--- title: "Floor Cushion With Backrest Dimensions: Is the Back Included?" url: "https://cushionguide.com/answers/floor-cushion-size-with-backrest-total-depth/" section: "The Cutting Table" author: "Margaret Holloway, The Piping Queen of Newport" author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/maggie/" published: "2026-09-17" updated: "2026-09-17" keywords: "floor cushion with backrest dimensions, meditation floor cushion set size, floor cushion backrest depth, floor seating total depth, zabuton with backrest size" --- # Does the listed size of a floor cushion include the backrest? *Two listings, two answers, one tape measure. If your nook has a hard limit, the backrest is where the inches hide.* Also asked as: Does the 24 inch depth include the back cushion?; Is the height of the back cushion 16? > **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. ![Denim blue linen-look corner floor cushion with cream backrest pillows against white shiplap with a live-edge side table](https://cushionguide.com/media/corner-floor-cushions/denim-blue-cream-floor-cushion-white-shiplap-wall-1600.webp "Denim blue and cream suit a shiplap corner with trailing pothos, a black floor lamp and a slab side table.") ## 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. ## Two listings, two ways of counting | Listing | What the listed size covers | Floor depth you need | |---|---|---| | Meditation set | The 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 set | Seat and backrest together | The 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](https://cushionguide.com/guides/zabuton-meditation-floor-cushion-size/) covers seat sizes, and the [floor cushion Atlas](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/floor-cushions/) 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](https://cushionguide.com/glossary/#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. > **Tailor's margin:** On a seat-only listing, add the backrest's thickness: a 20 in (51 cm) seat plus a 4 in (10 cm) backrest takes about 24 in (61 cm) of floor. > 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 ## Buyer questions **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. **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. **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. **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. ## Related at the atelier - [What size floor cushion or floor sofa should I get?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/floor-sofa-size-guide-by-use/): Size a floor cushion by use: about 28 x 40 in (71 x 102 cm) for meditation, 40 x 80 in (102 x 203 cm) for an adult lying down, 24 or 27 x 70 in for a sleepover bed, and 28 x 56 in to match the… - [Do your tufted floor cushions contain any foam?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/foam-free-tufted-floor-cushions/): No, the tufted floor cushions contain no foam: they are filled with durable fiber inserts made of silicone ball fiber, which the workshop says will last many years. - [How much is a small square floor or meditation cushion?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/small-square-meditation-floor-cushion-price/): A small square floor or meditation cushion is priced by size: the 20 x 20 in (50 x 50 cm) square is a listed option, while sizes like 28 x 28 in or 20 x 27.5 in are quoted to order. - [Meditation corners: firm, flat floor cushions matched to the rug](https://cushionguide.com/concepts/meditation-corner-floor-cushions/): A meditation floor cushion should be firm and flat: about 3 to 4 in (7.5 to 10 cm) thick and densely filled. - [Zabuton and meditation floor cushions: choosing size, thickness and fill](https://cushionguide.com/guides/zabuton-meditation-floor-cushion-size/): A meditation floor cushion setup pairs a flat zabuton, about 28 to 30 in (71 to 76 cm) across and 1 to 2 in (2.5 to 5 cm) thick, with a smaller raised seat on top. - [Hexagonal Floor Cushion in Cream Zigzag Jacquard for Long Sits](https://cushionguide.com/readings/hexagonal-cream-zigzag-jacquard-floor-cushion/): A floor cushion for long sitting needs a firm seat that keeps your hips off the hard floor and a shape you can turn on without meeting a corner. - [Tufted floor cushion couch sets: what's in the set and which size to choose](https://cushionguide.com/guides/tufted-floor-couch-set-sizes/) *Stitch straight — Maggie* --- Written by Margaret Holloway (https://cushionguide.com/masters/maggie/) 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/floor-cushion-size-with-backrest-total-depth/