Our quilted cushion covers come in four square sizes — 16, 18, 23, and 36 inches — and every one is sold as a cover only, with no insert included. To get a full, plump cushion, pair each cover with an insert the same size or up to two inches larger: a 16-inch cover with a 16-18 inch insert, an 18-inch cover with an 18-20 inch insert, and so on up the line.
If you have ever unzipped a limp throw pillow and wondered why it never looked like the photo, sizing is almost always the culprit. The good news is that matching covers to inserts is simple once you know the one rule above. Here is how our four sizes work, where each one belongs in your home, and how to measure the inserts you already own so nothing you buy sits in a closet.
Why do the covers come without inserts?
Two reasons, and both work in your favor. First, most homes already have a stack of perfectly good inserts — inside pillows that are structurally fine but wearing covers you stopped loving years ago. Selling the cover alone means you refresh the look without paying to ship a bulky insert you do not need. Second, inserts are heavy and boxy to ship, and covers are not. A cover folds flat, travels light, and keeps your shipping cost sensible. You swap the shell, keep the filling, and the whole update costs less and wastes less.
How do you measure an insert you already have?
Take the cushion out of its current cover and lay it flat. Measure seam to seam across the width, then seam to seam across the height — not over the plump middle, but straight along the edge. Inserts lose a little loft over time, so a pillow sold as 18 inches years ago may measure closer to 17 today; trust the tape, not the tag. If the insert has no seams to sight along, flatten it gently with one hand and measure edge to edge. Jot the number down before you shop, and do it for every pillow you plan to redress — they are rarely all the same size, even on the same sofa.
What size insert works with each cover?
- 16-inch cover — pairs with a 16-18 inch insert. The snug fit keeps small pillows crisp instead of floppy.
- 18-inch cover — pairs with an 18-20 inch insert. This is the workhorse match for standard sofa pillows.
- 23-inch cover — pairs with a 23-25 inch insert. Big enough to anchor a deep-seated sofa or sectional.
- 36-inch cover — pairs with a 36-38 inch insert, or layer it over a floor cushion. This is the statement size.
The logic behind "same size or slightly larger" is simple: a cover filled edge to edge holds its shape and shows the printed design smoothly, while a cover that is too big for its insert collapses into wrinkles at the corners. When in doubt, size the insert up, never the cover.
Where does each size belong in your home?
The 16-inch square is the accent size — it suits dining chairs, a reading chair, a bench by the door, or the front layer of a pillow arrangement on the sofa. The 18-inch is the most versatile of the four: it is the classic sofa-pillow size, at home on nearly any couch, bed, or window seat. The 23-inch steps up to modern deep sofas and sectionals, where smaller pillows tend to look lost against tall back cushions; it also makes a generous back layer behind an 18. The 36-inch is a different animal altogether — use it as a floor cushion for movie nights, a leaning pillow against a headboard, or a dramatic base layer on a king bed. One 36 behind a 23 behind an 18 builds a full, layered look with just three pieces.
Is the quilting real if the design is printed?
Yes — and this is the detail people notice the moment they touch one. The artwork itself is printed on the fabric, which is what makes designs this detailed possible, from lighthouse scenes to patchwork-style pet art. The quilting, though, is real stitched quilting: actual stitching runs across the cover, giving it a soft, textured, padded feel that flat printed shells simply do not have. You get the crisp detail of a printed design and the cozy, tactile depth of a genuinely quilted surface in one cover.
How do you mix sizes and designs without it looking busy?
Start with one anchor design and build around it. On a fall sofa, the Harvest Pumpkin cover in 23 inches sets the palette, and quieter companions in 18 or 16 inches pick up its oranges and creams. In a lake house or coastal room, the Coastal Life Lighthouse cover does the same with blues. And for dog and cat households, the Indigo Paw Patchwork cover reads as pattern from across the room and as a love letter to your pet up close. Odd numbers arrange more naturally than even ones — three pillows on a sofa, five on a bed — and repeating one color across every cover keeps even bold mixes feeling deliberate.
There is a practical reason to plan the whole arrangement at once, too: the bundle discount applies automatically at checkout. Buy two items and save 10%; buy three or more and save 15%. A three-cover refresh is exactly the kind of order the discount was built for.
What about shipping, timing, and returns?
Every cover is made to order. Production takes 5-7 business days, shipping takes another 7-15 days in the US (10-25 days internationally), and the full journey runs 12-22 business days for US orders from order to doorstep — so if you are decorating for a season or a holiday, order with that window in mind. Shipping is $7.99, and orders of $139 or more ship free. If a cover is not right once it arrives, unused and unwashed items can be returned within 30 days.
That is the whole system: measure your inserts seam to seam, match each one to the 16, 18, 23, or 36 that fits, and let the rule of "insert equal or slightly larger" do the rest. The pillows you already own are halfway to looking brand new — they are just waiting for better covers.