They are crucial to the furniture’s success in your outdoor space and, we appreciate, you want them to remain that way.
What you don’t want is a set that look tired and worn after only six months of use or, even worse, a set that you retrieve from the shed after their winter break only to find they’re all mouldy and unusable.
So, we’ve put together your very own little checklist of what to and look for before and after you buy any piece of outdoor furniture that come with a set of cushions.
Sumptuous Outdoor Cushions on the Apple Day Bed ...Outdoor Cushions – before you buy …
Every retailer of outdoor furniture will tell you that their cushions are …
”… fine to be left outside all year round."
However, as with anything you buy, outdoor cushions do not always do what the retailer says they do on the tin.
Therefore, you need to scrutinise the information on offer before you buy and do your research to avoid disappointment on, or months after, the delivery day.
The Fabrics:
A couple of things to remember here:
- There is a difference between water resistant and water repellent.
- Long words do not necessarily denote quality.
This is where search engines like Google come in very handy - take your time and put the long fabric names into the search bar to find out more details and be sure in your own mind that you really are buying the highest quality.
WE RECOMMEND:
Olefin Cushion Fabrics like those found on our Montana Range of Sofa Sets.
And, if a retailer advertises water repellent cushions they should really be able to back this up with videos and/or pictures that demonstrate this fact – take our Casablanca Range, for example.
The Fillings:
Again there are fillings and there are fillings when it comes to outdoor cushions.
And the fact is that the filling in any cushion that isn’t water repellent is going to get wet in the UK climate – probably on a regular basis.
So again listen to what the retailer has to say, whether it be verbally or in writing on a website or in a sales brochure, and then do a bit of your own digging to verify this.
WE RECOMMEND:
Look for those retailers who offer a resin fibre sandwich filling as these allow water to pass through and dry very quickly – all our outdoor cushions have a resin fibre filling for exactly this reason.
UK Fire Retardant Regulations:
This is a legal requirement for your safety and those around you but you’d be surprised how many retailers don’t adhere to this – so please do check and insist on this.
As a quick heads up, all our cushions do comply with UK Fire Retardant Regulations and this means that, the first time they get wet you may find a slight white residue appears on them – this is simply excess fire retardant solution, is perfectly normal, and can be removed by putting the covers through a light wash in the washing machine.
UV Stabilisers:
These are also a must really as they prevent the fabric colour dyes from fading in direct sunlight over time - there's nothing worse than a tired, shabby looking cushion.
High Spec Outdoor Bench Cushions ...Outdoor Cushions – after you buy …
Obviously, it is not a good idea to leave your outdoor cushions outside all year – the chances are you will not be using them over the winter period so it is definitely a good idea to have a proper place to store them.
Before you store them:
Please ensure that both the fabrics and the fillings are 100% dry – and we mean bone dry – before you store them away. Any moisture left in the fabric or filling is highly likely to cause rot to occur giving you that nasty shock when you come to use them the following season.
WE RECOMMEND:
Buying a Cushion Box.
However once again do check that these are suitably robust, inner lined and have some ventilation as well.
Of course, we also do a fantastic range of Teak and Rattan Outdoor Cushion Boxes!
Ventilated Teak Cushion Boxes ...
