Outdoor Cushion Fabric Guide: Cotton Linen, Olefin, Performance & Sunbrella
The four fabric families we actually cut with — compared on fade, water, mold, wear, and what each tier costs on a quote.
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.
Enter your measurements
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).
Review & order
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
No Single Best — a Best for Your Patio
There is no single best outdoor fabric — there is a best fabric for your patio. A covered porch in Seattle and a full-sun deck in Phoenix punish fabric in completely different ways: moisture there, UV here. We cut and sew with all of these tiers every day, and this guide is written from the factory side — what we see come back after two seasons, and what we sew for customers who order twice.
On our quotes, fabric is one of three line items you control (shape area and foam density are the others). Every tier sews to the same measurements, on any of the 11 shapes we cut — so this decision changes the price, never the fit.
The Three Tiers on Our Quotes
Rates behind the tiers: $19.0 / $25.5 / $34.0 per sq ft of top surface + $39 make-base per piece. Example — a 48 × 16 window seat runs $140 / $175 / $220 across the tiers. Every quote itemizes these lines before you order.
What Actually Destroys Outdoor Fabric
Before picking a tier, figure out which of these five is your furniture’s main killer:
- UV fade — the #1 killer in the Sun Belt and at altitude. Breaks down dye, then the fiber itself.
- Trapped moisture — the #1 killer in shade, humid climates, and under tree cover. Feeds mildew, rots thread.
- Abrasion and wear — friction on arms and seat edges, plus dirt grinding inside the weave.
- Stains — food, sunscreen, pollen, tannin. More texture and hydrophobic finish means more stain resistance.
- Mold food — not the fabric but the dirt film on it; whether you can bleach it determines recoverability.
Match the Tier to the Seat
The Three Fibers Behind the Tiers
Strip the brand names off any outdoor cushion and the fabric is one of three fibers. Polyester (piece-dyed) is the budget standard: the yarn is woven first and colored after, so the dye sits on the surface where UV attacks it first — one to two seasons of direct sun is the honest fade life, which is why polyester belongs under cover. Olefin (solution-dyed polypropylene) extrudes the color into the fiber before weaving: better fade life, very low water absorption, and strong abrasion resistance — the working middle of the outdoor market and the backbone of our Tech Fabric tier. Solution-dyed acrylic is the premium fiber (Sunbrella is the household name): color-through fibers with multi-year fade warranties, bleach-cleanability, and the softest hand of the three. The fiber is the ceiling on performance; the weave and finish decide how close to that ceiling your cushion actually runs.
Thread, Seams and the Parts Nobody Advertises
Fabric gets the comparison tables, but a cushion fails at the sewing line more often than at the cloth. Outdoor thread must be UV-stabilized — generic polyester thread embrittles in a season of sun and the seams pop while the fabric still looks fine. Seams on horizontal cushions are water entry points: a sewn closure with sealed-edge construction sheds water where an open seam wicks it into the foam. Our covers close with sewn envelope closures (no zippers on our line), which keeps the weather out and the profile clean; cleaning is a wipe or a spot-clean rather than a cover-off wash. Ties and anti-slip undersides are sewn into the seams at your measured fastening points, not added afterward.
Care: The Two Habits That Double Cushion Life
The first habit is standing cushions on edge after a soaking — a cushion left flat traps water against the foam’s underside and the mildew starts there, inside, where you cannot see it. On edge, in shade or breeze, the core drains and dries in hours. The second is the pre-season deep clean: mild soap, cool water, a soft brush along (not against) the weave, then air dry — done once it removes the pollen-and-dirt film that mildew feeds on. Solution-dyed fibers take diluted bleach for stubborn stains without losing color; polyester does not, which is another honest reason the tiers price differently. Over winter, dry cushions stored flat in a breathable bag outlast cushions left on the frame under a tarp — a tarp traps the moisture it was meant to keep off.
Deep Dives
- Best outdoor cushion fabric — the full field, ranked by climate and exposure
- Sunbrella vs regular outdoor fabric — the head-to-head most buyers face first
- Is Sunbrella worth it? — the cost-per-year math
- Fabric color fastness for outdoor cushions — UV ratings explained
- Dog-friendly outdoor fabric — claw resistance without crayon texture
- Sunbrella replacement cushions — how to get fabric-right replacements
- Sunbrella cushions — the buying page, with tier pricing on real pieces
Premium Olefin · Beige
Premium Olefin · Deep green
Premium Olefin · Red
Premium Olefin · Brown
Premium Olefin · Claret
Premium Olefin · Deep brown
Cabana Stripe Canvas · Red
Cabana Stripe Canvas · Gray
Cabana Stripe Canvas · Blue
Outdoor-pool swatches across the three tiers — cotton-blend, olefin canvas and premium performance weaves. Free samples ship with every quote.
Frequently asked questions
There is no single best — there is a best for your exposure. Full sun: solution-dyed acrylic (Sunbrella, Tempotest). Humid shade: olefin or acrylic, which hold little water and resist mildew. Covered porch or indoor nook: polyester grades deliver the job at the lowest cost.
On fade, yes, decisively: solution dyeing puts color through the fiber, so Sunbrella holds color for years where piece-dyed polyester bleaches in one to two seasons of direct sun. On price, polyester is roughly 45% less per cushion. The full head-to-head is in Sunbrella vs regular outdoor fabric.
Performance weave or polyester. A roof removes most of the UV threat, so what is left is moisture and wear — performance weaves cover both for a modest step up from base price. Save the Sunbrella upcharge for seats that actually see the sun.
Ours do not — covers close with a sewn envelope closure (no zippers on our line), so cleaning is a wipe with mild soap and water rather than a cover-off cycle. Sewn closures also keep weather out of the foam, which is half the reason the seams outlast the fabric.
Mild soap, cool water and a soft brush first — the film mildew feeds on is usually dirt, not the fabric. On solution-dyed fibers (olefin, acrylic), diluted bleach removes the stain without taking the color; on piece-dyed polyester it can, so spot-test first. Then air dry with the cushion on edge so the core drains, not just the surface.
“UV-resistant” describes a finish, not a fiber. Finishes wash out; solution dyeing is permanent because the color is the fiber. If the seat takes direct sun all season, the tier needs to be olefin or solution-dyed acrylic — anything finished rather than dyed-through is buying one season at a time.
Made by the factory that ships them
- Outdoor 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 fabric, any piece, no minimum.
- Cut to ± ½ inch of your confirmed dimensions, in writing — outside tolerance, remade free.
Any tier on any shape — pick your shape, enter measurements, see the tier prices side by side.
Related pages
Outdoor Seat Cushions
Outdoor Seat Cushions, Custom Cut to Your Measurements Factory-direct, cut to your measurements — wicker, wrought iron, wood and lawn
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Custom Patio Cushions Cut to Your Measurements Factory-direct, cut to your measurements — dining sets, deep seating, benches and chaises,
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Custom Adirondack Chair Cushions, Made to Your Measurements Factory-direct, cut to your measurements — standard, oversize and vintage frames. Build
Lounge Chair Cushions
Custom Lounge Chair Cushions, Made to Your Measurements Factory-direct, cut to your measurements — indoor loungers, patio loungers, any frame.
Outdoor Bench Cushions
Custom Outdoor Bench Cushions, Made to Your Measurements Factory-direct, cut to your measurements — patio, garden and deck benches. Build
Bar Stool Cushions
Custom Bar Stool Cushions, Made to Your Measurements Factory-direct, cut to your measurements — rounds, squares, saddles, sets of any
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.