By mid-May the pool has gone quiet, the towels are off the rail, and the sun lounges are still sitting exactly where you left them in February. Most Australians never really pack them away, and for much of the country that is genuinely fine. But storing outdoor furniture like sun lounges and bean bags needs a different approach to the dining setting, because the things that ruin them are different.
This guide covers what actually wrecks a lounge or a bean bag over winter: trapped damp, slow bead collapse, and covers used the wrong way. If you are still choosing pieces, start with the sun lounges and bean bags range. If you already own yours, treat the rest of this as a May checklist.
Cold is not the problem. Damp is.
Very little in an Australian backyard is damaged by winter temperature. Sydney, Perth and Brisbane rarely trouble a powder-coated frame, and even a Canberra frost does little to aluminium or a sling seat. What does the damage is water that gets in and then cannot get out.
That is why a lounge left uncovered on an open deck often comes through better than one wrapped tightly in April and left until September. The wrapped one sweats. Condensation forms underneath on mild days, the fabric never fully dries, and by spring you have mould along the seams. So the goal is not sealing things away. It is keeping them dry and keeping air moving.
Sun lounges: stack them, tip them, or leave them out
A sling-and-frame lounge takes up almost no floor space once it is on its side or nested against a wall, which makes sun lounges the easiest large pieces to deal with. The Poseidon Sunlounge ($599) and the Tampa Sunlounge ($699) are both this style. If yours is a folding or reclining design like the Reclining Sunlounge ($252), check the product page for how it collapses before you force anything.
Three habits do most of the work. Wash and dry first, because leaf tannin, sunscreen and pool salt left on a sling all winter set into stains you cannot lift in September. Stack on edge rather than flat, so water cannot pool in the seat and air reaches both faces of the fabric. And put a folded towel between stacked frames, so paint does not rub through where metal meets metal.
With nowhere to put them, leaving sun lounges outside is a reasonable choice in most of the country. Lift them onto a couple of pavers so the feet are not standing in a puddle for four months. Angle them so rain runs off, and take the cushions inside. The frame will be fine; the cushion will not.
Bean bags: beads, water and the top-up nobody mentions
Outdoor bean bags fail in a way hard furniture never does. The polystyrene beads inside compress under use and under their own weight, so a bag that felt full in December sits low and saggy by autumn. Winter is the natural moment to fix that, because you are handling the bag anyway.
Before it goes away, get the water out. Water-resistant is not waterproof, and a bag rained on repeatedly holds moisture between the beads and the lining. Stand it on end somewhere sheltered for a day or two until it is genuinely dry, then store it loosely rather than crushed under something heavy, which flattens the beads permanently.
Then top it up. A bag like the Hang Out Blue + White Stripe Outdoor Beanbag ($212) takes a refill of beads without any fuss. Do it in May rather than November and it is ready the first warm weekend. Fill it outside on a still day, or in a bathroom with the door shut, because static makes loose beads cling to everything.
If the cover is removable and the care label allows a wash, doing it now beats doing it in spring. Browse the bean bags range if yours is past saving. And if your bag never really found an indoor home, our guide to indoor outdoor bean bags makes the case for letting it winter in the rumpus room rather than the shed.
Covers, and where "dry storage" actually is
A cover is the right answer when furniture stays outside and needs to shed rain, leaves and bird mess. It is the wrong answer when it becomes a plastic bag around something already wet. Fit matters more than thickness: too big and it flaps and tears in a Perth winter storm, too tight and it traps moisture underneath.
For a three-seat lounge or a pair of sun lounges pushed together, the Cover Triple Lounge ($149) is the size most people need. The wider outdoor furniture covers range runs from small settings up to long dining tables. Whatever you use, lift it on a dry day once a month and let everything air.
| Where it goes | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Left out, covered | Sun lounge frames, anything too big to move | Condensation; air it monthly, never cover something wet |
| Roofed alfresco | Almost everything, bean bags included in dry climates | Driving rain from the open side; shift pieces to the back wall |
| Garage or shed | Cushions, bean bags, folded lounges | Concrete wicks moisture up; sit things on a pallet or timber |
| Under the house or carport | Stacked frames in Queensland and northern NSW | Poor airflow and possums; leave gaps between pieces |
| Inside the house | Scatter cushions, seat pads, bean bag covers | Space; store cushions flat, not compressed |
Storing outdoor furniture in an Australian winter changes by postcode
North of roughly Rockhampton, winter is the good season and packing a sun lounge away makes no sense. Humidity is the enemy there, so keep pieces off the ground, keep air moving, and check under covers rather than sealing anything for months.
Melbourne, Hobart and Adelaide get a genuinely wet, grey winter, and that is where bean bags and cushions belong indoors from May to September. Perth's winter is short but stormy, so anything light should be tied down or brought in before a front arrives. On the coast, salt keeps working regardless of temperature. For the dining setting, BBQ and the rest of the backyard, our full winter storage guide covers the pieces this article does not. Storage rules for balconies and common areas vary by strata scheme and council, so check your by-laws first.
Storing sun lounges and bean bags — frequently asked questions
Do I need to store outdoor furniture over winter in Australia?
In most of Australia, not the hard furniture. Frames in aluminium, powder-coated steel, resin wicker and teak are built to live outside year-round, and the parts that genuinely need shelter are cushions, bean bags and anything upholstered. With no storage space, covering and elevating what stays outside is enough for most climates.
Can you leave a bean bag outside in winter?
You can, but it is the piece most worth bringing in. Outdoor bean bags are water-resistant rather than waterproof, and four months of rain with no use is how a bag ends up heavy, musty and permanently flat. A dry shed or laundry corner will add years to it.
How do you stop mould on stored slings and cushions?
Clean and fully dry everything before it goes away, then store it somewhere with airflow. Mould needs moisture and something organic to feed on, so removing sunscreen, food and leaf residue first solves half the problem. Stand cushions on edge instead of stacking them tightly, and avoid sealed plastic tubs.
How often do bean bags need topping up with beads?
Roughly once a year for a bag in regular use. Beads compress steadily rather than suddenly, so most people only notice when the bag stops holding its shape, and a single refill usually restores it.
Shop the range
Whether you are replacing a tired lounge before next summer or adding a cover so this one lasts another five years, the sun lounges and bean bags and covers ranges are the place to start. We deliver Australia-wide, delivery is free on orders over $100, and most orders are dispatched in 3-10 business days.
