---
title: "Cushion Length vs Width: Which Side Is Which?"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/answers/cushion-length-vs-width-which-side-is-which/"
section: "The Cutting Table"
author: "Nate Kowalski, The Pattern Engineer of Detroit"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/nate/"
published: "2026-07-28"
updated: "2026-07-28"
keywords: "cushion length vs width, cushion width vs depth, which side is length on a cushion, window seat cushion measurements, kallax cushion width depth"
---

# Which side of a cushion is the length and which is the width?

*Length runs left to right. Width runs front to back. The rest of this Answer is the follow-up questions that definition tends to create.*

Also asked as: Which side is the length and which is the width?; Is width the front edge?

> **The quick answer:** On a cushion, length is the long side, measured left to right across the front, and width is the short side, measured from the front edge to the back edge, the same as seat depth. Thickness is how tall the cushion is. If you're unsure, label your numbers, for example 20 in (51 cm) deep x 60 in (152 cm) across, and the cushion is made correctly.

![Powder blue textured window seat cushion with charcoal piping on long cream shaker cabinets with a waffle throw and mug](https://cushionguide.com/media/window-seat-cushions/powder-blue-window-seat-charcoal-piping-shaker-1600.webp "Charcoal piping gives a long powder blue window seat a crisp edge against cream cabinetry.")

## Key facts

- Length is the long side, measured left to right.
- Width is the short side, measured front to back.
- Width is the same as seat depth.
- Thickness is how tall the cushion is.
- Pick the width and length ranges that contain your size, then write the exact size in personalization.
- Length options run to at least 101-105 in (257-267 cm).
- Labeled numbers, like 20 in deep x 60 in across, avoid any confusion.

## “Is width the front edge?”

No, partner. The front edge is the length. Stand facing the seat: length runs left to right across the front, usually the longer side. Width runs from the front edge to the back edge, which is the [seat depth](https://cushionguide.com/glossary/#seat-depth) you actually sit on. Thickness is the third number, how tall the cushion stands.

Here is the engineer's catch: the order of the numbers isn't consistent. One reply read 34 x 6 x 4 in as 34 in long, 6 in wide and 4 in thick, while the size menus list width first. Labels beat order every time. The [length, depth and thickness Pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/cushion-measurements-length-depth-thickness/) has the diagram.

## “The menu only has ranges. Which do I pick?”

The ranges that contain your numbers, then the exact size in the note. For a window sill of 105 x 29 in (267 x 74 cm), choose the 27-29 in width range and the 101-105 in length range, and write the real size, say 28.5 x 104.5 in (72 x 265 cm), in personalization.

The [window seat measuring Pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/how-to-measure-window-seat-cushion/) covers the tape work before that step, and the [bench cushion builder](https://cushionguide.com/studio/bench-cushion-builder/) lets you check the rectangle on screen. How does your bench measure, labeled?

## “My Kallax listing says width. Does that mean depth?”

Yes. On a Kallax-style cube bench, width on the listing is the depth, front to back, and length is the long run, left to right. Thickness is how high you want the cushion. The workshop makes these all the time; the [Kallax sizes Pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/ikea-kallax-bench-cushion-sizes/) lists the common ones, and [Kallax cushions](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/ikea-kallax-cushions/) shows them finished.

## The three numbers, labeled

| Word on the order | Direction | Also called | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Length | Left to right, across the front | The long side | 60 in (152 cm) across |
| Width | Front edge to back edge | Seat depth | 20 in (51 cm) deep |
| Thickness | Bottom to top | Height of the cushion | 4 in (10 cm) thick |

> **Tailor's margin:** Label every number: 20 in deep x 60 in across x 4 in thick can't be misread, whichever order the size menu lists them in.

> Cushion length is the long side, left to right; cushion width is front edge to back edge, the same number as your seat depth.
>
> — Nate

## Buyer questions

**A common question:** Which measurement is the width and which is the length?

**The workshop's answer:** Width is front edge to back edge, the depth you sit on. Length is side to side across the front, usually the longer side. You can also label your numbers, like 20 in deep x 60 in across, and it will be made correctly.

**A common question:** What do width, length and depth mean in your size options?

**The workshop's answer:** Width is the short side and length the long side. For a window sill of 105 x 29 in, choose the 27-29 in width range and the 101-105 in length range, then write the exact size, such as 28.5 x 104.5 in, in personalization.

**A common question:** For my Kallax bench, does 'width' on your listing mean the depth?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. Length is the longest side, left to right; width is the depth, front edge to back edge; thickness is how high the cushion is. Cushions for Kallax benches are made all the time.

**A common question:** Which side of the cushion is which?

**The workshop's answer:** The short side is the width and the long side is the length. Read as length x width x thickness, 34 x 6 x 4 in means 34 in long, 6 in wide and 4 in thick.

## Questions buyers ask next

### Should cushion sizes be sent in inches or centimeters?

Either works, as long as every number carries its unit. The workshop checks unclear units before quoting, because a cushion made in the wrong unit has to be remade from scratch.

### How are two cushions on an L-shaped bench kept from overlapping?

Measure each wall from the back corner, including the seat depth. One cushion runs into the corner and the other is shortened by the seat depth, so they don't overlap; back cushions are shortened by the backrest thickness.

### What if the seat is wider at the front than at the back?

Measure the front width, the back width and the depth. For shaped seats, add the widest width and the depth at left, center and right. The workshop sends a sketch to confirm the shape before quoting.

## Related at the atelier

- [Cushion measurements explained: length, depth, thickness and units](https://cushionguide.com/guides/cushion-measurements-length-depth-thickness/): Every cushion size is three numbers: length (A), measured side to side along the front; depth (D), from the front edge back to the wall; and thickness (T), how tall the cushion stands.
- [My size isn't in the dropdown. How do I order an exact size like 18.5 x 51.25 in?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/order-custom-cushion-size-not-listed/): Pick the dropdown range that covers your cushion's widest and deepest measurements, then type the exact size in the Add your personalization (Notes) box, and the cushion is cut from that note.
- [How thick should my cushion be to get the seat height I want?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/cushion-thickness-for-seat-height/): Seat height is bench height plus cushion thickness, so subtract your bench height from the seat height you want.
- [Should I give my exact measurements or make the cushion a bit smaller?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/exact-measurements-or-size-down-custom-cushion/): No, don't make the cushion smaller than the bench: give the true, exact size of the space, end to end, without subtracting half an inch or a centimeter.
- [Tweed Bench Cushion: Mixing Texture, Stripes and Plains](https://cushionguide.com/readings/mocha-tweed-bench-cushion-sewing-corner-window/): Treat a nubby tweed bench cushion as a pattern, then mix around it by scale: small texture on the seat, medium texture in baskets, long lines in the floor and one plain surface to rest the eye.
- [Navy Flecked Bench Cushion: Color Notes for a Cottage Window](https://cushionguide.com/readings/navy-flecked-bench-cushion-cottage-sash-window/): A dark, flecked bench cushion is the right call for a white painted bench in a pale room: it gives the bench visual weight and hides everyday marks better than a flat solid.
- [How thick should a bench cushion be? Work back from seat height](https://cushionguide.com/guides/cushion-thickness-seat-height-calculator/)

*± 1/4 in — Nate*

---

Written by Nate Kowalski (https://cushionguide.com/masters/nate/) 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/cushion-length-vs-width-which-side-is-which/