Cushions - Vinyl vs Sunbrella for exterior & foam selections

[CPO]

Hi everyone, I am looking to recover my exterior cushions in the cockpit. I'd like to hear your opinions and experiences with vinyl vs Sunbrella. I like the stripes Sunbrella offers but I am thinking that the vinyl will be easier to keep clean and dry. Am I on the right path?
With regard to foam, I have done a lot of reading and I'm still stumped. I'd like to find the best kind of foam that will be supportive, but easily dries and is not too heavy. Thanks to everyone. All replies welcome.

 

[uncledom]

Go to www.sailrite.com. They have alot of good information there. Sunbrella top, open cell foam, vinyl mesh bottom makes it skid resistant, fast drying, and easy to clean with just soap and water.

 

[SOCAL C50]

I like the feel and comfort of canvas but the durability and ability to clean vinyl is better. I need cushions and I'll be using vinyl.

 

[Dalliance]

I have sunbrella. It's more comfortable than vinyl but is definitely more work to clean. Have to take the foam out and launder the covers, then re-treat with protectant. The next set might be vinyl, but the sunbrella wears like iron, so it may be a while. They are nine years old and still look like new.

 

[centerline]

vinyl for exterior cushions are not recommended on a boat, when the interior foam gets wet, it will remain wet forever... it can take a splashing and shed most of the water from its top surface, but the cushion seams below will still remain saturated for quite awhile... for long term use the water will eventually accumulate inside of the vinyl
the depending on what model of marine canvas material of whatever brand you choose, it will be as durable and will shed the water as well and can usually dry completely if they get wet inside... after the canvas ages it may not shed as well, but it will still dry out better... and it dries rather quickly.
and the canvas will allow the cushions to be folded much easier if you need to fold them for storage.

the cockpit cushions on our 25 is 2" of premium firm grade of polyurethane foam covered with sunbrella, and its a good combination of comfort and durability...

the cheaper foams even when thicker are not as comfortable and yet more bulky than a good quality polyurethane foam, as the polyurethane foam has so much more resiliency and stand up better than the cheap foams do...

 

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

My sunbrella covers have been on the boat continuously since 2006 The foam is wrapped in plastic, except for an opening on the bottom to let air escape. Tried wrapping totally- makes a balloon

 

[Bosman]

I am using sunbrella covered cockpit cushions with dryfast foam. No problems whatsoever and personally I prefer them over vinyl as you do not "stick" to them after sitting for some time and they are more comfortable. Yes, they may be little bit more difficult to clean, but we did not have to do that yet. No land shoes on the boat helps with that ;-)

 

[Pat]

The sunsure cockpit cushion material sold on the website is easy to hose off, does not stick to the back of your legs and
seems impervious to bad things that usually happen to an outdoor cushion over time...we had bottom siders, and the others (?)
can't remember but they were always needing cleaning and were miserable on hot days. We had jockey red piping installed to match the mainsail cover..looks really good....I just slide them into the quarter berth when leaving the boat.....Pat

 

[Stan Galper]

I have had one set of Sunbrella over closed cell foam cockpit cusions for 29 years. They're comfortable and wear like iron. When they get stained or dirty, I just put them in the washing machine (cold water) and treat with 303 or Star Brite waterproofing. I believe that there are different types of Sunbrella fabric, one of them is specified for Marine use.

 

[Rick D]

I think we have a geographical spread of opinion; probably for good reason. SoCal climate is generally dry and not humid, so vinyl isn't a comfort issue. I prefer closed-cell foam for cushions, but that's a good discussion to have with your constructor. By the way, the vinyl should have some mesh on the back side in order to breathe and dry. In my marina, I don't recall any fabric covers. I had one set many years ago. They wore fine although keeping them clean wasn't as easy. I think it's just a personal choice.

 

[Phil Herring]

Some thoughts from our experience selling them:
- No substitute for closed cell foam. Worth every penny. You may find a workaround but anything else will become a sponge. There's a new foam that lets water drain through that is supposed to be good, too.
- Vinyl coatings are very popular here in Seattle because you can wipe it them off quickly after a rain storm. People in FL or TX say they have to cover them with a towel to avoid butt adhesion.
- While there are many great properties of marine Sunbrella, resistance to abrasion isn't one of them. Sunsure or Textilene (or an weather proof upholstery fabric) will work better and last longer.

 

[Joe2954]

Whatever Bottomsiders are made of works. We don't even have covers.

 

[Phil Herring]

Whatever Bottomsiders are made of works

Vinyl. Sadly, Bottomsiders is gone but C-Cushions makes a similar product.

 

[Fast Ed]

I'll also vote for bottomsiders. You can leave then outside when cruising.

 

[NotCook]

Our Sunbrella covered cushions are at least 15 years old and still look like new. We've decided we should probably bring them inside when we are not on the boat, so they aren't out in the elements 24x7. We've dripped grease on the one next to the grill in occasion, but it seems to just fade away over time...

 

[SailormanDan]

For Sailrite.com - they have some PDFs available that compare various materials, that will help you make a decision. Also videos on the site that give helpful tips and walk you through doing it.

 

[kimelmore]

My Vote is for Sunbrella!