When I purchased inserts for the Euro pillows and shams for my bed in 2014, the company from whom I purchased them, Bed of Roses, recommended that I size up 2 inches for the inserts. In other words, if a Euro sham measures 26 x 26, they recommend a 28 x 28 insert. I loved their inserts because they were so substantial and heavy. When they arrived, I could have sworn they were from a design house that an interior designer would use. They were the best inserts I had ever seen, leagues better than what is normally available in regular retail stores. Sadly, I don’t think Bed of Roses is still available on Amazon, but you can see one of their older listings HERE where they offer suggestions on sizing in the description of their listing.
For the most part, sizing up two inches in width/height worked great. It worked great for my large Euro shams and for the shams that go with the cream matalasse on my bed, but I found their inserts were a tad large for the tartan shams. I always felt like the inserts were straining the fabric a bit on those.
So, when I ordered inserts for the red pillows I recently added to the sectional sofa in the movie room, I went with inserts that were the same size as the red covers themselves: 22 x 22. They looked okay, but when leaning against a pillow, it didn’t offer quite enough support.
The insert filled out the cover, but the fill was so soft, it sorta collapsed when leaning against the pillow.
A few days ago, I ordered size 24 x 24 inserts, going up 2 inches in size. The inserts still fit easily inside the covers, and the pillows feel much fuller and supportive. They feel great now, still soft but a lot more supportive.
I’ve come to the conclusion that what makes the biggest difference is the filling that’s inside the insert. Some inserts have more filling and the type of filling can really vary. Since it’s hard to know how firm or soft an insert will be, it may be a good idea to order pillow inserts in a couple of different sizes and return the size that doesn’t work. From now on, I’m going to stick with always ordering the next size up, since that is what ultimately worked best for these pillows. (Pillow covers are available in 29 colors here: Pillow Covers. Pillow inserts are available in a variety of sizes here: Pillow Inserts.)
The electrician was here today and added lighting to the basement stairs. I’m looking forward to sharing that with you very soon. See you tomorrow for Tablescape Thursday!
My feather throw cushions are 18x 18… I always order covers 20 x 20- and they fit beautifully. I have better luck ordering 26 x 26 for Euro shams- and I find they fit great!
Charlotte, did you mean that the cushions/inserts are 20 x 20 and the covers are 18 x 18? Are the covers a little smaller than the inserts?
No….the cushions themselves are 18 x 18 – the covers are 20 x 20. I only use feather insert pillows….and find the 20 x 20 fit perfect.
I find the same size covers as the inserts….make the cushions looked squished…which is why I always choose larger. 🙂
Where do you get your inserts, and what material do you use?
I prefer down and I purchase the more recent ones here: https://amzn.to/3Foyyde
Most interior designers recommend sizing your inserts UP one or two inches larger than your covers so that you get a nice plump fill. I do that with down alternative inserts, but I’ve found with high quality down inserts doing that makes the finished pillow too firm and uncomfortable – so for those I usually keep the insert and the cover the same size. I have discovered that the same rule generally applies to duvets as well – if you use a duvet insert that’s slightly larger than the duvet cover, you’ll end up with a nice lofty and plump finished covering.