If you have ever stood in front of a fabric shelf trying to work out the difference between 2oz and 8oz wadding, or wondered why your quilt has gone flat after one wash, you are not alone. Wadding is one of those materials that quietly makes or breaks a project. Get the right wadding and your quilt has beautiful loft, your bag holds its shape and your cushion feels plump for years. Get the wrong one and you end up with a project that looks tired within months.
This guide walks through everything you need to know about buying and using wadding in the UK, from the raw materials it is made from to the exact weight you need for quilting, bag making, upholstery, toy stuffing and craft projects. Along the way we will point you towards the specific products in our Wadding UK collection, so you can match the theory to the actual rolls, bags and bundles you can buy today. If you want to go even deeper once you have finished here, we have two companion guides on the blog. Our Wadding UK buying guide walks through loft, GSM and project matching in more detail, and our guide to using wadding the right way covers basting, quilting technique and the pitfalls that catch most beginners out.
What Is Wadding?
Wadding, also called batting in American sewing terminology, is a soft, insulating layer of fibre used between two pieces of fabric. It is the material that gives a quilt its warmth and dimension, gives a padded bag its structure, and gives a cushion or soft toy its plumpness. Without wadding, a quilt would simply be two flat sheets of fabric stitched together with no loft, no warmth and no visual texture. The word wadding covers a wide family of products. Some are needle punched into a flat, dense sheet. Some are lofted and airy, designed to trap heat. Some have a fusible adhesive on one side so they bond directly to fabric with a hot iron. Some are sold by the metre off a roll, and some come pre-packed as bundles or bags of offcuts for anyone who wants to buy in bulk without paying full price for every metre. Whatever the form, the job of wadding is always the same: it sits between layers of fabric, adds bulk and softness, and helps the finished item hold its shape.
Wadding Versus Interfacing: Do Not Confuse the Two
New sewists often mix up wadding and interfacing, and it is an easy mistake to make because both sit between or behind fabric layers. The difference is in the job they do. Interfacing is a stiffening material. It is usually thin, and it is used to add structure and crispness to collars, cuffs, waistbands and bag panels. It does not add loft or warmth. Wadding, on the other hand, is a bulking and insulating material. It adds thickness, softness and warmth, and it is the layer you want when you need a quilt to feel cosy or a cushion to feel full. Some suppliers group both products together because they are often bought for the same projects, and you will find them combined in our own Wadding & Interfacing collection. If your project needs structure, reach for interfacing. If it needs softness, loft or warmth, you need wadding. For a fuller breakdown of how wadding, interfacing and loose stuffing differ and where each one belongs, see our separate guide to wadding, interfacing and stuffing.
The Main Types of Wadding by Fibre Content
Polyester Wadding
Polyester is by far the most common wadding fibre sold in the UK, and for good reason. It is lightweight, holds its loft well, resists moths and mildew, washes easily and is significantly cheaper than natural fibre alternatives. Polyester wadding is the standard choice for cushions, soft toys, quilted bags, garment padding and most craft projects where budget and washability matter more than breathability. The downside of polyester is that it does not breathe as well as cotton, so it can feel warmer in summer and less absorbent if used in items that need to manage moisture. For most craft, upholstery and general sewing projects, however, this is rarely an issue.
Cotton Wadding
Cotton wadding is prized by quilters for its natural drape, breathability and the way it ages. Traditional quilters often prefer cotton because it gives a flatter, more traditional quilted look, and it becomes softer with every wash, which is exactly the character many people want in a well loved heirloom quilt. Cotton wadding also tends to grip fabric layers better during quilting, which reduces shifting while you are working. The trade off is that cotton wadding can shrink slightly on its first wash, which some quilters actually like because it creates that classic puckered, antique quilt look. If you want a smooth, flat finish, pre-shrink the wadding before use or choose a pre-shrunk cotton or cotton blend product.
Bamboo and Cotton Blend Wadding
Blended waddings, often a mix of cotton and bamboo or cotton and polyester, aim to combine the best of both worlds. You get some of the natural drape and breathability of cotton with the stability, affordability or extra loft of the second fibre. These blends have become increasingly popular with modern quilters who want a natural feel without the higher price tag of 100 percent cotton.
Wool Wadding
Wool wadding is the warmest option available and is a favourite for winter quilts and heavier throws. It has excellent loft, is naturally breathable and has a springiness that makes hand quilting easier because the needle glides through more readily than dense cotton or polyester battings. Wool wadding tends to be more expensive and does need a little more care when washing, but for anyone making a genuine winter quilt or a piece meant to last generations, it is worth the investment.
How Wadding Is Made
It helps to understand a little about how wadding is manufactured, because the production method affects how it behaves once it is sewn into a project. Needle punched wadding is made by mechanically interlocking fibres using thousands of barbed needles that pass through a loose web of fibre repeatedly. This tangles the fibres together into a stable sheet without using any glue or resin, which keeps the wadding soft and flexible. Most of the wadding sold for quilting and general craft use in the UK, including the majority of our own range, is produced this way because it gives a good balance of stability, softness and drape. Bonded wadding takes a needle punched or carded web and adds a light resin or thermal bonding process to hold the fibres together more firmly. This produces a slightly firmer, more stable wadding that resists pulling apart and is less prone to bearding, which makes it a sensible choice for high use items such as children's toys or upholstery padding that will be handled frequently. Fusible wadding goes a step further by adding a heat activated adhesive layer to one side of a bonded or needle punched sheet. Pressing this side against fabric with a hot iron creates an instant bond, which is exactly why it has become so popular with bag makers who want to skip the pinning and basting stage entirely. Knowing which production method sits behind a particular wadding is not essential for every project, but it explains why two waddings of the same GSM can feel noticeably different in the hand. A bonded wadding will generally feel firmer and hold a crease better, while a needle punched wadding without bonding will feel softer and drape more like fabric.
Understanding Wadding Weight: What GSM Actually Means
GSM stands for grams per square metre, and it is the single most useful number when comparing waddings. A higher GSM means a denser, heavier, thicker wadding. A lower GSM means a lighter, flatter wadding. In older British sewing terminology you will also see wadding weight described in ounces, for example 2oz, 4oz or 8oz, which follows the same logic: the higher the number, the thicker and warmer the wadding. Choosing the right GSM is the difference between a cushion that looks plump and a cushion that looks deflated within a week. Here is a general guide to help you match GSM to project.
| Approximate GSM | Feel | Best used for |
|---|---|---|
| 100 to 150 GSM | Light and flat | Garment quilting, placemats, table runners, light bags |
| 150 to 230 GSM | Medium loft, soft handle | Patchwork quilts, throws, bag linings, general craft projects |
| 230 to 270 GSM | High loft, plush | Cosy quilts, upholstery padding, statement cushions |
| 270 GSM and above | Very high loft, thick | Winter throws, structured bags, deep-pile soft furnishings |
If you are quilting by machine, a mid weight wadding around 150 to 230 GSM is usually the easiest to work with because it feeds through the machine smoothly without dragging. If you are hand quilting, a lighter or wool wadding is often preferred because the needle passes through more easily. For our own stock, the Premium Super Soft 150GSM Wadding (3 Metres) is a reliable mid weight option for general patchwork and craft work, while the Premium Super Soft 230GSM Wadding (3 Metres) steps up the loft for cosier quilts and cushions. For projects that need real depth and structure, the Premium High Loft 270GSM Wadding / Batting is our thickest standard roll and gives a distinctly plush, sculptural finish.
Wadding for Quilting: Getting the Best Results
Quilting is probably the most demanding use of wadding, because the wadding is on show. It affects the drape of the finished quilt, the texture around the stitching lines, the warmth and how the quilt behaves through years of washing. A few practical points to bear in mind when choosing wadding for a quilt: Loft and drape go together. A high loft wadding creates dramatic shadowing around your quilting lines, which looks fantastic on a statement throw but can feel too heavy for a bed quilt you actually sleep under. A lower loft wadding gives a flatter, more classic look and drapes better over a mattress. Needle punch density affects how easy the wadding is to hand or machine quilt. Denser waddings hold their shape well but can be harder to needle through by hand. Bearding, where fibres migrate through the fabric weave over time, is more common with certain polyester waddings. Good quality needle punched or bonded waddings, like the ones we stock, are designed to minimise this. Shrinkage should always be factored in. If you are combining cotton wadding with cotton fabric, both may shrink slightly on the first wash, which is part of the charm of a traditional quilt but should be expected rather than a surprise. If you want step by step guidance on basting your layers together, machine or hand quilting technique, and the specific pitfalls that catch most beginners out, our dedicated guide on how to use wadding the right way covers this in far more depth than we have room for here. For quilters working on multiple projects or teaching classes, buying wadding by the bundle rather than a single length makes far more financial sense. Our 15 Metre Wadding Batting Fabric Bundle with 4 Varieties is particularly useful here, because it gives you a chance to compare different weights and finishes side by side before committing to one for a large project. If you already know quilting is a regular hobby rather than a one off, it is also worth browsing our wider Quilting Fabrics collection to coordinate your top fabric with your wadding purchase in a single order.
Wadding for Bag Making and Structured Projects
Bag makers rely on wadding for a completely different reason than quilters. Here the goal is not necessarily warmth or drape, but structure, padding and a professional, boutique finish. A padded bag holds its shape on a shelf, protects the contents inside and simply feels better made. For bag projects you generally want a wadding that is firm enough to hold shape but not so thick that it becomes bulky at the seams. Foam stabilisers are sometimes used for very structured bags, but a good quality wadding, particularly a needle punched or fusible variety, works well for the vast majority of tote bags, cross body bags, wash bags and quilted handbag panels. We stock several products specifically packaged with bag makers in mind. The 2 Metre Bag Wadding / Batting Bundle and the 2 Metre Bag Wadding Bundle are both sized for exactly this purpose, giving you enough wadding to complete several bags without buying an entire roll. If you specifically need a black wadding to avoid shadowing through darker or sheer bag linings, our 2 Metres Black Bag Wadding is designed for that job. For those who prefer a fusible option that bonds directly to fabric without pinning or basting, the Iron-On Fusible Fleece (Wadding) 90cm Wide in White is a genuine time saver. Simply press it onto the wrong side of your bag panels with a hot iron and it bonds instantly, holding its position while you sew, which is especially useful for smaller bag pieces where pinning wadding in place is fiddly.
Wadding for Upholstery, Cushions and Soft Furnishings
Upholstery and soft furnishing projects tend to need denser, higher loft wadding to build up padding around frames, corners and edges. This is where our high loft products come into their own, and where practical considerations start to include fire safety. If you are making or reupholstering domestic furniture for sale, whether that is cushions, headboards, footstools or seating, it is worth being aware that the filling materials used in upholstered furniture supplied in the UK are governed by the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations. These regulations set ignition resistance requirements for filling materials used in items intended for sale, and anyone supplying upholstered furniture commercially should check current compliance requirements before choosing a filling. For personal, non commercial projects such as your own home cushions or a one off headboard for yourself, these regulations do not apply in the same way, but it is still useful background knowledge if your sewing hobby ever turns into selling finished pieces. For cushion inners, seat pads and general upholstery padding, our Premium High Loft 270GSM Wadding gives the volume needed to build up a proper plump cushion, while for lighter padding under fabric covers, the mid weight 150 or 230 GSM options work well layered up to the thickness you need.
Wadding for Toy Stuffing and Craft Filling
Not all wadding comes in flat sheets. For soft toys, amigurumi, draught excluders and plush craft projects, you often want a loose, fluffy fibre filling rather than a bonded sheet. This is sometimes called toy stuffing or filler fibre, and it behaves quite differently to sheet wadding because it is designed to be pulled apart and packed into a shape by hand. Our Soft Stuffing for Toys, Cushions and Crafts is a 100 percent polyester filling made exactly for this purpose. It is hypoallergenic, washable and holds its loft even after repeated handling, which matters if the finished toy is going to end up in the hands of a child. If you need a mix of both sheet wadding and loose filling for a larger project, or you run workshops and want a stock of both, the Ultimate Wadding, Stuffing & Interfacing Bundle covers all three categories in one purchase.
Buying Wadding in Bulk: Rolls, Bundles and Scrap Bags
One of the most common questions we get from customers is whether it makes sense to buy a large roll or a mixed bundle. The honest answer depends entirely on what you are making. If you have a single, specific project in mind with known dimensions, buying wadding by the metre in the exact GSM you need is the most efficient option, and it means you are not left with awkward leftover pieces that do not match anything else in your stash. If you sew regularly, teach classes, run a small craft business, or simply enjoy having options on hand, a bulk bundle offers far better value per metre and gives you flexibility for whatever project comes up next. Our range includes several bundle sizes to suit different levels of use: The 10 Metre Super Soft Wadding Bundle is a solid mid size option for hobbyists working through several projects a year. The 20 Metre Super Soft Wadding Bundle suits more prolific sewists or small businesses that get through wadding regularly. The 8 Metres Supreme Variety Wadding Fabric Bundle is ideal if you want to try several different weights and finishes without buying full rolls of each. For anyone who is not fussy about exact dimensions and simply wants affordable filling and padding material, our scrap and remnant bags represent genuinely excellent value. The Wadding Scraps Bundle (Approx. 9 Metres), the 3KG Wadding Scraps Bag and the Mixed Wadding Remnant Bundle are all popular with patchworkers, toy makers and craft groups who use offcuts for small projects, sample making or stuffing rather than one continuous length. Seasonal and recap bundles are also worth watching for, since they combine wadding with other complementary materials at a discount. The Wadding, Stuffing & Filler Fabric Bundle (2025 Recap) and the Winter Recap Fabric Bundle with Wool, Fleece, Wadding and Thread are good examples of this, pulling together a season of leftover stock into a single value bundle. If you simply want to see everything available at once and compare prices across our range, our full Fabric Bundles collection is the fastest way to browse.
How to Choose the Right Wadding: A Practical Checklist
With so many options available, it helps to work through a short checklist before you buy. First, identify the job. Are you adding warmth to a quilt, structure to a bag, padding to a cushion, or filling to a toy? This immediately narrows down whether you need a sheet wadding, a fusible wadding or a loose fibre filling. Second, decide on fibre content. Polyester for budget, durability and easy washing. Cotton for natural drape and a traditional handmade look. Wool for maximum warmth and easier hand quilting. A blend if you want a balance of properties. Third, choose your GSM based on how much loft and warmth you want, using the table earlier in this guide as a starting point. When in doubt, it is usually safer to go slightly lighter than you think you need, since you can always add a second layer, whereas an overly thick wadding is much harder to correct once it is sewn in. Fourth, think about quantity realistically. If this is a one off project, buy exactly what you need by the metre. If wadding is something you will use again and again, a bundle will save you money over time and save you from running out mid project. Fifth, consider the finish. If you want a padded seam without pinning, a fusible or iron-on wadding will save considerable time. If you are hand quilting, choose a wadding with a softer needle punch that is easier to stitch through.
Caring for Wadding Once It Is Sewn In
Once wadding is enclosed inside a finished project, most of the care instructions come down to the outer fabric rather than the wadding itself, but a few points are worth knowing. Polyester wadding is generally machine washable and tumble dryable on a low heat, and it holds its loft well through repeated washes, which is why it remains the most practical choice for children's toys and everyday cushions. Cotton and wool waddings are more likely to need gentler washing, often on a wool or delicate cycle, and drying flat rather than tumble drying helps preserve their shape and prevents excessive shrinkage over time. If a finished item is dry clean only because of the outer fabric, this generally applies regardless of the wadding inside, so always check the most delicate component of the whole project rather than treating the wadding and fabric separately. For heirloom quilts intended to last for decades, avoiding harsh detergents and excessive heat during drying will help both the wadding and the surrounding fabric age gracefully rather than becoming brittle or thin.
Sustainability and Safety Considerations
Many sewists are increasingly conscious of what their wadding is actually made from, particularly for projects intended for babies, children or anyone with sensitive skin. Textiles that carry independent safety certification, such as the OEKO-TEX Standard 100 label, have been tested against a wide range of potentially harmful substances, which can offer useful reassurance when choosing filling materials for children's toys or bedding. Buying wadding in bundles or scrap bags also has a genuine sustainability benefit beyond the price saving. Remnant and offcut bundles make use of material that would otherwise go to waste, which appeals to sewists who want to reduce the environmental footprint of their hobby without compromising on quality.
Frequently Asked Questions About Wadding
What is the difference between wadding and batting?
They are the same thing. Wadding is the term more commonly used in the UK, while batting is the equivalent term used in the United States and in many quilting patterns written for an American audience. If a pattern calls for batting, you can substitute wadding of the same weight and fibre content.
How much wadding do I need for a quilt?
As a general rule, buy wadding around 10 to 15cm larger on each side than your finished quilt top, to allow for movement during quilting and for the wadding to be trimmed flush once the quilt is finished. For a standard double bed quilt, this typically means a piece in the region of 2.3 by 2.6 metres, though exact sizing depends on your chosen quilt pattern.
Can I use wadding instead of interfacing?
Generally no. Wadding is soft and adds bulk, while interfacing is designed to stiffen fabric without adding thickness. Using wadding where a pattern calls for interfacing will usually make the finished piece too bulky and lacking the crisp structure interfacing provides.
Does wadding shrink when washed?
Cotton and wool waddings can shrink slightly on their first wash, which many quilters consider part of the charm of a traditional quilt. Polyester wadding is far more stable and shrinks very little, if at all, which is why it remains popular for projects where a flat, consistent finish is important.
What weight of wadding is best for a baby quilt?
A lighter wadding, typically in the 100 to 150 GSM range, is usually best for baby quilts. It keeps the finished quilt soft, lightweight and easy for small hands to manage, while still providing enough warmth for a nursery blanket.
Can I join two pieces of wadding together?
Yes. For large projects such as king size quilts, it is common to join two lengths of wadding using a wide zigzag stitch or a specialist wadding tape to butt the edges together seamlessly. This is a normal part of quilt making rather than a shortcut, and it is invisible once the quilting is complete.
Is fusible wadding as durable as sew-in wadding?
Fusible wadding is just as durable once bonded correctly, and the fusing simply saves time during construction by holding the wadding in place without pins or basting stitches. It is particularly popular for smaller panels, bag pieces and appliqué work where precision matters.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Working With Wadding
Even experienced sewists occasionally get caught out by a handful of recurring mistakes, so it is worth running through the most common ones here. Buying too little is probably the single most frequent error. Always measure your finished project and add a generous margin, particularly for quilts, since wadding tends to shift slightly during quilting and you do not want to run short a few centimetres from the edge. Choosing a GSM based on price rather than purpose is another common trap. A lower GSM wadding is not automatically the wrong choice, and a higher GSM is not automatically better. Match the weight to the project using the guidance earlier in this article rather than simply picking whichever roll happens to be cheapest. Skipping a test square before starting a large project can also cause problems. If you are trying a new wadding for the first time, particularly a new brand or a new fibre blend, stitch a small test square first to see how it behaves under your machine tension and needle, and to check how much it shrinks if you plan to wash the finished piece. Ignoring grain and direction on directional waddings, though rare, can occasionally cause uneven loft across a large quilt. Most standard waddings are non-directional, but it is worth checking the product description if you are working with a specialist product. Finally, storing wadding folded for long periods can leave permanent crease lines, particularly in higher loft products. Where possible, store wadding rolled rather than folded, and give it time to relax and loft back up before cutting into a project if it has been compressed in packaging.
Final Thoughts
Wadding might sit hidden inside the finished project, but it does more work than almost any other material in your stash. It shapes how a quilt drapes, how a bag holds its form, how a cushion feels years after it was made, and how warm a throw actually is on a cold evening. Taking a little time to match fibre content, GSM and format to the specific project pays off every single time. Whether you need a single length for a specific quilt, a fusible fleece for a batch of bags, or a bulk bundle to keep your workshop stocked for months, our full Wadding UK collection has been put together to cover every weight and format a UK sewist is likely to need. For guidance on organisations and standards mentioned in this guide, the Quilters' Guild of the British Isles is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to go deeper into quilting technique and community. If you have questions about which wadding suits your specific project, our team is always happy to help before you buy, so you spend your money once and get the right result the first time. And if you want a more product-by-product walkthrough of the whole range with recommendations matched to specific projects, our no-nonsense wadding buying guide picks up where this article leaves off.
