Serena & Lily · Outdoor Furniture Cushion Protectants
Serena & Lily Clearwater Lounge Chair Cushion
Outdoor cushion with water-repellent coating finish and no PFAS disclosure from brand.
This outdoor cushion has a water-repellent coating finish applied. water-repellent coating treatments have historically used PFAS, though the chemistry of this finish is not stated. Serena & Lily has no PFAS statement on record for this product.
The better-graded swap
Blazing Needles
74 in by 19 in Outdoor Solid Polyester Tufted Chaise Lounge Cushion
85/100 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
Outdoor cushion with water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) finish
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
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What Serena & Lily Clearwater Chair Cushion is made of, ingredients and materials
Serena & Lily Clearwater cushions are outdoor-grade foam or polyester fill with a water-repellent (water-repellent coating) finish on the fabric cover. The water-repellent coating is the critical unknown, it is almost certainly fluorochemical-based PFAS unless explicitly stated otherwise, because PFAS compounds are the industry standard for durable water repellency in outdoor textiles and are extremely difficult to replace functionally. The foam core itself poses minimal toxicity risk if virgin polyurethane or polyester, but degradation over years of UV and weather exposure can release microparticles.
What’s concerning
No PFAS disclosure
No public statement from the brand about PFAS in this product.
Category baseline
The starting point for this type of product, before anything specific to this product is counted.
Waterproof / stain-resistant treatment
Water-repellent coating treatments have historically used PFAS.
PFAS
Water-repellent outdoor textiles almost universally contain C8 or C6 PFOA-legacy or newer PFAS compounds unless explicitly labeled otherwise. No public statement from Serena & Lily confirms PFAS-free status.
Source, ATSDR ↗Microfiber and microplastic shedding
Polyester or synthetic fill and cover fibers degrade under UV, weather, and physical use. Shedding increases if water-repellent coating peels or cracks, potentially releasing fine particles into yard or water runoff over years.
Material degradation and off-gassing
New polyurethane or polyester cushions may release mild VOCs (volatile organic compounds) initially, especially in warm sun. Odor usually dissipates within days to weeks; risk of inhalation harm is low for outdoor use.
What’s reassuring
Formaldehyde / VOCs
No specific recalls or public reports of formaldehyde finishes or problematic dyes in Serena & Lily outdoor cushions. Outdoor-grade fabrics are less often treated with formaldehyde resins than indoor textiles, but minor residual treatment is possible.
Source, ATSDR ↗Flame retardants
Outdoor cushion foams are typically not flame-retardant-treated because outdoor products fall outside indoor flammability regulations. No public evidence of flame retardant additives in this product line.
Source, EPA ↗How is this PFAS grade calculated?
The brand's record and disclosure
Serena & Lily is a premium home furnishings brand targeting affluent consumers; they do not publicly disclose PFAS use or absence in outdoor cushion lines as of publicly available information. The brand has not published a formal PFAS phase-out commitment or chemical transparency policy. This silence is significant in a category where competitors increasingly market PFAS-free alternatives, suggesting either conventional PFAS treatment or indifference to disclosure.
How it compares in its category
Most mainstream outdoor cushion brands (Pottery Barn, West Elm, Sunbrella) either use PFAS-treated fabrics without disclosure or are beginning to offer explicitly PFAS-free water-repellent coating alternatives. Serena & Lily's lack of transparency puts it in the middle of the pack by default. Premium eco-conscious brands (Patagonia, Watershed Design) now offer PFAS-free outdoor cushions using wax or alternative polymer coatings, though at higher cost and sometimes with reduced water-repellency longevity.
If you buy it
Store cushions indoors or under breathable covers during off-season to minimize UV and moisture cycling, which accelerates coating breakdown and potential microfiber shedding. Rinse cushions with fresh water after salt-spray or chlorine exposure to prevent material degradation. Replace the cushion cover if visible cracking, peeling, or loss of water beading appears (typically 3-5 years in harsh climates), as a failing water-repellent coating layer offers no protection and may shed microparticles. Contact Serena & Lily directly to request PFAS treatment disclosure before finalizing purchase.
What is not known about PFAS in this product?
- Basis
- Model estimate, 45% confidence, not a lab result
- Lab test
- None on record for this exact product
- Brand statement
- Serena & Lily has made none
Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.
What are the PFAS-free alternatives to Serena & Lily Clearwater Lounge Chair Cushion?
Blazing Needles
74 in by 19 in Outdoor Solid Polyester Tufted Chaise Lounge Cushion
- Polyester fill with polyester cover
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Azo dyes in polyester textiles
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- mineral oil, argan oil blend
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Fragrance allergens and undisclosed components
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- 100% cotton canvas
- Azo dyes and dye contamination
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
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.