The Cutting Table · compared on the table
What do the numbers in cushion sizes mean, like 28 x 52 inches?
Also asked as:First number is the width of the seat?Does that mean 28 depth and 52 length?
How to read cushion dimensions comes down to two numbers and one habit. The table settles the numbers; the habit makes the table unnecessary.
SaveThe quick answer
On these listings the first number is the width, meaning seat depth from front to back, and the second is the length, so 28 x 52 in (71 x 132 cm) means 28 in deep and 52 in long. Every listed size is the finished cushion, not the wall or the space around it. When you write your own size, label each number.
28 x 52 in, number by number
| On the listing | What it means | How it's measured |
|---|---|---|
| 28 in (71 cm), first | Width, which is the seat depth | Front edge to back edge |
| 52 in (132 cm), second | Length | Left to right, along the long side |
| A third number, if given | Thickness | Top to bottom, the cushion's height |
Key facts
- Listed sizes are written width x length.
- Width means seat depth, measured front to back.
- 28 x 52 in (71 x 132 cm) means 28 in deep and 52 in long.
- A 28 x 52 in seat works as a small two-person loveseat.
- Listed dimensions are the finished cushion, not the surrounding space.
- Cushions are made to the size the customer gives.
Have it made
Have Nate’s workshop cut this for you
Every edge and both diagonals, to the nearest 1/4 in. If the numbers do not close, the workshop will say so on the call. — 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.
Why the order trips people up
Here's the wrinkle, partner. On the listings the first number is width, meaning depth front to back. Across our replies, though, sizes haven't always been written in that order; some came length first, then width, then thickness. Read backward, the same two numbers describe a very different cushion.
So the numbers are only half a size. The other half is the word beside each one. Every cushion is made to the size you give, which makes your note the drawing the workshop cuts from. The length, depth and thickness Pattern shows where each tape goes, the glossary defines seat depth, and the same labels work for a floor cushion or a sofa seat.
What does your seat measure, front to back?
Cushion size, not room size
| What buyers ask | What the numbers describe |
|---|---|
| Is the width measured from the wall? | No. It's the cushion itself, front edge to back edge. |
| Does the size include the space around the cushion? | No. Listed sizes are the finished cushion. |
| Does a floor cushion's size include its backrest? | It depends on the listing. On the meditation set a 4 in (10 cm) backrest adds to a 20 in (51 cm) seat, about 24 in (61 cm) in total; on sets sold with a backrest, the size is the whole footprint. |
Write your size so nobody has to guess
- Put a word beside every number: 20 in deep x 60 in across, not 20 x 60.
- Depth runs front to back, length left to right, thickness top to bottom.
- Describe the finished cushion you want, not the wall or the gap around it.
- State the thickness every time, even when it seems obvious.
- Add a photo of the seat or furniture you measured.
Label every cushion number with a word: 28 in deep x 52 in long can't be misread, but 28 x 52 can.
Nate
Buyer questions
- A common question
Which of your listed numbers is the width and which is the length?
The workshop's answerThe first number is the width, meaning the seat depth, and the second is the length.
- A common question
What does a size like 28 x 52 inches actually mean?
The workshop's answerThe first number is the depth, front to back, and the second is the length: 28 in (71 cm) deep and 52 in (132 cm) long. A seat that size works as a small two-person loveseat.
- A common question
On the tufted floor cushion, is the width measured from the back of the cushion or from the wall?
The workshop's answerAll dimensions are the cushion itself, not the space around it, and each cushion is made to the size you give.
- A common question
Which side of a cushion is the length and which is the width?
The workshop's answerLength is the long side, left to right; width is the short side, front to back, which is the seat depth; thickness is the cushion's height. If unsure, label your numbers, for example 20 in deep x 60 in across.
Questions buyers ask next
Is a 28 x 52 in cushion big enough for two people?
Yes, as a small two-person loveseat. At 28 in (71 cm) deep and 52 in (132 cm) long, that is how the workshop describes the seat. Label your numbers when ordering so depth and length are never swapped.
Where does the thickness go in a cushion size?
Thickness is the cushion's height, top to bottom. It is often written last, as in 79 x 31.5 x 8.75 in (200 x 80 x 22 cm), but because the order varies, write the word beside it every time.
How do I give sizes for a cushion with rounded corners?
Give each edge as if the corners were square, then note where each curve starts along both edges. For a curved end, add the curve's span and depth, or trace it on paper beside a tape measure.
