Sofa Pillow

Sofa pillows: for lounging, afternoon naps and long movie nights

In many Indian homes, the sofa is where the afternoon nap happens: after Sunday lunch, after a long shift, or halfway through a cricket match. A decorative cushion is not built for that. It is too firm, too small or too scratchy for your head. A sofa pillow is simply a comfortable pillow kept on the sofa for lounging and resting. This guide explains how a sofa pillow differs from a cushion, what size and fill to choose, and what Soft Souls offers for it today.

What we offer today

We do not sell a pillow made only for sofas. The closest match is our smaller kapok pillow, 15 × 22 inches, filled with natural Illavam Panju: light, soft and easy to move between the sofa and the bed. Our cotton pillows (15 × 22 inches, set of two) suit anyone who prefers a firmer pillow. For back support while sitting, see our sofa cushions.

Sofa pillow or sofa cushion?

Most homes need both: cushions that stay on the sofa for sitting, and a pillow that comes out when someone lies down.

Choosing the right size

A sofa arm is narrower than a bed, so a full-size 18 × 28 inch pillow often hangs over the edge and slides off. A 15 × 22 inch pillow fits on the seat against the arm, supports your head and neck while you lie along the sofa, and tucks away easily. For children napping on the sofa, a smaller kids pillow (12 × 18 inches) is often enough.

Choosing the right fill

• Kapok: soft, light and mouldable. You can push the fill to make a higher roll against the sofa arm. Easy to carry around.
• Cotton: firmer and heavier, so it stays put against the arm. Good if you like a solid feel.
• Hollow fibre: bouncy and even; springs back after each nap.

The sofa arm already lifts your head, so a sofa pillow usually needs to be softer and lower than the pillow you sleep on in bed. Too much height on top of a high arm bends the neck forward.

Lying comfortably on a sofa

1. Rest your head on the pillow, not directly on the sofa arm.
2. If the arm is high, lay the pillow flat on the seat against it, rather than propping it on top.
3. If the arm is low or soft, fold the pillow slightly or push the fill towards the arm for more height.
4. Put a cushion under your knees if you lie on your back, or between them if you lie on your side, for a more relaxed position.

A sofa nap is meant to be short. For proper night-time sleep, a bed with a supportive mattress is the better place.

Covers for a sofa pillow

A sofa pillow is used by everyone in the family, often in the middle of the day, and it picks up hair oil, sweat and food crumbs quickly. Keep it in a washable cover and change the cover often. Cotton feels fresh on a warm afternoon; satin feels smooth and cool at first touch. Our pillow covers come in sets of two for 18 × 28 inch pillows; for a 15 × 22 inch pillow, use a cover cut for that size so the pillow does not slide about inside.

Keeping a sofa tidy

A sofa pillow left out all day makes a living room look like a bedroom. Keep it in a basket beside the sofa, in a drawer under a diwan, or folded behind the back cushions, and bring it out when someone wants to rest. A pillow in a cover that matches the cushions looks intentional if it does stay out.

One pillow or two?

If two people often rest on the sofa at the same time, or if the sofa is also the spare bed for a visiting relative, keep two pillows in matching covers. A pair is also handy on an L-shaped sofa, where one person can lie along each side.

Caring for a sofa pillow

• Wash the cover weekly, or more often in summer.
• Sun a kapok or cotton pillow for an hour or two every few weeks, turning it once.
• Plump it after every use so the fill stays even.
• Do not soak natural-fill pillows; wash only the cover.

Sofa pillow questions

Can I use a bed pillow on the sofa? Yes. A 15 × 22 inch pillow is usually the most practical size.

Should a sofa pillow be soft or firm? Usually softer and lower than your bed pillow, because the sofa arm already raises your head.

Do you sell a dedicated sofa pillow? Not yet. Our kapok and cotton pillows are the closest match today.

A pillow for long movie nights

For a long film or a cricket match, many people half-sit, half-lie on the sofa. Place a firm cushion behind your lower back and a soft pillow under your head against the arm; you can watch comfortably without your neck bent forward at a steep angle.

Shop for the sofa

See our kapok pillows, sofa cushions and all cushions.

Sofa pillows for visiting family

When a relative sleeps on the sofa for a night, a proper pillow in a fresh cover makes the difference between a cramped night and a comfortable one.

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