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Sunbrella is one of the most popular outdoor furniture fabrics on the market today. You can find Sunbrella used in many different items from cushions, shades, and marine fabrics, and many patio furniture manufacturers use Sunbrella for their patio furniture items. What makes Sunbrella so great is that it is a highly weather-resistant and durable fabric that is designed to last years in your backyard.
Read more below to find out why Sunbrella should be your choice for fabric on your next outdoor furniture purchase!
Sunbrella
Material Rating
5.0
Pros
- Water-Resistant
- Stain-Resistant
- Fade-Resistant
- Very Durable
- Low Maintenance
- Sustainably Made & Recyclable
- Great Warranty
- Very Comfortable
- Widely Available
- Found in many styles and colors
Cons
- Higher Priced Than Other Fabrics
Summary
Sunbrella is definitely worth the extra cost that usually comes with patio furniture with this fabric on its cushions. Sunbrella is one of the leading outdoor fabrics for good reason: it is extremely weather-resistant and highly durable. This fabric is designed to endure all outdoor elements, including sun, water, and backyard wear-and-tear. Due to this high performance, Sunbrella is used by many outdoor furniture brands as the go-to choice to make high-quality furniture. If you want the best outdoor furniture materials and fabric, Sunbrella should be one of your top choices.
What is Sunbrella?
Sunbrella has been manufacturing outdoor fabrics since the 1960s, and it has become one of the most popular outdoor fabrics known for high weather resistance and durability. Sunbrella is a 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. Additionally, Sunbrella engineers its fabric to withstand the many outdoor elements to include moisture, sun, and regular outdoor wear and tear. The company stands behind the durability of this fabric by offering a 5-year warranty on its fabric which is an industry-leading warranty length.
#1: PROSunbrella is water resistant
Sunbrella is designed to repel water, enabling this material to be mold and mildew resistant. Sunbrella specifically engineered this water resistance throughout each fiber to help it endure outdoor elements for many years.
From our hands-on experience, we found that light rain and minimal water simply pooled and easily ran off the fabric. Any set-in water from a wet bathing suit quickly dried.
So, if you are looking for a fabric that can resist a fair amount of water, this fabric should be at the top of your list.
#2: PROSunbrella is stain resistant
Not only is the fabric designed to resist water, but it is also designed to resist stains. Stain resistance is a must-have for outdoors, as any fabric in your backyard will experience heavy wear and tear that will result in some type of stain.
From our experience, we have been able to quickly wipe off most stains, and any ‘set-in’ stains have been fairly easy to remove following Sunbrella’s care instructions.
#3: PROSunbrella is highly fade-resistant
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.
From our hands-on experience, we have not experienced any fading on cushions with Sunbrella, and some of these cushions have been in direct sunlight for several hours a day.
#4: PROSunbrella is very durable
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.
From our hands-on experience with Sunbrella, we have yet to see any rips or tears on the fabric on cushions and there has been heavy use on the cushions with Sunbrella for over a year.
#5: PROSunbrella has a great 5-year warranty
Sunbrella stands behind the weather-resistance that is engineered in its fabric and the high durability of the fabric by providing an excellent warranty.
Regardless of where you buy the fabric, Sunbrella carries a 5-year limited warranty, which is longer than warranties for most outdoor furniture and other items.
#6: PROSunbrella fabric is low maintenance
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.
From our hands-on experience, we have been able to easily clean any stains that we have seen on our Sunbrella fabric. Additionally, we have found that it doesn’t seem to get or feel as dirty as other outdoor fabrics that we have used.
#7: PROSunbrella is sustainably made and is recyclable
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.
#8: CONSunbrella is typically higher priced than other outdoor fabrics
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.
#9: PROSunbrella fabric is very comfortable
You might think that a fabric that offers all of this outdoor protection can’t be comfortable or soft. However, Sunbrella is known to be very soft and comfortable material, and our hands-on experience with Sunbrella has found this to be a very comfortable fabric. We have used Sunbrella extensively, and we have always found that it is very comfortable.
#10: PROSunbrella can be found in many brands and retailers of outdoor furniture
You can find Sunbrella fabrics, cushions, or furniture with Sunbrella fabric from many retailers and manufacturers. These retailers and manufacturers include Amazon, Wayfair, Frontgate, Home Depot, Lowes, Neighbor, SunHaven, Yardbird, and many many more. So if you are looking for a loveseat, sectional, chair, ottoman, or another furniture piece in a certain style (wicker, metal, wood, etc.), you can easily find a furniture option with Sunbrella to meet your needs.
If you are interested in high-quality outdoor furniture with Sunbrella fabric, check out our reviews on Neighbor, SunHaven, and RST Brands.
#11: PROSunbrella can be found in many styles and colors
Sunbrella comes in a wide range of styles, patterns, and colors to easily meet your design needs. If you are shopping for furniture with Sunbrella fabric, the main limiting factor that you may face is the Sunbrella fabric options provided by the patio furniture manufacturer. Some manufacturers may only provide one or two color options, whereas other manufacturers can provide several color and pattern options with its outdoor furniture.
Final Thoughts: Is Sunbrella fabric worth it?
Sunbrella is definitely worth the higher cost that usually comes with furniture that has this fabric. Sunbrella has all the right weather-resistant characteristics, and the fabric should last a long time in your outdoor space. Plus, the company stands behinds its highly engineered fabric with a 5-year warranty, something that is hard to find for other outdoor fabrics.
If your budget can afford it, we definitely recommend investing in patio furniture with Sunbrella. We have Sunbrella fabric on our outdoor sectional, and we have been very impressed with how well it has performed and how great it looks to this day.
