8 best outdoor cushions to make your garden sofas and chairs more stylish

These classy cushions from Atkin and Thyme have a luxurious feel at a low price. We love the embroidered geometric pattern and sophisticated colourway, the fact the covers are removable for hand washing, and the generous size of the 50cm square design. There’s also a matching 40cm x 60cm rectangular design available, and they look great as a matching pair or teamed with coordinating scatter cushions in the range.

The cushions are suitably squashy and not overly filled – something we did notice was an issue with other cushions – and the filling is made from recycled plastic bottles. The icing on the cake is the price, which is far more reasonable than many of the luxury designs we tested, without a drop in quality or comfort.

We love the burnt-orange tone and folksy design of this floor cushion, which is also available in ochre. It’s a generously padded 70cm x 70cm, and large enough for an adult to sit on comfortably. The water-resistant design stood up to spills during testing, and the carry handle doubles as a hook for easy storage.

What’s particularly nice about this one is that you can buy lots of coordinating items – from a smaller outdoor cushion (£14, Furn.com) to a stylish outdoor rug (£48, Furn.com), and even a duvet cover set (£22, Furn.com), if you’re branching out around the house.

This dinky outdoor cushion from Heating & Plumbing is designed to match the brand’s pure wool picnic blankets. At 30cm x 30cm it’s just big enough to rest your head on for a post-picnic snooze, but small and light enough to carry down to the park, using the built-in carry handle.

Made from soft pure new wool in a bright rainbow stripe on one side, it has a waterproof backing on the other that’s great if you’re lounging on the grass. Zip off the cover to machine wash it on a wool cycle, and you’ll be the envy of your fellow picnickers.

We love the bold diagonal stripes of this statement garden cushion from Rockett St George. The black and taupe colourway looks great against greenery if you’re after a striking look, and there’s a pink and coral version available if you want something softer.

The polyester fabric has a slight sheen that – along with the piped edging – gives the cushion a quality look and feel at a budget-friendly price. It’s showerproof, too, and generously padded for comfort. Team it with one of Rockett St George’s patterned outdoor rugs for the full effect.

M&S has teamed up with Fired Earth to create a collection of textile designs, one of which features on the Acapulco Alva outdoor cushion. We love the fact the Mexico-inspired pattern is different on each side, so you get two looks for the price of one, and the four corner tassels add the final flourish.

All the important boxes are ticked – it wipes clean well and the fabric is water-resistant – and the quality and attention to detail is everything you’d expect from these two household brands. Plus, there are lots of complementary designs and styles in the range – we also love the gorgeous Acapulco Salazar floor cushion (£39.50, Marksandspencer.com) – which create an effortlessly thrown-together look when combined.

This soft and light chair cushion from Monsoon is made from a comfy linen and cotton blend and is covered in a summery botanical print. A full-seat design and ribbon tie at the back sets this one apart from the other seat cushions we tested, as it offers comfort for your back as well as your bottom.

The cushion is relatively thin and flat, which is practical for a dining chair and means it packs away to quite a small and rollable size when you’re not using it. While it wipes clean well, just bear in mind it’s not waterproof – so bring it inside when the weather’s not playing ball.

This box cushion from Homescapes is available in two sizes – 40cm x 40cm and 50cm x 50cm – so you can use it as a seat pad or a floor cushion. We love the simple striped design and range of six playful colours, including candy pink, sunshine yellow and sky blue.

Depth-wise the larger cushion measures 10cm deep while the smaller size is 8cm, so both offer a decent amount of padding. The built-in carry handle makes these a nice option for a sunny picnic, although bear in mind they’re not waterproof or washable. For that reason they’ll need to be stored indoors when not in use – although, they’re so pretty, that’s unlikely to be an issue.

Curating a coastal look? Armadillo Sun’s wave cushion has an ocean-inspired colour palette and subtle seaside vibes. Handmade in the UK, it’s the most expensive cushion in our shortlist, although the high-tech fabric is engineered to last for years.

Stain-, water- and UV-resistant, it’s durable enough to be left out in the sun without fading, and the cover can be washed in the machine at 30C, if it needs freshening up. Plus, there are four sizes to pick from, if you want to mix and match, in a choice of square and rectangular designs.