Quality Standards

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Custom outdoor cushions and replacement outdoor cushions start with Sunbrella® fabric. Yet quality outdoor cushions go beyond Sunbrella® outdoor cushion material.

Your highest priced outdoor cushions are not always the best. During our 40 years in business, we’ve always taken the time to point out quality features, so here goes….

Quality goes beyond fabric & fit!

Most  customers focus on fabric selection and fit. Foundation and  construction of an outdoor cushion should never be ignored. You don’t  put expensive carpet on a cheap pad. You don’t put Sunbrella fabric on  cheap fill material. Moreover, you don’t sew an outdoor cushion like a  sack of potatoes.

Even the highest end furniture manufacturers have shortcomings in their cushions…

• Cushions  should be fully reversible to last longer. Sewing Ties directly to  backs or under cushions is DUMB! Moreover, piping should not preclude  reversal of cushions… both top and bottom should have piping when used.  Ties should be on the side of cushion (slide back and forth for full  reversal)
   
• Thread should last as long as the fabric, so seams do not split prematurely.
  (our cushions are sewn with Gore/UV thread with a lifetime warranty.)
   
• Single seam sew patterns put stress on the seam when the fill is added.
  (how are your cushions sewn?) ( For our preferred sew patterns see OWLEE.com
   
• Hinged cushion are generally water traps and dirt catchers…. seldom necessary.
   
• Fill  material should be adapted to climate extremes (a cushion best suited  for Seattle, wouldn’t work equally as well in Florida… yet furniture  manufacturers make one cushion for all climates.
   

We  never replicate the shortcomings of factory originals… want your  cushions exactly like the originals?… Buy them from the original  manufacturer

“Great American companies innovate and improve,they do not replicate mediocrity”

 How  do you know that the outdoor cushion you’re ordering won’t be “rock  hard” or marshmallow soft? A comfortable outdoor cushion has  multi-layers of high density outdoor foam with a final wrap of fiber.  Cumulus fill (alone) can be very hard if it’s going to provide adequate  support. Cheap foam (alone) will feel “spongy”, absorb water and  “bottom-out”. The proper combination of high density foam & fiber  will provide the firmness/comfort level you desire. We offer 5 options. 

 "It's what's inside that counts..." Beware of cut rate sources who use bulk foam & fiber. Premium USA foam should be custom made for the thickness and size of your cushions - Dacron airflow wrap, not to exceed 1/2" thick, should be laminated to the foam - - otherwise foam and fiber can slide around and the cushions will lose their shape. Using cheap fill material under Sunbrella fabric is like "lipstick on a pig". 

 Sew  pattern is a critical quality factor. Look at the cushions of a quality  outdoor furniture manufacturer such as: www.owlee.com. Notice that most  of their outdoor cushions are bullnose. Bullnose uses a continuous  piece of fabric for top and bottom of seat. (No seams @ front to break  or tear). We prefer this pattern and don’t upcharge for it. We do  upcharge for box & welt because more labor is involved (because a  box cushion has more seams). Box & welt is a stylistic factor, not a  quality factor. Finally, quality thread must be used — seams should  last as long as fabric. 

Quality  is never cheap. Shopping online for outdoor cushions should save you  money — unless quality standards are subordinated. We don’t use  superlatives to describe our quality. We simply set the standard &  invite you to go shopping/compare.

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We  guarantee the lowest price for the same quality standards — that’s  value. You can easily find higher prices on-line. Ironically, you’re  frequently paying more money for mediocre quality. Sometimes you don’t  get what you pay for.

There are pros & cons to cushion upgrades

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• Fast Dry (Reticulated) Foam lets water drain, but Sunbrella fabric underneath traps water…
   
• Screens (Underneath) Let water out but now you cannot reverse cushion & prolong its life
   
• Sta Dry Liners when done properly keep water out — But in humid shady areas can promote mildew
   
• Memory Foam Inserts provide reflex to hold cushion shape, but absorb water & promote mildew
   
• Zippers encourage customers to machine wash fabric which diminishes waterproofing
   
• Rain Fabric is water proof until you sew it. Machine puts holes in fabric (verdict still out)
   
• UV Resistant Thread has no drawbacks except cost — seams should last as long as the fabric
   

Bottom  line is online sources either ignore quality features or do not offer  the proper combination of upgrades suited to particular climates /  environments. High end upgrades can be pointless improvements… “tales  told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing”.