There are two kinds of cushion covers. Seat and back cushion covers fit the cushions that make up the sofa itself: you choose them by measurement and material. Scatter cushion covers fit the extra cushions placed on the sofa: you choose them by colour and size, most often 45 × 45 cm. This page brings both together; this guide is mainly about the first.
Cushion by cushion: when it’s the right solution
If your sofa’s seat and back cushions come off, covering them one by one gives the neatest look: each cushion has its own cover, and the lines of the sofa stay visible. If the cushions are fixed to the frame, sewn in or buttoned, it isn’t possible: choose a full sofa cover instead. You can also combine the two, for example a full cover on the frame and individual covers on the back cushions.
How many covers
Allow one cover per cushion. A 2-seater sofa with two seat cushions and two back cushions takes four; a 3-seater with three of each, six. The covers are sold singly, so you can mix sizes if your cushions aren’t all the same size.
How to measure
- Lay the cushion flat, with its current cover removed if needed.
- Measure the cushion from front to back (the width on our size chart), then from side to side (the length).
- Choose the size that covers both measurements; between two sizes, choose the larger one.
The sizes cover most cushions:
- seat cushions 50 to 65 cm wide, from 50 cm up to 280 cm long in stretch and water-repellent jacquard, for one-piece bench seats;
- wide seat cushions, 65 to 95 cm wide in stretch and water-repellent, 70 to 90 cm in velvet and fleece, 65 to 80 cm in faux leather, up to 200 cm long;
- an extra-wide seat cushion in faux leather, 95 to 110 cm by 160 to 190 cm;
- back cushions from 30 to 50 cm by 60 to 90 cm, and a large back cushion from 50 to 65 cm by 70 to 95 cm in velvet and fleece.
Which material
- Stretch, soft and supple, stretches both ways and goes in the washing machine.
- Water-repellent jacquard makes liquids bead on the surface: for seats that see plenty of snacks and glasses.
- Velvet, soft and matt, changes the look of the sofa without replacing it.
- Faux leather wipes clean with a sponge.
- Fleece is soft and warm: the winter cover, changed with the seasons.
Fitting the covers
Lift the cushion, slip the cover over two opposite corners, stretch it over the other two, smooth it out, then put the cushion back. Allow about a minute per cushion, no tools needed. Start with the seats, then the backs: you’ll see straight away whether the colours go together.
Seats and backs: one colour or two?
The same colour throughout gives the effect of a new sofa. Back cushions one shade deeper than the seat, in the same colour family, add depth without looking busy. Scatter cushions come next: pick up a shade already in the room, from the curtains or the rug, rather than adding another colour.
Scatter cushions
Scatter cushion covers come in 45 × 45 cm, the size of most extra cushions, in stretch, water-repellent jacquard, velvet and fleece; the EasyCover™ materials also come in 30 × 50 cm, and faux leather in 40 × 40 cm. The cushion pad isn’t included: you keep your own and just change the cover.
Care and returns
Machine wash at 30°C, without fabric conditioner, and air dry; damp sponge for faux leather. You have 30 days from delivery to change your mind. Delivery is free on orders of £49 or more, and on orders of £85 or more you also get 2 free cushion covers.
