Getting stuck in a couch that sits too low is more than an annoyance. A seat that's too close to the floor strains your knees and lower back every time you stand up, and it can make a sofa genuinely difficult to use for older adults or anyone with mobility or joint issues. The good news: you don't need to replace the sofa, and you don't always need new legs. Here are the ways to raise your seat height, from easiest to most involved.

First, Figure Out Why It's Too Low

There are two different problems that both feel like "my couch is too low," and the fix is different for each:

• The sofa was always low — it's a low-profile design, or simply built shorter than suits you. Here you want to raise the whole sofa (the legs/base) or raise the seat surface.
• The sofa has sunk over time — it used to sit higher but the base and cushions have sagged, dropping you closer to the floor. Here you want to restore the lost height by firming up the seat.

Press on the seat with the cushions removed. If the base sags, your "too low" problem is really a sagging problem — and the fix below does double duty.

Option 1: Add a Support Board Under the Cushions

If your seat has sunk over time, a couch support board is the most effective fix. It sits between the sagging base and your cushions, lifting them back to their original height and creating a firm, even surface. You get the seat height back and the firmness back in one step — which is exactly what you want if standing up had become a strain. It installs in a couple of minutes, needs no tools, and costs a fraction of a new sofa.

This is the only option on this list that raises the seat and fixes a sagging base at the same time, which is why it's the first choice for most people whose couch has gotten lower with age.

Option 2: Add a Firm Seat Cushion or Insert

If the base is still solid and you just want to sit higher, adding a firm foam insert beneath your existing cushions raises the whole seating surface. High-density foam works best here — soft foam just compresses and puts you right back where you started. This lifts the seat without touching the legs.

Option 3: Furniture Risers Under the Legs

Furniture risers (also sold as leg risers or bed risers) cradle each existing sofa leg and lift the entire piece an inch or several. They're inexpensive and widely available, and they raise the whole sofa evenly — useful when the sofa itself is fine but simply sits too low. Choose risers with a deep enough recess to hold the leg securely so nothing slips.

Option 4: Replace the Legs With Taller Ones

The most permanent option: swap the existing legs for taller ones. This works cleanly if your legs screw into the frame, and it lets you control the exact height and even update the style. It's more effort than risers, but it looks the most built-in.

Which Should You Choose?

• Couch sank over time / hard to get up from → support board (raises height and fixes the sag together)
• Base is fine, want a higher seat surface → firm foam insert
• Whole sofa is just low, want a quick lift → furniture risers
• Want a permanent, built-in look → taller replacement legs

For the single most common case — a sofa that's become low and uncomfortable to get out of because the seat has sagged — the support board solves both problems at once, which is why it's usually the best place to start.

Note: if getting up from seated is consistently difficult or painful, it's worth checking in with a doctor or physiotherapist as well — the right seat height helps, but persistent pain deserves a proper look.

Shop the Couch Cushion Support Board — raises your seat height and firms up a sagging seat in about two minutes, no tools. Free shipping on all orders.