The Cutting Table · compared on the table
How much cheaper is just the cover than a full cushion with foam?
Also asked as:Cost of new covers without foam?Quote for just the pillow case, no filling?
Foam is the quiet weight in a cushion's price. Keep the foam you have, and the cover, the part the eye actually sees, costs a fraction.
SaveThe quick answer
A cushion cover only costs less than the same cushion with foam, because no foam is included. The biggest savings come on large, thick pieces such as window-seat cushions. Covers are quoted per piece by size and fabric, and multi-cover orders have been discounted as a set, so ask for all your covers in one quote.
Get a quote for a cushion covers
Cover only vs the same cushion with foam, from real quotes
| Piece | Size | Cover as a share of the full cushion |
|---|---|---|
| Corduroy window-seat cover | 82 x 32 x 5 in (208 x 81 x 13 cm) | About 35% |
| Window-seat cover | 79 x 21 in (200 x 54 cm) | About 63% |
| Three bench covers | Bench sizes, vs solid foam inserts | About 69% |
| Eight covers in one order | Backs, seats and a couch cover | A set discount on the covers |
Percentages worked from side-by-side quotes; your price depends on size and fabric.
Key facts
- A cover only costs less than a full cushion because no foam is included.
- In real quotes the saving varied widely with size and thickness.
- The biggest savings are on large, thick pieces.
- Covers are priced per piece by size and fabric.
- Multi-cover orders have been discounted as a set.
- Covers can include piping and ties.
- Covers are cut about 1/2 to 3/4 in (1 to 2 cm) under the measured thickness for a snug fit.
Have it made
Have Élodie’s workshop cut this for you
Describe the room at four in the afternoon: the floor, the wall, the one color you love. That is where a good fabric choice begins. — Élodie
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.
Where the saving is biggest
The foam is the heavy part of a big cushion's price. On the 82 x 32 x 5 in (208 x 81 x 13 cm) corduroy window seat, the cover alone came to about a third of the full cushion; on smaller bench pieces it was closer to two-thirds.
Covers are quoted per piece, so a mixed job of backs, seats and a 68 x 25.25 x 3.25 in (173 x 64 x 8 cm) couch cover was priced cover by cover, then discounted as a set. The covers-only pattern covers measuring, and the cushion covers hub shows the shapes.
What a covers-only quote can include
- Piping and ties, as on a 67 x 15 x 2 in (170 x 38 x 5 cm) bench cover sold with six chair covers.
- A zipper and a machine-washable fabric such as corduroy.
- Full thickness on a mattress: a linen twin XL cover for 38 x 80 x 10 in (97 x 203 x 25 cm) was made at the full 10 in, with a hidden zipper, at no extra charge.
How to ask for covers only
Order from the covers-only listing, pick the nearest size and write each exact foam size in the note, for example a back at 22 x 16 x 5 in (56 x 41 x 13 cm) and a seat at 21.5 x 21.5 x 6 in (55 x 55 x 15 cm). Several covers in one order is where past buyers saved most, my friends. What do your inserts measure?
Keep the foam you already own, and in real quotes a new cushion cover came to between about a third and two-thirds of the full cushion, priced per piece by size and fabric.
Élodie
Buyer questions
- A common question
Can you make just a cover for foam I already have?
The workshop's answerYes. Order from the covers-only listing, choose the nearest size and write your exact foam sizes in the note. Cover prices are far lower than full cushions.
- A common question
Can I order just machine-washable zippered corduroy covers? I already have the foam.
The workshop's answerYes. Zippered bench covers are made to size in machine-washable corduroy; one buyer ordered six at once for foam they already had. Send each foam size, length x width x thickness, in the note.
- A common question
Does the covers-only sofa listing include the foam and the frame?
The workshop's answerNo. Covers-only means empty fabric covers, with no foam and no metal bars, and the shop messages every covers-only buyer to confirm.
Questions buyers ask next
Why is a cover only so much cheaper?
The foam is left out, and on big, thick cushions the foam is a large share of the price. That is why the biggest savings in real quotes came on long window-seat pieces.
Will a new cover fit my old foam snugly?
Usually. Covers are cut about 1/2 to 3/4 in (1 to 2 cm) under the measured thickness for a tight look, so measure with any old cover on.
How long does a covers-only order take?
In one real order, six zippered corduroy covers took 1 to 2 weeks for production and delivery together. Custom covers can take slightly longer, so ask when you request the quote.
