Best Outdoor Cushions

Updated September 19, 2026 · How we research

Cushions are returned more often than almost anything else on a balcony, and it is nearly always a sizing problem, so measure the seat pan first and compare against the listed dimensions rather than a description. This category is specific about them: 20 by 17 inches for a standard patio chair, 19 by 19 by 3 for a square seat, 16.5 by 13.8 for the small bistro chairs that come with balcony sets, and U or D shapes around 17 by 16 for chairs with a curved front rail. Buying a cushion an inch too wide means it bows in the middle and slides forward every time you sit. Thickness is the comfort number and around 3 inches is the point where a metal or rattan seat stops being felt through the padding. Then read the water claim carefully, because water resistant and weather resistant mean the fabric sheds a shower while the foam inside will still soak if left out in real rain; a genuinely quick-drying cushion has open-cell or fibre filling and mesh drainage at the seams. Fade resistance is the other durability spec and matters more than water on a south-facing balcony, where cheap dyes go pale in one season. Fastening decides whether the cushion stays on the chair: ties beat an anti-slip backing on a windy floor. Set counts are convenience, not quality.