What’s the Difference?

Wool & cotton batting samples

DEFINITION OF BATTING

There’s a lot of confusion around what the different upholstery battings look and feel like, as well as what they’re used for. Curious, I looked up the American Heritage Dictionary definition of batting, which reads as follows:

Cotton, wool, or synthetic fiber wadded into rolls or sheets, used for stuffing furniture and mattresses and for lining quilts.

COTTON BATTING

Then I looked up cotton batting synonyms, and found cushion, filling, packing, padding, stuffing, insides, innards, layer, wadding, and more…

In upholstery, the terms we use for batting seem to vary geographically. People in the UK call cotton batting ‘COTTON WADDING’. I like this, because it clearly suggests the use for this material as more suited to internal stuffing than the lighter surface-oriented treatment of a cushion wrap.

WOOL BATTING

Check out the post ‘About Wool Batting for Natural Upholstery’ for a comprehensive overview of wool batting.

COTTON OR WOOL – WHICH TO USE?

Watch the video for my explanation of the difference between cotton batting & wool batting for upholstery – when to use them in your upholstery project, and when it’s better NOT to. Learn why cotton batting is better suited as upholstery foundation material and why wool is best as a cushion wrap. What’s an upholstery foundation material? Learn the answer in this video!

LEARN MORE

Questions? Help others who may have the same question as you by posting in the comments below.

Find more upholstery tips on my YouTube channel, and subscribe if you find it helpful!

Learn more about DiY upholstery, workshops, and making your own upholstery more home-health friendly – sign up for our monthly newsletter.