How to Measure for Custom Outdoor Furniture Covers | Get the Right Fit

Getting the right fit for custom outdoor furniture covers starts before you shop. If the cover is too tight, it strains seams and can tear in wind; if it’s too loose, it pools water and flaps. The fix is a measuring routine that captures the true outer dimensions of the piece — not just the tabletop or seat. Here’s the method that works for chairs, sofas, tables, dining sets, and umbrellas.

What Measurements Do You Need?

Three numbers cover nearly every piece of outdoor furniture: width, depth, and height. For round tables, swap width and depth for a single diameter measurement.

• Width: the widest left-to-right span across the furniture’s outer edge.
• Depth: the front-to-back span at the deepest point.
• Height: from the ground to the tallest point, including any protrusions that stay on the piece.

Always measure the furniture in its normal setup, exactly as you use it. That means armrests, curved backs, attached cushions, knobs, handles, and wheels all count — the cover goes over whatever stays on the piece.

Measuring Tips by Furniture Shape

Different pieces need slight adjustments to the same basic method. Here’s how the routine breaks down by type.

Chairs, sofas, and sectionals. Measure arm-to-arm for width, front-to-back for depth, and ground-to-top for height. Include cushions that remain in place under the cover, and account for a reclined back if that’s how the chair sits.

Tables and dining sets. Measure the full outer footprint. For a round table, run the tape across the center for the diameter. When covering a dining set as one unit, include the chair backs in the overall height and depth — the set’s footprint is what the cover must clear.

Umbrellas. Close the umbrella completely before measuring. Then capture the height and the widest canopy and base dimensions so the cover fits the collapsed shape.

Benches and chaise lounges. Same three measurements, but watch for cushion overhang and any tilt in the backrest that adds height at one end.

Use a rigid or retractable tape measure — a cloth one can sag and give you a number that’s off by inches. Write the figures down immediately; rechecking before you order saves a return trip.

The Fit Rule: Slightly Larger, Never Touching the Ground

A cover that touches the ground wicks moisture up from the grass or patio, leaving your furniture wet underneath. And a cover that’s too tight strains at the seams and makes it hard to fit the piece inside. When your measurements fall between sizes on the manufacturer’s chart, go up a size.

Common mistakes worth avoiding:

• Measuring the tabletop or seat only, instead of the full footprint including arms and backs.
• Measuring loose cushions separately when the cover goes over the assembled piece.
• Choosing a cover that reaches the ground and pulls moisture upward.
• Forgetting protrusions like reclined backs, knobs, wheels, or handles.

After you have your numbers, compare them against the manufacturer’s fit chart. If your piece sits between sizes, the larger cover fits better than the smaller one.

Measuring Mistakes That Ruin a Cover’s Fit

The most expensive measuring error is also the most common: catching the visible surface instead of the true outer footprint. A dining table’s cover needs to clear the chairs when they’re tucked in, not just the tabletop. A sofa’s cover needs room for the arms and the backrest, not just the seat depth. If the cover seems tight when it arrives, the culprit is almost always a measurement taken too tight.

For curved or oddly shaped pieces, take a few readings across each dimension and use the largest one. That protects against a lumpy curve pushing past your “widest” point by half an inch.

Once you have your measurements, matching them to a specific cover’s dimensions is the next step. Our tested roundup of the best custom outdoor furniture covers breaks down which models fit which furniture shapes best — worth a read before you commit to a purchase.