Bed Cushion

Bed cushions: for sitting up, reading and a well-made bed

A bed is not only for sleeping. It is where many of us read before sleep, watch a show on the phone, answer messages, sip morning tea or sit with a child at bedtime. Sleeping pillows are not made for that: they are soft enough for your head but slump behind your back. Bed cushions fill the gap, and they make a made bed look finished during the day. Soft Souls bed cushions are 16 × 16 inch jute cushions, filled with polyester hollow fibre, in sets of two, in navy blue and ocean blue.

Our bed cushions

• Cover: jute, natural and textured
• Fill: polyester hollow fibre
• Size: 16 × 16 inches
• In the set: 2 filled cushions
• Colours: navy blue and ocean blue

Sitting up in bed comfortably

To sit up and read in bed, you need something firmer than a sleeping pillow behind your lower back, and something softer behind your shoulders and head.

1. Place your sleeping pillow upright against the headboard.
2. Put a 16-inch cushion in front of it, low down, behind your lower back.
3. Sit back. Adjust the cushion up or down until you can sit upright without slumping.
4. For a laptop or a book, place a second cushion on your lap or under your elbow.

A bed with no headboard needs a firmer stack: two cushions one in front of the other against the wall, with the pillow on top.

Styling a made bed

The classic layered bed has three rows, from the headboard forward.

• Back: your sleeping pillows in their covers, standing or lying flat.
• Middle: a pair of 16-inch cushions.
• Front (optional): one or two smaller 12-inch cushions for colour.

For a single bed, one 16-inch cushion is enough. For a queen or king bed, a pair looks balanced. Keep it simple: the cushions have to come off every night, so fewer is easier.

Matching cushions with your bedding

Navy blue jute cushions sit naturally on our navy or silver grey bedsheets; ocean blue brings a lighter contrast to grey. With a wine bedsheet, navy cushions look rich and grounded. The jute texture also gives the bed depth against smooth satin.

Bed cushion or backrest pillow?

A bed cushion is a small, light cushion you can move and stack. A backrest or reading pillow is a large, shaped pillow with arms that stays upright on its own. Cushions are more flexible, take less space and double as decoration; a backrest gives more support if you sit up in bed for long periods every day. Many people find two well-placed cushions are all they need.

Bed cushions in children's rooms

For bedtime stories, a cushion behind the parent's back and a small pillow for the child make the bed a comfortable reading corner. Remove all cushions and extra pillows from a baby's sleeping space; babies under twelve months should sleep on a firm, flat surface with nothing loose around them. See our baby pillows guide for safe-sleep guidance.

Jute against the skin

Jute has a coarse, natural texture. It is lovely to look at and firm behind the back, but it is not as soft against the cheek as a pillow cover. Use jute cushions for support and styling, and keep your face on a soft pillow cover.

Bed cushions for elders

Many older family members spend part of the day sitting up in bed: reading the newspaper, praying, having tea or talking with visitors. A pair of firm cushions behind the back makes that time more comfortable than a slumped sleeping pillow. Choose cushions light enough to lift and rearrange easily, and keep a small basket or chair beside the bed for them at night, so nobody has to bend to the floor to pick them up. If someone needs to sit up for medical reasons, ask their doctor what support suits them best.

Where to put cushions at night

The most common reason cushions end up flat and grubby is that they spend the night on the floor. Give them a home: a chair, a bench at the foot of the bed, a basket or the top of a trunk. Stack them upright rather than pressing them flat under a pile, so they spring back by morning.

Bed cushions in a guest room

Cushions make a guest bed look welcoming the moment visitors walk in. A pair of cushions in front of fresh pillows tells guests the bed has been made for them. Show them where to put the cushions at night, so they do not end up on the floor.

Caring for bed cushions

• Take cushions off the bed at night so they keep their shape and stay clean.
• Plump them in the morning when you make the bed.
• Keep tea, oil and food away; spot clean marks quickly with a damp cloth.
• Follow the care instructions on the product page for washing.
• Air them in the shade on a dry day, especially after the monsoon.

Bed cushion questions

Can I sleep on a bed cushion? It is not made for sleeping. Use a sleeping pillow, such as a kapok pillow.

How many come in a set? Two filled cushions.

Can I use them on the sofa too? Yes, the same cushions are our sofa cushions.

Shop bed cushions

Bed cushions start from ₹497.00 for a set of two, inclusive of all taxes, with cash on delivery and 7-day returns on unused products. See all cushions.

Part of our Cushions range. Also see Kapok Cushion, Cotton Cushion, Sofa Cushion, Sofa Pillow.