Patio Furniture Replacement Cushions

Features to Look For When Replacing Your Outdoor Furniture Cushions

Here is a good list of the different features and descriptions of patio furniture replacement cushions -- such as buttons, zippers, filling and different edge styles.

Edges

There are basically two types of edges to consider:

Box Edged - Box edges are made up of several different pieces of fabric. A top, bottom and side layer come together to form box edges.  These have the classic "rolled" look of indoor couch cushions.

Knife Edged - This type of edge has the top and bottom layer of fabric coming together as one to give a cleaner, simpler look.  Think the seams on a shirt. 

French Edged - This edge type is a cross between the above two.  Although there are only 2 layers of fabric, the corners are pleated to create a "boxy" look on the cushion.

Buttons

Button Tufted - This is inserting plastic buttons into the cushion. These buttons are held together from front to back with a piece of outdoor grade string in between. This style cushion looks the same on both sides so turning over to reduce wear is possible.  This style also helps to keep the filling in place.

Sewn Buttons - This style looks the same as button tufting but a circular stitch is sewn in that draws both the top and bottom layers of fabric together. This method can also be referred to as hectoring.

Topstitch

Quality cushions often have a top stitching to change its appearance as well as secure the cushion filling. This is often the last step in making the cushion.  "Top stitching" is also done on the bottom of the cushion so that you can turn it over if you like.

Ties

Matching fabric ties can be inserted within the cushion's seams so that you can easily secure your patio cushions to your outdoor furniture.

Piping, Welting and Cording

These techniques not only reinforces the edges, but it also has been said to add a nice finished look to the cushion.

Zippers

Look for zippers that are made out of weather resistant materials and are covered with a flap of matching fabric. This helps to hide and protect the zipper.

Cushion Filling

Patio furniture replacement cushions are typically filled with weather-resisting polyester.  This fiber filling has the appearance of cotton, but has a much slicker feel to it. A cushion filled with shredded or blown fiber, achieves a "fluffy" result.

Look around and don't forget to pick a pattern that you like.  Patio furniture replacement cushions should be as beautiful as they are durable.

Patio Furniture Replacement Cushions