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Tarpaulin for garden furniture

Updated: October 2026

You want the rain off the chairs, the table, or the log stack, and you do not want a damp tent in March. A tarpaulin for garden furniture, in this comparison, is a loose polyethylene sheet for a short spell, sloped, with air at the edge. It is not a fitted winter cover. Products Compared read twelve amazon.co.uk listings on 15 October 2026. None is breathable, and none has a zipped door. This is not a laboratory test, and a link may earn us a commission. Sizes and GSM are on the [tarpaulin comparison](/hub/diy-supplies/tarpaulin). Knots and the fall are on [how to secure a tarpaulin](/hub/diy-supplies/tarpaulin/sub/tarpaulin-how-to-secure).

You want the rain off the chairs, the table, or the log stack, and you do not want a damp tent in March.

Our top picks

Velway Velway 2 × 3 m tarpaulin

Best overall

Velway Velway 2 × 3 m tarpaulin
7.2/10about £9.43
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ANSIO ANSIO 3 × 4 m tarpaulin

Preis-Tipp

ANSIO ANSIO 3 × 4 m tarpaulin
6.9/10about £7.45
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SolaDirect SolaDirect 3 × 4 m green tarpaulin

Alternative

SolaDirect SolaDirect 3 × 4 m green tarpaulin
5.2/10about £11.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.A sheet is a short cover, not a winter seal
  2. 2.Chairs and a table
  3. 3.Logs, with the sides open
  4. 4.What this comparison does not include

A sheet is a short cover, not a winter seal

These listings do not say breathable. Wrap dry timber tightly and daytime sun plus a cold night still leaves condensation on the inside. Plot & Patio treats a tight plastic sheet on damp timber as a way to hold moisture, and a tarp as a short emergency rather than a whole winter. That is their guidance, not a test of these ASINs. Dry the chairs and the table first. A weekend of rain, with a slope and a gap, is a different job from November to March with the hem pegged to the patio. You do not need 6 × 9 m for four chairs.

Chairs and a table

Measure the set and add spare for the slope. Velway's green 2 × 3 m at £9.43 states 100 gsm, with grommets every 0.5 m, and 720 g is about 120 g/m². The clear 2 × 3 m leno is that size only if you also need daylight: clear or coloured tarpaulin. A larger set may need ANSIO's 3 × 4 m at £7.45, stated 70 gsm, or the green SolaDirect 3 × 4 m at £11.99, which lists rope and states no GSM. Slope the sheet so rain leaves onto the ground, leave a gap at the hem, and do not peg the skirt tight.
Velway Velway 2 × 3 m tarpaulin

Testsieger

Velway Velway 2 × 3 m tarpaulin
7.2/10about £9.43
View offer

Logs, with the sides open

Mortimers Fuels and Tarpaflex say cover the top, leave the sides open, and raise the wood off the soil. A full wrap traps condensation. The shared SolaDirect reviews, which are not one size, describe a woodstore front fastened at the top with a gap at the bottom. Copy the pattern: top and windward face, bottom open, stack on bearers. A coloured sheet shades the stack. A clear leno lets light through, which you want on plants and not on firewood. None of these sheets has a fire rating. The tarpaulin buying guide still applies if the stack will sit out for more than a few wet days.

What this comparison does not include

A fitted, breathable cover with vents is a different product, and it is not one of these twelve. A zipped door and a PVC curtain are not here either. A tighter polyethylene wrap does not become breathable because it was cheaper. If a four-seat set must stay out from November to March, store the cushions and frames, or buy a vented cover made for that job. For a short wet weekend, match the size to the set, leave a small air gap at the hem, and take the sheet off once the rain has passed.

Common questions

Can you cover garden chairs with a tarpaulin?
Yes, for a short spell, if the chairs are dry, the sheet slopes, and air can move at the hem. SolaDirect, ANSIO, Velway, and Simplz name garden furniture as a use. They are loose sheets, not fitted covers. A sheet pegged tight to wet timber holds damp against the wood.
Why does a tight plastic sheet grow mould?
The plastic does not let moisture out, and warm days plus cold nights leave condensation inside. UK garden guidance treats that as a reason to avoid a sealed winter wrap. Dry the furniture first, leave a gap, and do not leave wet cushions under the sheet. None of these listings claims to be breathable.
How should a log stack be covered?
Cover the top, leave the sides open, and raise the logs off the soil. A front can be fastened at the top with a gap at the bottom, which is a theme in the shared SolaDirect reviews, not a test of one size. A full wrap to the ground traps damp. Put the front on for rain, then take it off.
Should cushions stay outside under the sheet?
For more than a brief shower, no. Take them indoors. A tarpaulin on wet cushions seals that water in. The sheet can cover dry frames for a few wet days if air can move at the edge. It is not a cushion store for the winter.
Is a 6 × 9 m sheet the right size for a table and chairs?
Usually not. KAV's 6 × 9 m costs £39.99, and its stated 130 gsm is not confirmed by 5.18 kg. A table and chairs are closer to Velway's 2 × 3 m, or to a 3 × 4 m ANSIO or green SolaDirect if the set is bigger. Spare plastic becomes a sail and a pool if you cannot slope it.
Does the sheet need a slope on a patio?
Yes. A flat sheet holds water, and the small B2C listing says a sheet with no run-off may leak. Slope the cover so rain leaves onto the ground. Velway reviews name pooling as what shortens life. Ties and the fall are set out on the securing page.
When is a fitted cover a better idea than these sheets?
When the furniture must stay outside all winter and you need vents rather than a sealed skin. That product is not in these twelve listings. For a weekend of rain, a sloped sheet with an air gap is what these tarpaulins can do. For a season of storage, move the set or buy a cover made for it.

Related pages

Tarpaulin

Best heavy duty tarpaulin: check GSM, not the title

Tarpaulin buying guide: size, GSM, eyelets and rope

Clear tarpaulin or coloured: when you need daylight or shade

How to secure a tarpaulin: use every eyelet and give a fall

Sources

Public UK sources on quality, description, unsafe products, scaffolds, and advertising claims. Prices, stars, and review counts are from the twelve amazon.co.uk listings read on 15 October 2026. Prices move.

  1. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  2. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 11 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  3. General Product Safety Regulations 2005, regulation 5 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  4. HSE, scaffolds (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  5. Fire Safety Order 2005, article 6 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  6. GOV.UK, consumer protection rights (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  7. Citizens Advice, faulty goods (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  8. CAP Code, section 3 (retrieved 16 October 2026)