Care Homes
Care Home Chair Cushions: Comfort, Cleaning and Fire Safety
What care home managers and facilities teams should look for in dining chair pads and lounge seat cushions, from firmness to cleaning and fire paperwork.
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Quick answer: Care home chair cushions should be firm enough to make sitting down and standing up easier, sized so they do not raise residents too high, covered in a wipe-clean fabric or a removable, washable cover, and supplied with fabric test reports your fire officer can review. Measure each chair type, agree the fire requirement first, and approve a spec sheet before ordering.
In a care home, a chair cushion is not just about looks. It affects how easily a resident can get up from the dining table, how quickly staff can clean after a meal, and whether the home's paperwork holds up at inspection. This guide is written for care home managers, facilities and maintenance teams, and the designers who work with them. You can see our full approach on our care home cushions page.
Firmness and seat height
Soft, sinking cushions feel cosy for a moment, but they make it harder for many older people to stand. A firmer cushion gives a stable base to push up from.
- Dining chair pads: usually 3 cm to 5 cm thick. Enough comfort for a meal without lifting residents too high above the table.
- Lounge chair seat cushions: often 8 cm to 10 cm, with a firm high-resilience foam that holds its shape across long days of use.
- Seat height: remember that a cushion adds to the chair's seat height. Measure the frame, add the cushion, and check that feet still rest flat on the floor.
Your occupational therapist or care team will know individual residents' needs best. Our role is to make cushions to the exact size and firmness you specify. For UK orders, foam is made and cut in the UK by GB Foam in High Wycombe and meets the UK fire safety regulations for upholstered furniture.
Choosing care home furniture fabrics
The right fabric depends on the room. In practice, most homes use two or three fabrics across the building.
| Area | Suggested fabric | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Dining room | Ultraleather or Sunbrella Horizon marine vinyl | Wipe clean quickly after every meal |
| Lounges and quiet rooms | Ultraleather or a woven Sunbrella upholstery fabric | Warmer feel; Sunbrella covers are machine washable |
| Garden and courtyard | Sunbrella outdoor fabrics or the waterproof range | Fade and mould resistant, solution-dyed |
Wipe-clean finishes are the most practical choice for dining areas. Our Sunbrella Horizon marine vinyl collection shows the colour range. With more than 10,000 colours overall, you can choose calm, homely shades rather than clinical ones, and use contrasting colours to help residents see the edge of a seat.
Removable covers and a simple cleaning routine
Every cushion we make has a zipped, removable cover. That matters in a care setting: a cover can be taken off and laundered, or replaced, without throwing away the foam.
Your home's own infection control policy always comes first. As a general routine that many homes adapt:
- After each meal: wipe dining chair pads with a damp cloth and the cleaning product your policy approves, then dry.
- Daily: check lounge cushions for spills or soiling and spot clean straight away.
- On a set schedule: remove and launder woven covers according to the fabric maker's care guidance.
- When a resident's chair is reassigned: clean or swap the cover before the next person uses it.
Before using any disinfectant regularly, check the fabric maker's cleaning guidance so you do not damage the surface. We can send care instructions for each fabric with your quote. Keeping a set of spare covers means a chair is never out of use while its cover is in the laundry.
Fire safety in care settings
Care homes are usually treated as higher-risk settings, and many fire risk assessments ask for fabrics with Crib 5 test data under BS 5852. Ask your fire officer or risk assessor what your home needs, then tell us. We match fabrics to that requirement and attach the maker's test reports to your quote and spec sheet.
We do not certify the finished installation. The local authority or fire officer has the final say. Our UK fire safety fabrics guide explains the tests and lists the data available for each range.
Measuring a whole home
Most homes have several chair models, sometimes bought over many years. Group chairs by model, measure one of each carefully, then spot-check a few more.
- Measure width at the front and back, and depth from front edge to the back rail.
- Note where arms or uprights cut into the seat. Make a paper template for any shaped seat.
- Decide on ties, Velcro or no fixing. Ties in matching fabric are standard; Velcro is available on request. We do not add non-slip backing.
- Photograph each chair type and label it on a room-by-room list.
Our guide on how to order chair cushions covers the details. For standard shapes, our dining chair cushions collection is a useful starting point.
Checklist before you order
- Fire requirement confirmed with your fire officer or risk assessor.
- Firmness and thickness agreed with the care team.
- Seat height checked with the cushion added.
- Fabric chosen per room, with care guidance checked against your cleaning products.
- Spare covers included for dining rooms.
- Measurements and photos for every chair model.
How a commercial order works
Send your chair list, measurements, photos and fire requirement through our bulk cushion enquiry form or to operation@fabricakraft.com. We reply with fabric suggestions, test reports and a quote. Swatches carry a small charge, credited back on your order, so the team can feel samples before deciding.
You then approve a spec sheet with a drawing for each chair type before anything is cut. Standard shapes take 2 to 3 weeks; custom shapes from a template take 5 to 6 weeks. Every cushion is made to within 6 mm (maximum ±2.5 cm) of the ordered size, or we remake it free. Delivery across the UK is free and shipped DDP, so there is no duty or VAT to pay on arrival. There is no minimum order, which suits homes replacing a few chairs at a time.
Care groups and the designers who furnish them can join our trade programme for 10%, 15% or 20% off, based on rolling 12-month spend. To begin, visit our care home cushions page and tell us about your rooms.
Frequently asked questions
Are your care home cushions waterproof?
Ultraleather and Sunbrella Horizon marine vinyl wipe clean and resist liquids on the surface. Most woven Sunbrella fabrics are water-repellent rather than waterproof.
Can we replace covers without replacing foam?
Yes. Covers are zipped and can be ordered on their own, and foam can be ordered alone too.
Do you supply fire test reports?
Yes. The maker's test reports for every fabric are available on request and attached to your quote or spec sheet.
What warranty applies?
Fabric has a 5-year warranty from the fabric partner and workmanship is covered for 2 years. Foam warranty depends on the grade.
