Throw Pillow Size Calculator: How Many & What Size

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Tell it about your sofa or your bed and the look you like. You get how many pillows, what sizes, and the insert to buy for each cover.

Pillows to buy

4 pillows: two 22″ and two 20″for an 84″ sofa · inserts 24″ and 22″

Seen from the front, to scale

Plan the whole room free →

Quick answer: most sofas take 20″ throw pillows: 18″ for a low-backed sofa, 22–24″ for a tall or deep one. A sofa usually takes 4–5 pillows (a loveseat 2–3), with the one at the back a size bigger than the one in front. Buy each insert 2″ bigger than its cover, so an 18″ cover takes a 20″ insert. For a bed, layer euro shams, sleeping pillows, decorative squares and one lumbar.

How to use the throw pillow calculator

Choose sofa or bed. For a sofa, enter its length (arm to arm) and the height of its back from the floor. For a bed, pick the bed size.
Pick a look. Simple is one pillow at each end. Classic is matching pairs. Layered uses odd numbers and a lumbar, the collected look.
Read the list. Every pillow comes with its size and the insert to buy for it, and the drawing shows how they sit, to scale. Copy link keeps the result.

The rules behind the sizes

Size: by the height of the sofa’s back

A pillow should sit against the back cushions without covering them. A low back (under 30″) takes 18″ squares, most sofas (30–35″) take 20″, a tall back 22″, and a very tall or deep one 24″. When you layer two pillows, make the one at the back one or two sizes (2–4″) bigger, so both show.

How many: by the sofa’s length

A loveseat takes 2–3 pillows, a standard sofa 4–5, and a large sofa (96″ and longer) about 5, with a long lumbar in the middle. Pillows belong at the ends: the middle of the sofa is where people sit. Pairs look tidy and formal; odd numbers look collected and relaxed.

Inserts: 2″ bigger than the cover

An insert the same size as its cover looks flat and leaves empty corners. Go 2″ bigger for a square and about 1″ bigger each way for a lumbar. Down and feather inserts give the classic “chop” at the top; polyester ones stay rounder.

Throw pillow size chart by sofa back height

Sofa back (floor to top)	Pillow size	Insert	In metric shops
28″, a low modern sofa	18″	20″	45 cm
33″, most sofas	20″	22″	50 cm
37″, a tall back	22″	24″	55 cm
40″, very tall or deep	24″	26″	60 cm

Standard throw pillow sizes are 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24″ squares, and lumbars of 12 × 20″, 14 × 24″ and 14 × 36″. Euro shams are 26″ squares.

Bed pillows by bed size (layered look)

Bed	Euro shams	Sleeping pillows	Decorative	Lumbar	Total
Twin	1	1 standard	1 × 18″	14 × 24″	4
Full	2	2 standard	2 × 18″	14 × 24″	7
Queen	2	2 queen	2 × 20″	14 × 36″	7
King	3	2 king	3 × 20″	14 × 36″	9

Sleeping pillows: standard 20 × 26″, queen 20 × 30″, king 20 × 36″. Euro shams stand against the headboard, one for about every 26″ of mattress width.

Three worked examples

A standard sofa, classic. An 84″ sofa with a 33″ back: two 22″ and two 20″ pillows, a 22″ at the back of each end with a 20″ in front. Inserts: 24″ and 22″.

A low loveseat, layered. A 60″ loveseat with a 28″ back: a 20″ and two 18″ pillows, two at one end and one at the other. Inserts: 22″ and 20″.

A king bed, layered. 9 pillows: 3 euro shams across the headboard, 2 king sleeping pillows, 3 decorative 20″ squares and a 14 × 36″ lumbar in front.

Common throw pillow mistakes

All the same size. A row of identical squares looks flat. Put a bigger one behind a smaller one.

Pillows taller than the sofa back. They hide the sofa and topple over. Size them to the back.
Too many. If you have to move pillows to sit, there are too many. Keep them to the ends.
Inserts the same size as the cover. The corners go limp. Go 2″ bigger.

No lumbar. A long, low lumbar in front breaks up a row of squares and makes the arrangement look finished.

Styling the whole room? Size the coffee table and the rug for the same sofa, and lay it all out in the free 2D room planner.

Plan the room free

Throw pillow size questions

What are standard throw pillow sizes?

Squares of 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24″, and lumbars of 12 × 20″, 14 × 24″ and 14 × 36″. The 20″ square is the most common size for a sofa; 18″ suits smaller or low-backed sofas and chairs. Euro shams for beds are 26″ squares.

What size throw pillows for a sofa?

Go by the height of the back: 18″ for a low back (under 30″ from the floor), 20″ for most sofas, 22–24″ for a tall or deep sofa. If you layer them, make the back pillow a size or two bigger than the front one.

How many throw pillows on a couch?

A loveseat takes 2–3, a standard couch 4–5, a large couch about 5. Use pairs for a tidy, symmetrical look or odd numbers for a relaxed one, and keep them at the ends so there is room to sit.

What size pillow insert for an 18×18 cover?

A 20 × 20″ insert. Going 2″ bigger than the cover fills the corners and gives a plump pillow. For a lumbar cover, go about 1″ bigger each way.

What throw pillows go on a king size bed?

For a layered king bed: 3 euro shams (26″) against the headboard, 2 king sleeping pillows (20 × 36″), 3 decorative 20″ squares and one 14 × 36″ lumbar in front. For a simpler bed, skip the decorative squares.

What size are decorative pillows?

Decorative squares are usually 16–24″: 18″ and 20″ are the most common. On a bed they sit in front of the sleeping pillows; on a sofa, match them to the height of the back.

Throw Pillow Size Calculator

Shop 20 × 20″ pillow inserts

Shop 22 × 22″ pillow inserts

Shop 24 × 24″ pillow inserts

Shop 26 × 26″ pillow inserts