Tropitone Refines Its Cushion Collections

Furniture World Magazine

Tropitone Furniture Co., a leading manufacturer of fine casual furniture, announced that it is refining several of its cushion collections with the goal of bringing additional comfort and style to outdoor rooms, patios and the poolside. According to Michael Echolds, chief executive officer of Tropitone, the goal of the company’s focused cushion program is to create cushions that more closely resemble the look and feel of upholstered indoor cushions, which not only retain their look over time, but also continue to provide excellent support. “We want to offer the highest quality cushions in the casual furniture marketplace. To achieve this goal, we are continuously seeking innovative ways to deliver improved functionality and superior comfort in our outdoor seating solutions. “The standard underlying most consumer expectations of the ideal outdoor cushion is the quality and comfort of the cushions they experience with their indoor upholstered furniture. These indoor cushions are most often made with a combination of foam and fiber and, in some cases, with such natural materials as feathers and down. In contrast, outdoor cushions generally are made without natural materials or foam since both tend to retain water. As a result, outdoor cushions rarely meet consumer expectations for softness, support and a shape that can be maintained over time,” Echolds said. Victoria Dawson, the Tropitone designer who is leading this refocused cushion effort for the company, said that the specific kinds of materials used in a cushion as well as the way in which the cushion is constructed are the most important factors determining a cushion’s overall quality and durability. According to Dawson, Tropitone’s refined outdoor cushions are more water-resistant and have the sophisticated and stylish look as well as the soft feel of the cushions offered by the leading manufacturers of high-quality indoor furniture. This indoor comfort and style is made possible by using a unique blend of different types of filling. “To ensure that the new Tropitone cushions provide superior support and also maintain their shape,” Dawson said, “we focused on improving the way the cushions are constructed. The new cushion construction, Relax Plus, features ‘envelopes’ filled with polyester fiber that has been ‘combed’ apart and is blown into channels similar to those in a ‘channeled’ down comforter. These channels keep the filling from moving around and slipping to the outside edges of the cushion. This polyester-filled envelope with its significant loft surrounds and protects a foam core. The result is superior support, comfort, and durability -- as well as a soft look and feel not typically found in outdoor cushions. In addition, the unique construction of Relax Plus and the cushions’ materials -- which include a water resistant interior fabric -- enable them to be more water resistant. If the inner core of the cushions does get wet, it does not retain the moisture,” she said. Founded in 1954, Tropitone is based in Irvine, California, and is recognized throughout the casual furniture marketplace for its design leadership as well as its commitment to service and value. The company sells its products to retailers, designers and the hospitality trade under the Tropitone and Basta Sole trademarks. In addition to its headquarters and manufacturing plant in Irvine, the company operates a manufacturing facility in Sarasota, Florida. For more information about the company, visit www.tropitone.com.