Best Outdoor Furniture Covers in the UK: What to Look for Before You Buy

There are hundreds of outdoor furniture covers on the market. Most of them are not worth your money. Here is how to find the ones that actually are.

The UK outdoor furniture market has grown significantly in recent years. More people are investing in quality garden sofas, dining sets, fire pits, and outdoor kitchens. And as the investment grows, so does the importance of protecting it properly. The challenge is that the cover market has grown alongside it and not all of it is good.

Walk through any garden centre or scroll through any online retailer and you will find covers at every price point. The difference between a cover that genuinely protects your furniture and one that just sits on top of it for a season or two comes down to a handful of specific factors. This guide walks you through all of them.

Start With the Material

The material a cover is made from determines almost everything else about how it performs. In the UK where rain is frequent and persistent, material choice is not a cosmetic decision. It is a practical one.

• 1.) PVC coated vinyl in 12oz or 18oz weight is the strongest choice for outdoor furniture exposed to British weather year round. It is fully waterproof, UV resistant, and built to handle the freeze and thaw cycles of a UK winter without cracking or degrading.
  
• 2.) 600D polyester is a lighter and more flexible option that works well for furniture in sheltered positions or covered outdoor spaces. It is not fully waterproof in sustained heavy rain but is breathable which helps prevent condensation build up underneath.
  
• 3.) Oxford cloth sits between the two and is commonly used in mid range covers. It offers reasonable water resistance and durability at a lower price point but will not perform as well as PVC vinyl in wet conditions over multiple seasons.

For furniture that spends the entire autumn and winter outside in a typical UK garden, PVC coated vinyl is the most reliable material. For furniture that is partly sheltered or brought in during the coldest months, 600D polyester is a practical and lighter option that is easier to handle.

Fit Matters More Than Anything Else

A cover made from excellent material but cut to the wrong size will still fail. This is the single most important thing to get right when buying outdoor furniture covers in the UK.

A cover that is too large pools water in the low areas and flaps in the wind. A cover that is too small leaves the base of the furniture exposed and puts unnecessary strain on the seams and edges. Neither situation provides reliable protection.

The best outdoor furniture covers fit your specific pieces properly. For standard shaped rectangular tables and simple chairs, a correctly sized standard cover can work well. For anything else including corner sofas, L shaped sets, large sectionals, round tables, or furniture with built in accessories such as parasol holes, a made to measure cover is the only option that will genuinely fit.

The UK outdoor furniture market has an enormous variety of shapes and sizes and standard cover ranges cannot keep up with all of them. If you have ever bought a cover that did not quite work, the fit was almost certainly the reason.

Check the Securing Options

UK gardens are windy places particularly from October through to March. A cover that is not properly secured will blow off during the first serious gale. When comparing outdoor furniture covers look carefully at how the cover fastens in place.

• 1. Push clips and buckle straps are more secure and better suited to larger furniture or exposed garden positions
  
• 2. Drawstrings at the base are the most common securing option and work well for smaller and lighter items
  
• 3. Magnetic clips are a newer option that are very easy to use but may not hold as reliably in strong winds
  
• 4. Grommet and bungee cord systems allow the cover to be tied to the furniture directly which is particularly useful for heavy pieces on raised decking
• For anything in an exposed position such as a coastal garden or an elevated deck, make sure the securing system is robust. A cover that blows off in a storm offers no protection at all and can itself become a hazard in strong winds.
  

Look for Breathability

This is something many buyers overlook. A fully waterproof cover that has no ventilation at all can trap moisture underneath it. In UK conditions where temperature changes between day and night cause condensation to form on cold surfaces, a sealed cover can create a humid environment under itself that encourages mould growth on the furniture.

Better covers include small ventilation panels or are made from materials that allow some air movement. This does not compromise their waterproofing in rain but allows any moisture that does build up underneath to evaporate over time.

Think About What You Need to Cover

The best outdoor furniture covers in the UK are not necessarily the most expensive ones. They are the ones that are right for your specific furniture and your specific situation.

• 1.) For a standard rectangular dining set on a sheltered patio, a well sized standard cover in 600D polyester will do a good job.
  
• 2.) For a large corner sofa in an exposed garden position, a made to measure cover in 12oz PVC vinyl with drawstring securing is the right choice.
  
• 3.) For commercial outdoor furniture in a hospitality setting, heavy duty covers with logo printing and multiple access splits are available from specialist UK suppliers.
  
• 4.) For mixed sets with multiple pieces, individual covers for each piece often provide better protection than a single large cover over the whole group.
  

Questions to Ask Before You Buy

Before purchasing any outdoor furniture cover in the UK ask these questions:

• – What is the material weight and is it fully waterproof or just water resistant
  
• – Does the size match the actual dimensions of my furniture including any protrusions or accessories
  
• – How does it fasten and will that be adequate for my garden’s exposure to wind
  
• – Does it have any ventilation to prevent condensation build up underneath
  
• – What warranty does the manufacturer offer and what does it cover.
  

Conclusion:

The best outdoor furniture covers in the UK are the ones that fit your furniture correctly and are made from a material appropriate to how exposed your garden is. A heavy duty waterproof cover that fits badly will always underperform a lighter cover that fits perfectly. Get the fit right first and the material choice second. If your furniture has any non standard dimensions or an irregular shape, a made to measure cover from a UK supplier is by far the most reliable option you have.

Find your perfect outdoor furniture cover at Curtains and Covers.
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