The Complete Guide
Custom Made Outdoor Swing Chair Covers — The Complete Owner's Guide
Outdoor swing chairs and pod chairs are one of the harder pieces of garden furniture to cover well. The curved, tapered shape does not match any standard cover geometry, and the suspension point at the top adds another variable that most off-the-shelf products simply do not account for. If you live in a coastal area or a climate with heavy seasonal rain, an uncovered swing chair will show the damage within a season or two.
Why swing chairs need a custom cover
A swing chair pod is neither a rectangle nor a true circle. Most models are oval or teardrop-shaped, wider at the top and narrowing toward the base. The seat opening faces forward and usually upward. None of this fits neatly into the shapes that standard outdoor covers are designed for.
A rectangular cover on a swing chair will have so much spare fabric at the sides that it gathers in loose folds, traps water, and does nothing to seal out rain at the base. A round cover fares slightly better on some models but will still gap at the sides on tapered pods. And neither type can be secured properly around a hanging chair, so they tend to slide or blow off in any kind of wind.
Salt air is a particular problem for coastal areas. It does not just affect the fabric. It gets into the metal suspension hardware, the weave of the wicker or rattan, and the stitching of the cushion covers. A well-fitted cover that closes out the air is far more effective than a loose one that lets salt-laden air circulate underneath.
The three measurements you need
All three measurements are for the chair pod only. Do not include the A-frame stand, the hanging chain, or the ceiling bracket in any measurement.
Width
Measure the widest point of the pod from one outer side to the other. On most egg-shaped or oval pods, the widest point is somewhere around the mid-section or at the shoulder level. On teardrop models, the widest point is usually near the top of the opening.
Hold the tape horizontally across the outside of the pod at its widest point. That is your width.
Depth
Measure from the front edge of the seat opening to the very back of the pod at its deepest point. On most swing chairs the front is open or partially open and the back is a closed curve. The depth measurement runs front to back across that whole span.
Height
Measure from the bottom of the pod, where the frame closes at the base, to the top of the chair structure at the highest point. This is the height from base to top of the pod, not the height from the ground.
Do not measure to the top of the hanging chain or the ceiling mount. The cover goes over the pod, not the suspension system.
Why the shape affects the price
A flat rectangular cover is cut from simple straight panels. A swing chair cover needs a different pattern entirely. The top section, the side panels, and the base each need to be shaped to follow the curve of the pod, and they need to come together at seams that distribute tension evenly around the whole shape.
On tapered models, each panel narrows from top to bottom, which adds pattern complexity and cutting time. The curved seam work is more involved than a straight rectangle. The pricing reflects that — a swing chair cover costs a little more than a basic rectangular cover of similar dimensions, but the result is a cover that actually fits the shape.
Material
The base fabric is woven polypropylene. The threads are woven together rather than pressed into a sheet, which makes the material strong, tough, and resistant to tearing. That matters on a swing chair cover, which gets pulled on and off and catches the wind while it hangs.
The outside carries a silver laminate coating. The silver reflects sunlight away from the cover, so the cover and the cushion underneath stay cooler and are shielded from the sun. This is what protects the contents from sun damage over the long term, rather than letting heat and UV build up under the cover.
That same coating is water resistant. It sheds rain off the surface and keeps it off the cushion and frame. Cheap covers tend to fail fast here: the coating thins, the water soaks through, and the cover holds damp against whatever it is meant to protect. A heavier coated fabric keeps doing its job season after season.
At 350gsm the fabric is heavier and more substantial than a thin cover. It holds its shape well on a curved pod, it stands up to constant outdoor exposure, and it is still light enough for one person to fit and remove on their own. It is a cover, not a tarp.
Caring for your swing chair cover
Rinse the outside of the cover with a hose periodically, particularly after storms or dusty periods. Shake off leaves and debris before putting it on. If the cover gets marks on the inside from the cushion fabric or frame, spot-clean with warm soapy water and allow to dry fully before replacing.
Do not machine wash. The agitation breaks down the silver coating in one cycle. Store the cover with varied fold lines if you roll or fold it away, so the coating is not repeatedly stressed along the same crease.