---
title: "Back Cushion Only, No Seat: Backrests Made to Any Size"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/answers/buy-back-cushion-only-without-seat/"
section: "The Cutting Table"
author: "Harlan Pruitt, The Elder of High Point"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/harlan/"
published: "2026-04-06"
updated: "2026-09-24"
keywords: "back cushion only, backrest cushion without seat, custom back cushions, banquette back pillows, backrest with armrests"
---

# 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.*

Also asked as: Can I buy just the back cushion?; Possible to make just the backrest?

> **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.

![Charcoal triangular reading wedge cushion on a bed against a dark green wall, whippet asleep on a linen throw, brass sconce](https://cushionguide.com/media/backrest-cushions/charcoal-reading-wedge-dark-green-bedroom-whippet-1600.webp "A charcoal wedge turns a bed into a reading spot. The pet-friendly weave copes with the whippet who shares it.")

## 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.

## How the asking usually goes

1. **“Can I buy just the back cushion?”**: Yes. Any size, any color, no seat required.
2. **“And two arms, but no base?”**: That too. One backrest with two armrests and no base was 63 in (160 cm) wide.
3. **“Can the cover zip off?”**: Only if the backrest isn't tufted. Buttons stitched through the foam keep a cover where it is.
4. **“I can't picture a backrest on its own.”**: The workshop points you to a set listing that shows the backrest in place.
5. **“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](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/backrest-cushions/) pages show the shapes, the [back cushion height Pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/back-cushion-height-sizing/) helps you size one, and [bolster pillows](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/bolster-pillows/) are sold on their own if a round back suits your bench better.

How tall is the wall behind your bench?

> **Tailor's margin:** A back cushion can be ordered alone in any size, but only a non-tufted backrest can have a zippered cover that comes off for washing.

> 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 answer:** Yes. 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 answer:** Yes, 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 answer:** Yes. 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 answer:** Add 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).

## Related at the atelier

- [Can I buy just the L-shaped corner backrests without the sofa?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/l-shaped-corner-backrest-without-sofa/): Yes, L-shaped backrests are sold on their own: choose the L-shaped backrest option on the listing or ask for a custom link.
- [How do I order back cushions to go with my bench cushion?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/how-to-order-back-cushions-with-bench-cushion/): To order back cushions with a bench cushion, add each backrest to the cart as a separate item from the same listing as the seat, at its own size.
- [Can I buy a replacement or extra backrest for my modular floor sofa?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/replacement-backrest-modular-floor-sofa/): Yes: straight and L-shaped backrests for a modular floor sofa are sold one at a time, with filling, matched to your original color through a private purchase link.
- [Reading Wedge Backrest in Charcoal for a Bed Shared with a Dog](https://cushionguide.com/readings/charcoal-reading-wedge-dark-green-bedroom-whippet/): A firm triangular reading wedge gives upright back support in bed without replacing your pillows, and it lasts when the finishing is right: piping that follows the slope, side panels that stand flat…
- [How tall should a back cushion be? Sizing backrests to your seat](https://cushionguide.com/guides/back-cushion-height-sizing/): A standard back cushion is 16 in (40 cm) tall and 4 in (10 cm) thick, made the same length as the seat, with its height measured from the top of the seat cushion.
- [Replacement sofa and couch cushions: measuring, foam and covers](https://cushionguide.com/guides/replacement-sofa-seat-cushions/): To replace sofa cushions, send the length, depth and thickness of each piece, measured from the old cushion if it fit well or from the seat deck if it didn't, with photos of a tape along every side.
- [Soft headboard cushions that hang from a rail, not a board](https://cushionguide.com/guides/headboard-cushions-without-a-board/)

*Sit well. — Harlan*

---

Written by Harlan Pruitt (https://cushionguide.com/masters/harlan/) for CushionGuide (https://cushionguide.com/about/). The site explains made-to-measure cushions and the partner workshop makes them; measurements are in inches first. This Markdown mirrors the page at https://cushionguide.com/answers/buy-back-cushion-only-without-seat/