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How to Fix Sagging Couch Cushions

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How to fix sagging couch cushions (including an easy-to-follow video). Try this quick and easy fix using your vacuum cleaner and a new foam cushion insert.

When the hubs and I got married and bought our first house, we were excited when the time came to buy new furniture.

Like most newlyweds, we needed everything to furnish our home and that included a sofa.

Neither one of us had ever purchased furniture before, and we were young and broke, so we went for cheap.

We eventually learned that when you buy a cheap couch, it doesn’t last long.

beige sectional sofa with blue pillows

So, when it came time to buy our next sofa, we did a little research first and spent a little more.

Long story short, we gradually worked our way up to a well-made sofa that would last many years.

Fast-forward to the present day and our Pottery Barn sofa (similar one, here).

We’ve had it for 13 years now and it’s moved with us, from Florida to Illinois and now to North Carolina, and has held up very well.

Recently though, I’d noticed that my back was hurting when I sat on it.

Our couch has gotten a lot of use from our family and the result was sagging couch cushions.

The back cushions were in good shape but the seat cushions…not so much.

I guess it’s only natural when there’s 13 years of butts plopping down on it.

Once I figured out it was actually the seat cushions, I knew it was time to look into getting replacement.

Can I replace the foam in my couch cushions?

Absolutely!!!

Of course, being the cheapskate DIYer that I am, I wanted to try to figure out a way to do it myself.

I’m so glad I did because it turned out to be a really easy fix.

sagging couch cushion with blue pillows

One thing I did discover was that the original couch cushion foam was wrapped in a down cover.

I am always pulling feathers out of the cushion so I decided to go with a batting wrapped foam couch cushion.

If you’ve ever bough new upholstery foam then you know it can be expensive but new down replacement inserts were outrageously expensive.

I researched and looked at a lot of websites and once I settled on a shop that I liked, I made exact measurements from the sofa cushion covers and had the foam cut to size and wrapped in batting.

How much does it cost to get new foam for couch cushions?

Buying new foam actually turned out to be a bit more expensive than I had thought.

I ended up spending $173 for two cushions, but I got a really good quality foam that should last years.

Plus, it was a lot cheaper than replacing the whole sofa, or having a professional fix the saggy cushions.

new couch cushion foam on top of sagging cushion

Supplies for replacing couch cushions

So, how did I get that big, cushy piece of upholstery foam in the cover you ask?

Painter’s plastic and a vacuum.

Yup, that’s it.

20 seconds and the foam was in the cover.

using a vacuum to shrink a cushion

I figured that a video would show the process better than photos so, with the help of my trusty assistant we made one. Don’t forget to check it out, here.

If you’d rather have a blow by blow, here is how we did it.

Step by Step Instructions: How to Fix Sagging Couch Cushions

  1. Take a sheet of painter’s plastic and spread it out.
  2. Place the foam on half of the plastic and pull the other half over to cover the couch cushion completely.
  3. With your hand, push the air out and tuck the plastic around the cushion.
  4. Next, take your vacuum and put the nozzle under the plastic against the cushion. The cushion will quickly compress.
  5. Remove the vacuum nozzle and quickly place your compressed cushion in the sofa cover.
  6. As the cushion inflates, work at getting it in the cover so there are no lumps or bumps.
  7. Pull the plastic out, it will rip and tear but it will all come out.
  8. Zip up your new couch cushion.

Voilà!

Two new and firm cushions for a sofa to replace the 13 year old flat couch cushions that had no life left in them.

I think they even look professionally done.

Can you believe how quick that was? And super easy, too.

The cushions look like new again and will last for years.

living room view of sofa with new cushions

Looking for more furniture ideas?

Yield: 2 new couch cushions

How to Fix Sagging Couch Cushions

beige sectional sofa in a small living room

How to fix sagging couch cushions the easy way to make your sofa feel new again.

Active Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Difficulty Easy
Estimated Cost $4 plus cost of new foam

Materials

  • new sofa cushion foam
  • painter's plastic

Tools

  • vacuum

Instructions

  1. Spread painter's plastic on floor or bed
  2. Place the new foam on half of the plastic.
  3. Pull the other half over to cover the couch cushion completely.
  4. With your hand, push the air out and tuck the plastic around the cushion.
  5. Take your vacuum and put the nozzle under the plastic against the cushion. The cushion will quickly compress.
  6. Remove the vacuum nozzle and quickly place your compressed cushion in the sofa cover.
  7. As the cushion inflates, work at getting it in the cover so there are no lumps or bumps.
  8. Pull the painter's plastic out. It will rip and tear but it will all come out.
  9. Zip up your new couch cushion.
  10. Repeat process for second cushion.

Did you make this project?

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