Outdoor Furniture Covers

Outdoor Furniture Covers

The sun is shining, the birds are singing and it’s time to pour a tall glass of lemonade and relax in the yard for a few hours. With an outdoor bench, a dining table and an umbrella, it’s possible for you to transform your deck or patio area into a stylish venue for al fresco dining with friends and loved ones. Thanks to the wide selection of beautiful furniture we at west elm offer, you have plenty of options for adding character and comfort to an outdoor space, extending its functionality and effectively adding an extra room to your house. However, the elements can take their toll. Exposure to bright sunlight has the potential to cause furniture to fade, heat causes cracking and flaking paint, and rain causes wood to rot and metal to rust. Outdoor furniture covers are a convenient solution for protecting furniture when it’s not in use.

Reasons to Use Furniture Covers

If you enjoy outdoor living, outdoor furniture covers are a good way to save on a lot of legwork. Rather than packing the furniture away when you don’t need it, something which may not even be possible in smaller homes, you simply cover the furniture to protect it from the elements. Even if you do have adequate storage, the covers reduce the amount of effort you expend carrying heavy furniture around, as you can leave them in position day and night through the warmer months. Additionally, the covers prolong the life of the furniture so you don’t have to spend as much time and money on maintenance and replacements. After all, what would you rather be doing on a sunny day: Painting your swing chair, or lounging in it?

Choosing Coordinated Covers

Many covers from our collections coordinate with specific furniture, ensuring a good fit. Covers that fit well tend to last longer, as they won’t stretch or tear as they would if they were too small, and they’re less likely to catch in the wind and rip, as they would if they were too large. Additionally, well-fitting covers offer the best weather resistance because they completely cover the whole piece of furniture to block moisture and sunlight.

For furniture with an unusual shape, a coordinated cover may be the only option for ensuring a good fit; however, for benches and tables in more common shapes and sizes, it may be possible to purchase generic covers instead. The size is the most important consideration, so take accurate measurements. Remember to include the arms when measuring the width of chairs and benches, and measure the height of the furniture to ensure you get a cover that reaches all the way to the ground. If you can’t find a cover that’s just right, choose one that’s slightly too large to ensure good coverage, and then look for ways to secure the cover in place such as tie-downs or drawstrings.

Choosing Cover Materials

Your covers need to survive in inclement weather. Water-repellent materials with thermoplastic rubber backing resist moisture, and they’re sturdy enough to survive some stretching and twisting as you put them on and take them off. Other useful features to consider include vents or breathable materials to prevent condensation that might lead to the development of mold, reinforced stitching on the seams for added durability and fasteners or elastic edging for securing the cover in place.

If you’ve spent time and effort transforming your yard into a fun spot to relax and unwind, you want to spend your free time enjoying it to the fullest. Outdoor furniture covers are the most convenient way to keep your furniture looking its best, and to help you make the most of your downtime.