01
Strip the seat.
Remove any existing cushion, slipcover or pillow. You are measuring the bare bench, frame, or window ledge.
MEASURE LIKE A MAKER
Three numbers. One perfect cushion.
A custom cushion is only as good as the numbers you write down before we cut the foam. Three quiet rules: measure the frame, not the old cushion. Use a rigid tape, not a soft one. Write everything down twice.
QUICK METHOD
The three-step quick method.
A bare seat, a rigid tape, and a notebook. That is everything.
02
Take three numbers.
Width (left to right), Depth (front to back), Thickness (your desired cushion height — typically 2–3" for dining seats, 4–5" for lounging).
03
Measure twice, photograph once.
Re-measure each dimension. If your two numbers disagree by more than 1/4", measure a third time. Photograph the seat with the tape in place.
RECOMMENDED FREE APPS
If you don't have a tape, your phone will do.
These are free and verified. Use them as a secondary check on tricky shapes — phone AR is not construction-grade, treat as a sanity check.
Magicplan
For complex bays. Full floor-plan sketch.
Built-in banquettes and window-seat alcoves where you want a full plan. Free tier covers a single project — enough for most cushion orders.
Heads up: Google retired its native Measure app in 2021. On Android, use AR Ruler or CamToPlan instead.
THE FIVE RULES
The five rules every reputable maker agrees on.
Follow these and your cushion will fit. Skip them and you will be sending us a remake.
01
Measure the frame, not the old cushion.
Foam compresses and fabric stretches. An old cushion that started life at 24" will read 23 1/4" after three summers. Strip and measure the bare seat.
02
Use a rigid tape, not a soft one.
A carpenter's tape stays straight along a 36" edge. A tailor's cloth tape sags and adds 1/8" to 3/8" of slack — enough to make a snug fit feel sloppy.
03
Measure straight, never along a curve.
Width and depth are straight-line, point-to-point. Never lay the tape along the curve of a kidney, scallop, or bowed front.
04
Round to the nearest 1/4".
Don't round up "to be safe." Cushions are sewn to your number. Rounding up creates gaps. We build a 1/2" upholsterer's allowance into every cushion already.
05
Write everything in one unit.
Pick inches or centimeters and stay there. Mixing the two is the single most common cause of remakes.
SHAPE BY SHAPE
Shape by shape, the right method.
Rectangle / Square
Width × Depth × Thickness. Measure width at front and back; if they differ by more than 1/2", you actually have a trapezoid. Thickness at the deepest point.
Round
Diameter at widest point through the center, plus thickness. Measure 90° apart — frames are rarely perfectly round.
Oval
Major axis (long), minor axis (short), thickness. Both through the center. Do not measure the perimeter.
Bolster
Length end-to-end, plus diameter at the middle. If it sits inside a daybed frame, measure inside frame length and subtract 1/2".
Trapezoid (bay window)
Front width, back width, depth at the center (never along the angled side), thickness.
L-shape / U-shape
Treat each leg as its own rectangle. Sketch on paper, label every edge, photograph and send. We respond within 4 hours.
Wedge / tapered
Width, length, front thickness, back thickness. The two thickness numbers make the shape — do not average them.
Window seat — 3-piece bay
Three separate cushions, three separate measurements. Do not measure the whole bay then divide. Note left / center / right so we sew in order.
COMMON MISTAKES
The five mistakes we see every week.
Measuring the worn-out cushion instead of the frame.
Compression hides up to 1" of width per side after a few seasons.
Using a soft tailor's tape on a long edge.
A 60" tailor's tape sags and adds 1/4" to 1/2" of fictional length. Carpenter's tape for any edge over 24".
Rounding up "for safety."
A 1/2" oversize cushion buckles at the corners. Give us the real number — our 1/2" allowance is already in the math.
Measuring along a curve.
Kidney, scallop, and bowed-front cushions are straight line, point-to-point. Curve depth is noted separately.
Forgetting the back-cushion gap.
When ordering back + seat together, subtract the seat thickness from total back height. Otherwise the back rises above the frame.
WHEN TO SEND A PHOTO
Send us a photo if it's any of these.
We respond within 4 hours during business hours and quote within 24.
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Curved boat seats and yacht banquettes —
compound curves rarely translate to a phone screen.
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Antique chairs with sloped or scrolled backs —
back angle changes how the seat cushion sits.
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Built-in window seats with non-90° corners —
bay windows are often 110°, 120°, or "almost square but not quite."
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Multi-piece sectionals at non-standard angles —
modular sofas with custom corner blocks.
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Anything you've measured twice and gotten two different numbers more than 1/2" apart. —
send us your numbers and a photo — we'll work it out.
What to send: a photo from above, a photo from the side, your measurements, and a hand sketch with arrows.
Send us a photo
START NOW
Ready when you are.
Pick your shape and start the configurator — we'll quote your cushion in real time.