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The Best Outdoor Fabric

Last updated on August 21, 2023
best-outdoor-fabric

Our Review Process

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Your outdoor areas can easily become your favorite part of the house. Patios, gardens and porches give you a great area for relaxing and enjoying nature. But the sun can spoil some of the fun, exposing you to harmful UV rays and creating an uncomfortable experience.

If you’re lucky enough to have a covered outdoor area, you can at least get some shade. But if you don’t, it’s easier than ever to create your own cover, your own throw pillows or your own cushions, for example.

MORE: The Best Outdoor Wall Decor

You can also purchase fabric that helps with your outdoor growing. Some fabric is designed to keep weeds at bay while still letting enough air and moisture through to keep your soil and vegetation healthy. Look for fabric that will do the job while still being thick and durable enough to withstand direct sunlight and extreme weather.

MORE: The Best Garden Tools

Our Picks For The Top Outdoor Fabrics

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Product Overview
Our Take
 Top Pick

Plastex Marine Wipe Clean Vinyl Outdoor Fabric By The Yard

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Plastex

Marine Wipe Clean Vinyl Outdoor Fabric By The Yard

This vinyl outdoor fabric by the yard is 54 inches wide. The material is vinyl, which has a durability you won't find with other materials. Because it's vinyl, though, you won't be able to fold it without leaving permanent creases.

Overall Take

Fade-Resistant FabricThe vinyl design of this outdoor material means it resists fading even after years of exposure to sunlight.

 Runner Up

Ottertex No Stretch Outdoor Fabric By The Yard

Ottertex

No Stretch Outdoor Fabric By The Yard

Great for covering your outdoor seat cushions, this fabric comes in 5-yard pieces. You can order in 1-yard, 5-yard and 10-yard pieces to get to the length you need. Each piece is 60-inches wide, so a 5-yard piece would be 60 inches wide by 180 inches long. You can choose by 32 different solid colors, including khaki, beige and wine.

Overall Take

Durable MaterialThis waterproof canvas in this outdoor fabric by the yard means it can hold up well with regular wear.

 Strong Contender

Otterex Polyester Canvas Outdoor Fabric By The Yard

Otterex

Polyester Canvas Outdoor Fabric By The Yard

If you're looking for a bright red canvas fabric for your outdoor areas, you can't go wrong with this fabric. The plastic PVC backing has a waterproof canvas in addition to the waterproof features of the canvas material itself. The fabric is 60 inches wide, with the length cut to order.

Overall Take

Colorful CanvasThis canvas has waterproof coating to ensure it holds up well through years of weather conditions.

 Also Consider

Mybecca Easy Clean Outdoor Fabric By The Yard

Mybecca

Easy Clean Outdoor Fabric By The Yard

Tested and found to have 500 hours of lightfastness, this fabric provides protection from the sun's harmful rays. You can choose from 1 yard, 5 yards, 10 yards and 58 inches, as well as a variety of colors and patterns. The material is 100% polyester and can be used for awnings, cushion coverings or even to make products like tote bags.

Overall Take

UV ProtectionThis fabric provides UV protection, making it perfect for awnings and pergola coverings.

What to Look For

 

  • The weave of the fabric is essential. The weave needs to be tight enough to keep UV rays out while also being open enough to let air circulate out. Having heat trapped beneath the sunshade won’t help make the outdoor area more enjoyable.

MORE: The Best Outdoor Pilow Set

  • The thickness of the fabric also matters. You’ll want a fabric that’s light enough for you to maneuver while also being strong enough to withstand storm activity.
  • You should also look for fabric that’s built to be mold and mildew-resistant.
  • Reinforced edges can ensure your outdoor fabric holds up over the years.
  • How you hang the outdoor fabric is also important. Some are tied with ropes while others use hooks. Plan out where you’ll mount it and how you’ll ensure it stays in place before you choose your outdoor fabric.

More to Explore

If you’ve noticed the sudden drop in temperature when the sun goes behind a cloud, you’ve seen the benefit shade can have on the heat levels you experience. In the shade, you’re shielded from the sun’s ultraviolet rays, but the shaded area can actually experience lower temperatures.

Trees are among the best sources of shade because you’re also benefiting from something called evapotranspiration. Evapotranspiration refers to a tree’s natural process of releasing water vapor as it moves. The combination of this and the shade a tree provides can reduce the temperature in the surrounding area by as much as 6 degrees. Directly under the tree, that temperature can go down as much as 25 degrees Fahrenheit when compared to the temperature on nearby blacktop pavement.

More to explore