You sit down on a brand-new outdoor lounge and within ten minutes something is off. Your feet don't quite reach the deck, or the back cushion shoves you forward, or you keep sliding into the gap where the seat meets the backrest. Nine times out of ten the fabric was never the problem. Outdoor lounge cushions live or die on three measurements: how deep the seat is, how high it sits off the ground, and how thick the foam is.
The catch: most listings publish overall dimensions rather than seat dimensions, so you need to read across from one to the other. Here's what each figure means, which numbers we actually publish on our outdoor lounge settings, and what to measure yourself before you commit.
Seat depth: why the listing number isn't the seat
When a lounge is listed at D 85 cm, that is the overall footprint depth: front edge of the seat to the outside back of the frame. The seat you actually sit on is shorter, because the backrest and its cushion eat into that figure. Confusing the two is the most common reason a lounge feels wrong.
The Louis Lounge ($574) is listed at W 203 x D 85 x H 94 cm for the three seater, with the two seater and armchairs carrying the same D 85 and H 94. That consistency is useful: whichever pieces you combine, the row lines up. The usable seat, though, is not 85 cm deep once the back cushion is in place.
As general guidance across the category, an outdoor lounge seat tends to feel right between about 55 and 65 cm of usable depth. Below that it feels perchy; above it, you need a bolster behind your lower back. Treat those as typical ranges, not a published spec for any one setting.
The Komodo Teak Lounge ($649) is described on its page as having deep seats, and every piece is listed at D 85 cm: three seater W 211, two seater W 146, armchair W 81. If you like sinking in, deep is a feature worth paying for. If you're shorter than average, a deep seat with nothing behind your lower back is how people end up perched on the front edge all evening.
Seat height, and the 45 cm clue in the coffee table
Seat height is the distance from the ground to the top of the cushion with someone sitting on it — compressed, not plumped. Outdoor lounges sit lower than dining chairs, and typical lounge seat heights land somewhere around 38 to 45 cm. That's a general comfort range, not a figure we publish per product.
Where a listing doesn't give a seat height, look at the pieces designed to line up with it. We list the Austin coffee table at L 116 cm x W 70 cm x H 45 cm, and the Komodo ottoman at 65 x 65 cm x H 45 cm. An ottoman exists to extend the seat, so a 45 cm ottoman indicates roughly where that seat sits.
The Austin Corner Lounge Set ($3,313) lists its corner lounge as two sections measuring 256 cm x 199 cm x 70 cm. The first two figures are the legs of the L and the third is the height. When a listing hands you three unlabelled numbers, work out which axis each belongs to before ordering, because an L running 256 cm one way won't simply swap ends. If your existing seat is too shallow, a footstool is a cheaper fix than a new setting.
Cushion thickness and foam density
Thickness is the figure most shoppers skip, and it decides whether you feel the frame through the cushion by year three. It's usually published as the H measurement on a cushion listing, which trips people up: H means height on a lounge and thickness on a pad.
We do publish thickness across the cushion range. The Base Cushions - Square ($62) are L 45 cm x W 45 cm x H 5.5 cm. The Highback Cushions ($128) run L 108 cm overall, split into a 62 cm back and a 46 cm base, at W 46 cm and H 5.5 cm. Our brown textured sunlounge cushion, elsewhere in the outdoor cushions range, is listed at L 196 x W 60 cm with a 5 cm thickness.
Foam density is a different matter. It's the weight of foam per cubic metre, and it separates a cushion that springs back from one that holds a dent. Very few Australian outdoor retailers publish a density figure and we don't list one on these products. So test it yourself: press your palm into the middle and let go. Good foam recovers promptly and leaves no hollow.
Two things you can verify from a listing: whether the cover comes off, and whether the fabric is built for outside. The Austin cushions use water resistant fabric with removable covers. The square base and highback cushions have a zip across the back so the insert slides out, which is what lets you dry it properly after a storm.
How to read a listing before you buy
| Figure | What it tells you | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Overall depth (D) | The footprint the piece needs on your deck | Seat depth is less — subtract the back cushion |
| Overall height (H) | Clearance under a railing, ledge or pergola beam | Sight lines from inside the house |
| Seat height | Whether feet reach the ground comfortably | Measure compressed, with someone sitting on it |
| Cushion thickness | How long before you feel the frame underneath | Listed as H on our cushion pages |
| Unlabelled numbers | Nothing, until you know which axis is which | Ask before ordering a corner piece |
Measure the space before you measure the cushions
None of these figures help if the setting doesn't fit. Work out your usable footprint first, then check circulation. As a rough allowance, leave 70 to 90 cm to walk behind a lounge, plus clear ground at the front so a coffee table isn't a shin hazard. For the full method, including doorway clearances for delivery day, read our guide to the measurements that make or break an outdoor area.
The Australian climate decides the rest. In a Brisbane or Cairns wet season, a cushion you can stand on edge to drain will outlast one left flat in a puddle. On an exposed Adelaide or Perth deck, a thin pad on a metal frame heats up faster. On a Sydney apartment balcony, check your strata or body corporate rules before committing to anything bulky.
Outdoor lounge cushions — frequently asked questions
What is the ideal seat depth for an outdoor lounge?
Around 55 to 65 cm of usable seat depth suits most adults. That's general guidance rather than a fixed rule, and it's measured on the seat itself, not the overall depth quoted on a listing. If a lounge sits deeper, plan on a lumbar cushion behind your back.
How thick should outdoor lounge cushions be?
Thicker is generally better, and the seat pads across our cushion range sit at 5 to 5.5 cm. A thinner pad on a slatted timber or aluminium frame lets you feel the slats sooner. Compare the H figure on the listing rather than judging by the photo.
Can I replace just the cushions on an existing outdoor lounge?
Yes, provided you measure the frame first. Measure the seat platform length and width, then the back panel separately, and compare both against the published dimensions. Frames vary between ranges, so a 45 x 45 cm pad that fits one chair may sit proud on another.
Do outdoor cushions need to be brought inside?
Outdoor fabrics cope with weather, but cushions last much longer stored dry. Bring them under cover during prolonged rain, and over winter store them somewhere ventilated rather than sealed in plastic, where trapped moisture turns into mould.
Shop the range
Every product page in our outdoor lounge settings range lists the dimensions we hold for that piece, so you can check them against your own space before ordering. We deliver Australia-wide, delivery is free on orders over $100, and installation is available on request.
