These days, outdoor spaces – be it a garden or a balcony – are treated as an extension of our home. As a result, they’re furnished in a similar way, prioritising quality, comfort and style in everything we decide to include – which includes the best outdoor cushions.
Adding some outdoor cushions on your best garden furniture is the perfect way to inject some colour, pattern and texture into your outdoor living room and dining area, as well as personality – because boring, synthetic-feeling outdoor cushions are a thing of the past. These days, you can barely tell an indoor and an outdoor cushion apart, that’s how good they’ve gotten.
‘Long gone are the days of slippery nylon cushions and covers,’ confirms David Harris, design director at global design house Andrew Martin. ‘Now there is a whole host of luxurious and well-designed fabrics that can be used. Outdoor weaves and eco digital prints all perform incredibly well.’
I’ve spent hours searching for the best outdoor cushions out there, as well as the best places to shop for them and have finally settled on the selection below which includes cushions for all budgets and styles.
Where to buy the best outdoor cushions
Best bolster outdoor cushions
Best outdoor cushions in natural materials
Best striped outdoor cushions
Best outdoor seat cushions
Best outdoor cushions for texture
How to choose the best outdoor cushions
Choosing the right outdoor cushions for your garden doesn’t need to be as deeply considered as choosing, say the best outdoor sofa. In fact, it can be quite an intuitive process, especially since cushions can easily be swapped out to update your space, much like in your living room.
But in order to get the cushions that will elevate your outdoor space the best, there are a couple of things worth paying attention to.
Style
As already mentioned, outdoor cushions are the perfect vehicle for adding some colour and pattern into your garden. But make sure that the colour, pattern and style go with everything else in the space.
‘Choose colours that complement existing furniture but also don’t be afraid to experiment with more vivid patterns or colours than you would in a larger piece of outdoor furniture,’ advises Danielle Le Vaillant, head of photography and film at Cox & Cox.
If you’re loving a current garden trend – such as striped garden furniture – but don’t want to invest big into it, incorporating the look via your cushions is a good way to go about it. But keep in mind that if you do go down this route, your outdoor cushions might not stand the test of time. Although when it comes to stripes specifically, this is a rather timeless trend that’s unlikely to ever go out of style.
‘Trending now are colourful tickings, herringbones, and bold primary tones like red, blue, and yellow – perfect for adding energy and that Mediterranean feel to gardens and outdoor spaces,’ David at Andrew Martin says.
Material
The other thing to look out for are materials that are weather proof. It’s not recommended to leave outdoor cushions out in your garden during heavy rain and over winter months. But your outdoor cushions should be able to withstand lighter summer showers.
‘The new outdoor cushions are softer and more tactile than their predecessors, but are still shower proof and quick drying – making them perfect for the vagaries of the English weather. So look for showerproof covers and quick draining inners so that a brief shower doesn’t stop your enjoyment of the garden. Removable covers will also make spot cleaning easier,’ Danielle at Cox & Cox explains.
How to clean outdoor cushions
We have a detailed guide on how to clean garden furniture cushions. But for these smaller scatter and seat outdoor cushions, cleaning is often much simpler.
‘We recommend brushing or lightly vacuuming your outdoor furniture cushions regularly. Blot any spills immediately and do not rub. Clean according to the care labels,’ Danielle at Cox & Cox recommends.
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