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The Cutting Table · a common question

Does the listed size of a floor cushion include the backrest?

Also asked as:Does the 24 inch depth include the back cushion?Is the height of the back cushion 16?

Two listings, two answers, one tape measure. If your nook has a hard limit, the backrest is where the inches hide.

Answered by

The Piping Queen of Newport ·

The quick answer

Whether a floor cushion size includes the backrest depends on the listing: on the meditation set it covers the seat only, while on cushion-with-backrest sets it is the total footprint. The meditation seat is 20 x 32 x 4 in (51 x 81 x 10 cm), and its separate backrest adds its 4 in thickness to the depth, about 24 in (61 cm) overall. Confirm hard limits with the shop.

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Key facts

  • Meditation set: 20 x 32 x 4 in (51 x 81 x 10 cm) seat, 16 x 32 x 4 in (41 x 81 x 10 cm) backrest and two loose armrests.
  • On the meditation set, the listed seat size does not include the backrest.
  • The backrest's 4 in (10 cm) thickness adds to the total depth.
  • A 20 in seat plus the backrest is about 24 in (61 cm) deep.
  • On cushion-with-backrest sets, the listed size is the total footprint of seat and backrest together.

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I once cut a lovely cushion two inches short, and I have not forgotten it. That is why the workshop goes over your measurements with you on the phone. — Maggie

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 core: its density and thickness set the feel.
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.

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Two listings, two ways of counting

ListingWhat the listed size coversFloor depth you need
Meditation setThe seat only: 20 x 32 x 4 in (51 x 81 x 10 cm)Seat plus the 4 in backrest, about 24 in (61 cm)
Cushion-with-backrest setSeat and backrest togetherThe listed size itself

Where the extra 4 inches come from

The backrest on the meditation set is 16 in (41 cm) tall and 32 in (81 cm) wide, and it stands behind the seat. It is also 4 in (10 cm) thick, and those 4 in sit on the floor too. So a 20 in seat becomes about 24 in of floor. Two loose armrests come with it.

Other listings count differently. Sets sold as a cushion with backrest give the total footprint, seat and back together. Same tape measure, different arithmetic, and I have learned to ask which one a listing means before trusting my own assumption.

If a wall or a doorway sets your limit, give the workshop that number and ask it to confirm, dear. The zabuton and meditation cushion Pattern covers seat sizes, and the floor cushion Atlas shows the sets. How deep is your nook, wall to front edge?

Checking a hard depth limit

  1. Measure the floor straight out

    Go from the wall at 90 degrees at the deepest point, not along an angle. The seat depth entry explains the difference.

  2. Read how the listing counts

    Seat-only, like the meditation set, or total footprint, like cushion-with-backrest sets.

  3. Add the backrest if the size is seat-only

    Seat depth plus backrest thickness: 20 in plus 4 in is about 24 in.

  4. Write the limit down

    Type the number in your message rather than relying on a photo, and ask the shop to confirm which figures apply.

A floor cushion backrest takes up floor too: a 20 in seat with a 4 in thick backrest needs about 24 in of depth.

Maggie
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Buyer questions

  1. A common question

    I need a total depth of 24 in. Does the listed seat depth include the backrest?

    The workshop's answer

    No, the listed depth is the seat alone. A 20 x 32 x 4 in seat comes with a separate 16 x 32 x 4 in backrest and two loose armrests. The backrest's 4 in thickness adds to the depth, so the set sits about 24 in deep.

  2. A common question

    Are the listed measurements for the seat cushion only, or seat plus backrest?

    The workshop's answer

    On that set they're the total footprint of the seat cushion and backrest together.

  3. A common question

    Can you work out the size from a photo of my space?

    The workshop's answer

    No. Photos only show the shape, so the shop needs your written measurements. Type them, or send a paper sketch with every edge labeled, and the shop draws a template for you to check before quoting.

  4. A common question

    Does the floor couch set come with the backrest and the two round armrests?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes. The seat cushion, the backrest and two round bolster armrests come in one price. You choose the color and the size, and the size refers to the seat.

Questions buyers ask next

How tall is the meditation set's backrest?

16 in (41 cm) tall, 32 in (81 cm) wide and 4 in (10 cm) thick, so it matches the width of the 20 x 32 x 4 in seat. The two armrests come loose rather than attached to the seat.

Which way should I measure the depth of my space?

Straight out from the wall at 90 degrees, at the deepest point, not along an angle. That single number is the one to compare with the seat depth plus the backrest thickness.

Is the listed size counted the same way on every floor cushion set?

No. It is seat-only on the meditation set and the total footprint on cushion-with-backrest sets. When space is tight, give the workshop your maximum depth and ask which figures apply to that listing.