Balcony and bistro cushions: small-space outdoor cushions that live outside all year
A balcony has no shed. Whatever cushion you buy will stay outside, so it had better be one that can.
The balcony rule
You will not carry cushions in and out of the flat every time it rains. So the cushion must get wet and dry itself: water-repellent cover, draining filling, mildew-resistant fibre. That is a Sunbrella® cushion with hollow-fibre filling, described in can Sunbrella cushions stay outside. A printed polyester cushion on a balcony lasts until the second wet week.
Sizes for small chairs
| Chair | Seat pad | Scatter |
|---|---|---|
| Folding bistro chair | 38×38 or 40×40, 3-4 cm, with ties | none, or 40×40 |
| Metal café chair | 40×40 round or square, ties | none |
| Small 2-seater balcony bench | 100×40, 5 cm | 2 × 45×45 |
| Balcony armchair / rattan | 50×50 | 1 × 45×45 |
| Hanging chair | see egg chair cushions | 1-2 × 45×45 |
Bistro pads under 45×45 are made to order in the same fabric; made to measure. Ties matter on a balcony: wind is stronger up there.
On a balcony, buy cushions that can stay out, in the fewest number that makes the space feel furnished. Two good ones, not six.
Colour in a small space
A balcony is seen against a wall and from inside the room. Pick the cushions to go with the room's colours as much as the balcony's. One strong colour in two cushions reads as a decision; four colours reads as a jumble. A navy and white stripe with a plain navy, a terracotta with a sand, a sage with natural white. See colour ideas for British light.
Wind and pigeons
Hollow-fibre cushions are light and will leave in a gale; a cushion with ties or a heavier 50×50 at the back helps. Pigeon droppings are the balcony stain; they come off Sunbrella® with soap, and the mark that remains with 1:9 bleach. See stains.
Covered balconies
Under the balcony above you get little rain and a lot of dust. The cushions can stay out all year; shake them and wash the covers at 30° in spring. Our stock 45×45 cushions ship next day; UK delivery is tracked.
158 Sunbrella® colours in 45×45, filling included, shipped next working day. Browse the collection or ask about made to measure.
