Custom T Cushions — Five Numbers, One Perfect Fit
T-cushions for dining chairs, armchairs, wing chairs, gliders, and sofa seats — the shape with ears that wrap forward past the arms, cut to your five measurements. It’s the classic replacement shape for any chair with arms, and the one universal pads fit worst: guess the ears and the cushion either misses them or swallows them. Send your five numbers and a photo, and we cut your T exactly.
Start with your shape
Not sure? Pick the closest — every measurement is confirmed before we cut.
Don't see your shape? We make any shape.
Straight edges? A top photo + the edge numbers is all we need. Curved? Trace it on paper next to a tape measure and email us a photo.
Enter your measurements
Measure the old cushion flat, edge to edge — never the frame.
Choose your fabric
Five families, 119 cuts, one flat rate — pick by look and feel. Click a family to see its swatches below, or its ⓘ for what the fabric is and where it works best.
All covers cut to your exact dimensions — no stock sizes, zippered covers that remove for washing.
Review & order
Calculated live from your measurements — every line, no surprises.
Free shipping over $158 · $29 flat below
Estimates only — we re-verify every dimension before cutting and will contact you if anything looks off. Prefer email? Email me this quote
Odd shape or tricky frame? Upload a photo of your furniture or old cushion — one overall shot, plus a top and side view of the old cushion if you can.
JPG, PNG or WebP · up to 10 MB each · max 3
The workshop that cuts it is the one that ships it
Every fabric on the list, open in the configurator
Five measurements, each ear measured on its own
Miss on our side and the remake is free
Why T-Cushions Are the Shape Universal Pads Can't Fake
The T exists because of arms. On any armed chair, the seat between the arms is narrower than the chair’s full width, and the cushion’s front section — the ears — reaches forward past the arm fronts so the whole seat is usable. Every maker resolves those proportions differently, which is why T-cushions come in endless variations and why no two manufacturers’ “standard T” agrees with any other’s.
Universal pads handle this with either a plain rectangle (which abandons the ears entirely — the front corners of the seat sit bare while the pad ends meekly between the arms) or with elastic and hope. The specific failure of an aging T is the ears themselves: they’re narrow single-foam extensions that take knees, hands, and hauling, and once they flatten or splay, the whole chair reads as tired even when the main seat is fine.
A T is also the most honest shape to order custom, because it demands exactly the information that matters: five numbers, each ear measured separately. Chairs drift — one ear a half-inch longer than the other is completely normal on older pieces — and a custom cut takes your chair as it actually is, not as a chart assumes it should be.
Why order from a mill instead
Every cushion is cut after you order, from your measurements: high-density foam in the density you pick, in any of 119 fabrics, sewn to a quarter-inch tolerance. If a piece lands outside that tolerance, we remake it free. The customizer above prices your exact five numbers in real time — no quote wait, no email ping-pong before you see a number.
| Big-box universal pad | Cushion Mill custom cut | |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | A rectangle that misses the ears entirely | Your five numbers, cut to ±½″ |
| Foam | Fixed low-density fill | 35D / 50D / 60D, your choice |
| Fabric | 3–5 colorways | 119 fabrics, one flat rate |
| The ears | One-size ears on elastic hope | Each ear measured, each ear cut |
| When it wears | Buy a new set, same bad fit | Re-cut the same specs in minutes |
T-Cushion Dimensions — What We Typically See
| Piece | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dining chair T (armchair) | 18–20 in. between arms, 28–32 in. total × 2–2.5 in. T | The classic parson's-chair T |
| Wing chair T | 20–22 in. between arms, 34–38 in. total × 2.5–3 in. T | Deeper ears in front of tall wings |
| Sofa T seat | 22–26 in. between arms, 36–42 in. total × 3–4 in. T | Per-seat T pieces across the frame |
| Glider / rocker T | 18–20 in. between arms, 28–32 in. total × 2–3 in. T | Nursery duty — foam choice matters here |
Pricing — estimated starting at
| Piece | Example size | Foam | Estimated price* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dining chair T | 30 in. total × 24 in. deep × 2.5 in. · ears 6 in. | 50D | $115 |
| Glider / rocker T | 31 in. total × 24 in. deep × 2.5 in. · ears 6 in. | 50D | $119 |
| Wing chair T | 36 in. total × 26 in. deep × 2.5 in. · ears 8 in. | 50D | $131 |
| Sofa T seat | 40 in. total × 30 in. deep × 3 in. · ears 8 in. | 50D | $166 |
*Per piece, calculated live in the customizer with the exact numbers you enter — a T is priced on the area the shape actually covers, ears included, never on the rectangle around it. A $45 cutting charge per piece, foam by density and thickness, fabric at one flat $7.43/sq ft across all 119 options. These anchors are honest arithmetic, not teaser rates.
Recovering a whole seating group? T seats, matching T-backs, and a bench pad can ship in one order, and the customizer prices each piece as you add it — same fabric across the set, one shipment.
Foam & Thickness for Chairs With Arms
| Foam | Best for | Typical thickness |
|---|---|---|
| 35D | Show chairs, rarely-sat parlour pieces | 2–2.5 in. |
| 50D | Daily dining and living-room T seats | 2.5–3 in. |
| 60D | Sofa T seats and nursery gliders in hard use | 3–4 in. |
Ears are the first place a T-cushion shows age — they’re narrow foam edges that get sat on, kneed, and hauled by. Density is what keeps them crisp: 50D is the floor for a T in daily use, and for a nursery glider or family sofa seat, 60D holds the ears’ shape for years. Resist over-specifying thickness on dining chairs — much past three inches and the sitter rides above the arms.
How to Measure a T-Cushion
Take the old cushion off and lay it flat, front edge toward you. A T gives up five numbers:
- Width between arms — the narrow rear section, seam to seam, where the chair back meets the seat.
- Total width — straight across the front, ear tip to ear tip.
- Main depth — the narrow section, front seam to back seam.
- Ear depth — how far the ears reach forward past the main front seam.
- Thickness — bottom to top with the foam at rest.
Measure each ear separately — on older chairs one ear is often half an inch different from the other, and we cut what you send. And cross-check the widths against the chair itself, not just the old pad: ears splay as foam dies, so the frame’s numbers are the truth. One photo of the cushion flat beside a tape catches everything else. We cut to ±½″ and remake free if a piece misses it.
Fabrics for Chairs With Arms
A T-cushion lives between arms — it’s the surface your hands find when you sit down, the edge kids climb over, and on a dining chair it catches three meals a day. The fabrics that hold:
- Tech Fabric — waterproof, wipe-clean; the honest choice for kitchen chairs under daily plates.
- Cotton Linen — soft and natural for parlour chairs and reading armchairs in dry rooms.
- Pet-friendly weaves — the arm-to-seat corner is a dog’s highway; these weaves take it.
- Chenille & velvet — wing chairs exist to be velvet; the ears show the weave beautifully.
All 119 options price at the same flat rate — a T is priced on its true five-number area, ears included, never on the rectangle around it. A spare cover in the same fabric is a wise add for daily-duty dining Ts.
T Pieces We Cut Every Week
- Dining and armchair T seats — the parson’s chair classic and every cousin
- Wing chair T seats with deep ears in front of the wings
- Sofa and loveseat T seats, per-seat pieces across the frame
- Glider and rocker T pads in nursery-duty densities
- T-backs to match — the shaped back pads that pair with T seats
Not every T is symmetric: one ear longer than the other, a notch where a table apron hits, a slight taper — all of it expressible because each ear carries its own measurement anyway. For a T whose front edge curves (some barrel chairs), treat it as a T plus a template of the curved front, and we cut to the line.
Before You Order — Worth Reading
- How to measure a T-cushion — the five fields, illustrated with real numbers
- How to reupholster dining chairs — if the frame needs attention before the cushion does
- Window seat cushion measurement — for the T-adjacent shapes around the house
Frequently asked questions
How do I measure a T-cushion with the five fields?
Width between arms (the narrow rear section, seam to seam), total width (ear tip to ear tip across the front), main depth (the narrow section), ear depth (how far each ear reaches past the main front seam), and thickness with the foam at rest. Measure each ear separately, cross-check the widths against the chair frame, and add a photo of the flat cushion beside a tape. We cut to ±½″ and remake free if a piece misses it.
Why is my total width measurement wrong if I measure the old cushion?
Because ears splay as foam dies — a flattened old T often measures an inch wider across the front than the chair it belongs to. The frame is the truth: total width follows the arm fronts, not the tired pad. If old pad and chair disagree, send both numbers and a photo, and we cut to the chair.
My chair’s ears are different sizes. Can you cut that?
Yes — that’s exactly why each ear carries its own measurement. Asymmetric ears are normal on older and handmade chairs; enter the real numbers for each side rather than averaging them, and the custom cut follows your chair instead of arguing with it.
What thickness should a T seat cushion be?
2–2.5 inches for dining chairs — much past three and the sitter rides above the arms — 2.5–3 for daily armchairs, and 3–4 inches in 60D for sofa seats and nursery gliders that take real daily weight.
Can I order just a T-cushion cover?
Yes — we sew replacement covers to your five numbers in the same 119 fabrics, with a zipper where the original had one. If the old cover still exists, mail it and we pattern from it directly, ears and all. Press the old seat hard first: if you feel the deck through it, the foam is done too.
Do you make matching T-back cushions?
Yes — the shaped back pads that pair with T seats are standard work. Order seat and back in the same order and they come from the same fabric bolt, cut to pair.
Will a custom T fit my antique armchair?
Antiques are the heartland of custom T work: five numbers, each ear measured separately, and a photo or two cover even a drifted, asymmetric seat. The ±½″ tolerance with a free remake is the safety net if anything reads differently in the workshop.
How long do custom T cushions take?
Standard builds leave the workshop in 4–7 days, rush builds in 3–5, with made and shipped in 4-7 business days. Your order confirmation states the exact dates for your build slot.
Made and Shipped by the Same Hands
- Cut in our own workshop — factory direct, no middleman
- Standard build 4–7 days, rush 3–5 days
- made and shipped in 4-7 business days, tracked
- ±½″ tolerance or we remake it free
Custom T-cushions from $115 — five numbers per piece in the customizer to a live price. Enter the widths, the depths, the thickness, pick fabric, and the number is on screen before you commit.
Ready when you are. Measure the old pad tonight — all five numbers — and the chair that hasn’t been comfortable in years is one workshop week away.