--- title: "Back Pillows and Bolsters Only for a Daybed or Twin Bed" url: "https://cushionguide.com/answers/daybed-back-pillows-and-bolsters-only/" section: "The Cutting Table" author: "Harlan Pruitt, The Elder of High Point" author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/harlan/" published: "2026-02-26" updated: "2026-02-26" keywords: "daybed back cushions only, daybed bolsters without mattress cover, turn twin bed into daybed, daybed backrest pillows, twin xl daybed cushions" --- # Can I buy just the back pillows and bolsters for my daybed? *Plenty of folks already own a good mattress and only want the back and the arms. That's no trouble at all, and it's one of the kindest ways to make a bed into a sofa.* Also asked as: Just the backrest pillows, not the round ones?; Back pillows and side pillows but no mattress cover > **The quick answer:** Yes, daybed back pillows and armrest bolsters can be bought on their own, without the mattress cover or seat cushion. The separate options came off the order page because most people buy the full set, but the workshop still quotes them when you send measurements. Two 18 x 36 in (46 x 91 cm) backrests and two armrests turn a twin bed into a daybed. ![Eggplant purple velvet Hemnes daybed covers with ice-blue piping beside a white bookcase and a lit brass reading lamp](https://cushionguide.com/media/ikea-hemnes-daybed-covers/eggplant-velvet-hemnes-daybed-ice-blue-piping-library-1600.webp "Eggplant velvet trimmed with ice-blue piping turns a Hemnes daybed into a library reading sofa. The brass lamp and packed bookcase give it a scholarly feel.") ## Key facts - Back pillows and armrest bolsters can be bought without the mattress cover or seat cushion. - The separate-part options were removed from the order page but are still quoted on request. - Send your measurements to get a quote for the pieces. - Two 18 x 36 in (46 x 91 cm) backrests plus two armrests turn a twin bed into a daybed. - A twin XL mattress measures 38 x 80 in (97 x 203 cm). ## “Can I buy only the back pillows and the bolsters?” Then that's what gets made. Backrest pillows and [armrest bolsters](https://cushionguide.com/glossary/#armrest-bolster) are sold without the mattress cover and without a seat cushion. Send your measurements and the workshop quotes the pieces. You may not find them as separate choices on the order page anymore. They came off because most people buy the whole set, not because the pieces stopped being made. ## “Can a plain twin bed pass for a daybed?” It can, my friend. One buyer in the US ordered two 18 x 36 in (46 x 91 cm) backrests and two armrests, and no floor cushion at all. Push the bed against a wall, stand the backrests along it, set a bolster at each end, and the bed sits like a sofa by day. For a longer frame, the workshop has also made a full daybed set for a [twin XL](https://cushionguide.com/glossary/#twin-xl), which runs 38 in wide and 80 in long (97 x 203 cm). The [daybed styling pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/daybed-back-cushions-sofa-look/) shows how the back pieces line up. ## “What should I send?” The width and height of each backrest, the size of each armrest, how many of each, and your fabric. Measure the bed you own today, not the one in the catalog. Buy the cushion once, cry once. More ways to dress the frame are in [daybed cushions](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/daybed-cushions/) and the [Hemnes daybed covers](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/ikea-hemnes-daybed-covers/) atlas. > **Tailor's margin:** Two 18 x 36 in back pillows and two armrest bolsters, with no seat cushion, are enough to turn a plain twin bed into a daybed. > Daybed back pillows and armrest bolsters can be ordered without the mattress cover; the pieces are still quoted on request when the order page doesn't show them. > > — Harlan Pruitt ## Buyer questions **A common question:** Can I buy only the back pillows and side pillows for my daybed, without the mattress cover? **The workshop's answer:** Yes. Choose backrest pillows, armrest pillows or both, and leave out the mattress cover. The separate options were later taken off the order page because most people buy the full set, but the workshop still quotes them on request. **A common question:** Can I turn a twin bed into a daybed with backrests and end pillows but no seat cushion? **The workshop's answer:** Yes. The workshop confirmed an order of two 18 x 36 in (46 x 91 cm) backrests plus two armrests and no floor cushion. For reference, a full daybed set was made for a twin XL, 38 in wide and 80 in long. **A common question:** Do you sell the backrest and arm bolsters separately? **The workshop's answer:** Yes, the pieces are sold separately. Send your measurements for a quote. **A common question:** Can the back cushion be the same size as the seat? **The workshop's answer:** Yes, the back can be made square like the seat or the same size. A full-size back is priced as a second mattress, though, so the set costs noticeably more than one with the standard 16 in (41 cm) backrest. ## Questions buyers ask next ### How tall should a daybed backrest pillow be? About 15 3/4 in (40 cm) is the standard backrest height. A 27 1/2 in (70 cm) back pillow is too tall for a backrest, even on a generous daybed. ### How many back pillows does a daybed need? Back pillows are sized by dividing the full span. A 79 in (200 cm) daybed, for example, takes two back pillows of about 39 1/2 x 15 3/4 in (100 x 40 cm) each. ### Why aren't the separate pieces offered on the order page? Because most buyers order the complete set of mattress cover, backrests and armrests. The pieces themselves are still made, and the workshop quotes backrests and armrests on their own when you send measurements. ## Related at the atelier - [What size should the back pillows be for a 79 in (200 cm) daybed like the Hemnes?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/daybed-back-pillow-size/): A 79 in (200 cm) daybed takes two back pillows of about 39 x 16 in (100 x 40 cm) each. - [Hemnes Daybed Cover in Crimson: Ordering It Right the First Time](https://cushionguide.com/readings/crimson-daybed-mattress-cover-box-corner-cream-piping/): To order a Hemnes daybed cover right the first time, send the fabric code, the piping code, the inside frame size and one note on how the cushions stack. - [Hemnes Daybed Cover in Cream Velvet: Box Edges and Bolsters](https://cushionguide.com/readings/cream-velvet-hemnes-set-unpacked-on-woven-rug/): A Hemnes daybed cover set is a fitted box-edge cover for your own mattress, plus filled back pillows and bolsters; no mattress is included. - [Hemnes Daybed Cover in Cream Velvet: Box Edge, Bolsters, Piping](https://cushionguide.com/readings/symmetrical-cream-velvet-hemnes-daybed-monstera/): On an IKEA Hemnes daybed, the mattress cover takes a box edge: a side band as deep as the mattress is thick, so give the exact thickness, whether one 6 in (15 cm) layer or two stacked. - [Can I buy only the back cushions for my Hemnes daybed, or skip the bolsters?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/daybed-backrests-only-or-without-bolsters/): Hemnes daybed back cushions can be ordered without the rest of the set: two backrests with covers and inserts, a mattress cover plus two filled backrests, or the two round backrests alone. - [How can I make a daybed look like a sofa with back cushions?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/make-daybed-look-like-sofa-back-cushions/): To make a daybed look like a sofa, order a fitted mattress cover with back cushions. - [How to measure an IKEA Hemnes daybed: two stacked mattresses, one cover](https://cushionguide.com/guides/ikea-hemnes-daybed-cover-measuring/) - [How to make a daybed look like a sofa with back cushions and bolsters](https://cushionguide.com/guides/daybed-back-cushions-sofa-look/) *Sit well. — Harlan* --- Written by Harlan Pruitt (https://cushionguide.com/masters/harlan/) 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/daybed-back-pillows-and-bolsters-only/