---
title: "Fitted Mattress Cover With Elastic for a Daybed? Try a Skirt"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/answers/fitted-elastic-cover-instead-of-zipper/"
section: "The Cutting Table"
author: "Hana Lindqvist, The Quiet Geometer of Seattle"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/hana/"
published: "2026-09-16"
updated: "2026-09-24"
keywords: "fitted mattress cover with elastic for daybed, daybed cover without zipper, skirted daybed cover, elastic cushion cover, daybed mattress cover"
---

# Can you make a cover with elastic, like a fitted sheet, instead of a zipper?

*A zipper is tedious when a bed becomes a sofa every morning. There is a quieter answer than elastic.*

Also asked as: With elastic and without the zipper?; Like a normal fitted sheet?

> **The quick answer:** No, mattress covers are made with a zipper only, not with elastic like a fitted sheet. For a cover you take off every day, the workshop can make an open-bottom skirted daybed cover instead: the skirt covers the front and tucks between the mattress and the base. Elastic covers over existing sofa cushions can be quoted, with a warning that they fit poorly on soft, rounded cushions.

![Oatmeal linen-look daybed cushion and bolster with brown piping on an oak platform over a red Persian rug](https://cushionguide.com/media/daybed-cushions/oatmeal-daybed-brown-piped-bolster-persian-rug-1536.webp "Brown piping repeats the rug's darkest tones and the bookcase, so a pale daybed still looks grounded.")

## Key facts

- Mattress covers are made with a zipper only; there is no elastic version.
- An open-bottom skirted cover can be made for a daybed.
- The skirt covers the front and tucks between the mattress and the base.
- One was made for a 79 x 35.5 x 7 in (200 x 90 x 18 cm) daybed.
- Elastic covers fit poorly on cushions that aren't square or sharp-edged, and the shop says so before you commit.
- A cover for an existing bed needs the length, width and height of the mattress plus topper.

## Why the mattress cover closes with a zipper

A fitted sheet works because it only has to lie flat. A mattress cover has a different job. It holds a shape, corners and all.

So the workshop makes mattress covers one way: with a [hidden zipper](https://cushionguide.com/glossary/#hidden-zipper). Not elastic. That answer is firm, and it is the same for every size.

What people usually mean, though, is time. A bed becomes a sofa in the morning and a bed again at night. A full zipper cover is a lot to handle twice a day.

## The follow-up: something I can take off every day

For that, the workshop has made an **open-bottom skirted cover**. It sits over the top like a throw. The skirt falls over the front and tucks between the mattress and the base. Nothing to zip.

One was made for a 79 x 35.5 x 7 in (200 x 90 x 18 cm) daybed, through the cover listing in the [daybed cushion](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/daybed-cushions/) range. For a bed that works as a sofa, the shop can also make a custom cover and backrests. Send three numbers: length, width and height of the mattress plus topper. The [daybed cover measuring Pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/daybed-mattress-cover-measurements/) shows where the tape goes.

How often does your bed change into a sofa?

A zipper keeps a shape.
A skirt keeps a morning simple.
Choose the one your day needs.

## Three covers, three jobs

| Cover | How it stays on | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Zippered mattress cover | Hidden zipper, fully enclosed | A daybed or floor mattress that stays covered |
| Open-bottom skirted cover | Skirt tucked between mattress and base | Taking the cover on and off every day |
| Elastic cover over sofa cushions | Elastic, quoted case by case | Square, sharp-edged cushions only |

## An elastic cover, and an honest warning

A buyer messaged the workshop wanting one elastic cover pulled over a sofa's seat and back, fitted-sheet style. The shop could make it. But the craftsmen looked at the photos and said it plainly: these cushions are not squared or sharp-edged, and an elastic cover may not sit snug on them. The warning came before any order was placed. That is how the workshop handles fit risk.

> **Tailor's margin:** For a cover over a daybed mattress and topper, send three numbers: the length, the width and the height of both together.

> An elastic cover only sits snug on square, sharp-edged cushions; on soft, rounded daybed cushions a zippered or skirted cover fits better.
>
> — Hana

## Buyer questions

**A common question:** Could you make a skirted throw-over cover for a daybed mattress, with no zipper, so I can take it off every day?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. The shop agreed to an open-bottom cover with a skirt that covers the front and tucks between mattress and base, ordered through the daybed cover listing, for a 79 x 35.5 x 7 in (200 x 90 x 18 cm) daybed.

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

**The workshop's answer:** No. Mattress covers are made with a zipper only.

**A common question:** My teenager wants to turn a bed into a sofa by day. Can the cover come off as easily as a fitted sheet?

**The workshop's answer:** The shop first suggested its ready-made convertible sofa bed, then confirmed it can make a custom cover and backrests for the existing bed. Send the length, width and height of the mattress plus topper.

**A common question:** Are your covers removable and machine washable?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. Every cushion and cover has a hidden zipper, so covers come off completely and can be machine washed at 86°F (30°C) or lower. Only tufted cushions are sewn closed and not removable.

**A common question:** Can you sew covers to fit mattresses I already own, plus backrests?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. Put your mattress sizes in the order notes and the shop sews empty covers to fit, plus matching L-shaped backrests, either as covers only or filled for an extra charge.

## Questions buyers ask next

### Where does the skirt go on an open-bottom daybed cover?

Over the front edge. The skirt drops down the front of the mattress and tucks between the mattress and the daybed base, which keeps the cover in place without a zipper or elastic.

### What measurements does a cover for an existing bed need?

Three: the length, width and height of the mattress, measured with any topper on it. Give exact figures rather than padded ones; the workshop adds its own seam and fit allowance when it cuts.

### Will an elastic cover fit my existing sofa cushions?

Only if the cushions are square and sharp-edged. On soft or rounded cushions an elastic cover may not sit snug, and the workshop's craftsmen say so before you commit to an order.

## Related at the atelier

- [Which daybed cover do I need: a bedding set or a fitted cover?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/daybed-cover-set-vs-fitted-cover/): A daybed cover is a bedding set, an elastic fitted cover, a zippered box cover or a skirted cover.
- [Daybed Cushion in Oatmeal Bouclé: Measuring a Low Oak Platform](https://cushionguide.com/readings/oatmeal-boucle-daybed-cushion-oak-platform-sunroom/): Measure a platform daybed cushion from the top of the wood, not from an old mattress.
- [Daybed Cushion in Denim Blue with a Navy-Piped Bolster](https://cushionguide.com/readings/denim-blue-daybed-seat-bolster-navy-piping/): A daybed cushion on a solid platform stays put best with a non-slip base, because ties need a rail or spindle to knot around.
- [Daybed Cushion Covers in Sage Linen-Look, Against a Blue Wall](https://cushionguide.com/readings/sage-linen-look-daybed-covers-pale-blue-wall/): A daybed cushion for long sitting needs a mattress that stays put, back cushions deep enough to lean into, and a bolster at each end for a head or an elbow.
- [Can you make a zippered cover for a mattress I already have?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/custom-zippered-mattress-cover/): Yes, a zippered box cover can be made to fit a mattress you already own, at any size, including sizes well beyond the listed ones.
- [Can I buy just the daybed cover and back cushions, without bolsters or armrests?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/daybed-cover-backrests-without-bolsters/): Yes, you can order a daybed cover with back cushions only: choose the 'mattress cover with backrests' option, which leaves out the round bolsters.
- [What to measure for a custom daybed mattress cover](https://cushionguide.com/guides/daybed-mattress-cover-measurements/)
- [How to make a daybed look like a sofa with back cushions and bolsters](https://cushionguide.com/guides/daybed-back-cushions-sofa-look/)

*— 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/fitted-elastic-cover-instead-of-zipper/