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The Cutting Table · a question, worked through

My cushion is too thick. Can I put thinner foam in the cover or reorder it thinner?

Two inches of foam in a four-inch cover leaves two inches of fabric with nothing to hold. The geometry doesn't care how nice the fabric is.

Answered by

The Pattern Engineer of Detroit · · Updated

Pinned by Nate

The quick answer

Reorder the cushion thinner instead of swapping foam: covers are sewn to one foam thickness, so 2 in (5 cm) foam in a cover made for 4 in (10 cm) sits loose and baggy. Order the same size and fabric with its own cover and pick the thinner option on the product page, such as 2 in instead of 4 in.

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Key facts

  • Covers are sewn to fit a specific foam thickness.
  • 2 in (5 cm) foam inside a cover made for 4 in (10 cm) sits loose and baggy.
  • A thinner replacement needs its own matching cover in the same size and fabric.
  • Thickness is chosen on the product page.
  • One repeat order shipped within a couple of days.

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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
A thinner replacement needs its own matching cover in the same size and fabric.
Foam
Covers are sewn to fit a specific foam thickness.
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.

Want to pick the shape and add photos? Use the full quote form

Can the old cover take thinner foam?

Short answer: no. Here's the arithmetic. A box cushion cover has a side strip, the gusset, cut to the height of the foam it was made for. Sew it for 4 in (10 cm), put 2 in (5 cm) of foam inside, and you have 2 in of strip with nothing behind it. It slumps, and the whole cover sits loose and baggy.

Measure twice; the fabric remembers. In this case it remembers 4 in, and no amount of tucking will make it forget.

Then what do I order?

The same cushion, thinner, with a cover sewn for it. Keep the length, depth and fabric, and change only the thickness option on the product page: 2 in instead of 4 in, say. It works the same for a kitchen bench pad or a hammock pad from your outdoor cushions.

Before you pick the new number, work out the seat height you want. The seat height calculator and the thickness vs seat height Pattern do the subtraction for you. What height are you aiming for, partner?

Thickness options, before you reorder

ThicknessWhat buyers get
4 in (10 cm)The standard for everyday seating; with 3 in, the most common pick
3 in (7.5 cm)A neater, lower profile
2-2.5 in (5-6.5 cm)Still supportive in firm, about 2 lb/ft³ (32 kg/m³) foam
Between two optionsPick the nearest one and write the exact figure in personalization

A cushion that's too thick needs a thinner cushion, not thinner foam: the cover's side strip is cut to one foam height.

Nate
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Buyer questions

  1. A common question

    My bench cushion is too thick to sit on comfortably. Can I just put thinner foam in the cover I have?

    The workshop's answer

    A 2 in (5 cm) thickness is available, but your cover was sewn to fit 4 in (10 cm) foam, so 2 in foam inside it would sit loose and baggy. For a proper result, order a 2 in cushion with its own cover in the same size and fabric.

  2. A common question

    My cushions sit too high. Can I order them again, thinner?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes. Place the same order again and choose the thinner option on the product page, for example 2 in instead of 4 in. One such reorder shipped within a couple of days.

  3. A common question

    Can you make a cushion thinner or thicker than the standard 4 inches?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes. Standard is 4 in (10 cm), but cushions have been made from about 3/4 in (2 cm) up to 8-10 in (20-25 cm). Pick the nearest option and write the exact thickness in personalization; thicker foam costs more.

  4. A common question

    My floor sofa sits too low. How can I raise it?

    The workshop's answer

    The seat is about 13.5-14.5 in (34-37 cm) high. Stack an extra seat cushion or base mattresses, or add a custom 4-5 in (10-13 cm) layer, to reach about 19 in (48 cm). Floor sofas stay low by design.

Questions buyers ask next

What happens to a cover when the foam inside is thinner than it was sewn for?

The side strip is cut to the original foam height, so with thinner foam part of it has nothing to fill it. It slumps, and the cover sits loose and baggy around the foam instead of fitting it.

Do I need new measurements for a thinner reorder?

Not if the length and depth stay the same. Reorder the same size and fabric and change only the thickness option. If you want a thickness between the listed options, write the exact figure in the personalization note.

How soon does a thinner replacement cushion ship?

It depends on the workshop's current queue, which comes with the order; one repeat order shipped within a couple of days. Transit time comes on top of that, so plan the swap around the delivery date rather than the dispatch date.