How to Measure a Custom Rectangle Ottoman Cover for Patio Footstools

A Rectangle Ottoman Cover has to do a job that no other cover on the patio does. Sit lower than everything else. Take direct impact from feet, kids, and the occasional dropped drink. Handle the same weather that hits a sofa, but at half the size and twice the abrasion per square inch.

It's the smallest cover most patios need. It's also the one that fails first when it's not built right — because the small size hides the fact that ottoman covers work harder than they look. Close to the ground means close to the pollen, the puddle splash, the wet leaves that don't get raked off the corner. The corners themselves take the abrasion that sofa corners never see, because ottoman corners are the closest thing on the patio to floor-level grit.

Custom rectangle ottoman cover solves the sizing problem in one order — take three measurements, pick a fabric weight, and submit your order. But the sizing conversation is only half the game with ottomans. The other half is understanding why low-profile pieces need cover choices that a sofa or chair cover wouldn't. This guide covers both.

Protecting Your Patio Footstools

Patio ottomans and footstools live one of the more overlooked lives in an outdoor setup. They're not the centerpiece anyone looks at. They're not the piece someone measures carefully before buying. They're the pair of low, wide, upholstered boxes that sit in front of the deep-seating chairs — and when they're not being used, they sit uncovered because the covers designed for the chairs don't reach them.

That's a problem. Ottoman cushions absorb water fast (they're soft, unlike a table or grill), the frames underneath are usually the same wicker or aluminum as the chair frames, and both parts age poorly when exposed. An ottoman that spends three years uncovered on a humid patio can look ten years older than the matched chair set that lived under the same conditions.

A custom cover fixes that. It also fixes the aesthetic problem of a patio where the chairs are wearing tailored covers and the ottomans are wearing garbage bags because nobody found a fitted option that worked.

Ottoman Cover Sizing: Width, Depth, and Height

1. Width (longest side of the ottoman, edge to edge)

Measure across the longer side of the ottoman at its widest point. For most rectangular patio ottomans, this is 24 to 36 inches. Some larger ottomans built as coffee-table alternatives can push 42 to 48 inches.

Include any cushion overhang. Most ottomans have a soft top cushion that sits an inch or two proud of the frame at every edge. The cover has to clear the cushion — measure across the outermost span, cushion included.

2. Depth (shorter side, edge to edge)

Measure across the shorter side of the ottoman, edge to edge, again with any cushion overhang factored in. For most rectangular ottomans, depth runs 18 to 28 inches.

Some outdoor ottomans have a fabric skirt or a decorative rail at the base — measure to the outer edge of whatever protrudes furthest. If the skirt tucks back under the frame on one side and hangs looser on another, the wider dimension is what the cover has to clear.

3. Height (ground to top of cushion, plus 1-inch clearance)

Straight vertical measurement from the patio surface to the top of the cushion when the cushion is in its normal seated position. For most patio ottomans, this is 14 to 20 inches total.

Add 1 inch of ground clearance to the height number before entering it. That gap is critical on ottomans specifically — the piece sits so close to the patio that less than 1 inch of clearance means the hem drags on grit and pollen every time the cover moves. One inch is the sweet spot: high enough to clear surface debris, low enough to keep wind from lifting the cover off a piece this light. Or check if the covers are provided with 1-2 inch leeway, then you don’t need to do this math. It’s been taken care of. 

Why Low-Profile Items Need Proper Air Flow?

This is where ottoman covers differ most from covers on larger furniture. On a sofa or a chair cover, there's enough vertical space between the cover fabric and the piece underneath that some natural air circulation happens even when the cover is fully secured. Humidity moves in and out through the folds.

Ottoman covers don't have that vertical space. The cover sits within a few inches of the cushion top all the way around, and the interior air pocket is small enough that any moisture that gets trapped stays trapped.

The engineering solution is ventilation pockets on the side panels of the cover. Every ZIPCovers ottoman cover ships with them. They're small, they don't affect the look, but they release humid air that would otherwise pool inside the cover after rain or during humid days.

The habit solution is the 1-inch ground clearance mentioned above. That gap under the hem is what lets ambient air move under and around the cover between rains, keeping the interior from becoming a sealed humidity chamber.

Together the two — vented sides plus ground clearance — prevent the mildew line that unmanaged ottoman covers usually develop where the cushion meets the frame. That mildew line is the single most common failure mode on outdoor ottomans, and it's what makes ottoman covers people bought from cheap outlets end up in the trash by year two.

Buckles and Drawstring Fasteners

Every ZIPCovers ottoman cover ships with sturdy tie-downs as per user preferences. On an ottoman, the drawstring runs the full perimeter of the hem, and cinches snug against the frame legs or the base of the piece.

That drawstring alone is enough for most installations. Ottomans sit low, so they catch less wind than taller furniture — the fabric doesn't have the surface area for wind to work against.

But for anywhere with real wind exposure — coastal patios, hilltop yards, any open location where storms roll through with intent — add the leg-buckle strap upgrade. On an ottoman, the buckles loop under the frame at the four corners and click into the hem. For a piece as light as an ottoman, four anchor points prevent the wind lift that would otherwise send the cover skittering across the patio during the first serious gust.

The buckle upgrade is a nominal cost on most cover styles. On an ottoman specifically, it's worth choosing by default in windy locations because the piece is small enough that a lost cover blowing over the fence is a real outcome, not a hypothetical one.

Order Ottoman Covers

Enter your three numbers on the Custom Rectangle Ottoman Cover product page — width across the longer side (cushion overhang included), depth across the shorter side, and height with the 1-inch ground clearance added. Choose the fabric weight — Zip Armor 18 oz PVC for open-yard year-round use, Zip Shield for covered-patio installations. Pick the securing option: drawstring only for calm patios, add leg buckles for anywhere wind reaches.

Customer care reviews the numbers before the vinyl is cut. If the dimensions look unusual for an ottoman — a height that reads more like a coffee table, a width smaller than typical — they'll email or chat you back to confirm before anything is touched.

Once the cover ships, tracking arrives by email. The 10-year warranty on the Zip Armor line covers manufacturer defects — seam separation, coating failure, cover-fit issues. If anything doesn't read right when the cover arrives, customer care will work it out at sales@zipcovers.com or +1 720-882-0756.

For patios with multiple ottomans, order them all with matched specs — same fabric weight, same securing option. Consistency across a set looks better than mismatched securing, and it makes the seasonal on-and-off routine simpler when every cover behaves the same way.

Quick-Answer Box 

Related Guides & Collections from ZIPCovers

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. Should the cover go all the way to the ground?

No — leave 1 inch of ground clearance between the cover hem and the patio surface. On an ottoman specifically, that 1-inch gap matters more than on any larger cover because the piece sits so close to the patio. Less than 1 inch and the hem drags on grit and pollen every time the cover moves, wearing out the drawstring channel within a season. The 1-inch clearance keeps the hem out of the surface debris, lets ambient air move underneath so humidity doesn't get trapped, and prevents the moisture-wicking that would otherwise happen when the patio surface is wet after a rain. The drawstring at the hem cinches snug against the ottoman frame so the cover stays put despite the ground clearance.

2. What if my ottoman has a cushion?

Measure with the cushion on the ottoman, in its normal seated position. Ottoman cushions sit an inch or two proud of the frame at every edge — the cover has to clear the cushion, not the frame alone. For ottomans with removable cushions that come off during storms or for storage, note both dimensions (with cushion and without) in the order comments. Customer care will pick the one that gives you the cleaner drape. If the cushion stays on the ottoman continuously, measure once with the cushion in place and enter that number.

3. How do I prevent mildew under an ottoman cover?

Two habits handle most of it. First, once a month during humid seasons, flip the cover off the ottoman on a dry day and let both the ottoman surface and the underside of the cover fully sun-dry for two hours before re-securing. Second, keep the ventilation grommets clear — they sit on the side panels and release humid air after rain, but leaves and pollen can block them. A quick brush across the grommets each spring is enough to keep them working. For patios in genuinely humid climates (coastal Florida, Gulf Coast, Pacific Northwest), a light spray of vinegar-and-water mix on the interior once a season kills any mildew starting to form before it takes hold.

4. What if my ottoman is an odd shape or has integrated storage?

Custom covers ship in any shape, including ottomans with integrated storage compartments, ottomans paired with side trays, cube ottomans, round ottomans, and irregular custom-built pieces. For anything that doesn't match a standard rectangular ottoman footprint, use the Custom Shape product page and upload a sketch with dimensions marked on each edge. For ottomans with lift-top storage where the cover needs to accommodate the lid opening, send a photo along with the measurements so customer care can build the cover with enough hem give to lift the top without removing the whole cover. Reach the team at sales@zipcovers.com or 720-882-0756.

5. What's the warranty on an ottoman cover?

The Zip Armor line — 18 oz 1000 Denier PVC-coated polyester — carries a 10-year warranty. The lighter Zip Shield line carries a 7-year warranty. Both cover manufacturer defects — seam separation, coating failure, cover-fit issues. Neither covers damage from mishandling (a sharp object dropped on top, a pet chewing the corner, a garden shear cut). To make a claim, email sales@zipcovers.com with photos of the issue and your order number.

Customize Your Ottoman Cover

An ottoman cover that fits right disappears into the patio setup. It sits an inch off the ground, hems snug against the frame, corners intact through a full season of pollen and rain and daily footsteps. When people look at the patio between uses, the ottomans look like the chairs — protected, deliberate, part of the same set.

Take your three numbers with the cushion in place. Place your order and the cover will be delivered to your doorstep.