We Tried Using Pool Noodles To Fix Saggy Couch Cushions & The Results Left Us Impressed

My husband and I are celebrating our eleventh wedding anniversary this year, which means we're also coming up on as many years with our beloved IKEA sofa (remember the world domination of the KARLSTAD in the 2010s?!). Bought shortly after we tied the knot, the sofa was our first major furniture investment as a married couple. Since then, it's seen three different homes, two babies-turned-kids, and three dogs. Obviously it's been well-loved and holds a sentimental place in our hearts.

That being said, after over a decade, the sofa is really starting to show its age. While the covers are washable and in decent shape, the cushions are sagging and lack support. We've debated repeatedly about replacing the sofa, but with a home full of small children and dogs, we keep concluding that we're just not in the phase of life to invest in a new sofa or a full set of custom replacement cushions. And so, as an interior designer, the sofa has become a serious "do as I say, not as I do" moment in our house. I'm even more embarrassed to show a photo of it on the internet.

Fast forward to recently, when I stumbled upon yet another TikTok pool noodle hack, claiming to be able to revive an old, saggy sofa by sliding pool noodles inside the cushions to firm them up. I wondered if it would work for both the seat and back cushions on my own droopy sofa. It made sense in theory, as I always buy pillow inserts one size larger than the covers for maximum plumpness. So shouldn't the same idea apply, that if I added (noodle) foam to the sofa cushion filling, they'd perk back up? Come along on this pool noodle adventure with me, and let's find out.

Before committing to a pool noodle shopping extravaganza, I first did a test run to see if the hack actually worked for both lackluster seat and back cushions, logic saying it should. The premise is incredibly simple: cut the pool noodle to size, unzip one of the sofa cushion covers, slide the pool noodle into the bottom, and re-zip. After a little fluffing to work out the lumps, place the newly plump, supportive cushion back on the sofa, and you're in business. It's worth noting that this will only work on loose or semi-attached cushions with zippers, and likely best on box-style cushions with flat edges to help conceal the noodle. I had half a pool noodle hanging around, so I grabbed it for my experiment. And it worked great – check out that side-by-side back cushion comparison in the image above! The difference (visually and physically) was night and day.

But my trial run also taught me a few things that made the execution more successful. First, because the test noodle wasn't custom cut to the same width as the insert, the size discrepancy made it look a little lumpy, the outline of the noodle visible by the zipper. Therefore, I planned how many noodles to buy based on cutting them to the exact length as each insert for the cleanest look. Next, I discovered all cushions would likely benefit from a second noodle so I grabbed extra, for a total of seven for my particular setup. Third, while the original TikTok placed the noodles underneath her thick seat cushions, this approach made my thinner cushions look bumpy and raised off the sofa base, so I needed to place them in the back by the zipper.

Once the pool noodles were in-hand, I measured the width of each cushion and cut my noodles to size with a serrated knife. As with the trial run, I slid the pool noodles inside the bottom of the back cushion covers to maximize plumpness. It turned out that my new noodles were smaller in diameter than the test noodle (2.5 instead of 3 inches), so I used two for each to create enough lift and was able to stack them perfectly side-by-side inside my 5-inch-thick box cushions. I was thrilled by the immediate change in both looks and support. Next, I moved on to the seat cushions. Unlike the placement of the TikTok noodles, I followed the same procedure as the upper cushions and simply slid a pair of noodles on the back end by the zipper. Worked like a charm!

And just like that, my beloved IKEA sofa was brought back to life. Is it perfect? No. But is it exponentially better? ABSOLUTELY, both visually and in terms of back support. It's nearly like having a brand-new sofa... FOR ONLY $7. I still can't get over it – the before and after comparison is downright shocking.

This ingenious hack saved me the funds of having to buy a replacement sofa (or custom cushions), the embarrassment of having that saggy eyesore on display, and an aching back. So if you have a well-loved and – let's just call a spade a spade – raggedy sofa in your home, do as I say AND I did, use this inexpensive pool noodle hack to let it live another day!