Factors to Consider When Purchasing Foam

Written by the Foam Factory

Support: The most important factor when purchasing replacement foam is how well it supports your body weight when you sit or lay down on it. After all, you want your cushions to provide as much cushioning as possible. Several factors will determine how much support your foam will provide and how comfortable it will be to sit on:

 

  • Density is one of the most common terms used in foam specifications. It essentially details how much — or little — air exists in the foam. As a general rule, higher quality foams have a higher density and are ideal for high use cushions such as RV cushions. However, you will want to be careful about foams that are loaded with additives to make it heavier and appear to be denser than it really is.
  • Softness is primarily determined by the foam’s Indentation Force Deflection (IFD). This is found by testing the foam by having a square piece squished under a large circular plate. The IFD is the amount of pressure in pounds that it takes to compress the foam’s height by 25 percent. A lower IFD number means a softer piece of foam.
  • The thickness of the foam will also play a role in determining how much support it provides. As a rule, foam that is thinner than three inches will be softer than its rating while foam that is thicker than six inches will he harder.

 

Comfort: Much like Goldilocks, you want to find a seat cushion foam that is not too hard and yet not too soft. While softness is typically desirable in foam, having a cushion that is too soft will not provide support and can hurt your back. You can wrap a custom cushion foam in a fiberfill wrap to increase the support without sacrificing comfort.

 

Durability: When purchasing cushions for important items such as a camper cushions, you want to know that the foam will last for years to come. Buying a high density foam to use with the cushion is your best bet to ensure that the cushion will last.

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The Foam Factory has been selling replacement foam for home uses for more than 30 years. Visit TheFoamFactory.com to see all of the different types of foams they have for sale.