When sofa cushions go flat, the cover is usually fine and it's the foam that has given up. Replacing the foam costs far less than a new sofa, and it's a job most people can do at home.
Seats and backs need different foam
- Seat cushions: blue high density foam, 33 kg/m³. It's firm and holds up to being sat on every day.
- Back cushions: white foam, 28 kg/m³. Softer, for leaning against.
- A softer top layer: some people add a thin memory foam layer (60 kg/m³) on top of a firm seat.
How thick?
Match the depth of the cover. Most sofa seat cushions are between 3 and 6 inches deep; dining and kitchen chair pads are usually 1 to 2 inches. Our blue firm upholstery foam sheet comes from 1 to 6 inches thick.
How to measure
- Unzip the cover and measure the cover, not the old foam, which will have shrunk.
- Measure length, width and depth at the seams.
- Many upholsterers cut the foam about 1 cm larger than the cover each way so the cushion looks full.
More detail in foam cut to size: how to measure and which foam to choose.
Getting new foam into the cover
Wrap the foam in thin plastic, such as a bin bag, so it slides in, then pull the plastic out once the foam is in place. Some people wrap the foam in polyester wadding first for a rounder, fuller look.
Custom shapes
We cut single pieces up to 80 x 46 inches, including circles, rounded corners and bevelled edges. Send us your measurements for anything not listed.
Delivery
UK delivery is £5.99, free on orders over £50. Everything is made in our Manchester unit and sent flat at full thickness, never vacuum packed or rolled.