Chair And Furniture Cushion Covers

Two Types

The term "chair cushion" requires a little clarification as it commonly has two completely different meanings. The first meaning refers to the crucial piece of furniture (e.g. sofa or a chair): the seat which is a large cushion that's contoured to fit the frame of the sofa, couch or chair.

Without the chair cushion the piece of furniture would be unusable - some wicker and rattan chairs are built with poorly spaced bundles that leave one's backside hurting upon prolonged use. The second meaning refers to the small soft cushions that are non-essential and not originally part of the sofa. We restrict our discussion of chair cushion covers to the latter kind but of course many of our remarks are general enough that you will find them helpful for deciding how to buy either kind.

Use It As A Protective Barrier

The cover for an indoor or outdoor seat pad is useful as a barrier between spills and abuse, and in the case of outdoor chair cushions, the rain and sun. Imagine what happens to dining chairs all the time as they are continuously in the presence of food and drink. Or imagine the stress endured by a rocking chair cushion that is always in use by more sedentary folks. A chair cushion cover also allows more versatile decorating. Depending on the occasion or where the cushion is to be used, the different colors and designs are swappable by virtue of the removable cover.

Incontinence?

The topic may be embarassing but the fact is that urinary incontinence is a problem that affects millions. The estimates are that some 3-17% of women and 3-11% of men experience incontinence, with age being a major determining factor. For such people, use of an antimicrobial and fluid resistant seat cushion significantly improves quality of life by extending the life of beloved cushions. Medical care supply stores like Health Care Supply Pros carry such items - look for Ehob's nylon, zippered "Waffle" cushion cover that is resistant to fluid spills, stains and bacterial or mold growth. This item is listed for $31.00 online.

Determinants Of Price

Expect to pay around $5 to $20 (higher for specialty needs like the medical pad cover mentioned above) for a cover depending on the quality of the material, the craftsmanship, the size (large versus small) as well as the country of origin. Most have sides that measure from 20 to 24 inches but larger ones are available. Countries with lower costs of labor but high expertise in textiles such as Bangladesh produce high quality cushion cover fabrics. Consider buying from overseas if price is a problem by looking to Amazon stores that are run by business people from these countries. Let us run through some price comparisons.

• At the absolute lowest end, Pocket Go purveys a mind-boggling $3.85 oriental cushion decorated with Chinese lettering on the surface. The material is said to be silk but we doubt that such a low price can be attached to a silk product. However at $3.85 it may be worth it to order a sample and check out the quality for yourself.
• In the middle of the pack from $10 to $20 there are countless choices. Check out Amazon where many sellers have set up shop.
• At the very highest end, Artedona offers us the cashmere cover priced at $184.73 each! Zoeppritz is responsible for making this indulgent item, as well as matching blankets also of cashmere.

Types Of Fabric And Care

The fabric of the cover is an important consideration in care because not all are washable. The silk types (perhaps only on one side) are not to be machine washed but probably will survive a dry clean. The exception being the case when the surface has been treated with special dyes in which case may be vulnerable to some of the liquids and detergents used in dry cleaning. Cotton, canvas, and polyesters will go through liquid water washes with no to few problems. Other types such as velvet or suede like materials should be cared for in the manner suggested by the manufacturer.

Zippered Versus Non-Zippered (Zipperless)

The best feature of the cushion cover is the ease with which one may take it off and replace or wash. To do this, there must be some sort of enclosure or opening mechanism. Usually this mechanism is a zipper but sometimes it is just a flap (non-zippered or zipperless) for the cushions that work much like elastic-trimmed fitted sheets. The interior fill should not be washed in general because it is hard to tell how it will hold up under rough treatment. Polyester fibers and cottons might be able to survive a wash or two if kept in a cover, but silk would be damaged.