CushionGuide
Get a quote

The Cutting Table · a common question

Is the backrest the same length as the seat cushion?

Also asked as:Is the back cushion the same size as the bottom?If I buy a 59 in seat, will the back be 59?

Order a 59-inch seat and you get a 59-inch back. The rest is height, and height is where the choosing happens.

Answered by

The Elder of High Point ·

The quick answer

Yes, a backrest cushion is made the same length as the seat cushion, so a 59 in (150 cm) seat comes with a 59 in back. The standard backrest is 16 in (40 cm) high and 4 in (10 cm) thick, tufted like the seat. Height can run from about 8 in to 16 in or taller.

Navy, red, green and white harlequin box cushion with two navy back pillows on a wooden bench against a weathered board wallSave
Two navy pillows lean on a weathered board wall above a harlequin seat cushion, with a deck dining table and kettle grill behind.

Get a quote for a floor cushion

Key facts

  • The backrest is made the same length as the seat.
  • Standard backrest: 16 in (40 cm) high and 4 in (10 cm) thick.
  • On the thick floor-couch style, the backrest is 4-5 in (10-13 cm) thick.
  • Backrest height can be made from about 8 in (20 cm) to 16 in (40 cm) or more.
  • A curved or rounded top and a two-piece split are possible.
  • Backrest tufting matches the seat.
  • Round armrests are made 4 in (10 cm) shorter than the seat depth.

Have it made

Have Harlan’s workshop cut this for you

The best cushions I have known began with somebody asking one more question. Ask yours here. — Harlan

Leave your details and the workshop will call you to confirm measurements, fabric, foam and piping. No prices, dates or payment on this page: it is a request, not an order.

Fabric · Foam · Pipingwhat the workshop will confirm with you

Fabric
The cover cloth: weave, color and care code.
Foam
The core: its density and thickness set the feel.
Piping
The corded seam edge: matching, contrast or none.
Only for this request: no marketing calls or texts. Outside the US, add the country code.
In inches: length × depth × thickness, plus any angles or cut corners.

* Required. A member of the workshop team will call you to talk it through; nothing is charged and nothing is made until you have agreed on every detail with them.

We use these details only to answer this request and make your cushion: your name and contact details, the cushion details and photos you send, the page you came from and the ad or link that brought you, if any. The workshop that makes the cushions receives them. We don't sell them or share them for advertising, and we delete requests after 24 months. Privacy notice for requests.

Nothing is made or charged until you approve the details.

Want to pick the shape and add photos? Use the full quote form

Seat to back, in sizes buyers ordered

Seat you orderBackrest that comes with it
59 in (150 cm) tufted seat59 in long, 16 in (40 cm) high, 4 in (10 cm) thick
65 in (165 cm) seat65 in long, same tufting
16 x 29 x 6 in floor cushion16 x 29 in back, 4 in thick
31 x 31 in floor cushionMade to the seat's 31 in width
Thick floor-couch seatThe seat's length, 4-5 in thick

Why the back follows the seat

A back that runs shorter than its seat looks like a coat with the sleeves cut off. So on the tufted floor cushion and bench sets, the backrest is made the same length as the seat, and on custom floor cushions it matches the seat's footprint. You choose the seat; the back follows.

What you do choose is height. Sixteen inches is the standard; lower works, down to about 8 in, and taller is no trouble. Read back cushion height and the tufted floor couch set sizes before you settle it.

The round armrest bolsters are the one piece that doesn't match: they're made 4 in shorter than the seat depth, the same 4 in a standard backrest takes up. How tall is the wall behind your seat, my friend?

What can change on a back without changing its length

  • Height, from about 8 in (20 cm) to 16 in (40 cm) or taller
  • A curved or rounded top edge
  • A split into two pieces
  • Custom dimensions, such as 36 in W x 8 in D x 12 in H
  • The same tufting as the seat

Round armrests on a floor cushion set are made 4 in shorter than the seat depth, while the backrest runs the seat's full length.

Harlan Pruitt
Share on X (opens a new window)

Buyer questions

  1. A common question

    If I order a custom floor cushion, what size is the back cushion?

    The workshop's answer

    The back matches the seat's footprint. A 16 x 29 x 6 in (41 x 74 x 15 cm) seat got a 16 x 29 in backrest at the standard 4 in thickness, and a 31 x 31 in seat gets a back made to its width.

  2. A common question

    How tall is the backrest, and can the shape change?

    The workshop's answer

    Standard is 16 in (40 cm) high and 4 in (10 cm) thick. The top can be curved or rounded, the back split in two, or the piece made to custom dimensions such as 36 in W x 8 in D x 12 in H.

  3. A common question

    If the seat is 59 in (150 cm), is the back 59 in too?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes, they're made the same length. The standard back is 16 in tall and can be made taller, and the round armrests are 4 in shorter than the seat depth.

Questions buyers ask next

What if the wall behind my seat is shorter than the seat run?

Order the back to the length you need. Backrests can be shorter than the seat and added as their own item, with the size, fabric code and the word 'backrest' in the personalization box.

Does a tufted backrest have a zippered cover?

No. Tufting is sewn through the filling, so a tufted back has no zipper. If you want a back whose cover comes off, ask for a plain, non-tufted backrest instead.

Are the seat and the backrest joined together?

No. Seat, backrest and bolsters are separate pieces, so the back can lie flat or be used on its own. Corner ties can be sewn on if you'd like the pieces tied together.