---
title: "Daybed Cover: Bedding Set, Fitted Cover or Skirted Cover?"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/answers/daybed-cover-set-vs-fitted-cover/"
section: "The Cutting Table"
author: "Hana Lindqvist, The Quiet Geometer of Seattle"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/hana/"
published: "2026-09-05"
updated: "2026-09-24"
keywords: "daybed cover, fitted daybed cover, daybed cover set, skirted daybed cover, daybed cover vs bedding set"
---

# Which daybed cover do I need: a bedding set or a fitted cover?

*Four different things are sold as a daybed cover. Only some of them make a bed look like a sofa. Decide the look first. The measuring follows.*

Also asked as: Is a daybed cover set the same as bedding?; Elastic like a fitted sheet, or a zipper?

> **The quick answer:** A daybed cover is a bedding set, an elastic fitted cover, a zippered box cover or a skirted cover. A bedding set (quilt, shams, bed skirt) makes the daybed read as a made bed. Elastic stretches over one mattress up to a set thickness. A zippered cover upholsters the mattress into a sofa seat. For the sofa look, add back cushions and bolsters.

![Teal linen-look Hemnes daybed covers with gold piping under a sloped attic ceiling, rattan pendant and vintage frames](https://cushionguide.com/media/ikea-hemnes-daybed-covers/teal-hemnes-daybed-gold-piping-attic-nook-1600.webp "Teal covers trimmed in gold piping settle a white Hemnes daybed under the eaves of an attic nook. The gold ties in with the rattan pendant and the old frames on the wall.")

## Key facts

- Bedding-style daybed cover sets hold a quilted cover, shams, a decorative pillow and a bed skirt.
- A store-bought elastic daybed cover is sized to one mattress up to a set thickness, for example 31.5 x 78.7 in (80 x 200 cm) up to about 6.3 in (16 cm).
- The workshop's mattress covers are zippered box covers only; there is no elastic version.
- One zippered cover can hold two stacked mattresses when it is made to their combined height.
- An open-bottom skirted daybed cover has been made on request; its skirt covers the front and tucks between mattress and base.
- Floor-length skirted covers are measured with a drop, often about 16 to 20 in (40 to 50 cm).
- Covers are cover only; the mattress is not included.

## Four daybed covers, side by side

| Cover | What it is | Looks like | What to measure | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedding set | Quilt or quilted cover, shams, bed skirt | A made bed | The mattress size: twin, full or queen | A daybed that is mostly a guest bed |
| Elastic fitted cover | A stretch cover, fitted-sheet style | Soft, smoothed over | Length, width and its maximum thickness | One mattress that matches the cover's stated size |
| Zippered box cover | A tailored cover that closes around the mattress, piping optional | A sofa seat with square edges | Exact length, width and thickness; combined height if stacked | A sofa by day, a bed some nights |
| Skirted cover | A cover with a skirt: to the floor, or a front skirt that tucks in | Furniture rather than bedding | Length and width; for a floor-length skirt, floor to mattress top | Hiding the base, or daily on and off |

## Start with the look, not the fabric

Search for a daybed cover and most of what comes back is bedding: a quilt, shams, a skirt. That suits a daybed that is mostly a bed.

If it is mostly a sofa, bedding works against you. A quilt drapes. Its edge hangs off the front, and the whole thing reads as a bed nobody made.

A fitted cover holds the mattress to a shape. The elastic kind stretches over one mattress, up to a stated thickness. The zippered kind is cut to your mattress and closes around it, so the edge stays square. Mattress covers here are made the zippered way only. The [daybed cushions](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/daybed-cushions/) range starts there, and the [daybed cover measuring Pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/daybed-mattress-cover-measurements/) shows where the tape goes.

Which does your daybed do more of: sleeping or sitting?

A bed is dressed.
A sofa is upholstered.
The cover decides which one you own.

## What turns a covered mattress into a sofa

The cover is only the seat. Back cushions and bolsters finish the sofa.

The teal daybed at the top of this page shows a full set: a box cover with a gold line along the mattress front, two back cushions and two bolsters. Here that means one fitted, zippered mattress cover, two filled backrests and two filled bolsters. The mattress is not included.

Sizes follow the mattress. One set paired a 76 x 36 x 6.5 in (193 x 91 x 16.5 cm) cover with three 22 x 22 in (56 x 56 cm) back cushions and two 36 x 10 in (91 x 25 cm) bolsters. The [back cushion Pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/daybed-back-cushions-sofa-look/) goes further, and [covers for the Hemnes daybed](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/ikea-hemnes-daybed-covers/) collects the set made for that frame.

## A stacked pair in a studio, one zippered cover

A buyer messaged the workshop with two mattresses stacked in a studio apartment, each 35.5 x 75 x 7 in (90 x 190 x 18 cm). They wanted one removable cover, so the pair could be a sofa by day.

The workshop made a single zippered cover for the whole block, 35.5 x 75 x 14 in (90 x 190 x 36 cm), ordered as cover only.

Two separate covers would have been the mistake. When a stacked pair was once made that way, both came out too tight. The fix was one cover.

> **Tailor's margin:** Measure the mattress, not the wooden frame. The frame's outer size is larger than the cushion that sits in it.

> A quilt makes a daybed look like a bed. A fitted cover and two bolsters make it look like a sofa.
>
> — Hana

## Buyer questions

**A common question:** Can the daybed cover have elastic like a fitted sheet instead of a zipper?

**The workshop's answer:** Not for mattress covers, which are made with a zipper only. For a cover that comes off every day, the workshop has made an open-bottom skirted cover for a 79 x 35.5 x 7 in (200 x 90 x 18 cm) daybed, with a skirt that covers the front and tucks between mattress and base.

**A common question:** Can one cover fit the two mattresses stacked on my daybed?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. Order one cover made to the mattress length and width plus the combined height. Two 4.75 in twin mattresses total about 9.5 in, so choose a 9.5 to 10 in (24 to 25 cm) cover rather than 8 in, and it will look filled instead of loose. Don't order two separate covers for a stacked pair.

**A common question:** Can you make a full daybed set with back cushions and bolsters?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. A set can combine a fitted mattress cover, back cushions and bolsters, such as a twin 38 x 79 in (97 x 201 cm) cover with two stuffed L-shaped back pillows about 20 in (51 cm) tall running end to end. For a daybed shaped differently from the photos, the workshop confirms your mattress size and asks if you want round or L-shaped backrests.

**A common question:** Should I add a little to my mattress measurements so the cover fits snug?

**The workshop's answer:** No. Give the exact mattress size, for example 74 x 37 x 7 in (188 x 94 x 18 cm). The workshop builds the sewing and fit allowance into the cutting. Pad the numbers as well and the cover ends up slightly loose, which is where crinkles come from.

**A common question:** Does a daybed cover set come with the mattress?

**The workshop's answer:** No. The full set is one fitted, zippered mattress cover made to your mattress size, two filled backrest pillows and two filled bolster armrests. The cover is cover only. Piping is included and can be a different color from the cover.

## Questions buyers ask next

### Can I machine wash a zippered daybed mattress cover?

Yes. The mattress cover unzips and comes off for the machine at 86°F (30°C) or lower. On a daybed set, only that seat cover is machine washable; the filled backrests and bolsters are not, because their fillings stay in their own inner covers.

### Can I order only the daybed mattress cover, without cushions or bolsters?

Yes. A cover-only option gives just the zippered slipcover, sold without foam. There is also a mattress cover with backrests that leaves out the round bolsters, for daybeds where you would rather skip them.

### Will a fitted daybed cover work on a thick mattress?

Yes, if you give the real thickness. Covers have been made for mattresses 8, 9.5 and 12.5 in (20, 24 and 32 cm) thick. If the thickness is missing from an order, the workshop asks for length, width and thickness before cutting.

### Do corduroy daybed covers come with piping?

No, on purpose. Corduroy daybed covers are made without piping because the ribs already draw the lines. Velvet and other fabrics can take piping, in the same color as the cover or a contrast.

## Related at the atelier

- [Can you make a cover with elastic, like a fitted sheet, instead of a zipper?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/fitted-elastic-cover-instead-of-zipper/): No, mattress covers are made with a zipper only, not with elastic like a fitted sheet.
- [Daybed Cushion Set in Ivory with Sage Piping for a Library](https://cushionguide.com/readings/ivory-daybed-sage-piping-book-lined-library/): An ivory daybed cushion set with sage piping suits a room lined in wood and books, because the pale fabric rests the eye and the mid-tone welt outlines the shape without a hard edge.
- [Daybed Cushion in Burnt Orange Lattice Jacquard on Walnut](https://cushionguide.com/readings/burnt-orange-lattice-jacquard-walnut-daybed-cushion/): Order a daybed cushion by fabric code, not color name, writing the body code and the piping code separately.
- [Daybed Cushion in Mushroom Velvet with Burgundy Piping](https://cushionguide.com/readings/mushroom-velvet-daybed-cushion-burgundy-piping/): A daybed cushion should be thicker than the frame's raised rim so it sits above the edge rather than flush with it.
- [What to measure for a custom daybed mattress cover](https://cushionguide.com/guides/daybed-mattress-cover-measurements/): For a custom daybed mattress cover, measure the mattress itself, not the daybed frame: length, width and thickness at the widest and thickest points, plus the corner shape.
- [How to make a daybed look like a sofa with back cushions and bolsters](https://cushionguide.com/guides/daybed-back-cushions-sofa-look/): To make a daybed look like a sofa, dress the mattress in a fitted cover, line the wall with back cushions about 20 in (50 cm) tall, and finish each end with a bolster or rectangular side pillow.

*— 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-cover-set-vs-fitted-cover/