Sofa Cushions Replacement Guide

Are your sofa cushions dipping and sagging when you sit on them? Do they never seem to regain their plump shape after fluffing them? Does your sofa just look tired overall? Well, then it’s probably time to invest in some replacement cushions.

After a few years, you may notice your sofa is looking a little worse for wear. Around this time, most people start to worry that they’ll need to buy a brand new one. Often though, that isn’t the case. In general, sofas should last anywhere between 7-15 years, but cushions tend to go lumpy and show signs of wear and tear before then - especially if it’s a well-used and well-loved sofa.

Thankfully, sofa cushions are far easier and more affordable to replace than the entire sofa. And it can completely change the look, quality and comfort levels of your sofa, so it’ll feel brand new for less. In this guide, we’ll take you through the best way to replace your sofa cushions and which materials to use for the most comfortable experience.

What Material Should I Use?

These days, the standard material sofa cushions are made from is foam. This is because foam is well-known for being firm, comfortable and low maintenance. They’re a very durable material, plus they’re ideal for those who suffer from allergies. If you’re looking for an affordable material where you don’t need to spend a lot of time plumping then foam will be your best bet.

For a more luxe look and feel, feather cushions are undeniably the softest filling and will make your cushions look wonderfully plump and inviting. If you like sinking into the seat and feeling cosy for hours, feather is the one for you. But, they’re not great for someone who has allergies and they require plumping a lot more frequently than any other type of cushion.

Fibre is a great go-between for feather and foam as it gives you the comfort of feather with the sturdiness of foam. It’s the perfect material for those who want that cosy, sinking feeling but don’t want feather or the high maintenance.

At Swyft, our sofa cushions are unique as they’re created using a dual-layered foam and polyester fibre to provide a fuller look and a softer feel. Each layer is designed for the perfect balance between firmness and cushiness so you don’t have to compromise. Take a look at our 5 tips on choosing the most comfortable sofa style to learn more about the different types of fillings and give you more inspiration for your new cushions.

Of course, it should go without saying that you need to match the exterior material to the material your sofa already is. For example, if you have a velvet sofa, you should get velvet cushions and not linen and vice versa.

How do I Replace my Sofa Cushions?

First of all, when it comes to replacing your sofa cushions you need to decide which ones exactly need replacing. It’s unlikely you’ll need a full set unless all of them are used equally. More often than not, only a couple are used the most and will need replacing. The others may still feel brand new. So, make sure you assess each one to decide. Of course, for ease and comfortability, you might want to replace all of them anyway, especially if you’re going for a different filling and want them all the match or don’t want to buy another pair a little later down the line.

Once you’ve chosen which cushions need replacing, get the tape measure out and find out their dimensions. Remember though, that your cushions have likely softened over time, so take your measurements from the size of the cushion cover rather than the insert and measure them from seam to seam. If your sofa has a unique shape such as a circle, for example, measure the diameter from front to back and from left to right to ensure it’s a perfect circle. For a T-shaped cushion, first measure along the back for the back width and the front width for the front width. Then, measure from the front of the cushion to the back of the ‘T’.

There are many sofa cushion replacement companies out there so make sure you fully research which ones you think will suit you, your budget and your sofa best. Get several quotes and discuss with them everything you require from the filling to the shape. When you’ve decided on a company, send them the measurements and they should take care of the rest.

DIY Cushion Replacement

If you’re wanting to do it yourself there are a few options available that you could try. Firstly, you could simply try to add more stuffing to the current cushions, either quilt batting or polyester fiberfill works well for this, and spread it around to ensure it’s smooth and even. This is great for a temporary solution but you’ll likely need to replace the whole thing later on if the previous filling was fairly worn down.

To fully replace the cushion filling, remove the cushion from inside the cover and peel away any batting or fabric that’s wrapped around the filling - you’ll need this again later. Measure the cushion as mentioned above and then buy some high-density foam that’s large enough to cut down to size for the number of cushions you need. Draw a pattern for each foam piece needed and lay your new foam on a hard surface. Place the old cushions on top and draw around each cushion with a marker pen. Make sure each outline is at least 1 inch bigger than the current cushion.

Then, cut your foam out carefully with a utility knife. Wrap the new foam pieces with the batting or fabric you removed earlier and then insert the pieces into their cushion covers. Make sure each cushion is smooth and even, then place them back on your sofa and enjoy.

Can I Buy Swyft Replacement Cushions?

We’ve sourced the highest quality parts and cushions so we’re confident you shouldn’t have any issues with them and that they’ll stand the test of time. Our sofas have passed all the regulatory strength tests and the fabric has a Martindale scale of 100,000, meaning it can withstand a lot of bottoms! But, if you do need to replace the cushions please contact us and we’ll ensure a timely solution.

For more tips and advice take a look at our sofa cushions guide.
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