The Cushion Atlas · Daybeds & floor beds

Kallax cushions for IKEA benches, cut to the top you actually sit on

A Kallax on its side is a bench waiting for a seat, and the number on the box describes the unit standing up. Measure the top instead, and the rest is quiet work.

Atlas entry by Hana

The Quiet Geometer of Seattle · January 28, 2026 · Updated September 24, 2026

1reading
4answers
12photographs

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A made-to-fit pad turns a two-cube shelf into seating while the cubes keep books and board games within reach.

The quick answer

A Kallax bench cushion is cut to the unit's top as it lies: about 15 3/8 x 57 5/8 in (39 x 146.5 cm) for a long 1x4 on its side, not the 16 3/8 x 57 5/8 in on the box. A 2x2 top is about 15 3/8 x 30 in. Standard foam is 4 in, under a zippered cover. Measure your own unit first.

Shapes to choose from

Every one is cut to your measurements. The number is how many readings the atelier has published for that shape.

Sizes & measuring

The tops, measured

Measure the top you will sit on. Not the box, not the catalog, not the old cushion.

How to measure Seen from above, the cushion fills the frame: measure length and depth inside it, wood to wood. Seen from the front: the thickness you want.

Long 1x4, on its side	Top about 15 3/8 x 57 5/8 in (39 x 146.5 cm). The 16 3/8 in becomes the bench height.
Square 2x2	Top about 15 3/8 x 30 in (39 x 76.5 cm)
The box label	16 3/8 x 57 5/8 in is width x height of the unit standing up, not the seat
Units side by side	Measure the whole run; one cushion is made to it. A long 1x4 plus a single cube came to 15 3/8 x 74 3/8 in (39 x 189 cm).
Precision	To the nearest 1/8 in. Fractions are cut as given; there is no need to round.
Labels	Length is the long side, left to right. Width is front to back, the seat depth.
Thickness	4 in (10 cm) standard; 3 in for a lower, neater line; 2 in (5 cm) is the thinnest standard foam
Cover	Zippered and removable; on bench covers the zipper often runs around two corners
Grip	Optional non-slip base in place of the bottom panel; holds by friction, no adhesive
Country	IKEA dimensions vary by country. Check your own unit before ordering.

A shelf on its side, waiting for a seat

Lay a Kallax on its side and it becomes a low bench with storage underneath. Books, bins and board games go in the cubes. A cushion goes on top. People build them in kids' rooms, under windows and as kitchen banquettes.

A Kallax bench cushion is a flat foam cushion cut to that top. It is one of the simpler shapes in the atlas. The difficult part is the number, because the one on the box describes the unit standing up.

Which Kallax do you have, and which way does it lie? Answer that first. For seats built into a wall instead, see window seat cushions and kitchen nook cushions.

IKEA and Kallax are trademarks of Inter IKEA Systems B.V.; CushionGuide and its partner workshop are not affiliated with IKEA.

Square corners, one clean edge

A Kallax cushion is a rectangle with square corners, because the shelf is. Most are box-edged, with a band around the sides and piping at the top and bottom seams. The piping draws the outline of the unit in a single line. Contrast piping makes it a drawing. Matching piping lets it disappear.

Cut it flush. A cushion 15 3/8 in (39 cm) deep sits exactly on the top and lines up with the front face of the cubes. When several units stand in a row, one long cushion made to the full run reads calmer than a line of short ones. The Kallax glossary entry sorts out the unit names.

Fabric for a shelf that people sit on

Linen-look weaves suit Kallax kitchen banquettes. Plain, calm, many colors.
Velvet carries deep greens like the forest green in the photograph. The velvet chart holds more greens than the stripes do.
Striped cotton suits a child's room. Judge the stripe from a photo of a finished cushion, not a chart swatch.
Performance weaves for crayons, juice and dogs: a tight, washable weave in a mid-tone.

The usual wish is to match the fabric bins in the cubes. Order physical samples and hold them against the bins in daylight. A screen can make a fabric look noticeably lighter, or a different tone, than it is.

Open a swatch family

The count is how many published readings use each family. Open a family for its swatch book, care notes and neighbors.

Four inches, and the height they add

Height is a feeling. The long Kallax on its side stands about 16 3/8 in tall. A 4 in cushion, the standard, puts the seat near 20 3/8 in before anyone sits down. That suits a window perch, and a child who likes to swing their legs.

At a table, check the knees first. 3 in brings the seat to about 19 3/8 in and gives a lower, neater line. 2 in (5 cm) is the thinnest standard foam, at about 18 3/8 in.

The foam is high-density, which keeps a flat, structured top. That is what a shelf-bench wants. Try your own numbers in the seat height calculator.

A real project

Three cushions for one kids' room

A buyer in the US turned Kallax shelving into bench seating in a kids' room: two long units and one shorter four-cube unit. Before anything was cut, the workshop confirmed the Kallax top and settled the depth at 15 3/8 in (39 cm) for all three cushions.

The two long cushions were made 57 5/8 in (146.5 cm) and the short one about 30 in (76.5 cm). The blue the buyer described was matched to a named shade, parliament, and all three went through the Kallax option on the window-seat listing. They sat flush, front to back.

Measured: 2 x 57 5/8 x 15 3/8 in and 1 x 30 x 15 3/8 in
What it taught: Confirm the depth of the unit first. A 15 3/8 in (39 cm) cushion sits flush on a Kallax top.

Where Kallax orders go wrong

Reading 16 3/8 x 57 5/8 in off the box as the seat. On its side, the top is about 15 3/8 x 57 5/8 in.
Measuring the catalog instead of the unit. IKEA sizes vary by country; the tape measure does not.
Swapping length and width. Label every number: '15 3/8 in deep x 57 5/8 in across'.
Rounding 15 3/8 up to 16. Give the fraction; the foam is cut to it.
Leaving the stripe direction unsaid. The roll is about 55 in (140 cm) wide, so stripes running front to back on a 57 5/8 in cushion need a seam.
Choosing a sage or olive from a screen. Ask for a photo of a finished cushion, or a sample.

Photographs from the workbench

Open any photograph large; each one has its own link and a Save button.

Chocolate brown box cushion on a white cubby storage bench with bouclé pillows, tartan throw and wicker basket — A deep chocolate seat on a white cubby bench, softened by cream bouclé and knit pillows and a beige tartan throw against shiplap.

Chocolate corduroy bench cushion on a white cube storage bench with wicker baskets, leather pillow and knit throw — Deep brown cord, a leather lumbar pillow and a chunky knit throw turn a plain cube bench into a warm seat by the sofa.

Charcoal taupe linen-look seat cushion and tall box backrest with ivory piping on a mudroom bench above shoe cubbies — A built-in entry bench with shoe cubbies below gets a thick taupe seat and a tall leaning backrest, both outlined in ivory piping.

Forest green bouclé bench cushion with its concealed side zipper partly open, showing a white inner layer — The zipper runs along the side seam, so the cover comes off for cleaning while the front stays clean-lined.

Navy corduroy box cushion on a cream plinth under a large picture window, with oak cube shelves and terracotta floor — A dark, low seat that frames a picture window; the view above is left completely clear.

Elevated view of a mustard corduroy window seat cushion with navy pillow, lit paper lamp, book cubes and navy armchair — Seen from above, the mustard ledge cushion and the navy armchair form one reading corner lit by a single paper lamp. The sill stays free for books and a mug.

Mustard corduroy box cushion on a painted window ledge, navy linen pillow, paper globe lamp and pine book cubes nearby — A mustard corduroy cushion turns a shallow painted ledge into a reading seat facing the living room. The navy pillow and armchair answer it from across the corner.

Four stacked crinkle-textured bench cushions in chocolate, denim blue, ochre and cream on a slatted oak bench — A warm-and-cool mix of four textured cushions, without piping, stacked on an oak bench.

Black and white zigzag box cushion on a white storage bench with red velvet, mustard ruffle and cobalt bouclé pillows — A black and white zigzag cushion works as a neutral base for primary-color pillows. All three pillow colors come from the striped rug below.

Fine blue and white pinstripe window seat cushion on a white cubby bench with linen pillows, plants and a seagrass basket — A whisper-fine blue pinstripe reads almost solid from a distance, so the sunroom's plants and baskets carry the color.

Dusty mauve velvet box cushion with self piping on a white cubby bench with seagrass baskets in a shiplap entryway — A dusty mauve velvet pad turns a plain cubby bench into a proper seat for pulling on boots. The cream knit and seagrass baskets keep it soft rather than formal.

The Kallax box reads 16 3/8 x 57 5/8 in, but that is the unit standing up. On its side, the bench top is about 15 3/8 x 57 5/8 in.
Hana

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Styling the cubes, and tools before you order

The cushion is one band of color above a grid of squares. Let the grid stay quiet. Take the cushion color from what lives in the cubes: book spines, the bins, a stack of board games.

One parent wanted an olive or sage stripe against peachy-pink walls, but not a strong green. A photo of the finished stripe settled it before cutting. More ideas for small rooms are in kids' room cushions.

Set size, piping and thickness in the bench cushion builder. Then read Kallax top sizes for every unit, length, depth and thickness explained and ties or a non-slip base. Seven real builds are drawn in Kallax bench cushion builds.

The box gives one number.

The top gives another.

Sit on the second.

Thin pad or a 4 in cushion on a Kallax

Thickness	Feel on the hard top	Best for
About 1 1/2 in (store pads)	Firm; bottoms out on long sits	Occasional perching, a tidy look
2 to 2 1/2 in	Comfortable for short sits	Kids' rooms, entryways
3 in	Comfortable for everyday sitting	Banquettes at a table
4 in (standard here)	Plump, sofa-like	Window seats and reading spots

Buyer questions

A common question
What size cushion fits a Kallax turned on its side as a bench?
The workshop's answer
The 16 3/8 x 57 5/8 in on the box is width x height, not the seat. On its side, the long 1x4 has a top of about 15 3/8 x 57 5/8 in (39 x 146.5 cm), and the 16 3/8 in becomes the bench height; a 2x2 top is about 15¼ x 30 in (39 x 76.5 cm), roughly 30 in long. The Kallax option reads '15x57 in' because of character limits, but the cushion is made to the full 15¼ x 57¾ in (39 x 146.5 cm). IKEA sizes vary by country, so measure yours and write the size if it differs.
A common question
I have a long four-cube Kallax and a single cube side by side under a window. Can one cushion cover both?
The workshop's answer
Yes. Measure the whole run and one cushion is made to it; that exact setup came to 15¼ in (39 cm) deep by 74½ in (189 cm) long (15 3/8 x 74 3/8 in). For a single Kallax used as a kitchen banquette, the cushion is made to the 15 3/8 x 57 5/8 in top, in any fabric and color. Custom lengths are quoted from the size and fabric you send.
A common question
The listing asks for width and length. Which is which on a Kallax?
The workshop's answer
Length is the long side, measured left to right across the front. Width is the short side, front to back, which is the same as seat depth; on a Kallax, 'width' means that depth. Thickness is how tall the cushion is. If in doubt, label your numbers, for example '15 3/8 in deep x 57 5/8 in across', and the cushion will be made correctly.
A common question
How do I match the cushion to the fabric bins in my Kallax?
The workshop's answer
Order physical samples of the colors on your shortlist and hold them against the bins in your own light. Close-up photos in the chat are a quicker first pass, and the workshop can photograph its nearest fabric to a Pantone reference. Screens mislead: one buyer found a shade too light and another a different tone than it looked online. When the first samples missed, a second round went out free, and warmer browns and olive stripes matched.
A common question
Are your neutral stripes gray, beige or olive? I want a sage look, not a strong green.
The workshop's answer
Stripe names can mislead: one of the neutral stripes buyers expect to be gray is actually cream and beige. The most reliable guide to an olive or beige undertone is a photo of a finished cushion, which the workshop will send. If none of the stripes gives the sage you want, the velvet chart has more greens.
A common question
Can I pay extra to rush a Kallax cushion for a birthday?
The workshop's answer
Often, yes. Paid priority production moves the order to the front of the queue, which matters when 200 or more orders are active. Send your size and fabric first, then add the separate express fee listing; the fee is quoted per order and the delivery window is confirmed when you pay. Even priority production can't meet a deadline only a few days away.

Have it made

Have your Kallax bench cushion made — ask Hana’s workshop

Leave your numbers and the height you like to sit at. The rest is a short conversation. — Hana

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: 2 in (5 cm) is the thinnest standard foam
Piping: The corded seam edge: matching, contrast or none.

Name

Phone Only for this request: no marketing calls or texts. Outside the US, add the country code.

Best time to call optional

What to make optional

Measurements optionalIn inches: length × depth × thickness, plus any angles or cut corners.

Notes optional

* 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

Kallax questions, asked next

Does a cushion stay put on the smooth Kallax top?

A non-slip base helps most. It replaces the whole bottom panel with a grippy fabric that holds by friction, with no adhesive and no residue. It is an extra-cost option chosen in personalization. Ties need a frame to wrap around, which a Kallax top does not offer.

How high will I sit on a Kallax bench?

The long unit on its side stands about 16 3/8 in tall. Add a 4 in cushion and the seat is about 20 3/8 in before it compresses. 3 in brings it to about 19 3/8 in, and 2 in, the thinnest standard foam, to about 18 3/8 in.

Which way should stripes run on a long Kallax cushion?

Say so for each cushion. The fabric roll is about 55 in (140 cm) wide, so stripes running front to back on a 57 5/8 in cushion need a seam. Stripes are matched on one face only, so put that face up.

Can the Kallax cushion cover be washed?

Yes. Every foam cushion has a zippered, fully removable cover at no extra cost, with the zipper hidden on the back edge or the underside. Wash it on a gentle cycle at 86°F (30°C) and let it air dry before zipping it back on.

What happens if the cushion comes out the wrong size?

Send the workshop a photo with a tape measure along the full side. When it made the error in past cases, it remade the piece and did not ask for the wrong one back. Buyers who preferred to keep a piece were offered a partial refund instead.

Is it safe to sit on a Kallax turned on its side?

A cushion adds comfort, not strength. Plenty of owners use the unit as a bench, but the workshop makes the cushion, not the shelf, so it can't rate the furniture for sitting. Follow the furniture maker's own assembly and wall-anchoring instructions, spread the load along the top, and keep children from standing or jumping on it.

Why are most ready-made Kallax cushions so thin?

Most store pads for these units are sold by cube count and run about 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 in thick. A thin pad keeps the seat low and looks tidy, but it bottoms out on the hard top during longer sits. A 3 or 4 in cushion cut to your unit's real top is noticeably more comfortable and raises the seat accordingly.

— Hana

Readings

Photographs read by the masters: ikea kallax bench cushions

Real cushions made for real rooms, each read for proportion, fabric and fit.

A Reading by Hana
Kallax Bench Cushion in Forest Green, Cut to the Eighth Inch
Hana · April 22, 2026

The readings index for this entry

The Cutting Table

Buyers asked about ikea kallax bench cushions

Every answer at the Cutting Table

The Pattern Room