Outdoor Pillow Care & Storage

An outdoor pillow that is looked after lasts several seasons. One that is left to sit damp does not last one. Almost everything below comes back to the same principle: let them dry.

Through the season

Brush pillows off every week or so to lift pollen, dust and cobwebs before they work into the weave. Deal with marks the day they appear rather than at the end of the month, and after heavy rain stand each pillow on its edge so water drains out of the seam instead of collecting in the base.

If your patio is in full afternoon sun, turning the pillows occasionally evens out the exposure. The fabric is UV-resistant, but nothing is immune to a season of direct sun on one face.

Where to keep them between uses

A deck box is convenient but it is also the most common place for pillows to go wrong, because condensation collects inside a closed plastic box. If you use one, make sure the pillows go in dry and the box has some ventilation. A covered porch shelf or an open basket under cover is better.

Bringing pillows in every night is not necessary and most people will not keep it up. Weekly attention beats a daily routine you abandon in July.

Storing over winter

Three things matter, in this order.

  1. Completely dry. Not almost dry. A pillow that feels dry on the surface can still be damp in the fill. Give it a full day of airflow before it goes away.
  2. Somewhere dry. An unheated garage is fine. A damp shed or a sealed plastic bin is not.
  3. Not compressed. Polyester fill recovers well, but months under a stack of garden furniture will leave a flat spot.

Cold does not damage these pillows. Trapped moisture does.

Keeping them from blowing away

Lightweight pillows on an exposed balcony or a windy terrace will end up in the neighbour's garden. A few things that work:

  • Tuck pillows behind the seat cushion rather than perching them on top of it. The cushion holds them in place.
  • Choose the larger sizes for exposed spots. A 20" square stays put far better than a 16".
  • Turn chairs to face away from the prevailing wind when you are not using them.
  • Bring them in before a real storm. No pillow stays on a chair in a gale.

If none of that is practical, a small strip of hook-and-loop tape on the seat cushion holds a pillow without damaging the fabric.

Frequently asked questions

Can outdoor pillows stay outside all year round?

They will survive it, but they last much longer if you bring them in over winter. The cold is not the problem; permanent damp is.

How do I keep outdoor pillows from blowing away?

Tuck them behind the seat cushion rather than on top, choose larger sizes in exposed spots, and bring them in before a storm.

Is a deck box a good place to store them?

Only if the pillows go in completely dry and the box breathes. A sealed box collects condensation and undoes the point of storing them.

Will they lose their shape over time?

The spun polyester fill is made to recover, and the fabric does not wrinkle. Long-term compression is the one thing that leaves a lasting flat spot.