Outdoor Pillows and Pillows for Outside

Summer is approaching and you're happily anticipating months spent outside in your backyard with your family and friends, around the pool, sipping cool drinks while leisurely enjoying yourselves. Now that you've got the patio cleaned and ready for use, maybe there's a bit of sprucing up you can do this year. New outdoor pillows are the answer, an inexpensive way to liven up your backyard while keeping you, your guests, and your family comfortable and ergonomically sound. They can be used near your above ground swimming pool, your patio, or any outdoor swimming pools nearby. Plus, pillow fights!

Not just any big pillows will do, however. There are so many options in size, texture, and color available that careful planning, research, and shopping must occur before you can find the exact set of pillows that is perfect for your backyard. In fact, some pillows have different purposes too - one would think all of them are the same, but that is incorrect! Consider many different stores and shop around for the right pattern - it's best to start the research process early so you have time to make the best choice.

In order to choose right outdoor pillow set for your home, look at your outdoor decorations and furniture styles and colors, and choose appropriately. The biggest question is whether your choice fits with your current outdoor furniture. Your patio, deck chairs, patio umbrella, and other furniture should all fit together style-wise to make sure all is pleasing. Since the pillows will be outside, take special care to choose a set that not only looks good and appropriate for your backyard, but also is durable enough to handle the outdoor weather should you forget to bring them inside in anticipation of a storm. Or, make sure and find pillows that are rated to handle inclement weather by design and construction.

Why do we use pillows at all? Because they keep us comfortable and provide support to the back and rest of the body while we sit. Plus, they're great to throw at people. I'm pretty sure that's where the term "throw pillow" comes from, but don't quote me on that. There are a few kinds of pillows, all of which are useful outdoors. They are:

* Orthopedic pillows: These include many forms of pillows. They're generally prescribe by doctors or other medical professionals, but may be purchased generically as well. They're designed primarily to fix or help some back or other body or posture problem while keeping someone comfortable. They're also very effective to fix neck problems - in the form of donut pillows. They can also be lumbar pillows, orthopedic neck pillows, body pillows, or travel pillows.

* Decorative pillows: OK, this may be what throw pillows really refer to, but I like my story better. Decorative pillows are meant to accent a room's aesthetic scheme without getting in the way of its occupants. You don't sleep on them or use them for corrective posture adjustment or back pain.

* Bed pillows: These are the pillows we rest our head and necks against while sleeping in bed. They're generally larger than decorative pillows, but smaller than regular outdoor pillows. Take your bed pillow outside and sleep under the stars on a bed made of outdoor pillows. You may not want to come back inside!

Outdoor pillows unfortunately are sometimes overlooked, but they’re absolutely essential if you want to add the look and feel of warmth or blush to your outdoor deck and patio. When you’re considering buying pillows for practical use or when you just want them for your comfort on your swinging chairs or on a recliner for an afternoon nap – you just can’t deny the importance of a few nice looking outdoor pillows.

The concept of outdoor pillow stemmed from the idea of making the outside of your home as cozy and inviting as any other room inside the house. Thus comes the question of the tolerance of the pillows against sun, wind or rain. Even if you have a canopy or a gazebo, it’s most often insufficient to protect the outdoor pillows or cushions from such tough weathering conditions. Thus they fade, get moisture or mold too easily. This also shortens their lives if they’re just traditional pillows.

 As opposed to traditional indoor pillows, an outdoor pillow is able to withstand tough climatic conditions. Usually, several types of fabrics are used for making these pillows. If you want the finest pillows with the longest durability, go for the fabrics that are woven out of a special solution dyed acrylic fabric. These special acrylic fabrics can withstand ultraviolet rays as well as color fading.

These fabrics come with special blend of water repellent material and superb breathability. On the other hand, mildew resistance has always been another key concern of outdoor pillow owners. So when you shop for outdoor pillows, be sure that they can repel mildew growth. Also ensure that they withstand rot or atmospheric chemicals. Any growth of mildew onto the surface of a quality outdoor be easily removed by cleaning.

But relax… they’re definitely not any kind of indestructible bricks… lol! Actually, the fabrics they are made of are fully sewable, and are still known for their softness and comfortableness. Usually, the overall life of a typical outdoor pillow should be between 5 and 10 years. Depending on the climatic conditions and apt care of the fabric, their life will tend to vary. Some of the more common outdoor pillow fabrics are –

• Olefin
• Spun Polyester (sufficiently treated)
• PVC (widely known for their “plastic” feel)
• Woven (special solution died)

The thing that’s common among all is, they all come with similar features or qualities. You can buy your outdoor pillows off the shelf from traditional stores. But most people in modern times are purchasing them online. To have something unique, others are purchasing or selecting the fabrics themselves to have their outdoor pillow cushions entirely custom made. If you like the idea, just Google for ‘custom outdoor pillow fabrics’ and you’ll get heaps of styling and colors for your custom outdoor pillows.

And finally, maintenance is yet another issue you can’t overlook. Proper cleaning of your outdoor pillows is like a rule of thumb - especially you wish to enjoy the longest possible life of those pillows. If you want basic cleaning, start by brushing off the loose dirt. And after that, use some mild and soapy water along with a squashy brush. Start scrubbing mildly and allow this solution to entirely soak the fabric. Then rinse thoroughly. Done? Just let it air dry naturally, there’s no need t apply any extra heat.

And while shopping a major consideration is the size of the outdoor pillow. It’s a good idea to measure your existing indoor pillows to guess what size of outdoor pillows will suit you the best. Just put your regular pillow on a piece of white cardboard or white paper. The idea here is to get the gross estimation of size. When you are done, just take it with you to show the salesmen at the stores. And yes… it’s a general rule that your template has to be an inch plus, as a minimum, the depth and width of the pillow you’re measuring. This is to make sure there’s room for stuffing or turn-up.