--- title: "Measuring for Replacement Cushion Covers: Cushion or Bench?" url: "https://cushionguide.com/answers/measure-old-cushion-or-bench-for-replacement/" section: "The Cutting Table" author: "Nate Kowalski, The Pattern Engineer of Detroit" author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/nate/" published: "2026-02-10" updated: "2026-02-10" keywords: "measuring for replacement cushion covers, replacement bench cushion size, measure foam for new cushion covers, replacement covers for existing foam, old cushion or bench measurements" --- # Should I measure my old cushions or the bench itself? *Two honest answers, partner, and one question decides between them: do the old cushions fit? Here is the checklist, then the one mistake it prevents.* Also asked as: what dimensions should I send; the bench or the existing cushion > **The quick answer:** Measure your old cushions only if they fit the bench well; if they don't, or you want a different thickness, measure the bench. For replacement covers on foam you're keeping, measure the bare foam insert, not the old cover, and label every side plus the thickness. Note any Dacron wrap separately so nothing is guessed. ![Saffron, orange and cream striped outdoor cushion on a whitewashed masonry bench under bougainvillea, lemon tree nearby](https://cushionguide.com/media/outdoor-cushions/saffron-striped-outdoor-cushion-andalusian-masonry-bench-1600.webp "A striped outdoor cushion softens a built-in masonry bench on a whitewashed Spanish patio, with lemons and painted tiles close by.") ## Key facts - If the old cushions fit well, send their dimensions. - If they fit poorly, or the thickness is changing, send the bench or seat dimensions. - For covers on foam you already own, measure the bare foam, not the old cover. - Draw the insert with every side labeled, plus its thickness. - A remake of chair-pad covers that came out about 3/4 in (2 cm) short was cut 3/8 to 3/4 in (1 to 2 cm) larger, with longer ties. - Replacement covers are quoted from insert sizes plus photos of your current color, and the closest velvet code can be suggested. ## Run this before you send numbers - ✓ Sit on the old cushion. If it fits edge to edge at the right height, its size is your order size. - ✓ If it gaps, overhangs, or you want it thicker or thinner, set it aside and [measure the bench](https://cushionguide.com/guides/how-to-measure-bench-for-cushion/). - ✓ Covers only? Unzip the old cover and measure the bare foam: length, width, thickness. - ✓ Draw the insert from above and label every side, even the ones that look equal. - ✓ Write any Dacron wrap and its thickness beside the foam size. - ✓ Photograph the old cover in daylight so the closest color can be suggested. ## What not to copy - ✗ The old cover. Measure the foam it was hiding. - ✗ A cushion that never fit. Copying it repeats the mistake. - ✗ Only the two longest sides of a tapered pad. A slight trapezoid needs all four. ## The chair pads that came out short A buyer wrote in needing new covers for shaped dining chair pads: a slight trapezoid with rounded front corners, 17 3/4 x 17 x 19 3/4 x 17 in (45 x 43 x 50 x 43 cm), about 1 1/2 in (4 cm) thick. The first covers came out about 3/4 in (2 cm) short. The remake was cut 3/8 to 3/4 in (1 to 2 cm) larger, with longer ties. ## The Dacron question Buyers ask whether the batting wrap counts. The safe answer: give the foam's own size and write the wrap thickness beside it. The [covers-only pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/cushion-covers-for-existing-foam/) shows the drawing, and the [outdoor cushion atlas](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/outdoor-cushions/) covers patio benches like the one above. What does your foam measure with the cover off? > **Tailor's margin:** Covers for foam you already own start from the bare foam: label all four sides and the thickness, and write any Dacron wrap beside it. > Copy an old cushion's size only when the old cushion fits edge to edge; if it gaps or the thickness changes, measure the bench instead. > > — Nate ## Buyer questions **A common question:** Do you want the bench measurements or the old cushions'? **The workshop's answer:** If you're happy with how the current cushions fit, send their dimensions. If they don't fit well, or you want a different thickness, send the bench dimensions instead. **A common question:** Can you make new covers for the foam inserts from my vintage sofa? **The workshop's answer:** Yes. Send the exact size of each insert and photos of your current fabric color. The workshop quotes the covers and can suggest the closest velvet code. **A common question:** Will you confirm my replacement size with a drawing first? **The workshop's answer:** Yes. A drawing of your dimensions comes back for approval, and the cushion is made exactly to that layout, strictly to your numbers. ## Questions buyers ask next ### Can I change the thickness when I replace bench cushions? Yes, but then the old cushion is no longer your template. Measure the bench for length and depth, choose the new thickness, and order a cover sized to that foam, since a cover is sewn for one thickness. ### What if my foam insert is a trapezoid? Draw it from above and write all four sides, plus the depth and the thickness. Even a small taper changes how a cover fits, so don't round the shape off to a rectangle. ### Does the Dacron wrap count in the foam size? Give the foam block's own size and write the wrap's thickness beside it, for example 5 x 23 1/2 x 29 in foam with a 1 in wrap. Then nothing has to be guessed at the cutting table. ## Related at the atelier - [My cushion is too thick. Can I put thinner foam in the cover or reorder it thinner?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/cushion-too-thick-thinner-foam-same-cover/): Reorder the cushion thinner instead of swapping foam: covers are sewn to one foam thickness, so 2 in (5 cm) foam in a cover made for 4 in (10 cm) sits loose and baggy. - [Can you make seat and back cushions for my rattan sofa or lounge set?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/rattan-wicker-replacement-cushions/): Rattan sofa replacement cushions are made from your photos and the inside frame sizes, with every seat and back cushion planned before production. - [Can you quote my whole set of outdoor cushions as one bundle?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/outdoor-cushion-set-bundle-quote/): Yes: send a plan or list with the size of every piece, and the workshop prices the whole outdoor set as one bundle, below the sum of the individual pieces. - [Outdoor Cushion Edges on a Palm-Leaf Chair: Box, Knife, Rounded](https://cushionguide.com/readings/charcoal-palm-print-outdoor-chair-seat-back-cushion/): For an outdoor bench cushion or chair seat, a box edge holds its shape longest and lets a print run down the front band, while a knife edge is softer, simpler and uses less fabric. - [Outdoor Cushions in Lemon Leaves: the 10-Foot Test](https://cushionguide.com/readings/lemon-yellow-leaf-print-wicker-loveseat-cushions/): A bold print on an outdoor bench cushion or loveseat works when it reads as one clean block from 10 feet (3 m) away. - [Measuring rounded corners, oval wicker seats and bistro benches](https://cushionguide.com/guides/rounded-corner-cushion-measuring/): To measure a rounded corner cushion, write the full length and depth as if the corners were square, then measure how far from each corner point the curve begins along both edges. - [Measuring wicker and patio furniture for replacement cushions](https://cushionguide.com/guides/patio-furniture-replacement-cushions/) - [Waterproof outdoor cushions, honestly: fabric, seams, zippers and foam](https://cushionguide.com/guides/water-repellent-vs-waterproof-cushions/) *± 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/measure-old-cushion-or-bench-for-replacement/