---
title: "Outdoor Bench Cushion in Navy Stripe: Feel, Wear and Care"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/readings/navy-teal-striped-cushion-marina-dock-bench/"
section: "Readings"
author: "Callum Reid, The Weather Man of Casco Bay"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/callum/"
published: "2026-09-10"
updated: "2026-09-24"
keywords: "outdoor bench cushion, striped bench cushion, water-repellent outdoor cushions, outdoor cushions, custom bench cushion"
---

# A navy and teal striped outdoor bench cushion on a dock, read by hand

*Salt air, spray and wet shorts on a weathered teak bench by the moorings. Here is how the cloth feels under your palm, how it wears and how it comes clean.*

> **The quick answer:** An outdoor bench cushion on a dock works best slim and firm in a textured outdoor acrylic stripe, because a thick soft pad holds water after spray and a flat solid shows every salt mark. Run the stripes lengthwise to line up with the dock boards, and match the darkest band to something permanent nearby.

![Navy, teal and white striped outdoor cushion on a teak dock bench with a rope coil and brass lantern by sailboats](https://cushionguide.com/media/outdoor-cushions/navy-teal-striped-cushion-marina-dock-bench-928.webp "A striped outdoor cushion made for salt air, set on a teak dock bench a few steps from the moorings.")

## Run your palm across the outdoor fabric first

Put your hand flat on this outdoor bench cushion and it feels like a good sail: dry, tight, a little crisp. That is the hand of [outdoor acrylic](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/outdoor-acrylic/), and on a marina dock it is exactly what you want. Nothing about it invites water to stay.

The weave is textured inside each stripe, not a flat solid. Salt dries on cloth in faint white tide lines. On a smooth plain color those lines show from the parking lot; on a textured navy, teal and white stripe they sink into the pattern.

The stripes run lengthwise, along the bench, the same direction as the dock boards and the hulls behind. That makes a short bench look longer and ties the cushion to everything around it. [Self piping](https://cushionguide.com/glossary/#self-piping) keeps the box edge sharp without adding a new color. It is an [outdoor cushion](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/outdoor-cushions/) cut for the job, with nothing decorative for the weather to punish.

## Pinned by Callum: the bench at the end of the dock

Five pins, from the stripe on the seat up to the hulls that gave it its darkest color.

1. **Nautical stripe cushion**: Navy, teal and white stripes run lengthwise, echoing the hull lines of the boats behind.
2. **Linen pillow**: A plain flax pillow stops the stripe from looking like a deckchair.
3. **Coiled rope**: Manila rope brings a sand tone that links the gray teak to the brass.
4. **Brass lantern**: Brass on a barrel table is the warm counterweight to all the blue.
5. **Sailboat hulls**: The navy hulls are the color source for the darkest stripe.

## How it wears when the weather gets its way

The cushion is slim and firm, the right call for a seat that sees wet shorts and spray all season. A thick, soft pad soaks up water like a sponge and stays damp after the sun comes back. A slim, firm one sheds it. Rain doesn't negotiate, so build for the soggy day.

Wear on a dock comes from two directions: salt and sitting. The texture handles the salt marks. The firm core handles the sitting, so the seat doesn't flatten where everybody lands.

To clean it, I rinse the salt off with fresh water and stand the cushion on its long edge to drain before anyone sits again. The [outdoor cushion care guide](https://cushionguide.com/guides/outdoor-cushion-care-winter-storage/) has the full routine, frost season included.

The props earn their places. A plain natural linen pillow stops the stripe from looking like a rented deck chair. The coil of manila rope brings a sand tone that links the gray teak to the brass. The brass ship lantern on a wooden barrel table is the warm counterweight to all that blue. And the navy hulls of the moored sailboats are where the darkest stripe got its color.

Which permanent thing near your porch or pool could lend a stripe its darkest band, friend: the front door, the shutters, a boat?

## Six feet of outdoor cloth over a 4-inch core

A buyer wrote to the workshop about a long outdoor bench and a cushion to match it: 29 1/8 x 72 x 4 in (74 x 183 x 10 cm), in outdoor fabric M12, with piping.

That is six feet of cloth taking weather, over a 4 in core. On a piece that long, the lessons of this dock bench carry straight over. Keep the core firm so the middle doesn't sag where people sit. Choose a cloth with texture or pattern so marks have somewhere to go. Pipe the edges so the long front line holds its shape through a season of sitting.

Where spray and rain can reach a seat, I keep the core firm rather than chasing extra inches. Soft and deep is how you end up storing rain.

## Buyer questions: outdoor cloth, rattan frames and van seats

**A common question:** Do you have a waterproof or spill-proof fabric for outdoor cushions?

**The workshop's answer:** There is a separate water-repellent outdoor range with its own color chart, sent on request; it sheds spills and showers but isn't sold as waterproof. It also works for tufted floor cushions and pallet bench cushions, and one 53 1/8 x 23 5/8 in (135 x 60 cm) cushion has been made with an outdoor-fabric cover.

**A common question:** Can you make seat cushions and back pillows for a rattan sofa and a couple of wicker chairs?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. Send photos and the inside frame size, for example 86 5/8 x 86 5/8 x 28 3/4 in (220 x 220 x 73 cm), with the thickness you'd like. The workshop builds a plan, such as two 86 5/8 x 28 3/4 x 5 1/8 in (220 x 73 x 13 cm) seats and eight 28 3/4 x 15 3/4 in (73 x 40 cm) back pillows, and draws a template for each chair shape from your photos for you to confirm. Thickness can still change before production, as when 5 7/8 in (15 cm) came down to 5 1/8 in (13 cm).

**A common question:** What thickness should I pick for a camper van bench seat and its backrest?

**The workshop's answer:** The workshop's standard is 4 in for both seat and back, and any thickness can be ordered. One van conversion used 4 in for a 52 x 17 3/8 in (132 x 44 cm) seat and 2 in for a 49 x 8 5/8 in (124.5 x 22 cm) back.

## On the cutting table: the dock bench

|   |   |
|---|---|
| Cushion | Rectangular outdoor bench cushion, box edge |
| Fabric | Outdoor acrylic stripe in navy, teal and white, code 0809 |
| Hand | Dry, tight and slightly crisp, with texture inside each stripe |
| Stripe direction | Lengthwise, parallel to the dock boards |
| Piping | Self piping |
| Profile | Slim and firm; a thick soft pad would hold water |
| Frame | Weathered teak bench |
| Best for | Docks, porches and pool decks that see spray |

> On a dock or pool deck, a slim, firm outdoor bench cushion beats a thick soft one, because the thick pad holds water long after the spray stops.
>
> — Callum

> **Tailor's margin:** Pick a striped outdoor cushion whose darkest band matches something permanent nearby, like a front door, the shutters or a boat hull.

## Questions buyers ask next

### What does outdoor acrylic feel like on a bench cushion?

Dry, tight and slightly crisp, closer to canvas than to a soft indoor weave. On this dock cushion the texture inside each stripe also gives dried salt somewhere to hide, which a flat solid color cannot do.

### Should stripes on an outdoor bench cushion run lengthwise or front to back?

Lengthwise, when you want a bench to look longer and line up with boards, decking or boat hulls. On this teak dock bench the navy, teal and white stripes run along the seat, parallel to the dock.

### Why is a slim outdoor cushion better than a thick one near water?

A thick, soft pad holds water after rain or spray and stays damp. A slim, firm cushion sheds it, which suits docks, pool decks and open porches. The workshop's standard outdoor seat is 4 in thick.

## Related at the atelier

- [Outdoor Bench Cushion Patterns: Kilim, Stripe and Lime Mixed](https://cushionguide.com/readings/teal-kilim-stripe-lime-outdoor-cushion-stack/): To mix patterns on outdoor bench cushions, keep one thing constant and vary the scale.
- [Outdoor Bench Cushion Stripes for Small Balconies and Nooks](https://cushionguide.com/readings/three-stripe-colorway-cushions-polished-concrete-studio/): To make a narrow outdoor bench feel generous, run the stripes along its length, fit the cushion flush with no overhang, and choose the colorway on a neutral gray surface in daylight rather than…
- [Outdoor Bench Cushion in Pinstripe Canvas: Feel, Wear, Care](https://cushionguide.com/readings/coral-navy-pinstripe-outdoor-cushions-lavender-limestone/): A pinstripe outdoor bench cushion in water-repellent outdoor canvas sheds a passing shower but is not waterproof, so it wants shelter in long rain and storage in winter.
- [Do you carry name-brand outdoor fabric, or something similar?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/outdoor-performance-fabric-alternative/): No, the workshop doesn't carry the Sunbrella brand; outdoor cushions are made in its own outdoor performance fabric instead.
- [Can I leave my outdoor cushions out in rain and snow all year?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/leave-outdoor-cushions-outside-rain-snow-winter/): Outdoor cushions can take sun and rain showers, but they aren't built to sit uncovered through rain and snow all year.
- [Around the fire pit: cushions for curved and L-shaped patio benches](https://cushionguide.com/concepts/fire-pit-bench-cushions/): Fire pit bench cushions should be plain foam cushions in water-repellent outdoor fabric, cut in segments you can carry.
- [Waterproof outdoor cushions, honestly: fabric, seams, zippers and foam](https://cushionguide.com/guides/water-repellent-vs-waterproof-cushions/)
- [UV-resistant outdoor cushion fabric compared: solution-dyed acrylic, olefin, polyester](https://cushionguide.com/guides/outdoor-cushion-fabric-acrylic-olefin-polyester/)

*Fair winds — Callum*

---

Written by Callum Reid (https://cushionguide.com/masters/callum/) 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/readings/navy-teal-striped-cushion-marina-dock-bench/