What's the Best Outdoor Furniture Fabric for Durability?

Choosing the right outdoor furniture fabric is essential to selecting the right pieces for your patio, deck, or poolside. Everyone loves a plush, upholstered chair to lay back and relax and a comfortable dining seat for al fresco meals. Having waterproof outdoor fabric and durable outdoor furniture is an absolute must so that your family can enjoy your seating arrangement for many years to come.

During the shopping process, you'll likely come across seats and lounge chairs that feature many different outdoor furniture fabrics. However, not all of these fabrics have the same quality and features to withstand the test of time. You need items that are not just water-resistant but also UV-resistant, rip, and tear-resistant.

At Teak + Table, we use only the finest materials when constructing our durable outdoor furniture. A five-year warranty backs each piece to ensure your items will last. Our designers carefully curate a beautiful selection of luxurious outdoor furnishings that holds up to the elements.

Keep reading to learn more about the most durable outdoor fabrics, the benefits of our favorite materials, and how you can be sure that you're selecting pieces that will last season after season.

What Is the Most Durable Outdoor Fabric?

The most durable outdoor fabrics are Sunbrella fabric and Tempotest Italian Performance Fabric. These are fabrics that manufacturers use for a variety of purposes, well beyond furniture. You'll find them on boats and marine vessels, umbrellas, restaurant awnings, outdoor curtains, pergolas, hot tub covers, hammocks, and more. Any piece of outdoor equipment that requires upholstery can benefit from this type of fabric.

These fabrics offer comfort, durability, and protection from the sun and inclement weather. Artisans have used Tempotest Italian Performance Fabric and Sunbrella fabric since the 1920s and 1960s, respectively, signifying their reliability.

What Is Sunbrella Fabric and What Other Fabrics Are Comparable?

Sunbrella performance fabric is a 100% solution-dyed acrylic fabric designed specifically for outdoor use. It features tightly woven fibers saturated with color and UV-stabilized pigments before being spun into yarn, meaning fade resistance and sun protection are at their very core. Because of this, Sunbrella fabric won't fade over time, as many other outdoor furniture fabrics do.

Instead of featuring only a surface finish to protect the fabric, as other competitors may, Sunbrella fabric doesn't wear down or deteriorate due to its outstanding construction. Other materials feature surface finishes that are easily worn down or washed away as time passes. With Sunbrella, this is not the case.

Best of all, Sunbrella fabric is famous for its extreme durability, the utmost comfort, and easy cleaning. Unlike other outdoor fabrics, Sunbrella is non-abrasive, meaning it won't leave you with that scratchy, itchy, or sticky feeling even on the hottest days.

Comparable Fabrics

Tempotest Italian Performance Fabric is the only comparable waterproof outdoor fabric to Sunbrella. It's also a solution-dyed acrylic fabric that is water repellent, resistant to mold and mildew and offers superior protection against UV fading.

The only significant difference between the two fabrics is the standard swatch width available to manufacturers. Sunbrella fabrics come in standard widths of 50-inches, whereas Tempotest Italian Performance Fabric is available in standard panels of 120-inches. This means that for larger pieces of durable outdoor furniture, such as cabana canopies, Tempotest fabric is the best choice. For smaller items, such as seat cushions and chair backs, both offer the same benefits and features.

The Benefits of Durable Outdoor Furniture Fabric

When shopping for durable outdoor furniture, comfort and style are usually top of mind. However, it's crucial to also pay attention to durability, resilience, and versatility. You may find pieces that feature cotton or polyester blends, but these are unlikely to hold up to routine wear and tear or poor weather. Most importantly, these fabrics don't possess the qualities of Sunbrella or Tempotest that allow them to last for years.

Here are the three main benefits of purchasing durable outdoor furniture that utilizes Sunbrella or Tempotest fabric.

1) The Ability to Withstand the Great Outdoors

Your outdoor furniture goes through a lot throughout the seasons. In the summer, the sun's rays beat down relentlessly, which can fade the color of lower-quality materials. There may be frequent rain storms that can leave cushions soaked down to the core. Even once they dry, the damage may be done. You may find that your favorite pillows and cushions are now stained with mold and mildew, making them both unsightly and unsafe for continued use.

Both Sunbrella and Tempotest fabrics are water-resistant, meaning the inside cushions won't receive water damage. These fabrics won't get moldy or develop mildew and will retain their bright and vibrant appearance. Even during the wettest seasons, these waterproof outdoor fabrics will last.

You don't have to worry about rushing outside to cover or move furniture that uses either of these fabrics in the event of rain. Even during the colder seasons, snow or wet leaves are unlikely to damage either upholstery option. This makes them ideal for families that require low-maintenance furniture that's still big on style and function.

2) Fabric Is Easily Replaceable

At Teak + Table, our upholstered seating options come with zippers. This means that you can easily remove the Sunbrella or Tempotest fabrics and change them out for another color if your design theme changes or to bring them inside for spot-cleaning should you have a minor spill.

Additionally, since our products have a five-year warranty against manufacturer and structural defects, should you even encounter an issue within that time frame, we'll replace the item for you at no cost. When choosing these outdoor furniture fabrics, you can shop worry-free.

3) Extreme Durability

The most important aspect of outdoor furniture fabric is its durability. With both Sunbrella and Tempotest fabrics, you receive precisely that. Due to the acrylic construction, these fabrics are less likely to rip or tear, even with extended or heavy use.

That means you can host unlimited dinner parties, have daily lounge sessions, and even watch the kids rough house a bit without the concern of fabric damaging easily. Even pets can curl up in comfort without fearing that their nails may scratch or tear the upholstery.

The choice is evident when you combine these benefits with the ability to withstand wind, rain, sun rays, mold, and mildew. Sunbrella or Tempotest waterproof outdoor fabrics are the way to go when selecting new, durable outdoor furniture.

Shop Teak + Table Today

Shop Teak + Table today for the best selection of stylish and durable outdoor furniture. We use only Sunbrella and Tempotest waterproof outdoor fabric on our pieces to ensure you'll get items that last and look great while remaining soft and comfortable. Those are features you just can't beat.

At Teak + Table, our dedication to durable outdoor furniture goes well beyond the fabric we use. You'll also find the best grade-A teak wood that resists warping and splintering, as well as materials such as Olefin marine rope, 360 stainless steel, and powder-coated aluminum. All of these elements make our furniture the very best on the market.

As a family-owned business that produces all of our products in the USA, in operation since 2016, we know the importance of building stylish, luxurious, practical, and durable outdoor furniture. You'll find dining sets, lounge chairs, umbrellas, cabanas, and so much more. Create your outdoor oasis today when you bring home your new favorite outdoor furniture from Teak + Table.