The Complete Guide
Custom Made Round Daybed Covers — The Australian Owner's Complete Guide
Round and pod-style daybeds are some of the trickiest outdoor pieces to cover well. The circular shape, the canopy, and the wide variation in diameters from brand to brand means almost nothing off the shelf ever fits properly. This guide covers everything you need to know before ordering a custom cover for your round daybed.
Why standard covers fail on round daybeds
Standard outdoor covers are designed around rectangular shapes. The handful of "round" covers that do exist tend to be sized for 150 cm or 180 cm diameter pieces, which leaves out every daybed that sits outside those two measurements.
A cover that is too wide will gather and bunch around the base, creating pockets where water sits and stays. A cover that is too narrow leaves the lower edges of the frame exposed to rain, UV, and the salt air that does so much damage in coastal areas. And a cover that is the wrong height — either too short to clear the canopy, or so tall it balloons out in the wind — is not doing the job a cover is supposed to do.
The only way to get a properly fitted cover on a round daybed is to have one made to the actual dimensions of your piece.
The two measurements you need
A round daybed cover only needs two numbers. Most people can get both in under two minutes.
Diameter
Stand beside your daybed and measure across the widest point from one outer edge to the other. On most pod daybeds this is the outer edge of the base or the frame. On some models the mattress overhangs the frame slightly, or the base is wider than the mattress. Use whichever measurement is larger.
If a straight-line measurement is difficult because of the shape or location of the piece, you can measure the circumference with a soft tape measure running around the outside, then divide that number by 3.14. That will give you the diameter.
Height
Measure from the ground to the highest fixed point of the daybed in its normal stored position. For most pod or canopy daybeds, this means the top of the canopy when it is extended. If your canopy folds flat or retracts when not in use, measure with it in the position it is in when you put the cover on.
Do not add extra centimetres to either measurement. The pattern is made with the correct ease already built in for a firm, close fit.
Why the shape adds complexity
A rectangular cover is straightforward to cut and sew. A round cover requires a different kind of pattern work. The top panel needs to be cut as a true circle and then joined to the sides in a way that distributes any tension evenly around the whole seam rather than concentrating it at corners.
A canopy or pod shape adds further complexity because the profile is not a clean cylinder. Most pod daybeds taper or curve toward the top, which means the pattern needs to account for that change in circumference as the height increases. That is why the pricing for round daybed covers reflects a slightly higher complexity factor than a basic rectangle.
Material: why it matters outdoors in Australia
The face fabric is 200gsm solution-dyed polyester. Solution-dyed means the colour goes into the fibre during manufacture, not applied on top afterward. That is what keeps the fabric from fading in Australian UV conditions. Surface-dyed alternatives can go patchy within two seasons of full sun exposure.
The underside carries a flexible polyurethane waterproof coating. Polyurethane stays flexible across the temperature range of an Australian outdoor environment — from cold overnight winter temperatures to 40-plus degree summer afternoons. It will not crack at fold lines the way stiffer PVC coatings do, and it does not get sticky in direct heat.
Both the face fabric and the undercoating are UV stabilised, which extends the working life of the cover significantly compared to non-stabilised materials.
Caring for your round daybed cover
Rinse the outside of the cover with a garden hose every couple of months, or whenever it has been through a period of heavy rain or dusty conditions. Shake off debris before putting the cover on — grit caught between the cover and the frame can scratch both surfaces over time.
If the cover picks up bird droppings or other spot staining, clean with warm soapy water and allow it to dry fully in the air before replacing it. Do not machine wash the cover. The agitation breaks down the waterproof coating in a single cycle. When storing the cover, vary the fold lines so the coating is not stressed along the same crease each time.