’s extruded, so the color is the fiber, all the way through. That one manufacturing difference is why it fades slower than standard weaves, sheds water, resists mildew, and cleans with soap, water, and — for the worst stains — diluted bleach. It’s a genuine performance fabric, and it deserves the reputation it has.
What a Custom Cushion Costs in Our Tiers
Real estimate ranges from our transparent formula ($39 make-base + top area × per-sqft foam & fabric rates × shape factor; rectangles shown):
Estimates confirmed at checkout; every dimension is verified with you before we cut. Custom cutting means every quarter inch is available at the same price — the fabric tier is the only variable in these rows.
We Don’t Sell Sunbrella — We Sell the Factory-Direct Equivalent
We don’t carry the Sunbrella brand. What we make is custom cushions in our own fabric tiers, cut to your measurements in the same shapes Sunbrella buyers need:
- Tech Fabric — our outdoor tier: waterproof, wipe-clean, built for full sun, poolside and spilled drinks. The practical answer to “I want a Sunbrella cushion” at a lower rate.
- Premium Velvet — our indoor tier: a dense luxury pile that resists pilling and stands up to cat claws. For window seats and banquettes that get daily use.
Every shape we cut — all 11, from a 16-inch toss pillow to a hinged chaise pad — is available in both tiers. Order multiple pieces as a set and they’re sewn as one run, so seat and back read as a single lot.
Three Fabric Tiers, One Decision
The honest version: Tech Fabric is over-buying for a shaded reading nook and under-buying nothing on a west-facing deck. The full tier-by-tier comparison — olefin, blended acrylics, fabric grades — lives in the outdoor fabric guide; the head-to-head most buyers face first is Sunbrella vs regular outdoor fabric.
Where Sunbrella Earns Its Price
If you buy the Sunbrella brand itself, these are the placements where it justifies the premium — and they’re exactly the spots our Tech Fabric is built for:
- Full-sun chaises and loungers — the seat that gets the most UV hours on the patio. See custom chaise cushions.
- South- and west-facing window seats — glass magnifies sun; ordinary weaves bleach in a season. See window seat cushions.
- Bay windows — three sides of glass; order all three pieces as one set. See bay window cushions.
- Poolside and near water — chlorine-tolerant, wipe-clean surfaces keep colors true.
Sunbrella Replacement Cushions for a Set You Already Own
Most people arriving at this page are not furnishing a new patio — they are replacing cushions whose fabric died while the frames stayed healthy. The premium-brand route back is fabric-right but set-priced: replacement programs price by the piece against last decade’s patterns, and discontinued colorways strand whole sets. The factory route is measurement-based: trace or measure each piece — seats, backs, corners, chaise hinges — and the replacements come back cut to your frames in the Sunbrella-grade tier, in any colorway in the pool, at the same formula prices as the rest of this site. The piece-by-piece method is walked through in our Sunbrella replacement cushions guide.
Choosing Color for a Sun-Exposed Seat
Color strategy matters more on performance-fabric seats than anywhere else, because the seat will live long enough for the choice to matter. Mid-tone and patterned weaves hide the fading and soiling that show first on saturated darks (navy, black) and reveal instantly on brights (red, orange). Solution-dyed fibers hold their hue either way — but a cushion that reads fine in year five beats one that merely fades honestly. One practical note for custom orders: screens render every fabric differently and custom pieces cannot be returned, so when color is critical, email us before ordering — we will describe the hand, sheen and true shade from the physical bolt so you order with your eyes open.
Season Care for Premium-Grade Cushions
The habits that make a premium pad last a decade are unglamorous. Stand cushions on edge after hard rain so the core drains, not just the surface. Do one pre-season deep clean — mild soap, cool water, soft brush along the weave — to strip the pollen film that mildew feeds on; solution-dyed fibers take diluted bleach for the stubborn spots. Store dry, flat or on edge, in breathable bags over winter — a tarp over a frame traps the moisture it was meant to keep off. None of this is proprietary wisdom; it is the care guidance the premium brands themselves publish, and it applies to our tiers identically.
Axroma Canvas · Teal
Axroma Canvas · Light gray
Premium Olefin · Orange
Striped Canvas · Light brown
Striped Canvas · Blue
Striped Canvas · Light brown
Premium Olefin · Beige
Premium Olefin · Deep green
Premium Olefin · Red
Premium Olefin · Brown
Premium Olefin · Claret
Premium Olefin · Deep brown
Twelve performance fabrics from the 119-swatch library — the Sunbrella-grade tier and its factory-direct equivalents. Free samples ship with every quote.
Frequently asked questions
In full sun, usually yes: Sunbrella holds color for years where standard polyester bleaches in a season or two, and the brand’s 5-year fade warranty backs it. Under a covered porch or indoors, our Tech Fabric and Cotton Linen deliver most of the practical performance for less — see our fabric guide for the tier-by-tier comparison.
No — we don’t carry the Sunbrella brand. Our equivalent tiers are Tech Fabric (waterproof, wipe-clean, built for full sun and poolside) and Premium Velvet (indoor luxury pile, no pilling, cat-claw resistant). Every shape we cut is available in both, at the same measurements and the same factory cut.
Per Sunbrella’s own care guidance: soap, water and a soft brush for everyday dirt; diluted bleach for stubborn stains and mildew — solution-dyed acrylic is bleach-cleanable without losing color. Air dry. (Our Tech Fabric cleans with a wipe; no bleach needed.)
Solution-dyed mid-tones and patterns: beige, grey, taupes and mixed weaves hide the gradual fade and soiling that saturate first on dark navy and black or broadcast on bright reds and oranges. The fiber grade sets the fade ceiling; the color choice sets how visible the aging is under that ceiling.
Yes — that is the measurement lane most of this page’s readers are in: send the piece-by-piece dimensions (seats, backs, any hinged or corner pieces) and the replacements come back cut to your frames in the Sunbrella-grade tier at the same formula prices. The full method is in our Sunbrella replacement cushions guide.
Made by the factory that ships them
- Cushion factory for 10+ years — we cut, fill, and sew every order ourselves.
- Every dimension you send is re-checked before a single yard of fabric is cut.
- Made-to-order means any shape, any tier, no minimum.
- Cut to ± ½ inch of your confirmed dimensions, in writing — outside tolerance, remade free.
Custom cushions from $63 — pick your shape, enter measurements, get a quote in our fabric tiers.
One honest note on color: every screen renders fabric differently, and custom-cut pieces cannot be returned. If color is critical to your project, email us before ordering — we will describe the fabric hand, sheen and true shade from the physical bolt, so you order with your eyes open.
Related pages
Terms & Conditions
These Terms & Conditions (“Terms”) govern your use of cushionmill.com and all purchases of custom-made cushions from The Cushion Mill
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Further reading from the blog
Standard Cushion Sizes Chart: Every Common Dimension in One Place
The standard cushion sizes reference: seat cushions by chair type, bench and chaise dimensions, thickness bands by use, why ‘standard’ varies so much, and how to move from the chart to an exact order.
Restaurant Booth Cushions: Specifying for Dinner-Rush Duty
Commercial restaurant booth cushions live under a duty profile residential cushions never see — all-day turn rates, cleaning chemicals, food-zone fabric demands, fire-code awareness — this is the spec: density, fabric, construction, and the replacement-cycle economics.
How to Prevent Mold on Outdoor Cushions: The Moisture-Management System
Why cushions mold (it’s never the fabric alone) — the moisture, food and airflow triangle, and the prevention stack: fabric, foam, placement, habits and storage.
The 2026 Outdoor Cushions Buying Guide: Everything to Check Before You Order
A complete 2026 checklist for buying outdoor cushions — fit, fabric tiers, foam density, construction quality, tie systems, pricing benchmarks and red flags.
How to Reupholster Dining Chairs: Seat Pads, Full Cushions and When to Stop
The complete dining chair reupholstery walk-through — the drop-in seat pad method, replacing foam while you’re in there, fabric choices for dining duty, the full-cushion route for padded chairs, and the honest stop-or-continue decision.
How to Measure Outdoor Cushions: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide (2026)
A factory-accurate guide to measuring outdoor cushions — width, depth, thickness, radius corners and special shapes — with real Hampton Bay replacement dimensions and a pre-order checklist.