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The Cutting Table · a common question

How much cheaper is it to buy cushion covers only, without the foam?

Also asked as:How much for just the covers?We already have the inserts.

Most of what you pay for is the needle, not the foam. That's why the saving shrinks as the cushion does.

Answered by

The Elder of High Point · · Updated

The quick answer

Cushion covers without foam cost less than full cushions, but how much less depends on size. Big pieces save the most: on large patio sets and trapezoids the saving was real. On small seat and throw covers, leaving out the foam barely moves the price, because most of the cost is the custom cover itself.

Ivory seat and backrest cushions on a reclaimed timber bench under a wisteria pergola with string lights at duskSave
Ivory seat and back cushions turn a rough timber bench into a dusk hideaway beneath wisteria and festoon lights.

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Key facts

  • Covers-only quotes came in below full-cushion prices, by very different amounts.
  • A 13-piece patio set and three large trapezoids were about two-thirds of full price as covers only.
  • Nine outdoor pieces were just under half the full price as covers only.
  • Eight small seat and throw covers came close to full price.
  • Most of the cost is the custom-made cover.
  • One full floor set was priced close to cost, so its covers alone came out above the set with foam.
  • Covers close with zippers, so existing inserts slide in.

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Have Harlan’s workshop cut this for you

Fabric has a temper and foam has a memory. Better to settle both in a conversation than to guess at them alone. — 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.

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Real quotes: covers only as a share of the full price

OrderCovers only vs full cushions
13-piece patio setAbout two-thirds
Three large trapezoid window cushionsAbout two-thirds
Six velvet cushions, 23 x 24 x 4.5 in (58 x 61 x 11 cm) and 23 x 20 x 3.5 in (58 x 51 x 9 cm)About two-thirds
Nine outdoor pieces: 4 backs, 4 seats, 1 largeJust under half
Eight small seat and throw coversClose to full price

Why the foam is the cheap part

Foam is the plain part: a block cut to size. The cover is measured, cut, sewn and zippered by hand, and that is where the hours go. A seam is a promise, my friend, and promises take time.

So on a big patio set, dropping the foam saves real money. On a small seat pad, the sewing hardly shrinks with the size, and the saving nearly disappears. The workshop still suggests the full set when it can, so fit, texture and look all match.

If you keep your inserts, the covers-only measuring pattern shows how to size them, and the cushion covers hub has the styles. How old is the foam you plan to keep?

A real project

When the covers cost more than the set

A buyer messaged the workshop puzzled: the covers alone for a floor set priced out above the full set with foam. The reason was the set's bulk pricing. That set was priced close to cost, so a single linen cover of 29 x 80 x 6 in (74 x 203 x 15 cm) can cost more than its share of a discounted set. Two covers ordered together came in lower per cover.

Leaving the foam out of a custom cushion saves less than people expect, since most of the price is the sewn cover, not the insert.

Harlan
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Buyer questions

  1. A common question

    How much cheaper are covers only than full cushions with foam?

    The workshop's answer

    From real quotes: a 13-piece patio set came to about two-thirds of its full price as covers only, three large trapezoid window cushions the same, and eight seat and throw covers only slightly less than with inserts.

  2. A common question

    Will it be much cheaper if I buy covers only and reuse my old foam?

    The workshop's answer

    Not much. Most of the cost and craftsmanship is in the custom covers, so leaving out the foam barely lowers the price. The workshop recommends the full set so fit, texture and look all match.

  3. A common question

    How much do I save ordering covers only on a big outdoor set?

    The workshop's answer

    Quite a lot. A set of 9 outdoor pieces (4 backrests, 4 seats and 1 large) came to just under half its full-cushion price as covers only.

  4. A common question

    I already have inserts. What do covers alone cost next to full cushions?

    The workshop's answer

    Six velvet cushions, three at 23 x 24 x 4.5 in and three at 23 x 20 x 3.5 in, came to about two-thirds of the full-cushion price as covers only, with a further discount on the set.

Questions buyers ask next

Does the fabric I choose change the price?

Usually not: price follows size, so velvet, linen and the cotton-type fabric cost the same. To lower a quote, the workshop can switch to a cheaper velvet grade and lower-density foam, which cut one bench quote by about 14%.

Will my old inserts go into the new covers?

The covers close with a zipper, so an existing insert slides in. Give the insert's own length, depth and thickness so each cover is cut to the foam you are keeping.

Is there any flexibility on a large set quote?

Within limits. Buyers have been met in the middle and repeat buyers have had better per-set prices, but the workshop won't sell below cost and sets a minimum on each quote.