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The Cutting Table · a checklist answer

Doesn't vacuum-packing ruin a foam cushion?

Also asked as:do you squish them down for shippingthat can ruin the pad

A cushion squeezed flat looks ruined, friend. It isn't. A few days in the bag is a squall the foam rides out; months in the bag is the real storm.

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The Weather Man of Casco Bay · · Updated

Taupe and white awning-stripe corner floor pouf with backrest pillows under a round black mirror by a walnut dresserSave
Wide taupe stripes on a quarter-round floor seat, finished with an ivory welt, beside a walnut chest of drawers.

The quick answer

No, vacuum packing in transit does not damage a foam cushion: the foam returns to full shape once the bag is opened, usually in about 24 to 48 hours. What harms foam is staying sealed for months. Open it on arrival, keep it compressed no longer than 2 to 3 weeks, and never more than a month.

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Key facts

  • Floor cushions and sofas are vacuum-packed because shipping bulky items at full size costs so much.
  • Cushions return to full shape once opened, in about 24 to 48 hours.
  • The workshop says compression in transit doesn't damage the foam.
  • Once expanded, the cushion matches the listing photos.
  • Don't keep a cushion compressed beyond 2 to 3 weeks, and never more than a month.
  • Foam sealed for over a year can crumble.
  • There is no alternative to vacuum packing for foam items.

Have it made

Have Callum’s workshop cut this for you

Tell them where it lives. Porch, deck or boat: the weather picks the fabric and the foam before anyone else does. — Callum

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
The cover cloth: weave, color and care code.
Foam
The workshop says compression in transit doesn't damage the foam.
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

Arrival day, in order

  • Open the parcel the day it lands. Don't park it in the garage for later.
  • No knives, no long scissors: the cushion sits right against the plastic.
  • Snip the bag at an edge, away from the cushion, and tear it open by hand.
  • Give it 24 to 48 hours before you judge the shape or the thickness.
  • Big orders come as several parcels, often on different days. Check every tracking number before you worry.

What actually hurts foam

  • Staying compressed past 2 to 3 weeks. A month is the outside limit.
  • A year or more in the bag. Foam sealed that long can crumble.
  • Resealing it to store. Let it expand and store it uncompressed.
  • A blade near the fabric while you open it.

Why it comes squeezed at all

Money, mostly. Shipping a bulky floor cushion or a sofa at full size costs a great deal, so the workshop vacuum-packs it and the parcel arrives small enough to surprise you. There is no uncompressed option for foam items.

The foam comes back. The workshop says compression in transit doesn't damage it, and once expanded the cushion matches the listing photos. The hours after the bag opens are covered in unpacking a vacuum-packed cushion.

A vacuum-packed floor cushion regains full shape in about 24 to 48 hours; foam left sealed for over a year can crumble.

Callum
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Buyer questions

  1. A common question

    Do you squash floor cushions flat for shipping? Won't that ruin them?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes, they're vacuum-packed, and they go back to full shape once opened. The workshop says compression doesn't damage them, and customer review photos match the listing photos.

  2. A common question

    Is there a way to ship without vacuum-sealing and folding, to avoid damage?

    The workshop's answer

    No. Cushions are vacuum-packed because shipping bulky items costs so much, and the foam recovers once opened.

  3. A common question

    Can I leave my cushion in its vacuum bag until I need it?

    The workshop's answer

    Not for long. Open it on arrival. Don't keep it compressed beyond 2 to 3 weeks, and never more than a month; foam sealed for over a year can crumble. Let it expand, then store it uncompressed.

  4. A common question

    The box is tiny. Is my whole cushion set really in there?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes. Sets and sofas are vacuum-compressed, so everything fits in a surprisingly small parcel. Allow about 36 to 48 hours to expand. Big sofa orders can arrive as up to 5 separately tracked parcels.

Questions buyers ask next

Is vacuum packing only used for floor cushions?

No. Floor cushions, cushion sets and sofas are all vacuum-packed, because shipping bulky pieces at full size is very expensive.

When should I measure the thickness of a new cushion?

After it has expanded. Foam starts growing the moment the bag opens and reaches full shape in about 24 to 48 hours, so judge thickness and shape after that.

Why did only part of my order arrive?

Big orders ship as several separately tracked parcels that often arrive on different days, and bars, armrests or backrests can come separately. If a piece is still missing after the last parcel lands, photograph what came and message the workshop with every tracking number; a carrier trace starts from those.