Circa50 Butterfly Chair Covers

Somehow this has turned into a saga. Two years ago I bought some replacement covers (actually two different kinds ugh) for our backyard vintage butterfly chair frames and wrote this long post on places to find them. I have detailed info there, but to summarize: if you want replacement canvas covers for your (non folding) vintage frames, check out Circa50, D & J Patio, Unique Contemporary Solutions, or Amazon (if you are willing to dig around in the reviews to make sure of sizing!). If you want replacement outdoor vinyl covers, only Circa50 and D & J sell them, as far as I know.

Since I needed outdoor covers, I opted for the cheaper ones from D & J and, while I was previously mostly happy with the purchase, both covers met their end last month within 20 minutes of each other – and while we were sitting in them ha! The weakness in these covers is that the edging is not made of the same outdoor fabric as the seat (and the color doesn’t even match) and that minor annoyance proved to be the literal weakest link. I repaired a small ripped seam last fall in one of the covers, but both covers ripped straight through at the edges in multiple places last month when we went to use them for the first time this year. After less than 2 years of full sun/weather exposure in our backyard, the canvas binding and thread just didn’t withstand the elements in the same way the vinyl seat did. So now my cheap solution is turning into a costly one that could have been avoided. Arg.

I ordered a pair of vinyl outdoor covers from Circa50 last week, like I should have done to begin with. They arrived quickly and are an upgrade. The fabric/edging is great and the choice of sizes meant that I could get a better fit. My chair is a weird size, 29″ across the top and 27.5″ across the bottom. Since I was in between sizes and I’ve heard that sizing up is a good idea, I went with a size C and it fits great. I think I could have even gone up one more. My only regret is not ordering them in the first place!

Here are some side by sides for comparison.D & J:Circa50:The weather magically turned wonderful this week and I’m in full freshen up the yard mode, which right now mostly involves pulling 10,000 weeds (and doing my annual google search of DIY swimming pools). Happy yard work everybody!

15 thoughts on “Circa50 Butterfly Chair Covers”

  1. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!! you just saved me a TON of time and fretting over comparisons. I’m going straight to Circa50 for the vinyl ones. Just want you to know your work and time helped at least one over-analyzer out there in the world…ME.

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  2. Checking in to see how those covers have faired over the past two years…have they held up in durability and color? (Wish there was a lime green or orange in the vinyl!!)

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    1. Hi! The only thing to report is that a few months ago the banding around the edge started getting stringy and powdery and I think it’s starting to deteriorate. They are still structurally sound and we still use them, but that part no longer looks new. Ours are out in the elements 24/7. The vinyl seat part is still in PERFECT condition and I will 100% go with them again when the time comes. As far as lime green and orange, I know Circa50 started carrying neon orange and neon yellow last month but it looks like they aren’t on the website yet – not sure if that’s in the vinyl or how “neon” the colors are, but might be worth contacting them about!! Hope that helps :)

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      1. Thanks so much for the rapid response and update! DH couldn’t commit to the white…so we were going to settle for tan. The owners were so helpful via email, recommendations on doing the edge in a different color…so accommodating! When I called to place the order, we got to talking and he said they have a new offering in a splendid gray which will look spectacular with our blue-gray home! So excited! Thanks again for your review and your update! Will keep you posted on when they come in!

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      2. Hi Jenny, at Circa50, we do repairs at no charge. Just send it back and we’ll replace that webbing, no problem. And I’m happy to report that we now have Salsa in Vinyl weave and it’s a huge hit! ~Steve Dunning, owner Circa50

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  3. I was lucky enough to find CIRCA50 when I was first searching for covers for our chairs. I bought my first set in 2010 and have bought them in a variety of colors over the years. I love them and they provide amazing service. Thank you for all the info. They aren’t selling the covers online right now (maybe because of COVID) and I was doing some searching to see if I could buy from somewhere else but after reading your review, I’m just going to wait because I’ll be happier in the end. :)

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    1. Actually, they are selling the covers…you just can’t order online right now. I called (1-877-247-2250) and spoke with the owners as well as received emails (circa50@sover.net) about ordering.

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  4. Jenny, I stumbled upon your posts about Butterfly chair covers and I wanted to let you know that as of Monday, March 15, 2021, D&J told me they were going to pull down their page for BF chair covers and not sell them anymore. I’m now going to check out Circa50.

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    1. I highly recommended circa 50! They helped me pick out a fantastic color in the vinyl weave so no more worrying about weatherability!!! Have had them almost a year and they still look new. Here in ATL, that includes pollen hades in spring , full sun humid sticky summer and exposed to the wet rainy fall and winter with a tiny amount of snow.

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  5. Thank you so much for all the research and the updates as I am needing to replace my outdoor only covers. By the way, your patio and retaining wall came out great! I love the mid-century vibe 😊

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  6. Our CIRCA 50 covers will be 2 years old in May and still look and feel brand new! They are always outside on our front porch exposed to full sun for most of the day.

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  7. We have 4 Circa50 Vinyl covers(different sizes as I didn’t realize that my vintage chairs were not the same). They came the following week. Mine are the navy blue. The vinyl is a little brighter of a blue than the edging but I’m used to it now. They are a wonderful company and I am so pleased to be able to finally use some chairs that my parents had in the ‘60’s. I have 3 more up in the attic!
    The owner is so friendly. I almost wanted to drive to Vermont to meet him. Could not find them anywhere else and I love that they are made in the US.

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