The Cutting Table · a common question
What are tufted floor cushions filled with?
Also asked as:What is the cushion stuffed with?What do you mean by silicone ball stuffing?
Open one up and you won't find a block. You'll find thousands of small fiber balls, packed tight enough to hold a tuft.
The quick answer
Tufted floor cushions are filled with silicone ball fiber: polyester hollow fiber rolled into small clusters that feel soft like cotton, not like foam. The fill is packed densely, the standard mix often includes some cotton filler, and there's no foam core. The cushions are sewn by hand, and the workshop can send a photo of the filling before you order.
SaveKey facts
- Tufted floor cushions are filled with silicone ball fiber.
- Silicone balls are polyester hollow-fiber clusters.
- The fill feels like cotton, not foam, and is packed densely.
- The standard mix can include some cotton filler.
- There is no foam core, and the cushions are sewn by hand.
- A photo of the filling is available on request.
- Foam fill can be made as an alternative on some orders.
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Send the numbers in inches: length × depth × thickness, plus any angle. The workshop checks them with you, because foam has no undo button. — Nate
Leave your details and the workshop will call you to confirm measurements, fabric, foam and piping. No prices, dates or payment on this page: it is a request, not an order.
Silicone ball fiber is polyester, not a gel
Buyers hear 'silicone' and picture a gel pack. It isn't one, partner. It's polyester fiberfill, hollow fiber that is siliconized and rolled into small clusters, the cluster fiber in the glossary. Packed densely, those clusters feel like cotton in the hand, not like the push-back of foam. The workshop describes the fill as non-deforming.
The mix varies a little: some replies name pure silicone fiber, and the normal mix is silicone fiber plus some cotton filler.
Fiber balls against foam, spec for spec
| Silicone ball fiber | Foam | |
|---|---|---|
| Feel | Soft, like cotton | Firmer, more solid |
| Used in | Tufted and French-style floor cushions | Stacking cushions, firm headboards, bench seats |
| Core | None; fiber packed densely | A cut block, wrapped in Dacron on bench cushions |
| Options | Some cotton mixed in | Offered instead of fiber on some orders |
Big sets are quoted piece by piece
A buyer asked for three 37 x 37 x 12 in (95 x 95 x 30 cm) linen floor cushions with silicone-ball fill and two backrests. Sets like that are quoted per order, from sizes, fabric and filling, and a small 14 x 14 x 5 in (35 x 35 x 12 cm) matching cushion was offered as an option. Send sizes and a fabric code; the tufted floor couch set sizes and floor cushion thickness Patterns help you pick them. After delivery, the tufted cushion care Pattern keeps the buttons tidy. More at floor cushions.
If you want a tufted floor cushion that feels like cotton, ask for silicone ball fiber; if you want it firm and solid, ask for foam.
Nate
Buyer questions
- A common question
What's inside the tufted cushions?
The workshop's answerSilicone balls, a hollow fiber that feels like cotton, packed densely instead of a foam sponge. Foam filling is offered as an alternative on some orders.
- A common question
What filling goes inside your cushions?
The workshop's answerThe tufted cushions are filled with siliconized fiber balls mixed with cotton, and the workshop can send a photo of the filling. Foam-filled cushions can also be made on request.
- A common question
Is the tufted floor cushion stuffed with foam?
The workshop's answerNo. It's 'silicone ball' fiber, which feels soft like cotton rather than foam. The workshop has confirmed that these cushions contain no foam and are sewn by hand.
- A common question
Is the foam in your bench cushions just a bare block?
The workshop's answerNo. The firm foam, about 2.0 lb/ft³ (32 kg/m³), is wrapped in polyester fiber (Dacron) wadding before it goes into the cover, which softens the surface and gives fuller, rounded edges.
Questions buyers ask next
Will a fiber-filled floor cushion lose its shape?
The workshop describes its silicone ball fill as non-deforming and packs it densely. If you would rather have a firmer, more solid seat that holds a crisp edge, foam fill can be requested instead on some orders.
Can I choose foam instead of fiber in a tufted cushion?
On some orders, yes: foam fill is offered as an alternative. Foam feels firmer and more solid than silicone fiber, which is softer and pillow-like, so choose by the seat you want rather than by the look.
Is the fill pure silicone fiber or a blend?
Both have been described. Some replies name pure silicone fiber, while the normal mix is silicone fiber plus some cotton filler. If it matters to you, ask which mix your cushion will get and request a photo of it.
