Different Types of Seat Cushions

Are you dreaming of an upholstered bench, chair, loveseat, or sofa to complement your beautiful home? When making an investment in an antique reproduction or custom furniture, you want to ensure good design, quality materials, and exceptional craftsmanship. When it comes to choosing the perfect seat, one of the most important factors is how comfortable it is. No one wants to get home from a long day at work only to sit on an uncomfortable cushion. There are many different types of seat cushions and knowing how they are made may help you make the right decision. Laurel Crown is here to help you find the perfect cushion for your upholstered furniture.

Types of Seat Cushions

You might have known that there are plenty of upholstery options to choose from, but you have probably never been confronted by the confounding array of cushion choices. A chair, bench, chaise, settee, or sofa is a long-term investment, so you will want a filling that will stay comfortable for many years to come. There are many factors that affect the quality of cushions, most importantly foam density and coil resiliency. Let's take a closer look at seat cushions!

Down Seat Cushions: Down-blend cushions are primarily made of down feathers. Down blends typically utilize a mixture of down and fiber to create a slightly firmer seat cushion compared to that of full down cushions. Down-blend seat cushions will also typically have a foam core. Full down can be easily fluffed and even refilled as time goes on, so the cushion can regain the desired support and level of comfort. Durability and longevity of partial down cushions depends on the quality of foam used at the core. That is precisely why you will want to look for a high-resiliency foam.

Padded Coil Spring Seat Cushions: Innerspring seat cushions feature layers of padding that are added on top of the coil springs in order to complete the deck area beneath the cushion. Some coil spring cushions are wrapped in a foam layer. With a quality antique reproduction or custom piece of furniture, the deck will be well-padded, without any bumps or lumps, and the padding will extend to the front edge of the deck in order to cover the entire spring edge. Durability depends on the resiliency of the coils. Heavy gauge steel springs will offer more of a durable seat than springs made of a lower gauge steel. Plus, the quality of foam used to wrap the coil springs is also a key contributor to durability.

Wrapped Foam Seat Cushions: High-density foam cushions offer a firmer seat whereas medium- to low-density foam offers a more plush seat. Some upholstered furniture features foam wrapped in fiber, full down, or a down-blend to provide additional comfort and help maintain the quality of the seat cushion. The resiliency of the foam used to form the seat cushion is a key contributor to durability. The higher the density, the longer the seat cushion will likely last. Memory foam is another option that is quickly gaining popularity. This firmer, form-fitting foam is usually wrapped with traditional foam, fiber, or gel to provide the best of memory foam and other materials.

There are also several cushion details and decorative accents to consider before making your final decision. A classic welt is an edge that tapers and includes some sort of piping or decorative trim. A self-welt is a seam that matches the rest of the upholstery. A knife edge is a seam in which the top and bottom fabric panels are sewn together without any decorative finish. Instead, it tapers to a sharp, crisp edge and corner in order to create a clean and simple look. A bullnose seam is one in which the top and bottom edges of the cushion are slightly rounded, showing no seam except at the side and back of the cushion. Tufted cushions feature top stitching to give the piece more of a tufted appearance. Button tufted cushions feature fabric or plastic-covered buttons that are held together by pieces of high-grade string, so you can turn the cushion over and have the same look on both sides.

Now that you know more about the different types of seat cushions, hopefully it will be easier to narrow down the best choice for your home. We proudly offer an array of upholstered antique reproductions that can be customized to suit your needs. We supply vintage-inspired upholstery fabrics from a number of high-end brands and designers, such as Clarke and Clarke, Duralee, Fabricut, Osborne and Little, Robert Allen, and Scalamandre, to name a few. We would be happy to learn more about your project and help you design the perfect upholstered piece of furniture for your home. Please don't hesitate to contact us for additional information or further assistance.