Product Spotlight: Outdoor Vinyl
A Solution to Outdoor Vinyl
— The Problem No One Talks About Until Summer.
Dark synthetic leather in direct sun can reach 90°C.
That’s not an edge case in Australian outdoor hospitality. That’s Tuesday afternoon at a rooftop bar.
Vinyl is the outdoor upholstery workhorse — waterproof, bleach-cleanable, zero maintenance. The problem has always been colour. Dark synthetics absorb heat. Until now, the palette stopped where the sun started.
The Technology
Skai cool colours changes the equation.
Skai is manufactured by Continental — the global technology group behind some of the world’s most demanding automotive interiors. Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Tesla.
80%
NEAR-INFRARED RADIATION REFLECTED
25%
REDUCTION IN HEAT BUILD-UP
The darker the colour, the greater the effect.
Full colour freedom. Outdoors. Finally.
Two worth knowing now
Cool colours Venezia
Sporty textile grain. UV-stable, weatherproof, nano-coated. The outdoor workhorse with a design edge.
Cool colours Valero
Refined leather grain. Same cool colors technology. For outdoor spaces that need to read premium.
What to look for in outdoor vinyl
- Cool colors technologyReflects near-infrared radiation. Keeps dark surfaces touchable in direct sun.
- UV stabilityNon-negotiable. Colour and structure must hold through an Australian summer.
- Nano-coatingWeatherproof, dirt-repellent, chlorine and moisture resistant.
- LightfastnessSame standard as fabric. If it can’t handle UV, it won’t last a season.
Building an outdoor project this winter that needs to cool down? Request your Skai cool colors samples now — available exclusively through Hume Internationale in Australia and New Zealand.
The Full Range
Beyond outdoor.
The Skai range has every brief covered.
The Skai collection is one of the largest artificial leather ranges in the world. Extensive colour palette, durability extending to 500,000 Martindale, and range elements to meet any synthetic leather design requirement — from soft feel and matt finishes to PU, recycled, anti-bacterial and breathable. A specification for every interior and exterior brief.
Skai Pureto EN
Premium PU in a calfskin look. When the interior needs to read like leather.
Skai VyP Nappa
Breathable vinyl. Heat and moisture move through the surface, not against it. For spaces where people sit for a long time.
Skai Toronto EN
Staynu technology. Permanent marker, red wine, denim dye — all lift clean. The specification for interiors that take a beating and still need to look the part.
Good to know
Where is skai® used?
Cruise ships, hotels and restaurants, sports stadiums, hospitals, healthcare furniture, and retail environments worldwide.
Can I get samples?
Colour card or A4 loose sample format available through Hume Internationale.
Sun’s out. Colour’s in.
Finally, dark colours that don’t bite back.
Chosen in winter. Proven in summer.
