The popular Bend chair and sofa from Emblem

The popular Bend chair and sofa from Emblem

People outside the industry may not think much about foam, though it is found in everything from footwear and large appliances to cars and mattresses.

The furniture industry gobbles it up – one third of all polyurethane foam worldwide goes into cushioning, according to Susan Inglis of the Sustainable Furnishings Council. Many U.S. manufacturers source their foam locally.

The type of foam used in upholstered furniture depends on the desired feel, the application and, of course, the cost. There are a few measurements that can help product development teams pinpoint the right foam (see sidebar on foam density).

Based in Las Vegas and manufacturing in Los Angeles, Emblem is a build-to-order furniture company that sources foam in the region. As the bulk of its business is commercial, it needs its furniture to be long-lasting, says co-founder Lindsay Braun, so it uses foam that has a density rating of 2.0-2.6 pounds.

Braun encourages designers to ask furniture manufacturers for the specific density rating of the foam they use because sometimes the term ‘high density’ – which she characterizes as over 2.0 lbs. – is loosely used. However, firmness is “so subjective to individual comfort,” she says.

Foam at Zuo’s factory in Mexico.

Sourcing its foam near its factory in Mexico, Zuo Modern, which manufactures more promotional goods, typically uses foam rated at 1.6 pounds, says Luis Ruesga, CEO, though it will accommodate requests for higher density foam.

How foam is made can complicate matters, however. Some foams have added fillers, for example, so density is not always the best indicator of foam quality, according to Dax Allen, vice president, marketing, at Sherrill Furniture Company. He thinks of quality as having two aspects: Being made with quality materials and maintaining its characteristic performance (firmness or softness), and shape over time and with repeated use. Low-quality fillers negatively impact both.

The textile used on the cushion also makes a difference in how the sit feels, says Madeline Brown, senior marketing manager, Sherrill. A cushion upholstered in linen will feel differently than leather, she says. “One of misconceptions in the industry is that all cores and foams and density are the same regardless of what textile is on it, and that’s not true.”

Foam is full of small air pockets, says Braun. “If a textile doesn’t breathe, then the foam can’t breathe either.” Tightly woven or water impermeable textiles need to vent; otherwise, “the cushion will balloon, creating a very awkward sit.”

While foam has many benefits, there are drawbacks. Foam is a petroleum-based product and, “like other petroleum products, it is very polluting to extract the petroleum and to make the product out of it,” says Inglis of the SFC. However, “polyurethane foam is what we’ve gotten used to, so it performs exactly how we want it to.” Jonsara Ruth of the Healthy Materials Lab at Parsons School of Design points to other concerns, such as off gassing, which can lead to health problems.

Some companies are exploring foam alternatives when possible. Bio-hybrid foams, for example, reduce the amount of petroleum in the product by using a portion of plant-based material, most often soy, Inglis adds. However, “it’s still the same sort of material.”

Latex is another alternative. It comes from the rubber wood tree and is less polluting, Inglis says.

But latex ups the cost for upholstery furniture significantly. “We offer it to people who are looking for green alternatives but since we’ve started this company [in 2019] we haven’t had anyone take us up on it,” says Braun.

“Foam is an area where we need continuing innovation,” notes Inglis. One such innovation includes Covestro’s cardyon technology, which allows manufacturers to create flexible polyurethane foams with a sustainable polyol made with up to 20% carbon dioxide, says Gayatri Keskar, vice president of research, Material Connexion. While it’s already in use in mattresses, it can be used for upholstered furniture as well.

“New alternatives will be more expensive in the initial stages,” adds Keskar, but eventually the costs will come down. Some companies have begun using 3-D printing, creating foam sheets that have different densities within them to reduce consumption.

“It’s a complicated issue,” Braun says. “It would be great if there was a sustainable solution that was affordable and durable and could be produced quickly but we don’t quite have that yet.” ◆

Foam density is measured by its mass-per-unit volume. Flexible foams can range from 0.5 per cubic foot to 8.0 pcf, says the Polyurethane Foam Association; generally, the higher density the foam, the more long-lasting it should be. For furniture seat cushions, the density typically ranges between 1.0 to almost 2.0 pcf, according to the PFA.

The IFD (Indention Force Deflection) measures foam’s firmness and is independent of foam density.

This article first appeared in the January/February 2022 issue of Designers Today.

Andrea is passionate about home design, and has covered the home furnishings industry for most of her journalism career. She is the Executive Editor, Design, of Designers Today; in addition, she also serves as the Managing Editor of HFN and Lighting Editor for Home Accents Today. Andrea lives in beautiful Brooklyn, where she could very well be the only person without a tattoo.

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