---
title: "Outdoor Cushions in Mississippi: Gulf Coast Porches, Humidity"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/places/custom-cushions-mississippi/"
section: "Across the Map"
author: "Rosa Delgado, The Porch Keeper of Savannah"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/rosa/"
published: "2026-03-13"
updated: "2026-03-13"
keywords: "outdoor cushions mississippi, porch swing cushions mississippi, custom cushions mississippi, rocking chair cushions, biloxi patio cushions"
---

# Outdoor cushions for Mississippi porches, galleries and Gulf Coast cottages

*At dawn in Jackson in July, the air averages 93% humidity. Pull up a chair, neighbor, and let's talk about porch cushions that are dry again before supper.*

> **The quick answer:** Outdoor cushions in Mississippi should be made for damp air first: outdoor-rated, water-repellent fabric, plain rather than tufted, with zippered covers that come off to dry. Keep porch swing and rocker cushions under the roof, dry anything soaked within 24 to 48 hours, never store a cushion damp, and carry every cushion in when a Gulf storm is forecast.

![Dusty rose outdoor seat and back cushion with ties on a white rocking chair on a porch with fern and iced tea](https://cushionguide.com/media/rocking-chair-cushions/dusty-rose-rocking-chair-cushion-set-porch-1600.webp "A tie-on seat and back set in dusty rose turns a white porch rocker into a reading chair.")

## Ninety percent at dawn and 85 days past 90°F

Jackson mornings average 90% relative humidity over the year, and 93% in July and August. The city gets 57.35 in (146 cm) of rain on about 110 days, with no dry month to speak of: even September, the driest, averages 3.48 in. It also sees about 85 days a year at 90°F (32°C) or hotter.

On a porch, that means a wet cushion won't dry overnight. The EPA's rule is to get damp materials dry within 24 to 48 hours, before mold takes hold. In Mississippi air that deadline is tight, so the cushion has to come apart and dry.

Sun is the other half. July is Jackson's highest-UV month, and indoor fabrics have limited UV resistance. Down on the coast, add salt air and hurricane season, June 1 to November 30. Mississippi logged 15 hurricane strikes from 1851 to 2004. The rest of the region is on the [Louisiana and Deep South page](https://cushionguide.com/places/louisiana-deep-south-cushions/).

## Raised cottages, dogtrots and a porch on most new houses

Mississippi builds for porches. In the census division that holds Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky, 81% of new homes started in 2024 had one, the highest share in the country.

The old houses taught that. French colonists near Natchez built the Creole Cottage: one room deep, raised, with an overhanging roof over an undercut front gallery, a form that suited the hot, humid climate. On the coast, the Biloxi cottage sits a few feet off the ground with its own front gallery. Inland, families joined two log cabins with an open passage called a dog trot, and many dogtrots carried full-width porches. The Planter's Cottage came porticoed in north Mississippi and galleried in the south, and Natchez went grand with two-story porticoes.

Every one of those seats wants the same three things: [porch swing cushions](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/porch-swing-cushions/) that stay put, [rocking chair cushions](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/rocking-chair-cushions/) that tie on, and fabric that dries. What's on your porch this evening, and who sits there first?

## Swing, rocker, gallery: what each Mississippi seat gets

| Seat | Fabric | Build | Why it works here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Porch swing under the roof | Outdoor fabric, UV-resistant and water-repellent | 4 in (10 cm) seat; the back pillow sits on top of it | Zippered covers come off to dry after a soaking |
| Rocking chair | Outdoor fabric | 2 to 3 in (5 to 7.5 cm) pad cut from a paper template | Ties at the back keep it still while you rock |
| Raised-cottage gallery bench | Outdoor fabric, plain, not tufted | 3 to 4 in (7.5 to 10 cm) | Tufting lets water in, even through outdoor fabric |
| Screened porch daybed | Outdoor fabric | Cover cut to the mattress | Screens let in pollen and damp air |
| Wicker porch set with back cushions | Outdoor fabric, double piping on the backs | Seats with a non-slip base | Double piping gives backs enough structure to stay put |

Velvet, linen and chenille stay indoors, where the air conditioning keeps the damp down. The foam is standard seat foam, not quick-dry, so shelter matters as much as fabric.

## The swing back that came up 23 inches short

A buyer in the US ordered a porch swing set: a seat and a separate back pillow. The back arrived 23 in (58 cm) shorter than the seat. The workshop had misread her measurement diagram.

At first it pointed to the approved schematic. Then it looked again, owned the mistake, let her keep the first pillow and remade the back free: 63 3/4 in long, 18 in deep and 3 in thick (162 x 46 x 7.5 cm), with the stripes running top to bottom. On her swing the back sits on top of the seat cushion, so its length follows the seat.

The new one fit perfectly and looked right on her patio. Two lessons from that porch: label every number on your drawing, seat and back separately, and say which way the stripes should run.

## A Mississippi porch year, with a storm plan

- ✓ July and August mornings: dawn humidity averages 93% in Jackson. Stand damp cushions on edge in the breeze before anyone sits.
- ✓ After a soaking rain: unzip the covers, stand the foam on edge under the roof, and get both dry within 24 to 48 hours.
- ✓ Wash covers at 86°F (30°C) on delicate with mild detergent and air dry. Never zip a damp cover back on.
- ✓ June 1: hurricane season opens. Check that one person can carry each cushion through the door, and keep a dry closet free.
- ✓ Storm forecast on the coast: bring every cushion in. Ready.gov says to bring in outside furniture, and cushions go first.
- ✓ After a storm: rinse salt and grit from zippers with fresh water, then dry fully.
- ✓ November 30: the season closes. Check seams and shaded corners for mildew spots, and store nothing damp or sealed in plastic.

## Porch colors that forgive a humid summer

Mississippi porches tend to follow the house: white clapboard, dark shutters, painted floors. Soft outdoor tones suit them, sand, stone, dove gray, a ticking stripe, and they show fading less than a deep solid. Save the saturated colors for throw pillows you can carry inside.

Mildew shows on white first; pollen shows on dark. A mid-tone or a stripe hides a busy porch best. If you love white anyway, ask which white outdoor codes the workshop names for bleach cleaning before you order.

Indoors, where the air conditioning runs, velvet and linen are lovely. On the porch they aren't the right cloth, even under a roof, whenever rain blows in sideways.

> On a Mississippi porch, a cushion is only as good as how fast it dries. Plain, zippered and under the roof beats fancy every time.
>
> — Rosa

> **Tailor's margin:** Skip tufting on porch cushions. Every button is a hole where rain gets in, even through outdoor fabric.

## Buyer questions: swings, rain and white fabric

**A common question:** I already have good foam for my porch swing. Can you make zippered covers only?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. Send the foam sizes. One porch swing set was made as covers only, with extra-strong zippers: a 55.25 x 27.75 x 4 in seat and a 50 x 13 x 4 in back pad.

**A common question:** Can a tufted cushion go outside by the pool or the fire pit?

**The workshop's answer:** A tufted cushion lets water inside, even in outdoor fabric. A plain, foam-filled cushion in outdoor fabric is the one to use outdoors.

**A common question:** Can I use your linen or velvet cushions outside?

**The workshop's answer:** No. Those indoor fabrics aren't suited to outdoor use. Outdoor cushions and their backrests are ordered from the outdoor range, which has more than 100 colors.

**A common question:** Which white outdoor fabrics can take bleach for stubborn stains?

**The workshop's answer:** All the white and off-white outdoor fabrics can be cleaned, and the workshop names a handful of its white outdoor codes as the ideal ones for bleach cleaning. Ask for those codes before you choose.

**A common question:** Do outdoor back cushions need straps to stay on the chairs?

**The workshop's answer:** Often not. Back cushions made with double piping have enough structure to sit in place without sliding. Straps are possible if you prefer, and a non-slip base on the seats is another option.

## Mississippi porch questions

### How long does a soaked porch cushion take to dry in Mississippi?

Longer than you'd like. Standard foam takes 24 to 48 hours with air moving, and Jackson's dawn humidity averages 90%. Unzip the cover, stand the foam on edge under the roof, and wait until both are dry.

### Should Gulf Coast porch cushions come in for every storm?

Yes. Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, and Ready.gov's checklist says to bring in outside furniture. Size each cushion so one person can carry it through the door, and keep a dry closet free.

### Can velvet or linen cushions live on a screened porch in Mississippi?

Not a good idea. Screens let in damp air and pollen, so the workshop recommends outdoor fabric there. Velvet and linen belong under a closed roof or indoors, where the air conditioning keeps humidity down.

### What thickness suits a Mississippi rocking chair cushion?

Usually 2 to 3 in (5 to 7.5 cm), cut from a paper template of the seat. Most rocker seats run 17 to 19 in wide and deep. Add ties at the back so the pad stays put while you rock.

## Related at the atelier

- [Porch Swing Cushion in Gray Stripe with Quilted Backs and Skirt](https://cushionguide.com/readings/gray-ivory-striped-garden-swing-cushions-roses/): A two-seat porch swing cushion works best as separate pieces: one long seat that spans both places, two quilted back cushions, ties at the ends and a front skirt over the rail.
- [Porch Swing Cushion in Blue Ticking: Firm Foam, Waterfall Front](https://cushionguide.com/readings/blue-ticking-stripe-garden-porch-swing-cushions/): A porch swing cushion should be firm: standard seat foam of about 2.0 lb/ft³ (32 kg/m³), 4 in (10 cm) thick, wrapped in polyester fiber.
- [Porch Swing Cushion in Dove Gray: Hand-Finished Details](https://cushionguide.com/readings/dove-gray-porch-swing-cushion-white-railed-porch/): A porch swing cushion should stop just short of the swing arms, sit a shade darker than the painted swing, and stay moderately thin so feet reach the deck.
- [Cushions for Carolina and Georgia porches](https://cushionguide.com/places/carolinas-georgia-cushions/): Porch swing cushions in the Carolinas and Georgia should be cut in outdoor-rated, water-repellent fabric with zippered covers and ties at the back corners so they never slide.
- [Porch swing cushion ties that hold, from the chains down](https://cushionguide.com/concepts/porch-swing-cushions-that-stay-put/): A porch swing cushion set is a seat plus an optional back pillow that rests on the seat, sized to your swing: roughly 48 in (122 cm) wide for a two-seater and 60 in (152 cm) for a three-seater.
- [Cushions for Great Lakes cottages and lake houses](https://cushionguide.com/places/great-lakes-cottage-cushions/): Lake house cushions on docks, decks and screened porches need outdoor-rated, water-repellent fabric, zippered covers and ties for the wind off the water.
- [Can indoor cushions go on a covered or screened porch?](https://cushionguide.com/guides/indoor-cushions-covered-porch/)
- [Outdoor chair cushions: measuring patio chairs for seats and backs](https://cushionguide.com/guides/outdoor-chair-cushions/)

*Porch light's on — Rosa*

---

Written by Rosa Delgado (https://cushionguide.com/masters/rosa/) for CushionGuide (https://cushionguide.com/about/). The site explains made-to-measure cushions and the partner workshop makes them; measurements are in inches first. This Markdown mirrors the page at https://cushionguide.com/places/custom-cushions-mississippi/