Full sun, wet swimwear, wind and city dust: the details that keep chaise, daybed and rooftop cushions looking right and staying put.
A teak chaise in Canvas Antique Beige beside a Gateway Mist armchair.
Short answer: poolside and rooftop cushions take the hardest beating of any outdoor seating — all-day sun, wet swimwear, wind and city grime — so they need solution-dyed fabric, foam that drains and dries, and details that stop cushions sliding or blowing about. Our two concepts for these spaces are a teak chaise with a woven armchair beside an infinity pool, and a low-slung modular lounge on a city rooftop, both in Sunbrella from our neutral lounge palette.
The poolside concept pairs a simple teak daybed-style chaise with a rope-woven lounge armchair, on stone paving at the edge of an infinity pool.
Teak chaise in Canvas Antique Beige with a matching bolster, Cast Ash and Clock out Cloud pillows; Gateway Mist on the armchair seat and back.
Fabrics. The chaise mattress and its bolster are Canvas Antique Beige — a warm, light canvas that stays cooler to the touch in sun than a dark fabric and looks clean against honey teak. Two throw pillows add texture without colour: Cast Ash, a heathered slub, and Clock out Cloud, a pale chevron. The colour comes from the armchair, upholstered in Gateway Mist, a broad aqua, sand and teal stripe that echoes the pool.
Construction. A 12cm contoured bolster roll with secure snap-tabs, so it stays put at the head of the chaise instead of rolling off every time someone sits up. The mattress is a box-edge cushion with a breathable mesh vent on the bottom panel, which lets water and trapped air escape — useful on a pool lounger that's sat on straight out of the water.
The rooftop concept is a low, modular corner lounge on a timber plinth, with string lights, planters and a city skyline at sunset.
Rooftop modular lounge: Canvas Taupe low-slung seats and backs, Gateway Mist stripe accents, Detailed Linen diamond jacquard throws.
Fabrics. Canvas Taupe on the low-slung seat and back cushions — dark enough to hide the city dust a rooftop collects, warm enough to glow under string lights. Gateway Mist stripes and Detailed Linen diamond jacquards alternate along the scatters, giving the long, low lounge a rhythm.
Construction. A 16cm low-profile firm foam core, wrapped in all-weather Dacron for a fuller, softer edge, with concealed marine-grade zippers. A firmer foam suits a low modular lounge: there's less frame under you, so the cushion has to do more of the supporting.
Measure the platform of the chaise, not the outside of the frame: length and width inside any lip or rail, at a few points, and use the smallest figures. For a bolster, decide which end it sits at and how long it should be — usually the full width of the chaise. If your chaise has a hinged back, check whether you want one long cushion or two pieces split at the hinge so it can still fold up. Our measuring guide covers loungers in more detail.
It's mostly a question of feel and upkeep. A light fabric like Canvas Antique Beige looks fresh against blue water and pale stone and stays cooler to sit on in direct sun, but it shows sunscreen and footprints sooner, so plan on wiping it down more often. A darker neutral like Canvas Taupe hides daily marks and suits a rooftop, where city dust settles on everything, but it warms up more in full sun. A good compromise is the one used here: a light chaise where you lie down, and stripes or a darker base on the pieces that get sat on in passing.
Whichever you choose, the fabric's colour won't wash or wear off the surface. Sunbrella's colour runs through the fibre, so light and dark fabrics alike keep their tone in daily sun.
A chaise and armchair rarely need to match exactly. Here the chaise is a light solid and the armchair carries the stripe — the two pieces look related because they share the same family of tones, not because they're the same fabric. Do the same around your own pool or rooftop: pick one base from our neutral Sunbrella lounge palette, one accent and one stripe, and spread them across every piece. For larger seating, see our guide to custom outdoor sectional cushions.
Every Cushiere cushion is made to order to your exact length, width and thickness in centimetres, with a piped or plain edge, and with a high-density foam insert or as cover only. We ship worldwide from Singapore.
What is the best fabric for pool lounger cushions?
A solution-dyed fabric such as Sunbrella, which resists fading, UV, water, stains, mould and mildew. Rinse it with fresh water now and then to clear chlorine.
How do I measure a chaise or daybed cushion?
Measure the platform inside any lip or rail at a few points and use the smallest length and width. If the back is hinged, consider two pieces split at the hinge.
How do I stop rooftop cushions blowing or sliding?
Choose a snug made-to-measure fit, and use snap-tabs or ties to fix bolsters and cushions to the frame.