If you are shopping for outdoor furniture at Ashley Furniture, you have likely found that its outdoor furniture comes with Nuvella performance fabric. But, you may be wondering, what is this fabric? How does Nuvella fabric compare to Sunbrella fabric?
In this post, we compare and contrast the two popular fabrics to help guide your outdoor furniture purchase.
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Summary
Nuvella and Sunbrella are both excellent outdoor fabrics. Sunbrella is a brand of solution-dyed acrylic used by many patio furniture manufacturers, whereas Nuvella is a fabric exclusive to Ashley Furniture. You can find these fabrics on outdoor furniture items such as sofas, sectionals, chairs, loveseats, and more. Both Nuvella and Sunbrella are all-weather resistant designed to resist moisture, UV exposure, and normal backyard wear and tear. If you are looking to buy patio furniture with high-quality fabric, both of these are great options for your next purchase.
Pros
- Highly weather-resistant
- Minimal maintenance
- Excellent warranty
Cons
- Typically more expensive than other outdoor fabrics
Pros
- Weather-resistant outdoor fabric
- Minimal maintenance
- Reasonably priced compared to other fabrics
Cons
- Limited 1-year warranty from Ashley
Sunbrella: Overview
Sunbrella is one of the most popular outdoor branded fabric used in many different items: cushions, shades, and marine fabrics. Sunbrella is made from solution-dyed acrylic. Solution-dyed means that the color of the fiber is dyed all the way through the fabric during the manufacturing process of the fabric, which results in highly color steadfast fabric that is great for outdoor use.
You can find patio furniture with Sunbrella fabric at many retailers and many popular high-quality brands use Sunbrella in some of the patio furniture like Yardbird, Neighbor, Cozy Corner Patios, RST Brands, and SunHaven.
Nuvella: Overview
Nuvella performance fabric is used exclusively at Ashley Furniture, and you can find this fabric on all outdoor furniture from Ashley. Nuvella is a solution-dyed fabric designed to withstand the wear and tear of outdoor use. Solution-dyed means that the color is part of the fabric rather than being applied on top of the fabric. This means that the fabric is very fade-resistant. Ashley Furniture also notes that this fabric is an all-weather fabric that is dirt, mold, mildew, and stain resistant. Most stains on the Nuvella fabric can be easily cleaned, and the cushion covers can be removed to be washed.
Key Similarities
Sunbrella and Nuvella are both high-quality outdoor fabrics designed to endure the elements of your backyard. They are both solution-dyed fabrics, meaning the color is part of the fabric, not simply dyed on top of the fabric. This makes both fabrics are very fade-resistant, and additionally, the solution-dying manufacturing process is eco-friendly as it doesn’t produce wastewater. Not only are these fabrics designed to be UV-resistant, but they are also both water-resistant and highly durable. As a result, you should expect these products to last several years in your outdoor living space through normal outdoor wear and tear.
Key Differences
Although both of these products will likely be priced at the higher end of outdoor furniture options, you will typically find that patio furniture items from Ashley made with Nuvella tend to be less expensive than comparable items made with Sunbrella. However, the 5-year limited warranty of Sunbrella justifies the higher price as this warranty provides a guarantee that your product will last a long time.
Characteristics Comparison
Moisture
Winner: Draw
Sunbrella is designed to repel water and stains, enabling this material to be mold and mildew resistant. Sunbrella specifically engineered this water and stain resistance throughout each fiber to help it endure outdoor elements for many years.
Ashley’s Nuvella fabric is all-weather, which the company notes this means it is water-resistant. As a result, the material is also mold and mildew resistant. You should probably bring your Nuvella covered cushions inside if you are expecting heavy rain because the fabric is not waterproof.
Sun & Heat
Winner: Draw
Because this fabric is solution-dyed and treated with UV stabilizers throughout the manufacturing process of the fiber (as opposed to a dye being placed on the fiber after the manufacturing process), this material is highly resistant to fading from UV exposure and normal backyard wear-and-tear. Additionally, this fabric should remain cool even if exposed to direct sunlight.
Ashley’s Nuvella fabric is designed to withstand UV exposure because it is a solution-dyed fabric. This means the fabric’s color is a part of the fabric, rather than simply applied on top of the fabric. As a result, the material is very fade-resistant.
Durability
Winner: Draw
Sunbrella fabric is a very strong material that is designed to last many years. This material is designed to withstand the harsh elements of your backyard by being water, stain, fade, and abrasion-resistant.
Nuvella is known as a versatile material that can be used for outdoor and indoor use. When used outdoors, this fabric is known to withstand the regular wear-and-tear that comes from outdoor use in any backyard.
Warranty
Winner: Sunbrella
A great feature of Sunbrella fabric is that it carries a 5-year limited warranty, which is longer than warranties for most outdoor furniture and other items.
Ashley Furniture offers a 1-year limited warranty on its outdoor furniture, including its Nuvella fabric. This 1-year warranty is typically what we see as an industry average.
Maintenance & Care
Winner: Draw
Usually, all that is needed to clean Sunbrella is mild soap and water to clean away any dirt or dust on the fabric. Refer to instructions from Sunbrella for harder to remove stains.
The Nuvella fabric requires little maintenance since this fabric is designed with stain resistance in mind. However, most stains that do appear on the fabric can be cleaned simply with warm water, mild soap, and a soft bristle brush. For stubborn stains, refer to manufacturer guidelines on how to clean the fabric properly.
Eco-Friendly
Winner: Draw
Sunbrella fabric is manufactured without any harmful chemicals, and the manufacturing process produces little wastewater. One drawback of Sunbrella is that solution-dyed acrylic is not directly recyclable. However, Sunbrella has a “Recycle My Sunbrella” program that allows end-users to send fabric that has reached the end of its useful life back to Sunbrella to find additional applications for the fabric like automotive insulation and felt.
A great aspect of Nuvella is that it is very eco-friendly. Ashley Furniture’s Nuvella fabric is eco-friendly because no waste water is generated in the solution-dyed manufacturing process of the fibers, and the fabric is 100% recyclable.
Price
Winner: Nuvella
You will typically find that Sunbrella fabric and patio furniture with Sunbrella fabric carries a higher price than other fabrics or outdoor furniture made with different fabrics. However, we find that the higher price is justified given the fabric’s high weather resistance and durability coupled with the industry-leading 5-year warranty.
A great aspect of Nuvella is that it is very eco-friendly. Ashley Furniture’s Nuvella fabric is eco-friendly because no waste water is generated in the solution-dyed manufacturing process of the fibers, and the fabric is 100% recyclable.
Comfort
Winner: Draw
Despite all of the outdoor protection this fabric provides, this very soft and comfortable material is an excellent choice for cushions where comfort is a must.
Nuvella is known to be a very comfortable outdoor fabric. So, not only do you get a highly weather-resistant fabric to use in your outdoor living space, but Nuvella provides a comfortable fabric option to your patio furniture.
