Stuffing Matters: Does Your Furniture Have the Right Stuffing?
When shopping for upholstered furniture, most people judge based on the fabric. Is it the right material, color, design, and texture? These are important questions to ask, but they aren’t the most important.
Think of fabric as the furniture’s skin. Skin covers up a lot of issues underneath with the bones and guts that you should also consider. The frame, the spring system, and the filling or stuffing. In this post, we’re going to look at common types of stuffing used in furniture, and how to choose the best stuffing for your needs.
Common types of stuffing for furniture
There are three general categories of furniture stuffing, and each has a variety of subtypes.
Stuffing
Today, the most commonly used types of stuffing are down and feather filling. Both come from birds, but they use feathers from different parts of the bird. Down feathers make up the under-plumage of birds. It’s what keeps them warm. It’s great for furniture because it’s soft, warm, and it clings together. Often, down will be used with other stuffings because, when used alone, it can get lumpy and requires frequent fluffing.
Feather filling uses the feathers that make up the overcoat of birds. Unlike down, the feather’s fibers attach to a central quill. Feather filling is not quite as soft as down, and if the fabric isn’t woven tight enough, the quills can poke out of the fabric. For these reasons, feather filling is cheaper than down.
Batting
Batting is the cotton or polyester fabric that’s typically wrapped around foam cushions to give them a nice, smooth, rounded shape. And like stuffing, there are different types of batting to choose from. We’ll look at the two most common types.
Cotton batting comes in layered sheets of bonded cotton fibers, and you can find it in a range of weights to suit your needs. Cotton batting lasts long, and it’s breathable and soft; however, its softness also means it can flatten out as it softens even more over time.
Polyester batting is also popular for chairs and sofas, and it comes in two types. Traditional polyester batting is strong, and it doesn’t soften like cotton batting. Because it keeps its shape so well, you won’t need to fluff it.
The other type of polyester batting is hollow-fill fiber which is used as a cheaper alternative to down and feather. It’s soft, anti-allergy, and it’s hollow fibers trap air giving your cushions a nice crown.
Foam
Foam is made from polyurethane, and it comes in a variety of materials and densities. High-density foam is great for giving cushions their shape, especially when those cushions need to withstand constant weight, for example, the backs and seats of sofas. Low-density foam is softer and is typically used for the arms and sides of sofas because they don’t have to withstand as much weight.
If you’re looking for a firmer foam that will last a long time, high-resiliency foam might be for you. While it comes in a span of densities, it’s very durable, and it won’t deteriorate over time. If you’re looking for a low-resiliency foam, you might like memory foam, which forms to your body; however, if you’re looking for supportive and springy cushions, memory foam isn’t for you.
Which furniture stuffing should you use?
Now that you know the most common types of furniture stuffing, you can better make a decision about the right furniture for you. When making that decision, ask these two questions.
How will the furniture be used?
What comfort level do I want?
If the furniture will be used frequently, and will need to withstand full-body weight for extended periods of time, you’ll probably want a foam filling, wrapped with polyester batting. However, if you want a sofa that you can sink into, and you don’t mind having to fluff your cushions, then down or feather filling will give you just that. You can also look for combinations of foam and down or feather, which provide different levels of comfort.
If you need to reupholster a beloved piece of furniture, it might be worth updating the stuffing as well as the fabric. Speak with your local, trusted upholsterer, and they can help you choose the perfect furniture stuffing that will keep your furniture around for years to come.
