Ask most people what they want from a furniture cover and the answer comes quickly: "It has to be waterproof." It sounds obvious. Rain is the enemy, so keep every drop out. But after years of designing and hand-making covers, we can tell you that a fully waterproof cover is not the solution to protecting your furniture. In many cases, it's the cause of the damage you're trying to prevent.
We are team URBAN TAILOR.®, and this is the myth we get asked about most. Let's take it apart.
What "waterproof" actually does
A truly waterproof cover is a sealed barrier. Nothing gets in, which sounds great until you realise that nothing gets out either. Your outdoor furniture is never completely dry when you cover it. There is moisture in the cushions, dew on the frame, humidity in the air underneath. Overnight the temperature drops, the air under the cover cools, and that moisture condenses on the underside of the fabric and on your furniture.
Under a sealed cover, that water has nowhere to go. It sits there. Day after day. And that is exactly the environment in which mould and mildew grow on cushions and teak, in which aluminium frames develop white corrosion spots, in which powder-coated steel starts to rust at the welds, and in which wicker and rope furniture develop that unmistakable musty smell.
In other words, a waterproof cover can turn your lounge set into a small greenhouse. You've kept the rain out and trapped the damp in.
So does a "perfect" cover exist?
Not in the way most people imagine. Any cover that is 100% sealed will cause condensation problems; any cover that is fully open will let the rain straight through. The right answer sits in between: a cover that is highly water-resistant on the outside, and that lets moisture escape from the inside.
That distinction, water-resistant and breathable rather than waterproof, is the single most important thing to understand when you buy a cover. It's also the difference between furniture that looks new after five winters and furniture that needs replacing after two.
How we approach it at URBAN TAILOR.®
Every URBAN TAILOR.® cover is made from 900D polyester with a PU coating. The 900-denier weave is a heavy, tightly woven fabric that resists tearing, abrasion and the constant flexing of wind. The PU coating on the inside is what makes it water-resistant: rain, snow and frost stay on the outside, and the fabric doesn't soak through. Because the fabric is coated rather than laminated shut, moisture vapour is still able to escape, so the air underneath doesn't turn stagnant. Ventilation openings in the design allow the air under the cover to circulate, so condensation is carried away instead of settling on your furniture.
Just as important is the fit. A cover that's too loose pools water on top and flaps in the wind; a cover that's too tight tears at the seams and pulls open at the corners. Our covers are cut and sewn by hand in our own atelier, in standard sizes designed around the furniture people actually own, so the cover sits close to the furniture without sealing it in.
We stand behind that with a five-year guarantee on colourfastness, tear strength and resistance to UV, moisture and frost. We can only offer that because the material and the construction are ours, from the first cut to the final stitch.
What to look for when buying a cover
If you take one thing from this article, let it be this: don't search for "waterproof". Look instead at the fabric weight. Anything under 600D is a seasonal cover at best; 900D is built to stay outside year-round. Check for a coating on the inside rather than a plastic laminate that seals the fabric completely. Look at the fit: a cover designed for your furniture type, with straps or ties to keep it in place, will outlast a generic one-size tarp every time. And ask about the guarantee. A brand that knows its cover will survive the winter is willing to say so in writing.
One last tip
Even with the right cover, give your furniture a chance to breathe. Cover it when it's dry where you can, lift the cover on a bright day after a long wet spell, and store cushions indoors over winter if you have the space. A good cover does the heavy lifting; a little airflow does the rest.