--- title: "Bolster Backrest for a Bench or Banquette: What to Order" url: "https://cushionguide.com/answers/long-bolster-backrest-bench-banquette/" section: "The Cutting Table" author: "Harlan Pruitt, The Elder of High Point" author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/harlan/" published: "2026-01-13" updated: "2026-01-13" keywords: "bolster backrest for bench, banquette bolster backrest, bench cushion with back bolster, long bolster pillow, cylinder backrest cushion" --- # Can a long bolster work as the backrest on my bench or banquette? *Most benches along a kitchen wall were built without a back. A long bolster gives folks something honest to lean on, my friend, if you order it right.* Also asked as: long cylindrical bolster style backrest; bench cushion with a back bolster > **The quick answer:** Yes, a long bolster makes a good bench or banquette backrest: it is sewn as a cylinder with rounded ends, cut to the length of the seat and covered in the same fabric. The standard diameter is 8 in (20 cm). For a seat 31 1/2 in (80 cm) deep, plan about 39 3/8 in (100 cm) of total depth so the bolster has room. ![Mulberry velvet cushions on an oak corner banquette with a round marble table, cane chair and botanical print](https://cushionguide.com/media/banquette-cushions/mulberry-velvet-oak-corner-banquette-marble-table-1600.webp "Mulberry velvet warms a pale oak banquette, and the marble top and cane chair keep the corner light.") ## Key facts - Bolster backrests are long cylinders with rounded ends, sewn in the same fabric as the seat. - Length follows the seat: bolsters about 50 1/2 in (128 cm) and 41 3/8 in (105 cm) long were made for 18 in (46 cm) deep bench seats of those lengths. - The standard bolster diameter is 8 in (20 cm); larger, such as about 12 in (30 cm), can be made. - For a 31 1/2 in (80 cm) seat depth, about 39 3/8 in (100 cm) of total depth is recommended with a back bolster. - The seat can be made 8 in (20 cm) thick instead of the standard 4 in (10 cm), at extra cost. - A 39 3/8 in (100 cm) straight cylinder backrest has joined two sofas into one sectional. - A reference photo or a sketch is needed for an accurate quote. ## Your bolster backrest order, line by line - ✓ **Seat length.** The bolster is cut to it: a 50 1/2 in (128 cm) seat gets a 50 1/2 in bolster. - ✓ **Diameter.** 8 in (20 cm) is standard; up to about 12 in (30 cm) if you want it fuller. - ✓ **Fabric code.** The seat's code, so the two read as one piece. - ✓ **Seat thickness.** 4 in (10 cm) standard; 8 in (20 cm) costs more. - ✓ **A strap or hook-and-loop,** if it must stay put. It comes loose by default. - ✓ **A photo or sketch** of the bench and the wall behind it. ## Why an 8 in bolster needs 8 more inches of bench A bolster doesn't hang on the wall. It lies on the seat, and whatever it covers is no longer seat. So the workshop's rule for one buyer was plain: for 31 1/2 in (80 cm) of sitting depth, build about 39 3/8 in (100 cm) in total. The difference is one standard 8 in (20 cm) bolster. That buyer wanted more: a seat 8 in (20 cm) thick with a 12 in (30 cm) bolster. It can be done; a seam is a promise at any size. It just costs more than the standard 4 in build. Diameters are laid out in [how to size a bolster pillow](https://cushionguide.com/guides/bolster-pillow-size-diameter/), seats in [banquette and kitchen nook cushions](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/banquette-cushions/). ## Standard bolster or made to order | | Standard | Made to order | |---|---|---| | Diameter | 8 in (20 cm) | Larger, e.g. about 12 in (30 cm) | | Length | Matched to the bench seat | A custom run, e.g. 39 3/8 in (100 cm) to bridge two sofas | | Seat under it | 4 in (10 cm) thick | 8 in (20 cm) thick, at extra cost | | Ends | Rounded | Rounded; perfectly flat ends aren't possible | | Fixing | Loose, no straps | A strap or hook-and-loop on request | > A bolster backrest is cut to the bench seat's length, so a 50 1/2 in seat gets a 50 1/2 in cylinder with rounded ends in the same fabric. > > — Harlan > **Tailor's margin:** Measure the bench seat, then subtract the bolster: an 8 in diameter bolster takes about 8 in of seat depth. ## Buyer questions **A common question:** Can you make long cylinder backrests to match my dining bench seat cushions? **The workshop's answer:** Yes, with rounded ends and in the same fabric: about 50 1/2 in (128 cm) and 41 3/8 in (105 cm) long for 18 in (46 cm) deep seats of those lengths. A photo or sketch gets an accurate quote. **A common question:** Could a straight cylinder backrest join my two sofas into one sectional? **The workshop's answer:** Yes. A 39 3/8 in (100 cm) straight backrest was made in a matching off-white. **A common question:** Will the bolster roll off the bench? **The workshop's answer:** Bolsters come loose, with no straps, as standard. On request a strap can be added to hold one on a mattress, or hook-and-loop fasteners to fix armrests to a base. ## Questions buyers ask next ### Can I order a matching bolster later? Yes. Fabric stock is kept, so a matching bolster can be made later in your original fabric. Send the sizes, the quantity and the fabric code from your first order. ### Can I buy only a bolster cover? Yes. Zippered bolster covers alone can be made to your diameter and length, and bolsters are sold singly in any color. ### Can throw pillows match the bench and the bolster? Yes, in any color and size, as covers only or filled with shredded or solid foam. Adding them to the first order costs less than ordering later. ## Related at the atelier - [Is one long back cushion better than several shorter ones?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/one-long-back-cushion-or-several/): Several shorter back cushions usually beat one long one: two or three per wall sit better and stay in place. - [How tall should a back cushion be?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/how-tall-should-a-back-cushion-be/): A standard back cushion is 16 in (40 cm) tall and about 4 in (10 cm) thick. - [How much does a custom kitchen banquette or breakfast nook cushion cost?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/custom-banquette-nook-cushion-cost/): A custom banquette cushion is priced by size on the listing, like any bench cushion, even on a very long run: a 21 × 138⅝ × 2 in (53 × 352 × 5 cm) seat with double piping went at the regular listing… - [Banquette Cushion Piping: Mustard Corduroy With Ivory Welt](https://cushionguide.com/readings/mustard-corduroy-dining-banquette-ivory-piping/): Choose contrast piping on a banquette cushion when you want the seat framed against its base, self piping when you want the fabric to lead, and no piping for the softest edge. - [Banquette Cushion in Green Pinstripe for a Café Corner Nook](https://cushionguide.com/readings/green-pinstripe-cafe-corner-banquette-mustard-pillows/): A banquette cushion should be chosen as a pair of numbers, seat thickness and back thickness, measured against the bench depth, because an upright back cushion takes depth away from the seat. - [Banquette Cushion in Tiger Stripe on a White Shiplap Built-In](https://cushionguide.com/readings/tiger-stripe-cushion-white-shiplap-built-in-seat/): A patterned banquette cushion should pass two tests: from across the room its colors must read as one warm block, and up close its edge and depth must look tailored. - [How tall should a back cushion be? Sizing backrests to your seat](https://cushionguide.com/guides/back-cushion-height-sizing/) - [How to keep back cushions upright on benches and banquettes](https://cushionguide.com/guides/back-cushions-staying-upright/) *Sit well. — Harlan* --- Written by Harlan Pruitt (https://cushionguide.com/masters/harlan/) 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/long-bolster-backrest-bench-banquette/