Outdoor Upholstered Furniture

Luxury outdoor furniture is designed to look inviting. Roomy, spacious, with a deep-set seating profile, and plush voluminous cushions, the experience overall is intended to bring all the comforts of indoor living outdoors. The challenge for any quality outdoor furniture designer is to find that magic mix of comfort and weather-resistant durability in the upholstery: does it meet the “sit test”? 

There are two all-important components to consider with outdoor cushions: the fabric, and the inner core.

For a great deal of quality outdoor furniture, it’s not even a question: the cushion fabric is made by Sunbrella. Solution-dyed acrylic fibers are spun into yarns that are then woven into fabric. The result is color-saturated, UV-ray-resistant cushions that are stain and mold resistant and available in dozens of colors and patterns.

Gloster, one of the premier names in outdoor furniture, has worked with Sunbrella over the years to define a carefully curated and meticulously engineered range of proprietary fabric options to meet the needs of any outdoor use case.

Their "Outdoor Performance" range offers the widest selection of cool sophisticated colors and patterns and has a very soft hand for most outdoor settings. Their "Water Resistant" textiles features a thicker virtually watertight backer, as well as an open cell cushion core, to promote maximum quick-drying. Their last option, "Soft Touch", is the most luxurious and goes the furthest towards truly approximating indoor quality. With a smooth silky texture, this exclusive range of knitted fabrics is ideal for contoured cushions and throw pillows due to its soft pliant structure.

DEDON, another leader in the outdoor furniture universe, pairs high-performance fabrics with specialized quick-drying foam cores. The diagram shown here illustrates the level of engineering that goes into their Dry+ Cushion options that combine a soft foam sit with quick-drying technology.

Across the board, outdoor furniture upholstery, cushions, and pillows are very low-maintenance. Cushion covers typically can be removed and are machine-washable. However, while these fabrics are water, mold, and stain resistant, extended exposure to moisture will eventually degrade the performance of the materials if not given sufficient time to dry. It is suggested that you always cover your furniture with a protective cover when not in use, and to shelter cushions in a dry indoor area or cushion chest during the off-season.