The Cutting Table · a question, worked through
Can I buy just the back cushion without the seat?
Plenty of benches already have a good seat. What they're missing is something honest to lean on.
Pinned by Harlan
The quick answer
Yes, a back cushion can be ordered on its own, in any size and color, with no seat cushion attached. You can add two armrests without a base, or round bolsters, and seat cushions sell alone too. One catch: a zippered, removable cover is only possible on a non-tufted backrest.
Get a quote for a bench seat and back cushion
Key facts
- Backrest-only orders are made in any size and color.
- Seven non-tufted banquette back pillows were made 14 in (36 cm) high and 3 in (8 cm) thick.
- A backrest can come with two armrests and no base.
- Round bolsters are sold separately.
- Only non-tufted backrests can have a zippered, removable cover.
- Seat cushions are sold alone through a separate listing.
- A backrest-only banquette order took 4 to 6 business days to make.
Have it made
Have Harlan’s workshop cut this for you
Old upholsterers will tell you the real cutting happens in the conversation, long before the shears come out. Tell the workshop what you sit on, and they will talk it through with you. — 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.
How the asking usually goes
“Can I buy just the back cushion?”
Yes. Any size, any color, no seat required.
“And two arms, but no base?”
That too. One backrest with two armrests and no base was 63 in (160 cm) wide.
“Can the cover zip off?”
Only if the backrest isn't tufted. Buttons stitched through the foam keep a cover where it is.
“I can't picture a backrest on its own.”
The workshop points you to a set listing that shows the backrest in place.
“What about the seat alone?”
Sold through a separate listing, like a 24 x 24 in (61 x 61 cm) linen seat with no back, made as a dog bed.
Seven backs for one banquette
A buyer wrote in wanting only the backs for a banquette. Seven plain back pillows in charcoal gray linen with matching piping, every one 14 in (36 cm) high and 3 in (8 cm) thick. Three at 21 in (53 cm), three at 26 in (66 cm), one at 27 in (69 cm). No seat, no buttons. They took 4 to 6 business days to make.
Three lengths, one height, one thickness. That's the kind of order that tells you somebody measured, my friend.
Why a tufted back keeps its cover
A seam is a promise, and a button is a bigger one. On a tufted backrest the buttons go through cover and foam together, so the cover stays on for good. On a plain backrest the cover can carry a zipper and come off. Decide that before the order, not after.
The backrest cushion pages show the shapes, the back cushion height Pattern helps you size one, and bolster pillows are sold on their own if a round back suits your bench better.
How tall is the wall behind your bench?
Seven banquette back pillows, 14 in high and 3 in thick, were made with no seat at all: a back cushion doesn't need a bench cushion to be ordered.
Harlan
Buyer questions
- A common question
Do you sell custom back cushions separately?
The workshop's answerYes. Back cushions are made to any size and color you choose.
- A common question
Can I buy only a backrest, or only bolsters?
The workshop's answerYes, backrests and round bolsters are sold separately. Two 4 in (10 cm) thick backrests, 7 x 63.75 in and 7 x 56 in, were made that way, and a zippered backrest is possible as long as it isn't tufted.
- A common question
Can I get a backrest and arms without the seat cushion?
The workshop's answerYes. A backrest alone, 13 in high by 50 in wide, was quoted, and so was a 63 in (160 cm) backrest with two armrests and no base. For buyers who couldn't picture it, the workshop pointed to listings where the backrest is shown as part of a set.
- A common question
How do I order back cushions to go with my bench cushion?
The workshop's answerAdd each backrest as its own cart item from the same listing, at its own size, and write the size, fabric code and 'backrest' in Add personalization. Backrests can be shorter than the seat; conflicting measurements are confirmed before production.
Questions buyers ask next
Should a back cushion be as thick as the seat cushion?
No. Many buyers choose a thicker, firmer seat and a thinner or softer back, such as 4 in (10 cm) backs on an 8 in (20 cm) seat, which also lowers the cost. Back cushions are usually a little narrower than the seat too.
Does a bench cushion price include a back cushion?
No. Standard bench and outdoor cushion listings price one seat cushion. Each back cushion is added as a separate item in its own size from the same listing, noted 'backrest' with your fabric code, so they're made as a matching set.
How tall should a back pillow be?
About 16 in (40 cm) is the standard backrest height, and 28 in (70 cm) is too tall. A 79 in (200 cm) daybed, for example, takes two back pillows of about 39 x 16 in (100 x 40 cm).
