Sunbrella Plus

Hurricane

Hurricane

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OK - that question again.

We have made our PVC cushions (that came with the boat when she was new) last for 10 years.
We look after them - try not to get them wet and feed the PVC with a balm at the end of each season.
But they are coming to the end of their life.
We like the durability of PVC but would like something nicer to sit on.
PVC tends to stick to the skin.

I know lots of people on here rave about Sunbrella Plus.
But when I ask the Sunbrella distributors, they don't seem to recognise that as a product name.
So, I asked for a fabric suitable for cushions with a PVC coating on the back and they didn't seem to have a product with that description.

Can someone point me in the right direction - I would like to get some samples.
 
Hi Mike,

We have just had our rear sunbed covers re-done in Sunbrella material from their marine range. It's similar to the material that you might remember from Charisma but more comfortable. If you are in the UK I have the catalogues that I would be happy to forward to you.

No mention of Sunbrella Plus in their catalogues
 
Tranona said:
Go onto www.tecsew.com and the full range of Sunbrella fabrics is on the home page - including Plus (which they used for my canvas work) and fabrics for cushions.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that but I'm still a bit confused.
I thought (from this forum) that Sunbrella Plus was the cushion fabric.
But it seems that Sunbrella Plus is the fabric used for canopies.
There seems to be a separate product from Sunbrella called Sunbrella Cushion.

What have people been using?
 
Andrew38 said:
Hi Mike,

We have just had our rear sunbed covers re-done in Sunbrella material from their marine range. It's similar to the material that you might remember from Charisma but more comfortable. If you are in the UK I have the catalogues that I would be happy to forward to you.

No mention of Sunbrella Plus in their catalogues
Click to expand...

Thanks Andrew
I have some samples etc already in the post to me.
Do you know the exact name of the fabric that you used.
Are you happy with the result and what happens if they get wet etc.
 
Hurricane said:
Thanks Andrew
I have some samples etc already in the post to me.
Do you know the exact name of the fabric that you used.
Are you happy with the result and what happens if they get wet etc.
Click to expand...

We used the Yachstripe Charcoal (SUNB3723-M) and we are very happy with the result. It is water resistant but still comfortable to sit/lie on. According to the cover makers we used the striped material is more difficult to work with to ensure that the stripes run consistently across different sections,
 
jimmy_the_builder said:
How about Silvertex?
Click to expand...

Yea - it is on the list - I believe that Princess call it Movida.
But, IMO, it is still a bit "sticky" to touch.
Silvertex is from Spradling - there are lots of other different products in their ranges.
One such new one is called "Hitch" which has a very soft feel - I have a sample - I am tempted.

Have you or anyone you know used Silvertex?
 
Hurricane said:
Yea - it is on the list - I believe that Princess call it Movida.
But, IMO, it is still a bit "sticky" to touch.
Silvertex is from Spradling - there are lots of other different products in their ranges.
One such new one is called "Hitch" which has a very soft feel - I have a sample - I am tempted.

Have you or anyone you know used Silvertex?
Click to expand...

Yep my cockpit is all done in Silvertex, and my sunpads in the stripey sunbrella that andrew38 mentions above. I'm very happy with it. I wanted a darkish grey colour which isn't particularly clever in the med sun, but I did this knowingly and I don't regret the decision.
 
Mike, 2 things.

There is as you have spotted plenty of mixing up of the name subrella plus. Sunbrella don't make it as an upholstery fabric so it's not in their catalogues, but they do make a Bimini canvas called subrella plus. Then a few big trade suppliers of sunbrella upholstery cloth run it through a machine that adds the transparent plastic backing (i.e. not OEM) and those guys call this modified product sunbrella plus. Hence the confusion.
If you buy from MJ in Essex or Boyriven, I know they can supply this plastic backed sunbrella. The other big guys like kayospruce might also.

Longer term I have been disappointed a bit with silvertex/movida ( a spradling product). I use it only on foredeck and tender. Its uv resistance is good but its surface traps dirt - obviously my use of it in tender and foredeck isn't a totally fair test because these cushions get red rain due to it not being practical to bring them inside in red rain. I would consider next time a slightly smoother spradling product or Extex. Also silvertex still sticks to skin. Aside from foredeck and tender I have had sunbrella cloth on my last 3 boats and would never go back to vinyl. The cloth is so much nicer in hot climates.
 
Last edited:
This year I used Silvertex at the tender. It looks great but it was not able to cope with Med sun+spray of sea water from the props when we go fast. The dealer will replace it now.
 
jfm said:
Mike, 2 things.

There is as you have spotted plenty of mixing up of the name subrella plus. Sunbrella don't make it as an upholstery fabric so it's not in their catalogues, but they do make a Bimini canvas called subrella plus. Then a few big trade suppliers of sunbrella upholstery cloth run it through a machine that adds the transparent plastic backing (i.e. not OEM) and those guys call this modified product sunbrella plus. Hence the confusion.
If you buy from MJ in Essex or Boyriven, I know they can supply this plastic backed sunbrella. The other big guys like kayospruce might also.

Longer term I have been disappointed a bit with silvertex/movida ( a spradling product). I use it only on foredeck and tender. Its uv resistance is good but its surface traps dirt - obviously my use of it in tender and foredeck isn't a totally fair test because these cushions get red rain due to it not being practical to bring them inside in red rain. I would consider next time a slightly smoother spradling product or Extex. Also silvertex still sticks to skin. Aside from foredeck and tender I have had sunbrella cloth on my last 3 boats and would never go back to vinyl. The cloth is so much nicer in hot climates.
Click to expand...


As usual you learn something in these exchanges. The original material on sunbeds and cockpit seating on Charisma was/is Spradling and it has marked badly with suntan oil - something you might expect on sunbeds! Spradling absolutely did not want to know when I contacted them, Their EU head office is Barcelona and they wouldn't even come and see the problem even when asked by Beneteau
 
jfm said:
Mike, 2 things.

There is as you have spotted plenty of mixing up of the name subrella plus. Sunbrella don't make it as an upholstery fabric so it's not in their catalogues, but they do make a Bimini canvas called subrella plus. Then a few big trade suppliers of sunbrella upholstery cloth run it through a machine that adds the transparent plastic backing (i.e. not OEM) and those guys call this modified product sunbrella plus. Hence the confusion.
If you buy from MJ in Essex or Boyriven, I know they can supply this plastic backed sunbrella. The other big guys like kayospruce might also.

Longer term I have been disappointed a bit with silvertex/movida ( a spradling product). I use it only on foredeck and tender. Its uv resistance is good but its surface traps dirt - obviously my use of it in tender and foredeck isn't a totally fair test because these cushions get red rain due to it not being practical to bring them inside in red rain. I would consider next time a slightly smoother spradling product or Extex. Also silvertex still sticks to skin. Aside from foredeck and tender I have had sunbrella cloth on my last 3 boats and would never go back to vinyl. The cloth is so much nicer in hot climates.
Click to expand...

Very interesting - thanks for posting.
More food for thought.
 
Andrew38 said:
As usual you learn something in these exchanges. The original material on sunbeds and cockpit seating on Charisma was/is Spradling and it has marked badly with suntan oil - something you might expect on sunbeds! Spradling absolutely did not want to know when I contacted them, Their EU head office is Barcelona and they wouldn't even come and see the problem even when asked by Beneteau
Click to expand...

Yep, Andrew, suntan oils and creams are a big concern for us.
 
We too had our flybridge cushions replaced with silvertex earlier this year. We also used a fairly dark silver/grey which looks good and is comfortable to sit on. However it does mark easily and is then difficult to clean. Also we have a permanent mark where one of the Perspex windows seems to have heated a zip which in turn seems to have slightly melted the silvertex. It was a hot summer but nothing like this has happened before. And this is in the UK not the Med.

So would I use it again? Probably not.
 
Sunbrella :encouragement: good UV protection in the Med & not 'sticky' or 'sweaty' wears well...... BUT only use Ph neutral cleaning products on them :cool:
 
jfm said:
Mike, 2 things.
If you buy from MJ in Essex or Boyriven, I know they can supply this plastic backed sunbrella. The other big guys like kayospruce might also.
Click to expand...

I contacted Boyriven - they were helpful but didn't seem confident on the plastic backing.

MJ in Essex
I need confirmation who this is.
I contacted MJM who looks as though they are the right people - Martin Duce - and he did know about the plastic backing.
Very efficient - I got a price from him within the hour.
But is he the correct guy?
 
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