Autumn arrives and you go to move the pod chair under cover. The cushion has gone mottled grey, it smells like a towel left in a gym bag, and there is a permanent dent where someone read every afternoon of summer. The woven shell is usually fine. It is the pod chair cushion that gives up first — and it is the one part you can do something about.
This guide covers what pod chair owners actually ask. Can you buy a replacement cushion on its own? How do you shift mould and the smell that comes with it? And where should the cushion live over winter? Replacement pods sit in the pod chair cushions collection, so a tired cushion need not mean a new chair.
Yes, you can replace a pod chair cushion on its own
Plenty of people assume the cushion and the shell are a package deal, and start shopping for a whole new chair. They are not. Replacement pod cushions are sold separately, and swapping one in is the cheapest way to make a five-year-old chair feel new.
The Kakadu Cushion Black ($199) is the like-for-like swap for a black Kakadu pod. The same cushion comes in mushroom, grey and red if you would rather change the look than match it. Changing colour is a fair reason to replace early.
The one rule: match the cushion to the chair. A pod cushion is shaped to a particular shell, so a generic round outdoor cushion sits badly, slides out and wears at the edges. If you own a Kakadu Pod Chair Black/Black ($874), you want the Kakadu cushion. If you own something else, measure the shell opening and the seat depth before you order.
Why the cushion fails before the chair does
A woven shell on a powder-coated frame is built to sit outside. A cushion is fabric wrapped around foam or fibre, and fabric is what the Australian climate goes after hardest.
Three things do most of the damage. UV is the slowest and most certain, breaking down dye and eventually the fibres, which is why a cushion fades unevenly on the side catching the afternoon sun. Moisture is the fastest: a pod shell holds water like a bowl, so a rained-on cushion sits damp long after the deck has dried. Compression is the quiet one — the same spot loaded the same way daily, until the fill stops springing back.
None of that is a defect. It is what happens to soft furnishings left outdoors, and it is why cushions are sold as replaceable parts.
Cleaning, mould and the smell that keeps coming back
Mould on a pod cushion is a humidity problem, not a hygiene problem. Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Darwin and the NSW north coast see it constantly, and it appears on cushions that have never had a drink spilled on them.
Start gently. Brush the dry cushion to lift surface growth, then wash with warm water and a mild detergent and rinse thoroughly. Work in shade, so the cleaner does not dry on the fabric before you rinse. If the covers unzip, take them off and wash them separately.
Then the step everyone skips: dry it completely. A cushion that feels dry on the surface can hold moisture in the fill for days, and that is where the smell lives. Stand it on edge, turn it every few hours, and allow two or three dry days. Sealing a damp cushion in a bag turns a small mould problem into a total loss.
| Problem | Try this first | Replace when |
|---|---|---|
| Surface mould spots | Dry brush, mild detergent, rinse, then dry fully in shade | Staining has soaked through and returns weeks after cleaning |
| Musty smell | Wash covers separately, dry the fill over several days in airflow | The smell survives a proper wash and a full dry |
| Fading and patchiness | Rotate and flip the cushion so wear evens out | Colour loss is obvious from across the deck, or the fabric feels chalky |
| Flat, dented seat | Flip, plump, and rest it out of the chair for a week | The dent stays after resting, or you feel the weave through it |
| Split seam | Repair small seams if the surrounding fabric is still strong | Fabric tears beside the stitching, or the fill is exposed |
Storage: where the cushion lives from April to September
Storage is where most cushions are saved or lost, and the answer differs across Australia.
In Melbourne, Hobart and Canberra the winter risk is prolonged wet and cold, so cushions come indoors from about April and stay there. In the tropics the problem is humidity year-round, and a garage that never dries out is worse than a covered verandah with airflow. Coastal households have a third factor: salt-laden air settles on fabric and holds moisture against it, so an occasional fresh-water rinse matters as much as keeping it dry.
The principles hold wherever you are. Store the cushion bone dry, flat or on edge rather than crushed under something heavy. Use a breathable bag or an old cotton sheet, never sealed plastic. And keep it off a concrete slab, which wicks damp upwards — a shelf or a pallet is enough.
If the chair itself cannot easily be moved, the Odie Home Premium Pod Chair Cover ($149) lets the shell stay outside while the cushion comes in. That is the combination that works: cover the shell, store the cushion. For the wider picture on choosing and living with these chairs, including hanging hardware and swing clearance, our guide to pod and swing chairs is worth reading before your next one.
Repair, re-cover or replace?
Work through it in that order, because each step costs less than the one after it.
Repair suits fresh damage to healthy fabric: a popped seam, a small tear away from the stress points. Re-covering suits a cushion whose fill is still springy but whose fabric is finished. It is worth doing if you have a good local upholsterer, though fabric plus labour often lands close to the price of a new cushion.
Replacement is the right call when the fill has collapsed, when mould returns after a proper clean, or when the fabric has gone chalky and thin. A fresh Kakadu Cushion Mushroom ($199) under a shell that still looks good is the best-value upgrade in outdoor furniture.
Pod chair cushion questions — frequently asked questions
Can you buy a pod chair cushion separately?
Yes — replacement pod cushions are sold on their own, without the chair. They are stocked by colour, so you can match your existing cushion or change it deliberately.
How do you get mould out of a pod chair cushion?
Brush the dry cushion first, then wash with warm water and a mild detergent, rinse thoroughly, and dry it completely before it goes back outside. Work in shade rather than direct sun and wash removable covers separately. Allow several days of airflow for the fill, because mould returns when moisture is trapped inside.
Can pod chair cushions be left outside in the rain?
They should not be. A pod shell holds water rather than shedding it, so a cushion left in the rain sits in a damp hollow long after everything around it has dried. Bring the cushion in, or fit a cover over the whole chair.
How long should a pod chair cushion last?
With shade, prompt drying and off-season storage, several summers of regular use is a reasonable expectation. Cushions left exposed to sun and rain year-round fade and flatten far faster.
Shop the range
Replacement pods sit in the pod chair cushions range, alongside a much wider outdoor cushions collection for seats, lounges and dining chairs. If the shell has reached the end rather than the cushion, the hanging egg and swing chairs collection carries the current styles, including the Hanging Pod Chair ($749). We deliver Australia-wide, delivery is free over $100, and returns are open for 30 days with no restocking fee.
