CushionGuide
Get a quote

The Cutting Table · compared on the table

Why does a tufted cushion cost more than a plain foam one?

Also asked as:What's the price difference between tufted and foam filled?Do you do tufting on these?

Folks fall for the buttons first and read the quote second. Here is what the extra money buys, and what to do when a tufted set runs past the budget.

Answered by

The Porch Keeper of Savannah · · Updated

Stack of cream, sage, woven-stripe and caramel bouclé bench cushions with contrast piping on a light oak benchSave
Cream with caramel piping, sage with a cream welt, a woven stripe and a plain caramel base: four ways to finish the same box cushion.

The quick answer

A tufted cushion costs more because every tuft is set by hand, and in three past quotes that added about a third to a half over the same size in plain foam. If a tufted set runs over budget, a non-tufted, foam-filled cushion is the cheaper route, and the workshop can send photos of the untufted style before you decide.

Get a quote for a daybed cushion

Same cushion, two finishes: what real quotes showed

OrderPlain or foam-filledTufted
Three dining bench cushionsThe base quoteAbout 47% more
A replacement floor cushionThe base quoteAt least a third more
Floor cushion, 63 x 35.5 in (160 x 90 cm)The base quoteAbout 40% more
French-style seat, 70 x 28 x 3 in (178 x 71 x 7.5 cm)Non-tufted foam is the cheaper routeBackrests and armrests come with the set

Key facts

  • Tufting is done fully by hand.
  • In three past quotes, tufted cushions ran about a third to a half above the same size untufted.
  • A non-tufted, foam-filled cushion is the cheaper alternative.
  • Untufted floor cushions can be quoted lower, and photos of the untufted style are available on request.
  • One tufted daybed mattress with a round bolster was quoted at about 10-12 business days, production plus delivery.
  • A French-style tufted seat set includes its backrests and armrests.

Have it made

Have Rosa’s workshop cut this for you

Every good cushion I know started with a long porch chat. This is the short version: leave your number and the workshop will call. — Rosa

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.

Fabric · Foam · Pipingwhat the workshop will confirm with you

Fabric
The cover cloth: weave, color and care code.
Foam
A non-tufted, foam-filled cushion is the cheaper alternative.
Piping
The corded seam edge: matching, contrast or none.
Only for this request: no marketing calls or texts. Outside the US, add the country code.
In inches: length × depth × thickness, plus any angles or cut corners.

* Required. A member of the workshop team will call you to talk it through; nothing is charged and nothing is made until you have agreed on every detail with them.

We use these details only to answer this request and make your cushion: your name and contact details, the cushion details and photos you send, the page you came from and the ad or link that brought you, if any. The workshop that makes the cushions receives them. We don't sell them or share them for advertising, and we delete requests after 24 months. Privacy notice for requests.

Nothing is made or charged until you approve the details.

Want to pick the shape and add photos? Use the full quote form

Where the extra money goes

Pull up a chair, neighbor. Tufting is done fully by hand: each tuft is pulled down through the filling and set, one at a time, across the whole top of the cushion. A plain foam cushion is cut, covered and closed. That difference in hours is the difference in the quote.

In the real quotes behind this Answer, tufted landed between a third and a half above the same size untufted, on bench cushions, floor cushions and daybed cushions alike.

If you're torn, the tufted vs. plain Pattern walks through the look and feel of each, and the glossary entry on tufting covers the styles. So which matters more on your bench, the buttons or the budget?

A real project

A daybed, a round bolster and a 10-day clock

A buyer in the US wanted the full tufted look on a daybed: a mattress of 75.9 x 35 x 4.5 in (193 x 89 x 11.5 cm) with a round bolster 6.25 in (16 cm) across and 35 in (89 cm) long. The workshop priced it through the tufted listing and gave an honest clock: about 10-12 business days for production plus delivery. The buyer knew what the buttons cost in money and in days before saying yes, and that is exactly how it ought to go.

Tufted or plain: a porch-step checklist

  • Ask for both quotes on the same size; in the three past quotes above, the gap ran a third to a half.
  • Over budget on a tufted French-style set? Ask for the non-tufted, foam-filled version.
  • Want to see untufted before you decide? The workshop sends photos of that style.
  • Pricing a tufted seat set? The backrests and armrests are already in it.
  • Working to a date? Tufting is handwork, so give your date up front and ask for the production time with the quote.

A tufted cushion costs more because the tufting is done fully by hand; three real quotes ran a third to a half above plain foam.

Rosa
Share on X (opens a new window)

Buyer questions

  1. A common question

    The tufted French-style set is over my budget. Is there a cheaper way to go?

    The workshop's answer

    The tufted quote for a 70 x 28 x 3 in (178 x 71 x 7.5 cm) seat already included its backrests and armrests. The cheaper alternative is a non-tufted, foam-filled cushion in the same size.

  2. A common question

    Why is the tufted version so much more than the plain foam one?

    The workshop's answer

    Tufting is done fully by hand. For three dining bench cushions, tufted came in about 47% above foam-filled, and a replacement floor cushion was at least a third more tufted than plain.

  3. A common question

    What's the difference between a tufted and a non-tufted custom floor cushion?

    The workshop's answer

    For a bespoke 63 x 35.5 in (160 x 90 cm) floor cushion, tufted came in about 40% above non-tufted. The workshop can send photos of the non-tufted style so you can compare.

  4. A common question

    Are large untufted floor cushions cheaper than tufted ones?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes. Tufted floor cushions were quoted at 71 x 31.5 x 12 in (180 x 80 x 30 cm) and 47 x 31.5 x 12 in (120 x 80 x 30 cm), and the workshop said it could offer better prices on untufted versions.

  5. A common question

    Does a thicker cushion cost more?

    The workshop's answer

    A little, between 2 and 5 in (5-13 cm), where length and width matter more and thin cushions aren't much cheaper. Very tall pieces cost far more: a 12 in (30 cm) cushion was listed at twice the 6 in (15 cm) price.

Questions buyers ask next

How long does a tufted daybed mattress take to arrive?

One tufted daybed mattress with a round bolster was quoted at about 10-12 business days for production plus delivery. Tufting is handwork, so share any deadline with the workshop and get your own dates in writing before you order.

Does a tufted French-style seat set come with backrests?

Yes. A French-style tufted seat set includes its backrests and armrests, so the quote covers the whole set rather than the seat alone. If it runs over budget, a non-tufted, foam-filled cushion is the lower-cost option.

Will a sale price still hold if I wait a week or two to order?

Not reliably: sales come and go, and the workshop sets them. Ordering fabric samples first is still wise, and if a sale ends before you order, ask the workshop; an expired sale has been switched back on for a buyer who missed it, but that was a courtesy, not a rule.