Garden Furniture Cushions and Outdoor Foam Cut to Size
Reticulated quick-dry foam for rattan sofas, benches, sun loungers and patio seating
Every spring, we hear from customers whose existing garden cushions have become heavy, damp or misshapen after being left outside through a wet UK winter. In most cases, the issue comes from using standard indoor furniture foam outdoors, where trapped moisture can lead to premature breakdown over time. For outdoor seating, we normally recommend reticulated foam, a specialist open-cell foam designed to let rainwater drain straight through rather than becoming waterlogged. It can look unusual the first time you see it draining after a downpour, but that fast-draining structure makes a huge difference to comfort, drying time and long-term durability outdoors. We cut outdoor cushions for everything from rattan sets and patio benches to swing seats, hotel terraces and pub beer gardens, all manufactured in our Bilston factory and delivered free the next working day.
Standard furniture foam outdoors is a disaster waiting to happen, it soaks up water like a sponge during the first wet weekend, sits damp for days, then goes mouldy within a season. We've had customers send back cushions they bought from generic online retailers that lasted one summer. Reticulated foam is what professional garden furniture makers use in their better lines, and what hotel groups and pub chains buy when they need the cushions to survive multiple summers of British weather. The same grade works for rattan corner sofas, garden benches, dining chair seat pads, sun loungers, swing seats and patio dining sets.
Bridgman, Hartman, Kettler, Maze Rattan, Cuckooland, Crown Pavilions, the generic rattan and metal-frame sets that fill every garden centre. No matter the brand, send us measurements or a paper template and we cut to fit any shape. Cushions for orangeries and garden rooms that are technically indoors but live in a humid environment usually go better with Reflex Superior foam than reticulated foam; tell us how the cushion will be used and we'll suggest the right grade. If your existing covers are still good (quick-dry outdoor fabrics often outlast the foam inside them), send us the empty covers and we'll refill with new foam through our cushion refill service.
Common Garden and Outdoor Cushion Applications
Rattan and Wicker Corner Sofa Cushions
The big seller in UK garden furniture for the last decade. Corner sets with deep seat cushions, separate back cushions, and usually a corner block where the two arms meet. Sizes vary wildly by brand. Bridgman, Hartman, Maze and Cuckooland all have their own dimensions. Reticulated foam at 75-100mm thickness is the standard spec for the seat cushions, with thinner pieces for the back cushions where shape matters more than support. You can send a paper template or sketch for the corner block if it's not a standard square.
Garden Bench Cushions
The classic two or three-seater bench cushion: long rectangle, typically 1200-1800mm in length, 400-500mm deep/wide and 50-75mm thick. We cut to your exact measurements with bullnosed front edges where you want the softer look. For benches that sit against a wall and have a matching back cushion, we cut the back as a separate piece. Reflex Superior or High Firm foam for orangery and covered porch benches; Reticulated foam for benches that stay outside through the seasons.
Garden Dining Chair Pads
The individual seat cushions for garden dining chairs, usually six or eight to a set, often with shaped backs that hook over the chair frame. Standard shape is a rounded-front rectangle around 400mm square with a thickness of 30-50mm. We cut full sets from the same foam batch so every chair feels the same. It is worth checking that the chair frame is square before measuring, cheaper rattan sets can warp over years of outdoor use.
Sun Lounger Cushions
Two or three-piece lounger pads with a knee bend that follows the recline mechanism. Sometimes a separate headrest section that joins on with a Velcro strap or fits a slot in the frame. We cut the seat, knee and headrest foam pieces to your exact dimensions, all from the same foam batch so the firmness stays consistent end-to-end. Reticulated foam is the right grade for any lounger that lives outside in summer. Tapered shapes around the foot end and shaped headrests are standard work, just send a template/sketch.
Swing Seat and Glider Cushions
Three-seater swing benches and the gliders that have become popular in larger gardens. Usually one long bench cushion, sometimes with separate back cushions, occasionally with bolster ends. The challenge is that swing seats often live under a canopy that's open at the sides, so the cushion gets driven rain rather than direct overhead rain. Reticulated foam handles both. Standard widths are around 1800-2100mm.
Pub, Hotel and Restaurant Outdoor Seating
Commercial outdoor cushion work is different from domestic. Higher use intensity, higher liability exposure, and licensing officers who want to see fire compliance documentation. We supply CMHR fire-rated reticulated foam for commercial premises, with written certification that satisfies the standard insurance and licensing requirements. Volume pricing on multi-property orders through our trade programme.
Orangery, Conservatory and Garden Room Cushions
Technically indoor seating but in a high-humidity, high-temperature, high-UV environment that's different from the rest of the house. Reflex foam with a polyfibre wrap is the usual spec, the cushions don't need to drain water but they do need to handle temperature cycles and damp without breaking down. Sun bleaching is the bigger long-term issue, which is a fabric question rather than a foam one.
Which Foam Grade for Which Job?
Outdoor cushion foam comes down to two grades. Our full foam grades and types guide has the technical details. Practical summary:
Reticulated Foam. The right grade for any cushion that lives outside year-round or gets rained on regularly. Open-cell structure lets rainwater drain through in minutes and dries the cushion in hours rather than days. Available in the same thicknesses as our indoor grades. Works for rattan corner sofas, garden benches, sun loungers, dining chair pads, swing seats and any other outdoor seating.
Reflex Superior Foam. The right grade for orangeries, conservatories, garden rooms and covered porches where the cushion is technically indoors but in a higher-humidity environment than the rest of the house. Also the right choice for outdoor cushions that come inside every night, because the indoor comfort feels closer to normal furniture. Don't use Reflex for cushions that stay outdoors through a UK summer as it will hold water and go mouldy.
CMHR / Class 0 reticulated. Fire-rated reticulated foam for licensed premises, hotels, restaurants and any commercial outdoor seating where insurance or licensing requirements specify a fire performance higher than the domestic baseline. We supply with written compliance documentation that meets the standard requirements. Same water-drain performance as the standard reticulated grade.
Polyfibre wrap (Dacron). Add-on for any outdoor cushion. Softens the edge appearance, helps the cushion hold its shape over years, and adds a layer of breathable padding under the cover that doesn't change the drainage performance. Standard option for the better-looking rattan sofa cushions.
Pub, Hotel and Commercial Outdoor Seating
Commercial outdoor cushion work has higher stakes than domestic. The cushions get heavier use, the liability exposure is greater, and licensing officers and commercial insurers want to see fire compliance paperwork that the domestic FFFSR 1988 baseline doesn't quite cover.
For commercial premises (pubs, restaurants, hotels, holiday parks, café gardens, members' clubs), we cut from CMHR fire-rated reticulated foam with written certification. The cushions still drain water in the same way as the standard reticulated grade but meet the higher fire performance specification that licensed premises insurance typically requires. Documentation supplied with every order on request.
For multi-property work (chain pubs, hotel groups, holiday park operators ordering for all their outdoor lounge furniture, or fit-out contractors doing a beer garden refurb), our trade foam programme covers volume pricing and a dedicated contact. Worth a conversation early in the planning rather than after the budget's been signed off.
Weather, UV, Storage and Making Outdoor Foam Last
Reticulated foam handles rain comfortably. What ages outdoor cushions faster than rain is UV from sun, frost over winter, and trapped moisture under cushion covers that don't breathe. A handful of habits will make replacement cushions last years longer.
- Pair reticulated foam with quick-dry outdoor fabric. Sunbrella, Outdura, Olefin, marine-grade canvas. Avoid cotton, untreated linen and standard upholstery fabrics outside - they hold water and undo the benefit of the drainable foam.
- Bring cushions inside or into a shed from October to March. Even reticulated foam ages faster in four months of cold and dark than it does through a summer of rain.
- Stand them on edge if storage is impossible. Trapped moisture under a flat cushion left on damp ground for weeks is the worst case. Standing on edge lets water drain and air circulate.
- Cover them when you're not using the furniture. A breathable furniture cover (not a sealed plastic one) keeps the worst of the UV off the cushion fabric and the foam underneath.
- Replace covers before they fail. A cracked or perished fabric cover lets the foam underneath get sun-bleached and brittle. Catching it early extends the life of the foam by years.
- Watch for mildew in shaded corners. The cushion at the back of a corner sofa, sheltered from direct rain but never getting sun, can stay damp longer than the ones at the ends. Air the whole set out on a sunny day every few weeks. If you find covers in great shape but foam past its prime, our cushion refill service can refit the covers with fresh reticulated foam.
How to measure for garden furniture cushion replacement
Four steps. Free next-day delivery to UK mainland on orders placed before noon. All work carried out at our ISO 9001 certified Bilston factory, cutting outdoor cushion foam since 1983.
- Remove and measure the existing cushion. Take out the old outdoor cushion, lay it flat on a hard surface, and measure width, depth and thickness in millimetres. For rattan corner sofas and modular patio sets, measure each section separately - they are rarely identical because the manufacturers source modules from different factories.
- Template any shaped or wedge sections. Garden swing seats, curved bench backs and tapered sun-lounger headrests are rarely simple rectangles. Lay paper on the cushion, draw the outline, and cut to shape. Send the template in with your order - bespoke foam cut to size to any template shape is included at no extra cost.
- Choose reticulated for outdoor or Reflex for covered. Reticulated open-cell foam for any cushion that lives outdoors year-round, gets rained on regularly, or sits in unheated covered spaces. Reflex Superior for orangeries, conservatories and covered porches. CMHR Class 0 reticulated for pub, hotel and restaurant outdoor seating that needs fire compliance documentation.
- Order online for free next-day delivery. Place your order online before noon for free UK mainland next working day delivery. Whether you're refitting rattan corner sofas, replacing sun-lounger pads, or refreshing a pub patio's outdoor seating fleet, every cushion is foam cut to size to your exact measurements at our Bilston factory.
Technical Specifications
Material: Reticulated open-cell polyurethane foam (drainable, quick-dry) for outdoor use; Reflex polyurethane for orangery and conservatory cushions
Fire compliance: Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 for domestic outdoor furniture; CMHR fire-rated reticulated foam available with documentation for licensed premises, hotels and commercial outdoor seating
Water performance: Reticulated foam drains rainwater through its open-cell structure within minutes; full dry-through within hours in normal conditions
Common thicknesses: 40mm, 50mm, 75mm, 100mm, 125mm (others available - just ask)
Maximum cut size: Up to 2000mm in any single dimension
Delivery: Free next-day delivery to UK mainland on orders placed before noon, foam cut to size at our ISO 9001 certified Bilston factory
Contact: Questions before ordering? Contact our team - cutting outdoor cushion foam since 1983
Bespoke cutting: Rattan corner sofa pieces, sun lounger profiles with knee bends, curved bench shapes, dining-set chair pad sets and full template cutting at no extra cost
Polyfibre wrap (Dacron): Add-on for any cushion, softens edges without affecting drainage performance
Lead time: Standard shapes next working day, bespoke patterns 2-3 working days, multi-property commercial orders quoted on request
If you'd rather talk it through than work it out from a spec sheet, ring us on 0800-0439990. Outdoor cushion work is one of the things we do most of, and we can usually sort the right grade and sizes in a five-minute conversation. Or drop us a line via the contact page and we'll come back to you the same working day.
