Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases. Jump to How-To 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. So, when it came time to buy our next sofa, we did a little research first and spent a little more. OUR EMAILS ROCK! Subscribe to get the latest in DIY Projects and exclusive subscriber access to our Resource Library! 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. 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.

Supplies for replacing couch cushions

• painter’s plastic
• new batting wrapped foam
• vacuum

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. 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.

Looking for more furniture ideas?

• Reupholstering a chair

• Tips for buying a new sofa

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

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.

Think you can’t fix saggy sofa cushions? Think again! It’s easier than you might think to repair foam couch cushions that have started to smush, sag and droop. Don’t spend money on a new couch just yet, until you’ve tried this! When your sofa cushions are squished into hard clumps of disappointment, your favorite place to sit becomes a burden on your tushie. If your couch cushions have zippers, you’re in luck! This super easy tutorial will show you how to restuff your couch, fixing those saggy cushions once and for all. Our couch has seen better days. Who am I kidding, it’s a mess. I really needed to figure out how to fix a saggy couch cushions. Or should I say, re-stuff them. I’m actually embarrassed to show you this but here it goes. This is what my couch looks like most days. Ok, that’s not entirely true. This is probably a little more accurate: My couch is 5 years old…not terribly ancient in couch years, but certainly not new. Its cushions have been floppy and limp for a couple years now and I wanted a new one. Two things held me back: The couch (and its cousin, the chair) were purchased with an inheritance from my Nana when she passed away. It wasn’t much, but she wanted me to have new furniture, and so I got a couch, a chair, an ottoman and a kitchen table set. Therefore it still holds a bit of sentimental value even though its functional usefulness is waning. We are broke and can’t afford a new couch right now. We are still paying off our new refrigerator among other things, so the new couch is not high on the priority list at the moment. So after one too many stiff and sore backs, I decided something had to be done with this couch. The cushions were like overcooked pasta: mushy and gross. I decided to stuff my couch cushions to make them fluffier and firmer.

Here’s all you need to complete this project-

• a box of polyester fiberfill stuffing (I got a 10lb box from Walmart and I have leftovers for making throw pillows! Score!
• 1 roll of quilt batting per cushion (I used two)

The process is unbelievably simple. Absolutely no sewing required (unless for some reason your couch cushion covers are non-removable, then unfortunately there may be some stitching in your future). It’s super easy to stuff couch cushions! Simply unzip the cover, Add polyester fiberfill (polyfill) stuffing until its ALMOST too full to zip, Make sure you get deep down in all the corners too! Pull tightly and zip closed! The seat cushions are a little harder, but not too bad. Simply remove the foam cushion Wrap the poly batting around the cushion evenly on all sides Slide carefully back into the case and zip! If its too thick to go back into the outer case, you can try slipping a plastic trash bag over it so that it slides in easier, then cutting away the bag and discarding it after you’re done. You might need a second set of hands. Or go it alone if you’re brave. More power to ya, Wonder Woman! Check out the before and after. Its a remarkable difference, especially when you consider the cost breakdown: One 10lb box of Poly-Fil-$19.97 (Walmart has it the cheapest by far I’ve seen anywhere) Two rolls quilt batting-$7.97 each Total investment: $35.91! While this won’t help revive the arms of the couch (ours are pretty beat up) it will help the couch’s longevity for at least a little while longer, and if the fabric is still in good shape like ours is, chances are it will look nicer than anything you could get on Craigslist for this price! If you’re feeling REALLY adventurous, you can remove the upholstery staples from the underside of the couch and add some batting to cover the arms, then re-staple. I knew we were going to be moving soon and buying new furniture, so I didn’t bother with this step. Here’s the final result. Like night and day, don’t ya think? Oh, and see those throw pillows? I made the 3 in the middle! No sew throw pillows, and would you believe they’re made from up-cycled canvas totes?! Super simple and only MINUTES to make! If you like my faux barnwood coffee table, you can see how I made that in this post too. I would love to see your pics if you try to fix a sagging couch. Tag An Exercise in Frugality on Pinterest, Instagram, G+ or Facebook if you post pictures of the finished product!

Would you try to repair and stuff couch cushions?

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