---
title: "Daybed Backrest Cushion Height: 20 in Standard, Sized for You"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/answers/daybed-backrest-bolster-size-height/"
section: "The Cutting Table"
author: "Hana Lindqvist, The Quiet Geometer of Seattle"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/hana/"
published: "2026-05-05"
updated: "2026-05-05"
keywords: "daybed backrest cushion height, daybed back cushions, daybed bolster armrests, IKEA Hemnes daybed cover set, teddy daybed backrest"
---

# How tall are the daybed backrest cushions, and do I have to size them myself?

*You measure one thing. The mattress. The rest follows from it.*

Also asked as: Do you still need measurements for the full set?; I don't have the back cushions or bolsters.

> **The quick answer:** For a daybed cover set you give only the mattress size; the backrests and bolster armrests are made in proportion to it automatically. Standard backrests are about 20 in (50 cm) tall on a 79 x 31 1/2 in (200 x 80 cm) mattress, and another height can be made on request. Teddy-style arms are about 14 to 16 in (35 to 40 cm) tall.

![White Hemnes daybed in cream velvet with burnt-orange piping under a four-print gallery wall, fiddle-leaf fig and vintage rug](https://cushionguide.com/media/ikea-hemnes-daybed-covers/cream-velvet-hemnes-daybed-four-print-gallery-wall-1200.webp "Without the side chair, the daybed is the only seat in the room, and the gallery wall above it sets the width of the whole arrangement.")

## Key facts

- Backrests and bolster armrests are sized automatically from the mattress cover size.
- Standard daybed backrests are about 20 in (50 cm) tall for a 79 x 31 1/2 in (200 x 80 cm) mattress.
- Backrest height can be changed on request.
- Teddy-style backrest arms are about 14 to 16 in (35 to 40 cm) tall, in the same corduroy as the teddy sofas.
- Full-set backrests and armrests arrive filled, ready to use.
- You choose mattress cover only or the full set; the price changes with the option.

## One measurement, three kinds of piece

| Piece | Who sizes it | Height |
|---|---|---|
| Mattress cover | You: length x depth x thickness, such as 79 x 31 1/2 x 12 in (200 x 80 x 30 cm) | Your mattress thickness |
| Backrests | The workshop, in proportion to the mattress | About 20 in (50 cm) standard; other heights on request |
| Bolster armrests | The workshop, in proportion to the mattress | Made to suit the set |
| Teddy-style arms | The workshop | About 14 to 16 in (35 to 40 cm), in corduroy |

## Why nobody asks you for the back

A full set is built around the mattress. Give the cover size, for example 79 x 31 1/2 x 12 in (200 x 80 x 30 cm), and the backrests and bolster armrests are cut in proportion to it. They arrive filled. There is nothing else to measure.

This is the question for many people who have never owned the back cushions at all. You don't need an old set to copy. The [IKEA Hemnes daybed covers](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/ikea-hemnes-daybed-covers/) are made this way, and the [stacked-mattress measuring Pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/ikea-hemnes-daybed-cover-measuring/) shows how to take the one number that matters.

## When 20 inches is not your number

About 20 in (50 cm) is the standard backrest on a 79 x 31 1/2 in (200 x 80 cm) mattress. It can be made taller or lower. Write the height you want with your order.

The teddy version sits lower. Its arms are about 14 to 16 in (35 to 40 cm), in the same [corduroy](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/corduroy/) as the teddy sofas, and close-up photos are available before you choose. The [back cushion height Pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/back-cushion-height-sizing/) explains how a back relates to the seat and the wall.

Height is a feeling. What will your daybed be most days, a bed or a sofa?

## Before you order the set

- ✓ Measure the mattress: length, depth and thickness.
- ✓ Choose mattress cover only, or the full set with backrests and armrests.
- ✓ Write a backrest height only if about 20 in (50 cm) is not what you want.
- ✓ Ask for close-ups if you are choosing the teddy corduroy.
- ✓ Expect the price to change with the option you pick.

> **Tailor's margin:** A daybed cover set needs only the mattress size. The backrests, about 20 in (50 cm) tall as standard, are sized from it.

> Teddy-style daybed arms stand about 14 to 16 in (35 to 40 cm) tall, lower than the 20 in standard backrest, in the same corduroy as the teddy sofas.
>
> — Hana

## Buyer questions

**A common question:** If I order the full daybed set, do I still need to give sizes for the back pillows and bolsters?

**The workshop's answer:** No. The back pillows and bolster armrests come with the full set and are made automatically from your mattress cover measurements. You can choose mattress cover only or the full set with backrests and armrests; the price changes with the option.

**A common question:** I don't own any back cushions or bolsters. Are they included?

**The workshop's answer:** With the full set you get the mattress cover plus backrests and mini bolster armrests, delivered filled and ready to use. Give the cover size, such as 79 x 31 1/2 x 12 in (200 x 80 x 30 cm), and the backrests and armrests are made in proportion.

**A common question:** How tall are the backrests in the cover set for a 79 x 31 1/2 in mattress?

**The workshop's answer:** About 20 in (50 cm) as standard. A different height can be made.

**A common question:** How tall are the teddy backrest arms? I want to use my daybed as a sofa.

**The workshop's answer:** About 14 to 16 in (35 to 40 cm). The corduroy is the same one used on the teddy sofas, and close-up photos are available.

**A common question:** Can I get just a replacement mattress cover for my daybed?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. Pick the Cover Only option and write your exact mattress dimensions and fabric code in the personalization box. You get the slipcover alone, without backrests, armrests or foam.

## Questions buyers ask next

### Can the backrests and the mattress cover be in different fabrics?

Yes. Cover and piping can be any chart color, the set comes in corduroy, velvet or linen, and the pieces can even use different fabrics. The cart price changes with the option you pick: cover, backrests, armrests or the full set.

### Is the full set made for the IKEA Hemnes daybed?

Yes. Give the Hemnes mattress cover size, for example 79 x 31 1/2 x 12 in (200 x 80 x 30 cm), and the backrests and bolster armrests are made in proportion to it, so the set fits without separate measurements.

### Do the backrests arrive as covers I have to fill?

No. In the full set the backrests and bolster armrests arrive filled and ready to use; only the mattress cover goes over your own mattress. If you want the slipcover alone, choose the mattress cover option instead.

## Related at the atelier

- [What comes in the Hemnes daybed cover set, and is the mattress included?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/daybed-cover-set-whats-included/): The IKEA Hemnes daybed cover set includes one zippered mattress cover made to your mattress size, two filled backrest pillows and two filled bolster armrests, with piping at no extra charge.
- [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.
- [Hemnes Daybed Cover in Navy Corduroy: Height and Depth](https://cushionguide.com/readings/navy-corduroy-hemnes-daybed-blush-boucle-pouf/): A Hemnes daybed cover should be sized to the mattresses you actually have, stacked.
- [Hemnes Daybed Cover in Cream Velvet: Seating Guests Well](https://cushionguide.com/readings/cream-velvet-hemnes-daybed-burnt-orange-trim-vintage-runner/): A Hemnes daybed cover seats guests well when it is a full set: one fitted mattress cover, two back pillows and two bolsters.
- [Hemnes Daybed Cover in Forest Green Velvet, Mustard Piping](https://cushionguide.com/readings/forest-green-velvet-hemnes-set-mustard-piping-unpacked/): A Hemnes daybed cover set slips over the mattress you already own, so you pay for fabric and fit rather than a new mattress.
- [Will a made-to-measure daybed cover fit a Brimnes, a twin or a thick mattress?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/daybed-cover-fit-any-mattress-size/): The IKEA Hemnes daybed cover is made to measure, so it fits a Hemnes, a Brimnes, a standard twin or any custom mattress.
- [How to make a daybed look like a sofa with back cushions and bolsters](https://cushionguide.com/guides/daybed-back-cushions-sofa-look/)
- [How to measure an IKEA Hemnes daybed: two stacked mattresses, one cover](https://cushionguide.com/guides/ikea-hemnes-daybed-cover-measuring/)

*— Hana*

---

Written by Hana Lindqvist (https://cushionguide.com/masters/hana/) 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-backrest-bolster-size-height/