Secrets Of Patio Cushions

Have you ever sat on your patio furniture and wondered, why is my cushion so flat? The answer is the foam interior has given up the ghost. Foam is notorious for baking and crumbling in the heat. Not all foam is created equal. Summer separates the good, the bad, and the ugly in the world of patio cushions. When you bought that cushion for your resin chair, your wood lounger or your porch swing, it was fluffy and comfortable. It probably repelled rain and dried quickly. Now you're disillusioned by the failure of that rather expensive purchase.

So within this hub we will first look at what makes a great patio cushion, what is it made of and why it works as a patio cushion despite the exposure to all the elements.  And second we will look at where are great places to purchase the best patio cushions.

The interior of the patio cushion can be Dacron, Insulite (floating foam marina quality), Nomaco IUT 10 (also floating foam marina quality), or other types of foam. These are not cheap because they are specialty items and can range anywhere from $64.00 dollars for a 2 inch low end Dacron roll, to a 1 inch thick, 35 foot, high-end marina quality type boat foam roll, at a cost of $700.00. For a deck flooded with daily sun and lots of rain, Drain Dry foam is best. Larger cells allow the water to seep through the fabric and foam.

The collapsing sofa or chair cushion is always a letdown. If only we could afford space age memory foam found in the fancy beds. After years of jumping tots, wrestling teenagers, sleeping mates, and chlorinated pool water, cushions tend to become a sculptural work of body art. The symmetrical lines are more concave and soft. Nothing looks worse that a mushy, torn, sun faded cushion. Good brand name fabrics for patio cushions are Sunbrella, Maco, and Glen Raven.

Specialty fabrics are more expensive, but you get what you pay for. Website specialty companies like, Outdoor Furniture and Patio Cushions foamorder.com/outdoor.html offer custom made cushions in every imaginable shape and size. They use high density 1.8lb foam. Another company building custom cushions is Cushion Company, their website is info@cushionconnection.com. If you Goggle your needs, a number of companies will offer deeply discounted prices. Great places to seasonally buy pre-made, pre-sized outdoor patio cushions are Lowell's and Home Depot. Walmart, K-Mart, and Target offer reasonable prices.

Other stores, pool shops like Pool and Patio carry a large selection of higher end patio seating at higher prices. Big Lots has very limited specific inventory, but great prices. You will find excellent deals on market umbrellas, patio table and chair sets, park benches, resin woven look patio chairs, and loose chair and lounge patio furniture cushions. Shop in early spring to summer their inventory sells out quickly.

Patio chair cushions are a little like people. They take a lot of abuse. A good idea is to periodically take a hose and wash your patio furniture and cushions. Dirt, bug poop, chlorine, and daily living can wear out the fabric. If your furniture resides on an open deck in colder climates, it's a good idea to store it for winter. When the weather cools and snow falls a little patio furniture TLC can go a long way. So don't hold back check out those patio cushions today.