Throw Pillow Sizes: Which Size, Insert and Fill to Buy

The most common throw pillow is 20 by 20 inches, which suits most sofas. Use 18 inch squares on loveseats and chairs, 22 or 24 inch squares on deep sofas and beds, and a 14 by 20 inch lumbar in front. For a plump pillow, buy an insert a size or 2 inches bigger than the cover.

Which throw pillow size goes where?

Decorative pillows are sold by the size of the cover, measured flat from seam to seam. Tonic Living, a fabric and pillow shop, publishes a size guide that sets out where each common size works best:

For how many pillows a sofa takes and how to mix their colors, see throw pillows for a couch. The sizing pattern is simple: scale the pillow to the seat. A 24 inch square swallows a small armchair, and an 18 inch square looks lost on a deep sectional. When you mix sizes, put the largest at the back and layer smaller ones in front, which is the same rule Tonic Living gives for a lumbar in front of a larger square.

Bed pillow sizes: Euros, shams and accents

On a bed, decorative pillows sit in front of the pillows you sleep on. South Shore Fine Linens, a bedding retailer, lists the standard sham sizes:

The retailer’s arrangement for a king bed is three Euros at the back with two king shams in front. Accent pillows, such as a lumbar or a pair of 20 inch squares, go in front of the shams. Tonic Living suggests two or three 22 inch squares behind a bolster for a fuller bed.

How big should a pillow insert be?

The insert decides whether a pillow looks crisp or slumped. Hackner Home, which makes down and feather pillow inserts, gives these rules:

• Down and feather inserts. A same-size insert gives a relaxed, slouchy look. Size the insert up from the cover for a plump, full pillow.
• Down alternative inserts. Follow the same rule as down and feather.
• Polyester inserts. For a full look, choose a cover 2 inches smaller than the insert, so a 20 inch insert goes in an 18 inch cover. A same-size insert stays relaxed.

Take the insert size from the listing, not the photo, since a same-size insert gives the softer look.

Down, feather or polyester fill

The fill changes how a pillow feels and how it ages.

Down and feather fill is soft and easy to reshape with a shake. It is usually sold as a blend of the two. IDFL, a testing lab for down and feather products, explains the U.S. labeling standard: a product labeled simply as down must contain at least 75% down clusters, and the general labels are down, down and feathers, feathers and down, and feathers. A sub-label gives the detail behind the general one. This is an industry standard rather than a federal rule, so read the percentages on the sub-label where a listing shows them.

Hackner Home, for example, sells its decorative inserts in blends of 10% down with 90% feather and 5% down with 95% feather. Those are feather inserts with a little down, not down pillows.

Down alternative and polyester fills are synthetic, and many are sold as machine washable, so check the insert’s care label. Hackner Home’s sizing rule for them differs from down, as the section above shows.

Fabrics that feel cozy in winter

Swapping covers is the cheapest way to change a room for the season. In winter, the warmest covers are the same fabrics as a good throw: faux fur and sherpa, chunky knit and wool, and velvet or chenille. In summer, linen and cotton feel cooler, so two sets of covers change the look on the same inserts. Our throw pillow covers guide compares each fabric on feel and washing, and pairs well with a wool or knit throw. For the softest sheen, see velvet throw pillows, and for a porch or patio, outdoor throw pillows explains the fabric and fill that cope with sun and damp.

Before you buy throw pillows

Pillows are one layer of a cozy room. For the rest, see how to make a room cozy, and pair them with a throw blanket in a matching or contrasting color.

Throw blanketsSizes, weights and fabrics for a throw on the sofa.

Sherpa, fleece or faux furHow the plush fabrics differ in warmth and care.

Wool and knit throwsChunky knits and wool for texture you can see.

Make a room cozyWarm light, soft textures and fewer drafts.