--- title: "Sofa Cushions Lost Shape or Didn't Expand? What to Report" url: "https://cushionguide.com/answers/sofa-cushions-lost-shape-not-expanding/" section: "The Cutting Table" author: "Rosa Delgado, The Porch Keeper of Savannah" author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/rosa/" published: "2026-03-12" updated: "2026-09-24" keywords: "sofa cushions lost shape, floor sofa cushion not expanding, replacement sofa seat cushions, flat sofa cushion after unboxing, 28 density foam sofa" --- # My sofa cushions lost their shape or never fully expanded. Will you replace them? *A floor sofa gets its hardest workout in the first month: movie nights, a cousin sleeping over, kids launching off the arm. When a seat gives up early, this is what to do next.* Also asked as: It lost its shape and firmness.; The cushions are beginning to bulge outward. > **The quick answer:** Sofa cushions that lose their shape within weeks or never fully expand are worth reporting to the workshop, with how many cushions are affected and when the box was opened. In past cases it sent replacement seats, sometimes without asking for a photo. The seats use firm 28-density foam (about 1.75 lb/ft³), and some relaxing of the fabric with daily use is normal. ![Slate blue linen-look floor sofa with a two-layer base, three back cushions and block arms below a framed kilim panel](https://cushionguide.com/media/modular-floor-sofas/slate-blue-linen-look-floor-sofa-block-arms-1600.webp "A low floor sofa built from stacked box cushions, back cushions and block arms, with no frame at all.") ## Key facts - Seat cushions use firm 28-density upholstery foam (about 1.75 lb/ft³). - Some relaxing of the fabric with daily use is normal. - Cushions that lost shape or didn't recover have been replaced in past cases; photos of the affected pieces start that conversation. - The workshop asks how many cushions are affected and when the box was opened. - Compressed foam can take up to a week to fully expand after unboxing. - In one case, two rising partial refunds were offered while the buyer kept the cushions. ## What to tell the workshop - ✓ How many seat cushions are affected - ✓ When the box was opened - ✓ What you see: bulging, softening within weeks, or still flat after a month - ✓ A photo if you have one, though it isn't always needed ## Settling in, or giving up? Kids and dogs are the real quality control, neighbor, and a floor sofa meets both in its first month. The seats are firm 28-density upholstery foam, and the fabric over them relaxes a little with daily use. That softening is normal. What isn't normal: a cushion that bulges outward, loses its firmness within weeks, or stays flat a month after unboxing. Give a new cushion its first days to expand; the [first 72 hours](https://cushionguide.com/guides/vacuum-packed-cushion-first-72-hours/) Pattern walks through it. After that, write in; in past cases replacement seats went out, firmer ones where needed. The [modular floor sofas](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/modular-floor-sofas/) hub explains the rest of the set. How long ago did you open the box? ## The set that got two chances One buyer wrote in two weeks after a floor sofa arrived: the seats had lost their shape and firmness. The workshop sent a full set of firmer replacement seat cushions at its own cost and promised a refund if they didn't work. They still weren't right for that household. The workshop offered a 30% partial refund, then 50%, and the buyer kept the cushions. > **Tailor's margin:** A floor sofa seat still flat a month after unboxing isn't settling in: photograph it and tell the workshop when the box was opened. > Floor sofa seat cushions that bulge or go soft within weeks are worth reporting; some relaxing of the fabric with daily use is normal. > > — Rosa ## Buyer questions **A common question:** One seat cushion never fully expanded and still feels stuck after a month. Can it be replaced? **The workshop's answer:** Yes. The workshop asked how many cushions were affected and how long ago the box was opened, then sent a replacement seat cushion without asking for a photo. **A common question:** Some cushions are still flatter than others after unboxing. What should I do first? **The workshop's answer:** Wait: compressed foam can take up to a week to fully expand. Take the cover off, then shake and stretch the foam. If a piece is still flat after several days, send photos for replacement foam or filling. **A common question:** A piece wore out after about a year. Can I get a replacement part? **The workshop's answer:** When cushions wore early, the workshop has sent replacement covers, inserts or panels, with the buyer paying only the shipping. Send photos and say which piece is affected. ## Questions buyers ask next ### How long does a refund take to show up? It depends mostly on your bank: a refund goes back to the original payment method and posts on your bank's schedule once it is issued, so ask the workshop to confirm in writing when it was sent. Partial refunds have been offered as goodwill when replacement cushions still didn't satisfy. ### Will replacement cushions be firmer than the originals? Where needed, yes. When a first set lost its firmness within weeks, firmer seat cushions were sent as the replacement. The standard seat is firm 28-density upholstery foam. ### Is a bit of softening in the first months a defect? Not by itself. Some relaxing of the fabric with daily use is normal. Bulging, losing firmness within weeks, or staying flat after a month is what to photograph and report. ## Related at the atelier - [My sofa covers came in the wrong color. Do I have to send them back?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/wrong-color-sofa-covers-replacement/): In past cases, wrong-color sofa covers rarely had to go back when the color mistake was the workshop's. - [What's the return policy on the modular sofa if it doesn't work for us?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/modular-sofa-return-policy/): If your modular floor sofa arrives damaged, lost or not as described, photograph it on arrival and get the workshop's answer in writing. - [The metal bars on my new modular sofa look rusty. Are they defective?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/rusty-metal-bars-modular-sofa/): Usually not: marks on brand-new modular sofa bars are most often dust or production residue that was never wiped off, so wipe them with a cloth first. - [Modular Floor Sofa in Rust and Cream Velvet: Where to Spend](https://cushionguide.com/readings/rust-velvet-end-block-cream-seat-detail/): On a modular floor sofa, spend on base thickness and order every piece at once. - [Modular Floor Sofa in Charcoal: Porch Sense for a Living Room](https://cushionguide.com/readings/charcoal-tufted-floor-lounger-line-art-prints/): A charcoal modular floor sofa is the forgiving choice for a living room shared with children or pets, because a near-black linen-look weave hides everyday marks that light gray shows quickly. - [Modular Floor Sofa Module: Firmness of One Tufted Seat](https://cushionguide.com/readings/mid-gray-tufted-floor-seat-line-art-wall/): A single modular floor sofa module works as a complete floor chair when the tufted seat is firm and the back cushion and bolster are soft. - [Replacement covers for a floor sofa: fit, color change and single pieces](https://cushionguide.com/guides/floor-sofa-replacement-covers/) - [Your cushion arrived vacuum-packed: what happens in the first 72 hours](https://cushionguide.com/guides/vacuum-packed-cushion-first-72-hours/) *Porch light's on — Rosa* --- Written by Rosa Delgado (https://cushionguide.com/masters/rosa/) 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/sofa-cushions-lost-shape-not-expanding/