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The Cutting Table · a checklist answer

Does cotton filling hold its shape as well as silicone balls?

Also asked as:Does cotton hold up over time?Do you have ones filled with actual cotton?

Short version: not quite. Long version: two variables, time and the vacuum bag.

Answered by

The Pattern Engineer of Detroit · · Updated

Cornflower blue and ivory striped corner floor pouf with backrest pillows beside a monstera, oak wall shelf and art printsSave
Blue and ivory stripes under a cluster of abstract prints, with a monstera and a slim floor lamp on either side.

The quick answer

No, cotton filling doesn't hold its shape quite as well as silicone balls: silicone ball fill keeps its shape better over time, and cotton doesn't fully spring back after a cushion is vacuum-packed for shipping. Cotton-only and organic cotton fills are still made on request and quoted for your size, including all-cotton futon mattresses like 53 x 75 in (135 x 190 cm), 4 in thick.

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Key facts

  • Silicone ball fill holds its shape better over time than cotton.
  • Most customers choose silicone balls.
  • Cotton-only and organic cotton fill are available on request.
  • All-cotton futon mattresses can be made, for example 53 x 75 in (135 x 190 cm), 4 in (10 cm) thick.
  • Cotton fill doesn't fully recover after vacuum packing.
  • Cotton pieces are quoted per size, and the quote states the shipping cost.

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Precision starts on the phone. Give the workshop your measurements and they will read them back to you, edge by edge. — Nate

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
All-cotton futon mattresses can be made, for example 53 x 75 in (135 x 190 cm), 4 in (10…
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.

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When cotton fill is the right call

  • You'd rather avoid synthetic fill; one buyer asked for cotton for exactly that reason.
  • You want organic cotton specifically; it can be used on request.
  • You're ordering a futon-style mattress, such as 53 x 75 in (135 x 190 cm) at 4 in (10 cm) thick.
  • You accept a little less loft after shipping, since cotton doesn't fully spring back from vacuum packing.

Where cotton fill falls short

  • Shape over time: silicone balls hold it better.
  • Vacuum packing: cotton doesn't fully recover after shipping compressed.
  • Wool: asked about, but only cotton was offered.
  • Flax or linen stuffing: not offered at all.

The vacuum bag is the variable

A cushion that travels vacuum-packed has to recover when you cut the bag. That's the test cotton doesn't pass cleanly: it doesn't fully spring back after compression, and the workshop says so before it quotes. Silicone balls, the polyester fiberfill most customers choose, keep their shape better over time.

A buyer got in touch wanting a 31 x 108 in (79 x 274 cm) cushion in cotton only, wool, or organic cotton. Wool wasn't on offer; cotton and organic cotton were. The warning came first, the quote second. That's the right order of operations, partner.

Another buyer, allergic to synthetics, asked for a fully cotton futon mattress, 53 x 75 in (135 x 190 cm) and 4 in (10 cm) thick, and got a per-size quote with shipping included. For the full fiber comparison see cushions for allergies, plan the unboxing with the first 72 hours of a vacuum-packed cushion, and browse the floor cushions hub. How thick is the cushion you're filling?

Ordering cotton fill in four moves

  1. Name the fill

    Write cotton or organic cotton in the order note; it's made on request.

  2. Give the finished size

    Length x depth x thickness, inches first, for example 53 x 75 x 4 in (135 x 190 x 10 cm).

  3. Wait for the per-size quote

    Cotton pieces are quoted individually; check the quote for the shipping cost.

  4. Plan for the loft

    Cotton won't fully spring back from vacuum packing, so expect a touch less height than the number on paper.

Cotton cushion filling doesn't fully spring back after vacuum-packing for shipping; silicone balls keep their shape better over time.

Nate
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Buyer questions

  1. A common question

    Can you fill a cushion with only cotton, wool or organic cotton?

    The workshop's answer

    Cotton-only fill can be made, and organic cotton can be used. The workshop first warned that cotton doesn't fully spring back after the cushion is vacuum-packed for shipping, then quoted a 31 x 108 in (79 x 274 cm) cushion with that fill. Wool wasn't offered.

  2. A common question

    I'm allergic to synthetics. Can the cushion be filled with cotton instead?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes, cotton filling is available on request. Most customers choose silicone balls, which keep their shape better over time. A fully cotton-filled futon mattress, 53 x 75 in (135 x 190 cm) and 4 in (10 cm) thick, was quoted with shipping included.

  3. A common question

    Can seat cushions, backrests and pillows all be cotton-filled?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes, through a custom order. Natural fibers cost a little more; the quote shows the difference. Flax or linen stuffing isn't offered.

  4. A common question

    Are the back cushions filled the same way as the seat?

    The workshop's answer

    No. Seats are firm solid foam of about 2.0 lb/ft³ (32 kg/m³); back pillows are usually shredded foam or fiber for a softer lean, about 4-6 in (10-15 cm) thick. Solid-foam backrests are available if you prefer.

Questions buyers ask next

Does the solid seat foam get a fiber wrap?

Yes. The firm, about 2.0 lb/ft³ (32 kg/m³) foam is wrapped in polyester fiber (Dacron) wadding before it goes into the cover, which softens the surface and gives fuller, rounded edges.

Can I buy foam inserts without covers?

Yes. Pillow fillings, foam-only L-shaped backrest inserts and full sofa foam sets, with the metal supports if needed, are sold without covers through a dedicated link and quoted per set.

Will a cotton-filled cushion look full when it arrives?

Not completely. Cotton doesn't fully spring back after vacuum packing, which is why the workshop warns buyers before quoting cotton fill. If holding shape over time matters most, silicone balls do that better.