Are you sick of having to get up from a comfortable position to push your sofa cushions back to their proper place? Do you find that the process of simply coming home and putting your feet up is interrupted by the need to constantly re-align your escaping cushions?
A sliding couch cushion can drive you up the wall. But have no fear, because there’s a solution! In fact, there are several, so let’s take a look at a range of tips and ideas to keep your couch cushions from sliding, so that you can get back to your favorite TV show in comfort.
How to Keep Couch Cushions From Sliding Off: 8 Methods
1 – Use a Rubber Carpet Underlay
This is the easiest and the cheapest solution of all, and also the one that’s the least invasive. Rubber underlay is non slip rubber lining that normally goes under carpets, but it’s also a quick and easy way to stop cushions sliding forward. These are easy to find: any store that sells carpet will also sell rolls of underlay, and a couple of pieces will cost you just pennies. Just slip it underneath the cushions or leather seats and you’re set – it’s a quick fix, but it works.
2 – Use a Rug Pad
A rug pad is similar to carpet underlay, except it is usually used under a rug on a hard floor to prevent the rug from slipping. The same grip that stops the rug sliding will help prevent your sliding cushions from disappearing from underneath you. As you’ll see below, there are specially designed rubber pads that are made for couches, but there’s no real need to pay for these if you have a spare rug pad or carpet underlay (above) to hand.
3 – Stop Sliding Cushions With a Shelf or Drawer Liner
You can try a rubber drawer liners. These are liners made from such fabrics as vinyl, soft plastic, or rubber and are another inexpensive solution that means you don’t need to attach anything to your cushion.
The best type of shelf liner is one that’s perforated to give more adhesion. You can easily cut the shelf liner to the size and shape you need, which should be slightly smaller than the cushion itself so it doesn’t poke out from underneath. The great thing is that this kind of material comes on a large roll, so it’s easily replaced if it becomes worn down after a period of wear.
4 – Use a Specialist Non Slip Mat For Couch Cushions
These specialist commercial solutions provide a similar function to our DIY solutions above, and like them they should work without needing to attach anything to the cushions themselves. Although these cost more, the advantage is they tend to be a bit more durable than the options above (which may not be made of such high quality materials) and some solutions come in specific sizes that will fit your couch without the need for modification.
One good option is the Gorilla Grip Couch Cushion Gripper pad (amazon) which comes in multiple different sizes to fit couches and armchairs. You might also want to try TEUVO non slip pads, which come in a roll which you can cut to whatever length you desire – although these do come with an adhesive to stick them to the seat cushions.
5 – Try Velcro Strips
One of the most foolproof ways to stop couch cushions from sliding is to use velcro strips underneath your seats. If you apply strips of velcro to the sofa itself, then the corresponding velcro to the underside of the couch cushion, you can keep the cushions secure on the sofa with very little movement, as the hook of one side catches the grip of the other and holds the cushion secure.
It’s not a choice that everyone will go for, because it involves attaching material directly to the cushions with adhesive. This could be a problem when it comes to cleaning the covers of your couch cushions. It also means that you’ll be unable to flip your couch cushion regularly, as there’ll be a velcro strip attached to it.
For ease of use, make sure you get velcro strips that have adhesive on the back, rather than those that require sewing on.
6 – Combine Non Slip Pad & Velcro Strips
The non slip mat might not fix the issue if the mat itself slides out from underneath the cushions. If this is the case, try a combination of the above solutions, by attaching a non slip pad to the couch with the use of a strip or two of velcro, and then placing the cushions on top.
This way, there’s no adhesive on the couch cushions themselves, but by using both velcro strips and non slip mats, you’ll be doubling up on your options and practically demanding that the cushions stay in place and refuse to move!
7 – The Hook and Ring Option
This idea is one that involves a little more work and also requires the ability to sew, but it’s very effective. If you’re feeling confident in your DIY skills, take the cushions off the sofa first, and then sew a piece of fabric to the seat. To that piece of fabric, attach a furniture ring. Then, sew another piece of fabric to the cushion, and to that piece, attach a blunt hook. Depending on your cushions, you may be able to use a sewing machine to achieve this, but you’ll need to sew the part that goes on the seat of the couch by hand.
By hooking your cushions onto the couch, you can anchor them in place and stop the couch cushions from sliding, but it’s a technique that involves sewing directly onto your upholstery, and so won’t work for sofas and couches made from leather. The solution is quite easily removable if you need to wash the covers – just take the hooks and rings off (you can leave the extra fabric attached to the seat and cushion on).
Important: make sure the hooks you use are blunt so that you do not damage a cushion or another part of your couch.
8 – How to Keep Couch Cushions From Sliding Using a Couch Cover
It might sound like overkill for the sake of some rogue couch cushions, but a couch cover could really keep your cushions in place. Couch covers come in all fabrics and designs, so you’re sure to find one that works for you.
A stretchy, slip-on couch cover that fits around your couch and is pulled tight with the use of drawstrings will hold your cushions to the couch without giving them room to move.
Couch covers aren’t only effective at preventing cushions from sliding, either, but they’re a great idea for keeping your whole couch protected from damage such as spills, stains, and regular wear and tear.
Conclusion
By now you’ll have plenty of information to consider, so you can decide on the best solution for sliding couch cushion problem.
The best advice we can give you is to start with the least invasive option first, and then work your way through each step at a time if you’re getting the desired result. So, first try to get hold of a non-slip mat and see if that works. If not, move up to the velcro method, then try a combination of the two before looking at other options.
Whichever one you choose, you’re sure to find that your sliding couch cushion is soon no longer an issue, as you show your cushions who’s boss!
