Outdoor Furniture Covers buying guide

Want to protect your patio furniture from harsh weather conditions? Are you looking for a cheap and easy way to extend your furniture's life? Stop thinking and opt for proper outdoor furniture covers.

These covers present a simple and efficient solution to maintain a longer life of your fantastic furniture. However, you must invest in good-quality covers to ensure the proper protection of your stuff.

While selecting an appropriate cover, you must deem its size, material quality, durability, weather resistance, and other additional properties that contribute to the protection of your fixtures.

Gathering all this information can become a herculean task and can consume a lot of your time. Moreover, you may end up collecting fraud facts and details about the product.

To save your time, you should seek information from a comprehensive buying guide. By going through a guide, you will get all the necessary information under one roof, and you will be able to make an informed decision while selecting the best option.

So without any further delay, let us begin with a brief introduction about the product.

What do you mean by Outdoor Furniture Covers? Why do you need them?

Having outdoor furniture is the absolute best! Having lunch with your loved ones under the clear blue skies and sitting together at night to watch the stars. But when the weather turns harsh, we leave our beloved furniture unprotected.

Outdoor furniture is designed to outlast different weather conditions. But leaving them bare will only affect their ability to withstand further damage. Why would you want to take the risk when simple solutions in the name of covers exist?

Furniture covers are explicitly designed to shield them against unpredictable weather. The UV rays, rains, snow, all-weather conditions have deteriorating effects on the furniture.

You must own outdoor furniture covers for your patio tables and chairs. They protect them from rains, snow, and humidity and prevent the accumulation of dust. This means that you do not have to worry about spending much time in upkeep every time you plan to use the furniture.

Why refer to a buying guide before selecting a cover?

Furniture covers are sufficient enough to provide proper shielding against harsh weather conditions. Yet, they can only protect your furniture to the best of their ability, and this quality depends upon their fabrication material, style, durability, etc.

So, to select the best quality product, you have to check all these factors. A buying guide contains in-depth information on all these factors. Also, it aids you in funneling down the best option available in the market.

Let us now dive into this immense pool of information.

Types of Outdoor Furniture Covers

1. Tailored Covers

These covers are very durable and provide long-lasting protection to your furniture like no other covers. They are designed according to the furniture's dimension, so they fit like a glove and seal correctly so that you do not have to worry about furniture maintenance. They offer extreme capabilities to withstand wear and tear and damage from weather conditions.

2. Universal Covers

These outdoor furniture covers are designed to fit any furniture that you have in your backyard or roof or deck. They have a one-fits-all size that can cover almost all types of furniture you have. These have the benefit of coming in use even if you plan to change your chairs or the table. They are large in size, so even if you have an umbrella, these have you covered (quite literally).

3. Frontgate Collection Covers

These covers are very versatile and can fit almost all front gate products. They are known for their damage resistance despite not sealing around your furniture like the tailored covers.

Things to Consider while selecting suitable covers

Material

The material used in the making of the outdoor furniture covers will be of utmost priority to select the best protection for your furniture. They will determine how durable, long-lasting, and protective they are in different conditions and what kind of shield they will be in extreme weather.

Each material has its pros and cons. Depending on where you live and what kind of protection you expect your outdoor furniture covers to provide, you can choose from the following:

1. Marine Polyester

This material is water-resistant, so it is perfect if you want to protect your furniture from heavy rains, especially if you live in areas where monsoons are prolonged. Amongst other features, it is UV resistant, so your furniture will be protected against the scorching sun, which can turn furniture brittle.

Marine polyester is a material popular in outdoor furniture covers, but some brands provide more durability than others. Some manufacturers also offer guarantees and warranties to indicate the reliability of the product.

2. Marine Vinyl

This material is also highly sought after. It is water-resistant so that it can protect your furniture against morning mildew. It also offers UV resistance for protection against sun rays that could deteriorate the quality of your furniture.

3. Canvas

Some canvas material provides better protection than others. You must be cautious and choose the canvas that offers the resistance against UV rays and protection against mildew. It is a cherry on top of the cake if the material provides mold resistance.

Often, canvas material is machine washable, so you do not have to worry about ruining its quality. They are also very sturdy and robust.

Size

Furniture differs in sizes and shapes. So the outdoor furniture covers should be compatible with the dimensions of your furniture to provide adequate protection. If your covers fall short of covering the furniture appropriately, the furniture will not be proofed against the weather conditions that might befall it.

Larger covers are much more preferred because they are sure to cover every inch of the furniture to provide the desired level of protection against gusty winds and downpour. You must make sure that the covers you plan to purchase are according to the furniture's dimensions, so you must measure your furniture.

Measurement of size

Grab hold of your inch tape and measure the length, width, and height of your furniture. Several furniture cover companies allow you forms where you can input the measurements to get the perfectly tailored outdoor furniture covers.

You need not even alter your measurements for extra inches of the cover. The well-fitted covers will provide much better protection than over-sized or under-sized covers.

You will require measuring your chairs, tables, and umbrellas a little differently to get accurate measurements.

For chairs, you need to measure the entire width of the seating, including the arms. For tables, you require measuring the width as well as the height. In the case of the umbrellas, you should simply measure the height.

You must seek the most accurate numbers to end up with the perfect outdoor furniture covers that cater to the furniture's protection needs very well.

Breathability

It is quite essential that when you plan to cover your furniture, you do it with breathable outdoor furniture covers. You want the covers to be breathable enough that mildew and mold do not develop and accumulate, but also not so much that water begins to seep in.

Strike a balance between not-enough breathable and too breathable to find the most appropriate material.

Instead of looking for breathability in the materials used, look for covers that are designed to allow airflow. This would mean that the covers are designed with in-built vents so that air can continue to circulate while not compromising fool-proof protection.

Mould and mildew will fail to develop, so the protective shield remains intact while the problem of breathability is also solved.

If vents aren't good enough or working satisfactorily, you can always opt for polyester vinyl. It makes the cover breathable while keeping the furniture reasonably dry and safe.

Security

The main idea behind purchasing outdoor furniture covers the security and safety of the furniture so that its quality remains uncompromising in adverse weather conditions. So it is essential to ensure the degree of security and protection it offers. But if the cover cannot manage to stay in place, the security degree is lowered.

Thus, it is essential to ensure that the cover you plan to purchase can stay intact in the face of high-speed winds so they won't blow away, leaving the furniture vulnerable.

This can be ensured by the secure fastening of the cover with the help of ties and splits. Without such security, you always run the risk of winds blowing away your costly investment.

You must make sure that you fasten the covers around each leg of the furniture. It will, otherwise, come loose and expose parts of the furniture to harsh weather. The ties should be long enough that you can draw and tie them tightly.

An even more convenient feature that will ensure security without the hassle of tying the strings every time you need to use the covers is elastic edges. They will seal around and under the furniture, which will make them unmovable against fast-blowing winds. Zippers and drawstrings are also other alternatives.

Waterproof

Without a doubt, the waterproof ability of your outdoor furniture covers is essential, especially if rains and snows are potential threats to your furniture. Even if it may rain slightly or not at all, you need to protect your furniture from morning mildew which can, just as quickly, ruin your furniture.

Most claims of covers being waterproof are actually just resistance against slight rains. Not many covers offer full protection against the torrential downpour, in which case your furniture is likely to get drenched.

However, if you are expecting prolonged monsoons in the areas where you live, you can opt for material like vinyl, which offers the absolute waterproof ability. It does not let water penetrate and rather causes it to slide away as beads.

But, this material is expensive and not readily available. You must ensure that if you manage to find it, it is compatible with your furniture.

Seam Reinforcement

The seams of any material are the easiest to rip. Therefore, you must look into covers that come with seam reinforcements that give them the extra support they need.

If your covers have seam reinforcements, it will increase the longevity of the life of your outdoor furniture covers.

If your seams remain protected from tearing against fast winds and other extreme weather conditions, they will keep your furniture better protected.

In case of a lack of seam reinforcements, your investment into covers will be short term. They will tear, and the security of furniture will be compromised.

Protection against Potential Threats

Several potential threats could harm the quality of your furniture, and it is the job of the outdoor furniture covers that prevents this. Depending on the type of threats that your furniture is likely to encounter, you must select your covers accordingly.

The most basic is the sun rays, which brings along UV rays that can turn plastic brittle and ruin wood just as quickly. Prolonged hours in the sun, unprotected, will make your furniture vulnerable to several harmful consequences of UV rays.

The rains and snows are next. Exposure to moisture for long is known to deteriorate even the best quality of wood and other materials.

Bird droppings, insects, mildew, mold, pollen, dust accumulation are some of the neglected threats that your furniture will encounter if you fail to use covers for their shielding.

Budget

It is widely known that outdoor furniture covers are relatively expensive, especially if you choose the ones with high-end features and extra degrees of protection. But this does not mean that you have to spend all your savings in order to give your outdoor furniture quality security and safety.

You can find plenty of options that will provide you with all the optimum features while also falling in your affordable range. You do not have to buy the most expensive product to ensure quality.

Just do your research, review your options, read online appraisal of the product, and you will end up with the most appropriate covers.

Quality

All the above sections point to one thing – quality. You need your cover to be of high quality in terms of material, features of protection, good quality elastic edges, and ties for security, and it should be all in your budget. So, it should be cost-effective.

It is essential to give enough attention to quality because that will also determine how long it lasts and how well it ages.

Durability

Making an investment in outdoor furniture covers is wise, but only as long as it is the right product. And whenever you buy a product, its durability is one of the essential considerations that will ensure that you have good quality and long servitude.

Softness

The inside of the outdoor furniture covers has the job of protecting the furniture against mold development, which can severely harm the quality of the furniture.

Especially if you are planning to keep the furniture covered and out of use for long, it is quite essential that you look into the quality of the inside of the cover.

The softness of the inside of the cover is a sign of high quality. This soft inner layer helps in preventing the wicking of the furniture when the cover is removed.

It also prevents any type of scratches on the surface of the furniture. All of this can be handled if the inner layer of the cover is soft.

How to Clean Outdoor Furniture Cover

In order to ensure that your cover lasts long and its protection ability remains intact and as good as new, it is crucial that you maintain them and put substantial effort into their maintenance. This will also enhance the proper security of the furniture they are covering.

Most outdoor furniture covers claim to be machine washable. But it can wrinkle and damage the protective quality. So it is wise to wash them mildly by hand using soap and warm water.

Use a brush with soft bristles to ensure that you do not scratch the material. A sponge is also a great option as it is soft and will ensure meticulous cleaning.

Some covers come with specific guidelines to ensure their durability during washing and maintenance. Make sure to keep those in mind when you clean the covers. This way, you will be able to prevent yourself from doing any harm to your furniture cover.

The material used in the making of the cover is an essential factor that you need to be cautious about when cleaning.

1. Vinyl Cleaning

This material requires hand washing. A washing machine will completely ruin the waterproofing as well as the sturdiness of the material, thus affecting its life severely.

Use soap and water and wipe it with a sponge to get rid of the accumulated dust, pollen, bird droppings, and whatnot.

You must not soak the cover but spray it with water. Then, after it is clean, ensure that it is completely dry. You can let it air-dry or use a towel before storing it.

2. Nylon Cleaning

This cover is actually robust enough to be washed in a washing machine. But you must ensure that you use cold water. The detergent or the bleach should not contain chlorine, or the protective properties of the cover will be ruined.

This is, perhaps, the easiest type of cover to clean and maintain.

3. Polyester Cleaning

Most covers made of polyester come with coatings of acrylic or PVC, which contribute highly to the protective characteristics of the cover. These coatings increase the resistance of the cloth against UV damage and enhance water-repellency.

So, these should be hand-washed with gentle scrubbing using a towel so that the coating is not ruined.

FAQs

1. Does my outdoor furniture covers work the same in all seasons?

Yes, although there are some furniture covers that do not serve their purpose well in the winter, most of them generally do. To know if your furniture can withstand all the snow, rain, and winds, all you need to do is read its label and know if its specifications allow it to be worthwhile under all seasons or not. You may even check all this before buying them.

2. What are the tips to safeguard the outdoor furniture other than opting for covers?

Although there is no replacement to covers, you can also take care of other things side by side. Some of these things are explained before:

1. Keep your outdoor furniture cleaned based upon its specific instructions according to its build material. It will prolong its life immensely.
2. Consider all the unusual angles of your furniture to be sure of no mold or any other damage.

3. What are the desired traits of a cover that can last for all seasons?

Given below are some of the top traits to measure your cover's versatility to all seasons:

1. Water-resistant: The covers should not allow water to get to the furniture.
2. Durability: The covers have a long life.
3. UV Protection: These covers are safeguarded from the direct sunlight.
4. Avoids Color Fading: As they are kept under the sun for a long time, they are highly likely to fade the color.
5. Wind Resistance: The wind doesn't blow the material quickly.

4. Are all furniture covers waterproof?

No, you need to check the label before making the purchase for a waterproof cover. It is highly recommended to opt for it as the furniture stays waterproof for a very long time and, thus, maintains its shine for years.

5. I want to buy a cover for my patio. Which material should I opt for?

You should opt for polyester. It is highly water-resistant and durable. You can easily find this type of material in the market. Don't opt for cheap products as the cheap polyester can easily break under UV rays.

Final Verdict

In a nutshell, to maintain the elegance and shine of your patio, you need to arm them with proper cover shielding. All you have to do is invest your money in the right product.

In this buying guide, we have listed all the critical factors that define the performance and usability of outdoor furniture covers. Go through them and single out the best cover for your furniture.