Sooner or later, you’ll have to buy replacement couch cushions for your outdoor furniture. They rip, get dirty and don’t look as lovely as they did when you first purchased them. If you have already invested in high-quality outdoor furniture, you’ll find yourself looking for replacement outdoor cushions after a few seasons.
However, there are so many cushion fabric types on the market, and different stitching types help determine how long your outdoor replacement cushions last. This can make it challenging to find the best options, especially when you consider custom cushions too. This quick guide will outline how to shop for these cushions below.
Popular outdoor furniture cushions include:
- Outdoor sun lounge cushions
- Outdoor day bed cushions
- Outdoor bench seat cushions
- Outdoor back cushions
- Outdoor seat cushions
Step one: Measure the existing cushions
You want your new outdoor replacement chair cushions to fit nicely on your furniture. So, you must find out measurements from your current cushions before you shop to know what size to buy. To ensure you get a great fit, measure the cushion or inner foam because your covers may have stretched out from repeated use. It’s best for the original covers to be measured seam to seam. Foams have a tendency to collapse over time especially if a low-quality foam has been used.
The goal is to match the depth, shape, length and width of each cushion you want to replace. Getting a perfect fit ensures you won’t have any sagging or wrinkles when you put the covers on.
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Depth Measurement - Find the depth by measuring from the top to the bottom for the back cushions and from the back to the front for any seat cushions. Seam to seam for the best accuracy.
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Thickness or Height Measurement - Get your tape measure and measure from the bottom of the cushion to the top. You may choose outdoor furniture replacement cushions that are less or more cushy than you currently have, but this comes down to personal preferences.
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Width Measurements - Measure from the right to the left side of your cushion in a minimum of three different areas, like the back, middle and front. Use your widest measurement unless your pillow is highly out of shape and worn. If it is, use the smallest measurement you get.
If your patio furniture didn’t come with cushions or you already tossed the old ones, you can measure the furniture pieces themselves. Get a tape measure and take precise measurements of each seat if you want to add custom replacement cushions. Photos can come in handy if you contract someone to make them for you rather than buy premade options.
To measure your furniture’s dimensions, you’ll need the following:
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Depth or Length Measurement - You’ll only need one measurement for this area. From the front edge of the seating area, measure to the back, keeping the measuring tape in the centre of the seating space. If you want to measure the back’s depth, go from the top of the back of the piece to where it meets the seating area.
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Height or Thickness Measurement - Decide how cushy or plush you want your new replacement cushions to be. Once you determine your cushion foam thickness, lock your measuring tape and put it against the back or seat to see how far up it’ll go.
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Width Measurement - Measure across the seating space from left to right in three spaces. Measure the seat frame’s front edge, between the furniture’s arms, and at the rear. Keep the widest measurement as the width.
Step two: Choose a cushion fabric & cushion foam
It’s common for your outdoor cushions to show wear and tear after a few years due to exposure to the elements like weather, sunlight and pollutants. You can slow down this deterioration process by buying cushions that are made to withstand your unique climate. If you have your cushions in a space with coverage that isn’t exposed to sunlight or rain, you won’t have to worry as much about the fabric.
However, if your deck or patio doesn’t have cover from the elements, it’s a good idea to spend a bit more on your outdoor replacement chair cushions to get better-quality fabric. Faux leather, woven polyester and nylon are popular outdoor fabric types. Faux leather is excellent if you want to mimic the look of natural leather but don’t have the budget for the real thing, and woven polyester resists stains, mildew and fading. Woven nylon is very durable without sacrificing comfort too.
In the construction of our outdoor cushions, Cushion House utilises Warwick & Wortley's range of outdoor fabrics which is 100% Olefin and Sunbrella’s high-quality solution-dyed acrylic fabrics.
The cushion foam you want in your cushions will dictate how comfortable they are and how long the cushions hold their shape. You can choose from:
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High-Density Comfort Foam - This popular general choice offers excellent support. It is backed with a 10-year warranty, and you get a firm feel that makes it popular to have on outdoor seat cushions and outdoor back cushions.
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High-Density Comfort Plus Foam - People who want a bit of bounce and softness like this foam. It’s a great choice for use in commercial cushions.
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Reticulated Quick-Dry Foam - Any cushions that are frequently exposed to the elements can benefit from this foam. It has excellent mildew and mould resistance and features an open-cell construction that stops it from absorbing liquids.
Step three: Pick a colour scheme or pattern
A neutral colour or a chic white is usually a solid choice if you have a modern decor scheme for your outdoor furniture. This palette blends well with other elements in the space, and they don’t clash with different colours.
When you shop for replacement outdoor lounge cushions, remember that a neutral colour scheme is much easier to match than more vibrant or bolder hues. For example, if you have a particular shade of blue for your replacement outdoor cushions, it could be challenging to find cushions in the same shade unless you want to go with a paler hue instead.
On the other end of the spectrum, if you have a much more traditional design style with rattan sofas and wicker chairs, you should consider sticking to natural colour ranges like beige or tan because they complement almost any other decorating scheme.
How to maintain your replacement cushions
You can make your custom replacement cushions last longer by routinely maintaining them by following your chosen cushion fabric’s cleaning and care instructions. Below are some generic cleaning and care tips that are applicable to most outdoor cushions:
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Blot at the fabric to remove any stains instead of scrubbing them.
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Carefully remove the covers if you are able and allow them to dry separately. You can wash them separately too.
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Limit the fabric’s exposure to direct sunlight to keep the colours bright.
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Make a point to regularly vacuum or brush off debris and dirt. Get into all the corners and between the seats when you do so.
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Put any cushions that get saturated with water with the seam side down to encourage drainage.
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Store your cushions during the winter or wet seasons by cleaning and drying them and placing them in a protected location.
Cushion House can create custom replacement cushions to your specifications
If you want custom replacement outdoor cushions, look no further than Cushion House. We can help design and create cushions perfect for your comfort levels and patio furniture pieces.
With our advanced cushion customiser tool, creating bespoke replacement outdoor cushions to complement your existing decor has never been easier. Simply select your desired cushion dimensions, cushion fabric and cushion foam and Cushion House Australia take care of the rest. We even offer Australia-wide shipping for only a flat $35.00 rate!
All of our custom-made cushions are manufactured using 100% Australian, premium-grade materials. With Cushion House, you know you'll be receiving a replacement outdoor cushion that will provide an unrivalled level of comfort and durability for years to come. Start designing replacement outdoor cushions for your furniture today!
