What Is Sunbrella Fabric, and Is It Worth It in Canada?

Quick answer: Sunbrella is a brand of solution-dyed acrylic fabric. The colour is built into the fibre rather than printed on top, so it holds its colour in strong sun, and most Sunbrella fabrics shed water and resist stains. It is water-repellent, not waterproof, unless you choose a waterproof range. For cushions that live outside from May to October, it usually costs less over the years than replacing cheaper cushions every couple of summers.

Ask around any cottage road in Muskoka, the Laurentians or the Okanagan and you will hear the same story. Someone bought a bargain set of patio cushions, they looked great in June, and by the next spring they were faded, thin and a little musty. The second set went the same way. The third set was Sunbrella.

Canadian outdoor furniture has a short season but a demanding one. Long June days put a lot of UV on a south-facing deck, summer storms roll across the lake without warning, and cushions that get left out too late in the fall meet frost and wet snow. Here is what Sunbrella is, how it copes with those conditions, and how to decide whether it is worth it for your deck, dock or porch.

Sunbrella is a brand, not a fibre

People often talk about Sunbrella as if it were a material, like cotton or polyester. It is actually a brand name. The material is acrylic, and what sets Sunbrella apart is how that acrylic is coloured.

Most fabrics are woven first and dyed afterward, so the colour sits on the surface of the fibre. Sunlight breaks that surface colour down, which is why a cheap red cushion turns pink and a navy one goes a tired grey-blue. Sunbrella is solution-dyed: the pigment is mixed into the acrylic before it is spun into fibre, so the colour runs all the way through. There is no surface layer for the sun to strip away.

That is the single most important thing to understand about Sunbrella, and it explains most of what follows.

How Sunbrella handles a Canadian outdoor season

Sun and UV

Northern summers are short, but the days are long, and a deck or dock with no shade gets hours of direct sun. Water reflects light back up at cushions on a dock, too. Solution-dyed colour is what lets Sunbrella keep looking like the colour you chose, year after year. Sunbrella backs this with its own 5-year fabric warranty.

Rain, dew and lake spray

Most Sunbrella fabrics are water-repellent: rain beads up and rolls off rather than soaking straight in. That handles a passing shower or morning dew well. In a long downpour, or if water pools on a cushion, it will eventually work through the fabric. If your cushions stay out in all weather, or sit on a boat or an open dock, look at Sunbrella's waterproof ranges, the marine and Rain fabrics, which are made to keep water out.

Mildew in damp spells

Acrylic fibre does not soak up water the way cotton does, and Sunbrella is built to resist mildew. That matters on the wet coast of BC, in humid Ontario summers and anywhere cushions sit in shade under trees. Mildew can still grow on dirt left on the surface, so regular brushing and cleaning are part of the deal.

Cold, snow and freeze-thaw

No fabric makes a cushion winter-proof. When snow melts into a cushion and refreezes night after night, the problem is the water trapped in the foam, not the cover. Sunbrella covers come through a Canadian winter well when the cushions are cleaned, dried and stored indoors. Our guide to storing outdoor cushions over winter walks through the routine.

What Sunbrella can't do

Sunbrella is very good, but it is not magic. It is worth being clear about its limits before you buy:

• Most of it is not waterproof. Standard Sunbrella upholstery fabric repels water but is not sealed. Choose a waterproof range if that is what you need.
• It does not fix the foam. A great cover over ordinary foam still traps rain. For cushions left out in the weather, pair Sunbrella with Dryfast foam, an open-cell foam that lets water drain straight through.
• It still needs cleaning. Pollen, pine sap, bird droppings and leaves left on the fabric will stain over time. The good news is that Sunbrella covers unzip and are machine washable, and our Sunbrella fabric guide covers stain and mildew care.
• It is fabric, not armour. Sharp edges, pet claws and rough handling can still damage it.

Is Sunbrella worth it in Canada?

The honest answer depends on how your cushions live.

Where it clearly earns its price

• Open decks and docks in full sun. This is where cheaper fabrics fade fastest and where solution-dyed colour makes the biggest difference.
• Cushions that stay out all season. If your cushions live on the furniture from the May long weekend to Thanksgiving, you want a fabric that shrugs off showers and dries fast.
• Good furniture you plan to keep. A cedar Muskoka chair or a solid teak sofa will outlast many sets of cushions. Matching it with a fabric that lasts too means fewer replacements.
• Busy family spaces. Kids, dogs, barbecue sauce and sunscreen all mean washing. Sunbrella handles regular cleaning without losing colour.

Where the gap is smaller

A fully covered porch or a screened-in sunroom puts far less sun and rain on any fabric. If your cushions also come inside every night, a cheaper outdoor fabric will last longer than it would on an open deck. Sunbrella is still a good choice there, especially for colour that stays true, but the return on the extra cost is less dramatic.

Think in seasons, not price tags

The fairest comparison is cost per summer. A cushion that looks tired after two seasons has to be bought again, measured again and shipped again. A Sunbrella cushion that still looks right after many seasons is usually the cheaper choice over the life of the furniture, even though it costs more on day one.

Choosing Sunbrella colours for Canadian light

We offer Sunbrella in more than 160 colours, so the choice can feel big. A few tips:

• Deep navy, forest green and charcoal look rich against cedar and granite and hide pollen well.
• Sand, taupe and stone hide dust and pine needles and suit a weathered grey deck.
• Bright yellows, reds and blues look great on a dock against green water, and solution-dyed colour keeps them bright.

Colour on a screen never quite matches colour on a deck. Order swatches at $7 each and look at them outside, on the furniture, in morning and evening light. The swatch cost comes back to you as a one-time code on your order.

Ordering Sunbrella cushions to Canada

Every cushion we make is cut to your measurements, within ±0.5″ of the size you order, and we remake it free if it is outside that. You can order covers only, foam only or complete cushions, with zips on every cover, optional piping and matching fabric ties as standard. Standard shapes are made in 2–3 weeks and custom or template shapes in 5–6 weeks. Browse Sunbrella outdoor cushions to start, or read our guide to patio and deck cushions for Canadian summers.

Canadian orders ship duties paid: we cover the import duty and GST/HST, so there is nothing to pay when the box arrives. Our guide to ordering custom cushions to Canada has the details.

Frequently asked questions

Is Sunbrella fabric waterproof?

Most Sunbrella fabric is water-repellent, not waterproof. Rain beads and rolls off, but water can soak through in heavy or prolonged rain. Sunbrella's marine and Rain ranges are waterproof.

Can Sunbrella cushions stay outside in a Canadian winter?

It is best not to leave them out. The fabric copes well, but snow melt and freeze-thaw cycles trap water in the foam. Clean, dry and store cushions indoors for the winter.

Does Sunbrella fade?

Sunbrella is solution-dyed, so the colour runs through the fibre and holds up far better in sun than surface-dyed fabric. It comes with a 5-year fabric warranty from Sunbrella.

Can I machine wash Sunbrella cushion covers?

Yes. Unzip the covers, wash on a gentle cycle with mild detergent and air dry. Never put the foam in the washer.

What foam should go inside Sunbrella outdoor cushions?

For cushions left out in the rain, choose Dryfast foam, which drains water instead of holding it. For covered porches and cushions you bring in, HD36-R or Lux-R foam works well.