If your cushions look flat, saggy or dimpled at the corners, the cover is almost certainly not the problem. It is the insert, and specifically its size.
The rule: go one size up
Your insert should be one to two inches larger than your cover. An 18 x 18 in cover needs a 20 x 20 in insert. A 20 x 20 in cover needs a 22 x 22 in insert.
This feels wrong the first time you hear it. It is not a mistake. Decorative covers are cut to finish tight, so a same-size insert leaves slack fabric at the corners and in the middle. That slack is the dimpling you are seeing.
What "cover only" means
Almost every decorative pillow cover sold online — including ours — is sold as a cover without an insert. You get a zippered fabric shell and nothing inside it.
This is not a trick. Covers ship flat and cheap; filled pillows ship air, which is why a cover costs around twelve dollars and a finished pillow costs forty. Buying covers separately also means you can change a room seasonally while reusing the same inserts for years.
It is worth reading the listing carefully, though. A surprising number of shoppers order a cover expecting a pillow.
Which insert fill to choose
- Feather or down — the best drape and that soft karate-chop dent at the top. Needs fluffing. Not for anyone with a feather allergy.
- Down alternative — polyester made to mimic down. Cheaper, washable, holds shape reasonably. The safe default.
- Solid polyester — firmest and cheapest. Holds a rigid square shape. Good for back support, less good for the relaxed look.
For a styled sofa, down or down alternative in the larger size gives the fullest result.
Which cover size goes where
- 12 x 20 in (lumbar) — sits at the small of your back. One per sofa corner is plenty. Needs a 14 x 22 in insert.
- 18 x 18 in — the standard sofa cushion, and the size to buy if you only buy one. Needs a 20 x 20 in insert.
- 20 x 20 in — back row on a deep sofa, or a bed. Needs a 22 x 22 in insert.
Two squares and one lumbar per sofa section is the arrangement that reads styled rather than symmetrical.
Washing covers without wrecking them
- Remove the insert first. Wash the cover alone.
- Close the zipper and turn the cover inside out. An open zipper chews the fabric in the drum.
- Wash cold on gentle.
- Air dry or tumble on low. Never iron velvet or faux fur — heat mats the pile permanently.
Quick fixes for a flat-looking cushion
- Size up the insert. This solves it about eighty percent of the time.
- Fluff feather inserts by holding two corners and shaking, not punching the middle.
- If the cover has a slightly loose weave, a lighter-coloured insert stops shadows showing through.
Browse our pillow covers. Every listing states the finished cover size and that it is sold without an insert, along with fibre and care information where the supplier provides it.