Outdoor Patio Furniture Covers – 5 Things to Consider
Considering the amount of time you no doubt spent deciding on your patio furniture, and the money you probably spent on it, it would be a shame to let it get damaged and weather-beaten over the winter. For a relatively small cost, you can greatly increase the life-span of outdoor furniture with a good set of outdoor patio furniture covers.
By patio furniture covers, we don’t mean tarps that that you throw over your table and chairs, but a pre-made cover of the correct size and material to protect your furniture from the effects of wind and weather, whatever your climate.
Some points you might like to consider before parting with your money are:
- Breathability: This is important to ensure that moisture can evaporate to prevent mold and mildew from growing, keeping your outdoor furniture safe and dry in rain or snow. In less humid areas, this is obviously less of a concern.
- Durability: You want your covers to be both lightweight, so they are relatively easy to put on and remove, but also durable so they don’t tear in normal use. UV treatment is an option that can help to prevent the covers from cracking under extreme temperatures.
- Fastenings: Covers should protect your furniture from the ground up and be easily secured to your patio furniture with for example velcro or tie straps, or you might find an animal has set up house underneath it!
- Size, shape and design: Covers now come in all shapes and sizes, including special shapes for chaise longue, gliders and various sizes and combinations of table and chairs. With upholstered furniture, the cover should protect not only the frame but the cushions as well. With patio table and chair sets, you can choose whether to cover them separately or get one large cover for the complete set.
- Cost: How much to spend is a decision that should take into account the original cost of your furniture and how long you expect it to last. High quality wooden furniture, for example, can last for 10 to 15 years if properly maintained and protected, whereas without covers this time can be halved. If you have this type of furniture, it makes sense to spend as much as you can reasonably afford on covers. At the other end of the scale, it may be cheaper to simply replace a cheap plastic set each year than spend money protecting it.
Ultimately, the choice of garden furniture covers is usually a compromise between cost and durability. Shop around, compare prices and features before making your choice and you won’t be disappointed.