Crate and Barrel · Outdoor Furniture Cushion Protectants
Sunbrella 20"X13" Sapphire Outdoor Lumbar Pillow, 13"X20", Sunbrella Fabric
Sunbrella's water-repellent coating treatment probably contains fluorochemicals; brand silent.
Sunbrella fabrics traditionally receive fluorocarbon water and stain repellent treatment. Crate & Barrel provides no PFAS disclosure or test results for this lumbar pillow.
The better-graded swap
Frontgate
Hudson Indoor/Outdoor Pillow - Glacier, 20" x 20" Square Glacier, 20" x 20" Square in Glacier with Mineral/Natural Fring
75/100 safety
Same rubric that flunked this product. The swap earned Excellent.
Still want this one anyway? Check the price on Amazon. We’d swap it.
Material
Sunbrella acrylic blend fabric with water and stain repellent treatment
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
What Sunbrella 20"X13" Sapphire Outdoor Lumbar is made of, ingredients and materials
This pillow uses Sunbrella acrylic fabric, a solution-dyed acrylic blend specifically engineered for outdoor UV and moisture resistance. The fabric itself is colorfast and does not rely on surface coatings that degrade over time. The water and stain repellent finish applied to Sunbrella is where PFAS concern enters; this water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) treatment is the standard industry method for outdoor textiles but typically involves fluorochemical compounds that Sunbrella does not publicly disclose.
What’s concerning
Category baseline
The starting point for this type of product, before anything specific to this product is counted.
No PFAS disclosure
No public statement from the brand about PFAS in this product.
Waterproof / stain-resistant treatment
Water-repellent coating treatments have historically used PFAS.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or off-gassing
New outdoor textiles may have minor VOC off-gassing from water-repellent coating treatment in the first weeks of use. This is mild compared to indoor furniture; airing the pillow outdoors before first use will minimize any odor.
What’s reassuring
Formaldehyde / VOCs
Sunbrella uses solution-dyed acrylic, which largely avoids post-dyeing formaldehyde chemistry. No recalls or reports of formaldehyde off-gassing from Sunbrella outdoor fabric are on record.
Source, ATSDR ↗Azo dyes (carcinogenic or allergen-triggering synthetic dyes)
Solution-dyed acrylic avoids azo dyes by design; color is integrated into the fiber during manufacture. Sunbrella is not known to use problematic azo colorants.
Antimony in polyester
This pillow is acrylic blend, not polyester, so antimony catalyst residue from polyester synthesis is not a relevant concern.
Flame retardants
Sunbrella fabric and typical outdoor pillow fills (polyester, polyfil) are not inherently required to meet indoor flame standards; no reports of brominated or chlorinated flame retardants in Sunbrella outdoor pillows.
Source, EPA ↗The full breakdown
The brand's record and disclosure
Crate and Barrel does not publish transparency reports on PFAS use in their textile suppliers or finished products. Sunbrella (owned by Glen Raven) has never committed publicly to phasing out fluorochemical water-repellent coating treatments, despite growing competitor action. Neither brand provides third-party certification for PFAS-free or reduced-PFAS formulations on this pillow. This silence is not unusual in the outdoor furniture market but represents a transparency gap relative to some premium competitors.
How it compares in its category
Outdoor lumbar pillows made with Sunbrella are considered mid-to-premium tier for durability and UV resistance. Most budget outdoor pillows use polyester with similar or heavier water-repellent coating coatings; some higher-end brands (like Pottery Barn with Crypton treatment, or certain organic cotton options) offer alternatives with disclosed or reduced-PFAS profiles. Sunbrella's real advantage is longevity, which offsets some environmental cost if the pillow lasts 5-7 years versus 2-3 for cheaper alternatives.
If you buy it
Sunbrella fabric is colorfast and withstands high heat (sun), so no special temperature precautions apply. Clean with mild soap and water; do not bleach or dry-clean, as these can degrade the water-repellent coating finish. Brush off dust regularly and allow air-drying to preserve the water-repellent layer. If water no longer beads on the surface after 3-5 years, the water-repellent coating treatment has worn; the pillow maintains its structure but loses stain resistance.
What we don’t know
- Basis
- Model estimate, 45% confidence, not a lab result
- Lab test
- None on record for this exact product
- Brand statement
- Crate and Barrel has made none
Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.
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More outdoor furniture cushion protectants grades
How we score, every product runs through the same public 0-100 rubric based on materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls. See the full methodology → Spotted a mistake? Report an error.