By Seamline workshop, marine upholstery team. Updated September 27, 2026
Boat seats are usually covered in coated vinyl from makers such as Morbern, Spradling, Nautolex and Sunbrella Horizon. Tops and covers use woven acrylic such as Sunbrella, sewn with PTFE thread such as Gore Tenara. Windows use clear vinyl such as Strataglass, rigid acrylic systems such as EZ2CY, or polycarbonate such as Tuffak and Makrolon.
What it is
Who makes what
01Seats wear coated vinyl from Morbern, Spradling, Nautolex and Sunbrella Horizon
02Tops and covers use woven acrylic such as Sunbrella, sewn with Gore Tenara
03Windows use clear vinyl such as Strataglass, or rigid acrylic from EZ2CY
Colors
Each brand and its colors
One line per brand, with the colors and photos the maker publishes.
Screen colors differ and shades shift between production runs, so ask us for samples before you choose.
On the boat
Which brand goes where
1Tops Sunbrella acrylic canvas
2Covers Sunbrella canvas or Stamoid Top
3Enclosure Strataglass or EZ2CY
4Seats Morbern, Spradling, Nautolex or Sunbrella Horizon
5Deck flooring Nautolex
Up close
Materials up close
Seat vinyl grain
Woven acrylic canvas
Clear panel edge
PTFE seam
Seat vinyl brands
Morbern makes vinyl coated fabrics for marine seating, with lines such as Seabrook, Bayside, Prodigy and Sanibel. OMNOVA makes Nautolex marine upholstery, and many of its lines carry the PreFixx protective finish.
Spradling makes coated fabrics for boats and says its Permacool technology lowers upholstery temperature by up to 26 degrees F against regular vinyl-coated fabric. Sunbrella, known mainly for canvas, also makes Horizon marine vinyl with 4-way stretch.
Canvas and thread brands
Sunbrella is a trademark of Glen Raven. Its marine fabrics are solution dyed, so the color runs through the fiber. Gore makes Tenara thread from ePTFE fiber and guarantees it to outlast the fabric it is sewn into.
Clear window brands
Strataglass makes coated press-polished clear vinyl for roll-up curtains. EZ2CY builds enclosures from rigid acrylic panels. Tuffak Marine 5 from Plaskolite is a hard-coated polycarbonate sheet that can be cut and sewn, and Makrolon is Covestro's polycarbonate.
Who makes what
Brand
Maker
What it is
Goes on
Sunbrella
Glen Raven
Acrylic canvas, upholstery fabric, Horizon vinyl
Tops, covers, cushions, seats
Spradling
Spradling
Coated fabrics, Permacool lines
Seats
Morbern
Morbern
Vinyl coated fabrics
Seats and trim
Nautolex
OMNOVA
Marine vinyl upholstery and flooring
Seats, floors, tops
Strataglass
Strataglass
Coated clear vinyl
Roll-up curtains
EZ2CY
EZ2CY
Rigid acrylic enclosure system
Bridge and cockpit enclosures
Tuffak Marine 5
Plaskolite
Hard-coated polycarbonate sheet
Clear panels
Makrolon
Covestro
Polycarbonate
Clear panels
Tenara
Gore
ePTFE sewing thread
Seams in the sun
What we use and why
The brand your boat already has, when we match one panel
Outdoor seating vinyl for exposed seats, acrylic canvas for tops
PTFE thread and coated clear vinyl on anything in full sun
Questions
Questions boat owners ask
Which marine vinyl brand should I pick?
Pick by use, not by name. Match the vinyl already on the boat when only part is redone, and check that the line is rated for outdoor marine seating.
Who makes Nautolex now?
OMNOVA makes Nautolex marine upholstery and lists the PreFixx protective finish on many of its lines.
Is Sunbrella only for canvas?
No. Sunbrella makes marine canvas for tops and covers, softer upholstery fabrics for cushions, and Horizon marine vinyl for seats.
Next step
Get a quote
Send a photo of your seats or top. We tell you which brand is on it and what fits.
