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Box, crowned, knife-edge, loose, attached, seat, back, foam, latex, or down: every type of furniture cushion explained, with what each one is best for.
Take the cushions off your sofa and you'll probably find they aren't all alike.
The seats have crisp, boxed edges, the backs are soft and pillowy, and the cushions out on the patio dry within an hour of a rainstorm. Every type of cushion comes down to a few choices: how it's sewn, how its edges are finished, how it sits on the frame, where it goes, and what's inside. Once you can name those, you can tell exactly what you have and order a replacement that looks and feels the way you want.
We've been making cushions since 1999 for more than 150,000 customers. Part 1 of this guide explains each type of cushion so you can identify what you have. Part 2 covers how to choose firmness and fabric and put together an order.
The most common way to describe a cushion is by how it's sewn. The style sets the look, and it decides which measurement matters when you order a replacement.
The traditional style for sofas, chairs, and benches. A top and bottom panel are joined by a strip of fabric around the sides (the boxing), giving the cushion a uniform thickness and crisp edges.
A box cushion sewn with room for extra fill, so the top domes slightly in the middle for a plusher look. Often paired with a down envelope.
Two panels sewn together at a single seam, like a throw pillow, with no boxing strip. It's the softest look and suits back cushions and deep seats, but with less structure it can be less comfortable to sit on.
Not sure of the shape? Our replacement cushions by shape page covers rectangles, T-cushions, L-shapes, and more.
The seam is the finishing detail that changes the character of a cushion. Any of the styles above can be paired with any of these.
A fabric-covered cord sewn into the seam. It gives a professional, tailored look.
Shows the sewing line on the outside of the cushion for a more contemporary, modern look.
No seam along the front edge. The fabric wraps around the foam in one direction for a clean, continuous face.
Two seams stitched together for extra strength. It can be enclosed or left exposed as a detail.
Before you order, look at how the cushion sits on the furniture. It decides whether you can swap it out yourself.
Rests on the seat or bench without being permanently attached, so it's easy to remove, flip, or replace. Most sofa, chair, and bench cushions are loose.
The foam and fabric are fixed directly to the frame, like a built-in booth or a tight-seat chair. Replacing it takes an upholsterer, though you can still order custom-cut foam for them to install.
A loose cushion that tends to slide around can be built with a way to hold it in place.
Sewn into the cushion to secure it to the furniture, a built-in seat, or the cushion next to it.
A secure hold that can be left showing as a decorative touch.
For a hidden attachment, clips sewn into the cushion fasten to rings on the seat.
Where a cushion sits changes what it needs to do. Seat cushions carry your full weight, so they're built firmer. Back cushions only take the weight you lean into them, so they're softer than the seat.
The firmest cushion on a sofa or chair, built to support you without sinking to the frame. Usually a box or crowned style.
Softer foam, or no foam at all. A fully filled pillow back is the softest option and suits deep seats where you lean back further.
Picking firmness for a seat or back cushion? Use the firmness finder in Part 2.
Two cushions can look identical and feel completely different because of what's inside. These are the four fill types you'll see most. For a full comparison of the foams themselves, see our guide to foam types.
The most common type. A core of polyurethane foam, usually high-resilience (HR) for everyday seating, finished with a Dacron wrap that fills out the cover and softens the edges.
Made with latex from the sap of rubber trees. Springy and long-lasting, and the base of an all-natural cushion when paired with organic latex, wool or cotton batting, and hemp fabric.
A foam core inside a down or poly-fill envelope. It gives a fuller, more relaxed look and a stronger crown. Poly fill gives a similar look for less.
Outdoor cushions use reticulated (open-cell) foam that lets water drain straight through, so they dry quickly instead of staying soggy.
Commercial projects sometimes call for fire-retardant (CMHR) foam. It's used mainly in hotels, schools, and other public spaces and is rarely required at home.
Firmness is measured by ILD: the weight it takes to press a 7″ × 7″ area of foam down by 1″. The higher the number, the firmer the foam. The right number depends on where the cushion sits and how thick it is, so pick both below.
Plush and sink-in. Works when there's plenty of foam depth to hold you up.
Balanced comfort for mid-thickness seats and back cushions.
Supportive without feeling hard. Right for thinner seats and slim backs.
Keeps a thin cushion from bottoming out when you sit down.
Fabric is the part everyone sees, so it's tempting to choose on looks alone. Four things matter most when you pick one: color, feel, availability, and cost. After that, a few practical questions will save you trouble later.
For a sofa or chair you sit on every day, choose an upholstery-grade fabric made for heavy use.
If the cushion will see rain, sprinklers, or humidity, it needs outdoor fabric. Manufacturers state whether a fabric is rated for indoor or outdoor use, so check before you buy.
Patterns need a direction. Tell us which way the stripe or pattern should run on each cushion.
Make sure the fabric is in stock in the yardage you need, and consider ordering a little extra. A spare length means you can replace one damaged cushion later with a perfect match.
Before you commit, order a swatch so you can see the color and feel the fabric in your own light.
Run through these before you order and tick each one off as you go. Once you can answer every question, you have everything you need to order.
Put your answers together and you have a specification: a short description that tells us exactly what to make. Here's an example for a set of sofa seat cushions.
Cushions are usually grouped four ways: by style (box, crowned, knife-edge), by attachment (loose or upholstered to the frame), by position (seat, back, pillow back), and by fill (HR foam, latex, down-wrapped, or outdoor foam).
Most sofa seat cushions are loose box cushions with an HR foam core and a Dacron wrap. Backs are either softer box cushions or fully filled pillow backs. For a plusher look, seats can be crowned or down-wrapped.
A box cushion has a strip of fabric (the boxing) around its sides, giving it a uniform thickness and crisp edges. A knife-edge cushion is two panels sewn together at one seam, like a throw pillow, so it's softer and less structured.
For everyday seating, a cushion with a high-resilience (HR) foam core typically lasts 15–20 years, and latex cushions 10–15 years. Lower-cost conventional foam lasts about 3–5 years.
Enter your dimensions, choose your foam, fabric, and finish, and we'll cut and sew your cushions to order.
Mike leads the family of foam and upholstery brands behind FoamOrder.com and Upholster.com, which have served consumer and commercial customers for over 20 years. A graduate of Duke University and Harvard Business School, he works directly on helping customers get the exact foam and cushions they need. More about Mike →
