The Pattern Room · a measuring pattern
IKEA Kallax bench cushion sizes for every unit and combined run
Every Kallax shares one depth. Only the length changes, and the height, once you turn it over. A small table, a few rules, and a kitchen banquette cut to the eighth of an inch.
SaveThe quick answer
A Kallax bench cushion is 15 3/8 in (39 cm) deep on every unit, because every Kallax is 15 3/8 in deep. Length depends on the unit: a 1x4 laid on its side takes 57 5/8 in (146.5 cm), a 2x2 about 30 1/8 in (76.5 cm). For units placed in a row, measure the whole run and order one cushion to it.
One depth, many lengths
Every Kallax is 15 3/8 in (39 cm) deep. So is every Kallax bench cushion.
The length is where people get lost. IKEA names a standing unit by width and height, so the 16 3/8 x 57 5/8 in in a 1x4's product title is not the seat. Lay that unit on its side and the top becomes 57 5/8 x 15 3/8 in (146.5 x 39 cm). The 16 3/8 in turns into bench height.
One more trap. Buyers call both the long 1x4 and the square 2x2 a “4-cube” Kallax. They need very different cushions. Say which one you have.
IKEA sizes also vary slightly from country to country. Measure your own unit.
Which Kallax is under your window?
Kallax cushion size by unit
| Unit and position | Cushion top (length x depth) | Height before the cushion |
|---|---|---|
| 1x4, on its side | 57 5/8 x 15 3/8 in (146.5 x 39 cm) | 16 3/8 in (42 cm), bench height |
| 2x4, on its side | 57 5/8 x 15 3/8 in (146.5 x 39 cm) | 30 3/8 in (77 cm), far above a dining seat |
| 2x2, standing | 30 1/8 x 15 3/8 in (76.5 x 39 cm) | 30 3/8 in (77 cm) |
| 1x4 on its side plus a single cube | about 74 1/2 x 15 3/8 in (189 x 39 cm), one cushion | 16 3/8 in (42 cm) |
Seven steps from shelf to seat
Decide how the unit will stand
Upright or on its side. That choice sets both the top you cushion and the height you sit at. A 1x4 on its side is the classic Kallax bench: 16 3/8 in (42 cm) to the top.
Pattern sheet Plan: the cushion fills the inside of the frame, 47 by 17.5 in, measured wood to wood. Front view: 4 in thick. Measure the top, not the catalog
Run the tape across the actual top, to the nearest 1/8 in. Catalog numbers, old cushions and product photos are how wrong sizes happen. Write fractions as fractions: 15 3/8, not 15 or 16.
Label length and depth
Length is the long side, left to right. On a cushion listing, “width” means the depth, front to back. Thickness is how tall the cushion stands. If in doubt, write it out: 15 3/8 in deep x 57 5/8 in across.
Pattern sheet Plan: the cushion fills the inside of the frame, 47 by 17.5 in, measured wood to wood. Front view: 4 in thick. Measure a combined run as one
Units pushed together under a window or along a kitchen wall get one cushion made to the whole run. For one Kallax window seat cushion, a long four-cube unit on its side plus a single cube came to about 74 1/2 x 15 3/8 in (189 x 39 cm).
Choose thickness from the height
Platform plus cushion equals seat height. A dining seat sits around 18 in (46 cm), within 17 to 19 in. On a 1x4 at 16 3/8 in, a 2 in (5 cm) cushion lands near 18 3/8 in, 3 in (7.5 cm) near 19 3/8 in, 4 in (10 cm) at 20 3/8 in. Foam settles a little, so 3 in sits closer to 2 1/2 in over time. Height is a feeling. Sit on a folded blanket of that thickness before you order.
Match the bins with real swatches
Order physical samples of two or three codes and hold them against your storage bins and wall paint in your own light. Close-up photos in the chat are a fair first pass. Screens flatter some colors and dull others.
Decide how it stays put
A cushion cut exactly to a narrow top has little to grip. A non-slip base sewn underneath is the usual answer on a narrow bench.
Have it made
Measured it? Have Hana’s workshop make it
A good size is a quiet thing. You notice it only when it is wrong. Let the workshop check yours first. — 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.
A kitchen banquette cut to the eighth
A buyer in the US was turning Kallax shelving into banquette seating in the kitchen. The order asked for 15 3/8 x 57 5/8 in, fractions and all.
The workshop confirmed it would cut the Kallax banquette cushion to those fractions exactly, rather than round up to whole inches. The fabric came from the linen range, in a color chosen from the chart.
Rounding up sounds generous. On a Kallax it means 5/8 in (1.5 cm) of cushion hanging past the front edge, every day. The buyer measured to the eighth, and the eighth is what was cut.
Three cushions and a stripe for a kids' room
A buyer in the US turned Kallax shelving into bench seating in a kids' room: two long units and one smaller four-cube unit. The workshop confirmed the tops and settled on 15 3/8 in (39 cm) depth for all three, 57 5/8 in (146.5 cm) long for the two long units and 30 1/8 in (76.5 cm) for the short one. The blue was identified as a shade called parliament.
Another parent wanted an olive or sage stripe for a Kallax bench in a room with peachy-pink walls. Not a strong green. A chart swatch couldn't settle it, so the workshop sent a photo of a finished cushion in the N01 stripe, where the real undertone showed, and offered the velvet chart as a second path.
A finished cushion shows a stripe's undertone better than any chart. More builds like these are gathered in Kallax bench cushion builds and the kids' room cushions hub.
Where Kallax orders go wrong
- Ordering from the IKEA title. 16 3/8 x 57 5/8 in is the width and height of a standing unit, not the seat.
- Writing “4-cube” without saying 1x4 or 2x2.
- Swapping length and width. On the listing, width is the depth.
- Measuring a unit that isn't built yet. Measure the finished top; an order can wait for final sizes.
- Choosing 4 in foam for a kitchen banquette on a 1x4, then sitting at 20 3/8 in.
- Expecting stripes to run the full 57 5/8 in. The roll is about 55 in (140 cm) wide, so stripes run front to back unless a seam is accepted.
Turn a 1x4 Kallax on its side and its 16 3/8 in width becomes bench height. The seat on top is 57 5/8 x 15 3/8 in.
Hana
Lay out the run before you order
Set length, depth and thickness in the bench cushion builder and look at it from the side. Then check the finished height in the seat height calculator, especially for a banquette. The length, depth and thickness guide has the labeled diagram, and every Kallax shape lives in the IKEA Kallax cushions hub. The same method works for any cube storage bench cushion.
The shelf was made for boxes. A cushion asks it to hold a person. Give it the right height, and it will.
Buyer questions: Kallax questions
- A common question
On your listing, does “width” mean the depth of my Kallax bench?
The workshop's answerYes. Length is the long side, measured left to right. Width is the depth, from the front edge to the back edge. Thickness is how tall the cushion is. If you are unsure, label your numbers, for example 15 3/8 in deep x 57 5/8 in across, and the cushion is made to them.
- A common question
What size cushion goes on a Kallax turned on its side as a bench?
The workshop's answerThe 16 3/8 x 57 5/8 in in the product title is width x height. On its side, a 1x4 has a top of about 57 5/8 x 15 3/8 in (146.5 x 39 cm), and the 16 3/8 in becomes the bench height. The Kallax size option is labeled 15 x 57 in to save space but made to the full size. Measure your own unit; IKEA sizes vary by country.
- A common question
I have Kallax units side by side under a window. Can I get one cushion for the whole row?
The workshop's answerYes. Measure the whole run and one cushion is made to it; a long four-cube unit plus a single cube came to about 74 1/2 x 15 3/8 in (189 x 39 cm). Custom lengths are quoted from the size and fabric you send.
- A common question
How big is the cushion for the smaller, square 4-cube Kallax?
The workshop's answerAbout 30 1/8 x 15 3/8 in (76.5 x 39 cm). For the long unit the workshop makes 57 5/8 x 15 3/8 in (146.5 x 39 cm) cushions, and several cushions for one project are quoted together.
- A common question
I want the cushion to match my Kallax storage bins. How do I check the color?
The workshop's answerOrder physical samples of your shortlisted codes, written in the note of a sample order, and compare them against the bins in your own light. If you don't want to wait for samples, ask the workshop for close-up photos of those fabrics first.
Kallax cushions, briefly
How thick should a Kallax banquette cushion be?
On a 1x4 on its side, 16 3/8 in (42 cm) tall, a 2 in (5 cm) cushion keeps the seat near the usual 17 to 19 in dining range. 3 in (7.5 cm) is softer and a little higher. 4 in (10 cm) puts the seat above 20 in.
Will a cushion slide on the smooth Kallax top?
It can. A cushion cut exactly to a narrow top has little to grip, and a non-slip base sewn underneath is the usual fix for narrow benches and shallow window seats. Ask for it when you order.
Can the cover come off for washing?
Yes. Every foam cushion has a zippered, fully removable cover at no extra charge. The zipper hides on the back edge, facing the wall, or on the underside, and you choose which. On bench covers it often turns two corners so the foam slides out easily.
Can a Kallax cushion be thinner than 2 inches?
2 in (5 cm) is the thinnest standard foam cushion; about 1 in can be made only without piping. The standard options are 2, 3, 4 and 5 in, and in-between values such as 2.5 in can be written into the order.
Should I make a no-sew board cushion for my Kallax instead?
It's quick and cheap: foam on a board with fabric stapled underneath, stuck on with removable strips. The trade-offs are that the fabric can't come off to wash, stapled corners are hard to get crisp, and new fabric means starting over. A sewn cushion has a zippered cover that washes, and it can take ties or a non-slip base.
