---
title: "Tufted Floor Cushion Filling: Silicone Ball Fiber, No Foam"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/answers/tufted-floor-cushion-filling/"
section: "The Cutting Table"
author: "Nate Kowalski, The Pattern Engineer of Detroit"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/nate/"
published: "2026-07-30"
updated: "2026-07-30"
keywords: "tufted floor cushion filling, silicone ball fiber cushion, floor cushion stuffing, fiber filled tufted cushion, what are floor cushions filled with"
---

# What are tufted floor cushions filled with?

*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.*

Also asked as: What is the cushion stuffed with?; What do you mean by silicone ball stuffing?

> **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.

![Ivory corduroy corner floor cushion under a lilac fairy-light canopy with star, mustard and lilac pillows, oval jute rug](https://cushionguide.com/media/corner-floor-cushions/ivory-corduroy-corner-floor-cushion-lilac-canopy-1536.webp "Lilac and mustard are near-opposites, and on an ivory base they look playful rather than loud.")

## Key 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.

## 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](https://cushionguide.com/glossary/#polyester-fiberfill), hollow fiber that is siliconized and rolled into small clusters, the [cluster fiber](https://cushionguide.com/glossary/#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](https://cushionguide.com/guides/tufted-floor-couch-set-sizes/) and [floor cushion thickness](https://cushionguide.com/guides/floor-cushion-thickness-guide/) Patterns help you pick them. After delivery, the [tufted cushion care Pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/tufted-cushion-care-buttons-cleaning/) keeps the buttons tidy. More at [floor cushions](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/floor-cushions/).

> **Tailor's margin:** Silicone ball fiber in a tufted floor cushion is polyester hollow fiber in small clusters: soft like cotton, packed densely, no foam core.

> 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 answer:** Silicone 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 answer:** The 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 answer:** No. 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 answer:** No. 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.

## Related at the atelier

- [Will the silicone ball stuffing in a floor cushion flatten over time?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/does-silicone-ball-stuffing-flatten/): Silicone ball stuffing is packed too densely to flatten: the workshop puts about 18-22 lb (8-10 kg) of fill into a 60 in (152 cm) floor cushion, and calls collapse practically impossible.
- [Do your tufted floor cushions contain any foam?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/foam-free-tufted-floor-cushions/): No, the tufted floor cushions contain no foam: they are filled with durable fiber inserts made of silicone ball fiber, which the workshop says will last many years.
- [Do the floor cushions come filled, or is it just the cover?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/floor-cushions-come-filled-or-cover-only/): Floor cushions come fully filled, not as covers only: each one arrives well stuffed and sewn closed, ready to sit on, and you choose just the color number and the size.
- [Velvet floor cushions: pile, tufts and the marks a box leaves behind](https://cushionguide.com/guides/velvet-floor-cushions/): A velvet floor cushion set is four pieces: a tufted floor cushion about 4 in (10 cm) thick, a backrest pillow 16 in (40 cm) tall and two round bolsters.
- [Meditation corners: firm, flat floor cushions matched to the rug](https://cushionguide.com/concepts/meditation-corner-floor-cushions/): A meditation floor cushion should be firm and flat: about 3 to 4 in (7.5 to 10 cm) thick and densely filled.
- [Pallet sofas and daybeds: cushions cut to the stack you built](https://cushionguide.com/concepts/pallet-sofa-cushions/): Pallet sofa cushions are cut to your own frame, so measure the finished pallet stack rather than a catalog pallet, because pallet sizes vary.
- [Tufted floor cushion couch sets: what's in the set and which size to choose](https://cushionguide.com/guides/tufted-floor-couch-set-sizes/)
- [Caring for a tufted cushion: re-sewing a button and cleaning by hand](https://cushionguide.com/guides/tufted-cushion-care-buttons-cleaning/)

*± 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/tufted-floor-cushion-filling/