5 Types of Sofa Cushions – Fillings and Material Guide

After a hectic day at work, all you can think about is heading back home, falling on the lounge’s sofa, and never getting up again. If a sofa cushion doesn’t elicit an “ahh” sound from you, then it isn’t a cushion.

You might have never thought about this but your lifestyle plays a huge role in helping you choose your sofa set’s cushions.

There are different types of sofa cushions that are specifically designed for an individual’s lumbar support. Some might feel comfortable sitting on foam cushions, while others like the feel of feathers.

When you are furniture shopping, two features of a sofa set that grab your attention are its style and color.

What you are forgetting here is the cushion filling because it is equally important and determines how long your sofa will last.

The most common sofa cushion fillings are feathers, foam, polyester, hollow-fill fiber and batting as we will discuss below. Sometimes, the filling is a combination of the above, which gives more life to the sofa.

Don’t just plop down money for the first sofa you see. Explore the furniture market and take a few weeks to make the decision.

Rushed decisions will leave you with a sofa that will have lumpy cushions, sagging seats, and shredded upholstery in just 2 or 3 months.

Types of Cushion Fillings and Materials

There are many types of fillings and materials that can be used for sofa cushions. Some make the sofas soft and comfy; the type you can just sink into, while other materials give sofas that firm and supportive structure. Each material is used differently and used for less traffic or more traffic areas accordingly.

1. Foam

The most wanted sofa cushion filling is foam, and this material is available in a number of densities.

• Low-density foam cushion has a softness to it that tends to flatten faster, unless it is of a high quality.
• As for high-density foam filling, people find it a little hard, but it does get softer with time and weight.
• Then, there’s the memory foam that conforms to the body and provides great support.  It is perfect for people with joint and muscle pain.
• Lastly, high-resilient density (HR) foam is resistant to sagging and wearing. It can last for up to 14 years and more.

Within this category, you have a number of different options; molded foam, all-foam, spring down or blend down. These foams all range from high density to low and memory foam. Each of the uses can differ, depending on what kind of support and softness is required.

Let’s talk about a few other types of foam fillings:

Molded Foam

Molded foam cushions are quite firm. You don’t need to keep up with any kind of maintenance. The inner foam is encased in various materials, which include duck and Dacron feather.

The foam usually starts out firm and then softens with use. The reason why moulded foam has different casings is that it adds an additional level of durability and softness.

All-Foam

An all-foam cushion provides a firm seat and only a few wrinkles in the cushion’s fabric. This cushion has a layer of high-density foam, which is covered in a soft convoluted layer of “egg crate” foam.

Then comes the polyester fiber wrap. All these layers are enveloped in cotton down-proof ticking. This fabric prevents the feathers from poking out.

Spring Down

After all-foam, spring down is second line when it comes to soft foam cushions. It has a coiled spring core in a foam box, which is wrapped in a thick fiber polyester layer.

All these layers are fitted inside a down-proof cover, which is filled with polyester fiber and down. The coiled springs offer a resilient feel and the down adds softness.

Blendown or Down Plush

Blendown is among the softest and most luxurious foam cushions. It has a thin foam core, which is wrapped in a layer of thick polyester fiber.

These two layers are wrapped in a thicker layer, which is a blend of polyester-fiber and down. Due to the thick layer of down and thin foam core, the cushion feels like a pillow. Since the cushion is so soft, it changes shape easily and requires regular fluffing.

2. Hollow-Fill Fiber

These types of sofa cushions are squashy and soft, which makes them perfect for an afternoon nap. They have no actual support, but are perfect for sofas that are used for napping or lying down on for short periods of time.

In fact, the cushions are so soft that when you will get up, you will see your imprint on it. We recommend to rotate them regularly because they tend to soften thus by rotating them you will have even wear on both sites.

3. Feather

The best thing about feather cushions is that they are made to order. You can increase or decrease the number of feathers for a firm or soft seating. The more the feathers in the cushion, the more you will have to plumb them or they will clump together.

4. Polyester

If you are on a budget, then polyester sofa cushions are your best option. They are available in different densities and are quite inexpensive.

However, the filling does flatten out easily. Soft polyester has features such as smoothness, durability and bounciness.

Ply-a soft polyester is a type of filling that doesn’t bounce back and is limp.

Faux-down polyester gives the feel and look of down. It’s less expensive and great for people who are allergic to feathers.

Cluster-polyester cushion has tiny fiber balls, which makes it long-lasting and durable.

5. Batting

Last is batting, which is a type of filling that provides insulation and cushioning. It comes in 2 thicknesses: 42.4 ounces and 25.5 ounces.

Typically, batting is made from polyester, wool or cotton. Cotton batting is susceptible to poking through the sofa cushions.

If your sofas are used more, then consider a polyester-cotton blend. Wool batting can be found in layered and needle form. The latter filling type is quite tough, which is why it used on springs. The former filling type degrades quickly and isn’t ideal for living room and lounge couches.

Types of Cushion Shapes and Styles

The style of your sofa cushion will determine the general feel you are going for with your seating and décor. Modern and contemporary or regal and traditional; all this can be determined by your cushion style.

Boxed Cushion

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Boxed cushions are distinguished by their panels that they have running across the top and bottom, as well as on either side. These panels are often trimmed with piping to give a more serious and formal feel.

Bench Seat Cushion

This is a single cushion that does not divide in the middle. It runs down the entire length of the sofa and gives a very minimal and contemporary feel.

Straight Cushion

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This is the simplest design as far as sofa cushions are concerned. It is a simple square or rectangle cushion that is loose and has no extra parts that wrap over the arms of the sofa.

Fixed Style

Fixed cushions are those that are stitched directly onto the sofa and cannot be removed. They require no plumbing as they are fixed in place.

Loose Style

These cushions, as the name suggests, are loose. They are not attached to the sofa; they can be removed for cleaning and other purposes.

What Is The Best Density For Sofa Cushions?

The density of a sofa cushion is not responsible for the firmness of the cushion but rather the quality of the cushion and how long it will last you.

Different density cushions can come in different firmness levels as well. Sofa cushions for residential use are available in densities ranging from 1.5 to 2.

From this, the most common density is 1.8; these sofa cushions are moderately priced and can last anywhere from 3 to 5 years.

Higher quality and more expensive sofas can even go up to 2.5 in density, but anything higher than that is usually found in commercially used sofas with heavy traffic.

What Is The Best Foam Type For Sofa Cushions?

There are a number of different foam fillings that are available in the market, and the one that is purchased is often based on personal preference and need.

Some foam is firmer like all-foam, some is very soft like spring down foam, some soften over time like molded foam and some is very luxurious like blend down foam. It all depends on what you are looking for.

What is The Best Filling for Sofa Back Cushions?

While some people prefer their sofa seat cushions to be soft while others prefer firm, there is no question that everyone needs support from their sofa back cushions.

For this reason, you want to go for a firmer material; the most common and popular material for sofa backs is foam. Within the category, firmer foams like molded foam are among the top choices for sofa back cushions.

Summary

This concludes are topic on how many types of cushion fillings are there. You can use a combination of these sofa cushion fillings in your bedroom, drawing room and lounge based on which room receives the most traffic.

Your target for the comfiest sofa cushion should be the lounge. After all, this is where you binge-watch Netflix. If you are looking for more informative articles like this, then visit Epic Home Ideas.