---
title: "Foam or Silicone Ball Filling: When Tufted Cushions Take Foam"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/answers/foam-instead-of-silicone-ball-filling/"
section: "The Cutting Table"
author: "Nate Kowalski, The Pattern Engineer of Detroit"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/nate/"
published: "2026-08-26"
updated: "2026-09-24"
keywords: "foam or silicone ball filling, tufted cushion filling, foam filled floor cushion, 28 density foam seat cushion, silicone fiber cushion filling"
---

# Can I get foam filling instead of silicone balls?

*Two fillings, one decision, and a couple of exceptions worth knowing before the shop messages you to ask.*

Also asked as: Foam filled or silicone ball filling?; Can it be foam filled?

> **The quick answer:** Foam filling is usually available on request instead of silicone balls, the standard fill in tufted cushions, and the shop may message after purchase to ask which you want. Plain seat cushions use 28-density seating sponge, or 22-density as the budget option. A few tufted styles can only be fiber-filled; for those you can accept silicone balls or cancel.

![Terracotta bouclé box cushion without piping on a long oak bench below a steel window with wheat and cornflowers](https://cushionguide.com/media/bench-cushions/terracotta-unpiped-cushion-oak-bench-steel-window-1600.webp "Leaving out the piping gives this terracotta cushion a soft, pillowy edge that suits the plain oak frame.")

## Key facts

- Tufted cushions are silicone-ball filled as standard.
- Foam filling is available on request, and the shop may ask after purchase which you want.
- Plain, crease-free seat cushions use 28-density seating sponge, about 1.75 lb/ft³ (28 kg/m³), as standard.
- 22-density sponge, about 1.37 lb/ft³ (22 kg/m³), is the budget option.
- Non-tufted foam cushions can have removable zippered covers.
- Some tufted styles can't be foam-filled; they get silicone balls, or the order can be cancelled.

## Which filling goes where

| Cushion | Standard filling | Foam possible? |
|---|---|---|
| Tufted cushion | Silicone balls (fiber clusters) | Often, on request; a few styles no |
| Tufted French-style floor or nook cushion | Silicone fiber | Choose the solid foam-filled style instead |
| Plain, crease-free seat cushion | 28-density seating sponge, about 1.75 lb/ft³ (28 kg/m³) | It is foam; 22-density, about 1.37 lb/ft³, costs less |
| Non-tufted foam cushion | Solid foam | Yes, with a removable zippered cover |
| Thick backrest, 12-14 in (30-35 cm) | Foam, often cut as a wedge | Needs foam |
| Round arm bolster | Silicone balls suit it | Shredded foam is advised for neck rolls |

## Before you check out

- ✓ Write 'foam' or 'silicone balls' in the order note, even though the shop may ask later.
- ✓ Tufted and set on foam? Ask first whether that style can take it.
- ✓ Want a zip-off cover? Choose a non-tufted foam cushion.
- ✓ On a budget with a plain seat? Ask for 22-density instead of the standard 28.
- ✓ Need no foam at all? Tufted floor cushions are foam-free with fiber inserts; write 'no foam' clearly.

## Density, in numbers you can use

Partner, the sponge in a plain seat cushion is 28-density: about 1.75 lb/ft³ (28 kg/m³). The 22-density option, about 1.37 lb/ft³ (22 kg/m³), is the cheaper choice. The [density conversion Pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/foam-density-lb-ft3-kg-m3/) does the math both ways, and the [foam inserts hub](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/foam-inserts/) shows the solid pieces.

Silicone balls are loose [cluster fiber](https://cushionguide.com/glossary/#cluster-fiber), the standard fill for tufted cushions. Most tufted styles can take foam on request, but a few can't be made in foam at all, and the shop says so before anything is cut.

Still choosing between the two looks? The [tufted vs. plain Pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/tufted-vs-plain-cushions/) lays them side by side. Which one is your cushion: tufted, or plain and crease-free?

## Asked for foam, told 'not this one'

One buyer wrote in asking for foam in a cushion style that simply isn't made with foam. The workshop said so plainly and gave two choices: fill it with silicone balls (fiber clusters) instead, or cancel the order. Measure twice; the fabric remembers. A straight answer before cutting beats a surprise after delivery.

> **Tailor's margin:** Tufted cushions come silicone-ball filled; to get foam, write it in the order note, because a few tufted styles can only take fiber.

> Plain seat cushions use 28-density seating sponge as standard; 22-density is the budget option, not the default.
>
> — Nate

## Buyer questions

**A common question:** Can I choose foam filling instead of silicone balls?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. The shop may ask after purchase whether you want foam or silicone-ball filling, and non-tufted foam-filled cushions can also be made with removable zippered covers.

**A common question:** Do you use foam inside your cushions?

**The workshop's answer:** The tufted cushions use silicone-ball filling, not foam, though foam filling is available on request. Plain, crease-free seat cushions use a seating sponge: 28 density as standard, or a cheaper 22 density.

**A common question:** Is the filling in your floor and nook cushions loose or solid?

**The workshop's answer:** Tufted French-style cushions are filled with silicone fiber, and the shop also makes solid foam-filled cushions. You choose which style you want.

**A common question:** Does cotton filling hold its shape as well as silicone balls?

**The workshop's answer:** Not quite. Silicone balls keep their shape better over time, and cotton doesn't fully spring back after vacuum-packing for shipping, though cotton-only and organic cotton fills are made on request.

## Questions buyers ask next

### Are the tufted floor cushions completely foam-free?

Yes. Tufted floor cushions are filled with durable fiber inserts rather than foam, and the bound tufting means you don't feel the buttons. On a custom order, write 'no foam' clearly so the filling is never in doubt.

### What should a very thick backrest or a bolster be filled with?

Thick non-tufted backrests of 12-14 in (30-35 cm) need foam, often cut as a wedge. Silicone balls suit round arm bolsters, and for neck rolls the shop recommends shredded foam, supportive without being too soft.

### What if new foam arrives with a smell?

Wash the covers and air the foam for several days. The shop reported one smell complaint in about 3,000 sofa orders, and the persistent cases were sent replacement foam.

## Related at the atelier

- [What are tufted floor cushions filled with?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/tufted-floor-cushion-filling/): Tufted floor cushions are filled with silicone ball fiber: polyester hollow fiber rolled into small clusters that feel soft like cotton, not like foam.
- [Do tufted floor cushions flatten, and can I choose soft or firm filling?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/floor-cushion-soft-or-firm-filling/): Tufted floor cushions are filled very generously, so they stay firm and barely compress when you sit, and you can ask for soft or firm filling.
- [Why is my sofa backrest filled with shredded foam instead of one block?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/shredded-foam-sofa-backrest-filling/): Shredded foam in a sofa backrest is intentional: backrests and armrests are filled with shredded or layered foam pieces instead of one block so they stay soft and flexible, not rigid, and the shop…
- [Foam density conversion: lb/ft³ to kg/m³ for cushion foam](https://cushionguide.com/guides/foam-density-lb-ft3-kg-m3/): To convert foam density, divide kg/m³ by 16.02 to get lb/ft³, or multiply lb/ft³ by 16.02 for kg/m³.
- [High-density foam, memory foam, latex or fiber: which cushion fill?](https://cushionguide.com/guides/high-density-foam-vs-memory-foam-latex/): For most seat cushions, high-density polyurethane foam is a better fill than memory foam: it springs back, holds a crisp edge and suits window seats and benches.
- [Bay Window Cushion in Dusty Rose Boucle, Ordered Right Once](https://cushionguide.com/readings/dusty-rose-bay-window-seat-sunbeams-botanical/): To order a bay window cushion right the first time, send the bottom length, top length, depth, straight-end lengths and thickness, mark every notch or cut in the window, and approve the shop's…
- [Back cushion filling compared: shredded foam, a solid wedge or fiber](https://cushionguide.com/guides/back-cushion-fill-shredded-foam-vs-wedge/)

*± 1/4 in — Nate*

---

Written by Nate Kowalski (https://cushionguide.com/masters/nate/) 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/foam-instead-of-silicone-ball-filling/