TL;DR: If your swing or glider lives outside, outdoor fabric is the only option worth considering. It's waterproof, UV-resistant, and mold-resistant in ways indoor fabric simply isn't. Indoor fabrics offer 90-plus color options and a softer feel, but they'll fade and deteriorate within a season outdoors. This guide explains exactly what makes each fabric different, helps you decide which one fits your setup, and shows you how to see the colors in person before you commit.There's a question that comes up a lot when customers are getting ready to order cushions for a swing or glider: does it really matter which fabric I choose?
It does. More than almost any other decision in the process.
We've heard from customers who ordered indoor fabric for an outdoor glider because they liked the color selection, and the cushions looked great for about a month. Then the fabric started fading. Then it got mildewy. One customer said she noticed a musty smell by the end of summer. The cushions were essentially ruined after a single season outside.
That's not a quality problem. That's a fabric mismatch. And it's completely avoidable once you understand the difference.
The First Question to Ask: Will Your Cushion Live Outside?
Here's the simplest way to figure out which fabric you need.
If your swing or glider is exposed to direct sun or rain for any part of the year, use outdoor fabric. That includes covered porches with partial sun exposure, screened-in porches that get humid, and anything that stays outside between uses rather than being brought in.
If your glider lives in a living room, sunroom, or fully enclosed space that never sees weather, indoor fabric is a great choice. You'll have access to more colors, softer textures, and a wider range of styles.
The rule is simple: when in doubt, go outdoor. You can use outdoor fabric inside with no downsides. You can't safely use indoor fabric outside for long.
What Actually Makes Outdoor Fabric Weatherproof?
Outdoor fabric is waterproof, UV-resistant, and mold-resistant because of how it's made, not just how it's treated.
Most quality outdoor fabrics use a woven construction with a water-resistant finish baked into the process. The key is that color is added during the fiber-making stage itself, not applied on top afterward. That's called solution-dyeing. It means the color goes all the way through each yarn, so UV light can't strip it from the surface the way it would on a printed or surface-dyed fabric.
The result is a fabric that resists fading, mold, mildew, and moisture season after season. It won't crack or peel. It stays soft to the touch even after years of sun and rain.
One thing worth knowing upfront: our outdoor fabric has a slight sheen to it. It's not matte. A few customers have asked about this specifically (one customer wrote in just to ask "is it matte?" before ordering), so we'd rather say it plainly here than have you be surprised when your cushions arrive. The sheen is subtle, it reads as clean and finished, but it's there.
What our outdoor fabric is NOT: vinyl. Vinyl is technically waterproof, but it cracks and peels within a few seasons, and it feels like sitting on a plastic bag in summer heat. Our outdoor fabric is a woven textile that breathes, stays comfortable, and holds up without any of those problems.
What Makes Indoor Fabric Different?
Indoor fabrics are designed for a different environment entirely, and they're genuinely excellent at what they do.
Indoor fabrics typically feature a tighter weave and more vibrant colors, with a softer, more cushion-like feel underhand. They come in a much wider range of options. At uscushion.com, our indoor fabric collection runs to 90-plus colors compared to about 23 for outdoor fabric. That's a significant difference, and it's why customers with indoor gliders often prefer the indoor range.
The tradeoff is weather performance. Indoor fabrics aren't treated for UV exposure or moisture resistance. Put them outside for a season and you'll likely see fading, color shift, and potentially mold or mildew setting in, especially in humid climates. It's not that they're poorly made. They're just engineered for a different environment.
If your glider is a family heirloom sitting in a living room or a reading chair in a sunroom, indoor fabric is a wonderful choice. The color options are richer, the textures are more varied, and the overall feel tends to be softer and more refined.
Side-by-Side: Outdoor vs. Indoor Fabric at a Glance
| Outdoor Fabric | Indoor Fabric | |
|---|---|---|
| Color options | ~23 colors | 90-plus colors |
| Waterproof | Yes | No |
| UV-resistant | Yes | No |
| Mold and mildew resistant | Yes | No |
| Finish | Slight sheen | Matte to soft sheen (varies) |
| Feel | Firm, textured | Softer, more varied |
| Best for | Any outdoor or semi-outdoor use | Indoor gliders and furniture only |
| Can it be used inside? | Yes, no downsides | Yes, but keep it inside |
The one row worth pausing on: outdoor fabric can absolutely be used inside. Some customers choose it for a sunroom, a mudroom bench, or anywhere that gets a lot of use and occasional moisture. It's a practical choice in those spots. Such a practical choice, honestly.
How to Choose a Color Without Seeing It in Person
This is the part that trips people up most. You're looking at a color on a screen, imagining how it'll look on your swing, and trying to decide between four shades of blue that all look almost the same.
Screen color is notoriously unreliable. The same swatch can look completely different on a laptop versus a phone, and neither may match the actual fabric. We've had customers order a color they were certain about and then ask if we could swap it when it arrived (we can work with you on that, but it's a step you can skip entirely).
The better approach: order fabric swatches first. Tell us which outdoor colors interest you, whether you want to see two options or five, and we'll send actual fabric samples to your door. There's a small shipping fee, and it's worth every cent. Holding the real fabric up against your swing frame, your porch railing, or your existing decor gives you information no screen ever could.
One customer from Alabama asked specifically whether the peacock blue was matte before she ordered. It wasn't quite what she was picturing. We sent her a swatch, she saw exactly what she was getting, and she made her decision with confidence. That's the way to do it.
Our suggestion: if you're deciding between two or three outdoor colors, request swatches for all of them at once. The shipping fee is the same, and having the real samples side by side makes the call obvious.
When You're Still Not Sure Which to Pick
Run through this quick checklist:
Will the cushion be outside at any point during the year? Even part-time? Go outdoor fabric.
Is the glider strictly indoors in a temperature-controlled space? Indoor fabric opens up many more color options.
Do you live somewhere humid, or does your porch get afternoon rain? Outdoor fabric, without question.
Are you replacing cushions for an antique glider that lives on a covered porch? Outdoor fabric is the safer call even with some roof coverage, since covered porches still get humidity, reflected light, and occasional splash.
Not sure where to start browsing? Our full collection of custom swing and glider cushions includes both fabric options, and the fabric gallery shows all outdoor and indoor colors with swatch ordering available. Browse, pick a few candidates, and get the swatches in hand before you commit. It's the one step that makes the rest of the process feel easy.
Because at the end of the day, it's not just about picking a pretty color. It's about choosing a fabric that still looks that way two summers from now.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are outdoor cushion fabrics truly waterproof, or just water-resistant? Our outdoor fabric is genuinely waterproof and designed to repel rain rather than just slow it down. That said, most quality outdoor fabrics are engineered to be water-resistant in a way that also allows moisture to evaporate, which is actually better for the cushion's long-term health than a fully sealed surface that traps moisture inside. The practical answer: our outdoor cushions can handle rain. We still recommend bringing them in during extended off-season storage to get the most years out of them.
Why does outdoor fabric come in fewer colors than indoor? The waterproofing process limits how color can be applied to the yarn. Our outdoor fabrics use a solution-dyed process where color is integrated during fiber production, which creates excellent fade resistance but also narrows the available color range. The result is about 23 solid, reliable outdoor colors versus 90-plus for indoor fabric. Every color in the outdoor range is fully weather-treated. It's a real trade-off, and being upfront about it is more useful than pretending 23 colors is the same as 90.
Can I use outdoor fabric on an indoor glider? Yes, and it works well in high-traffic spots. Outdoor fabric is durable, easy to wipe clean, and holds up to daily use. The slight sheen and firmer texture are different from typical indoor upholstery fabric, but many customers specifically choose outdoor fabric for indoor pieces in mudrooms, sunrooms, and busy living spaces. There are no downsides to using it inside.
Can I order fabric swatches before placing my cushion order? Yes. Visit our fabric gallery to browse the outdoor and indoor collections and request physical samples. We'll mail the actual fabric swatches to you so you can see and feel the color and texture in your own space. There's a small shipping fee, and it's the single best way to make sure you love your choice before ordering a full cushion.
What happens if I accidentally order indoor fabric for an outdoor cushion? Reach out to us as soon as possible after placing your order. If we haven't started cutting yet, we can usually make the change. If the cushion has already been made, the fabric itself isn't returnable, but we can discuss options. The best way to avoid this is to double-check your fabric selection during checkout and when in doubt, choose outdoor.
