“THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT FOAM”

 

Never purchase foam without knowing the Density and Fatigue Class, these are the only facts that tell you whether the foam is good enough for the job.

 

 

HARDNESS (N) or SOFTNESS is not related to density, it is a measure of how much force is needed to depress the foam. The manufacturers vary the softness by changing the mix of chemicals in the foam. As examples, memory foam has a high density but it is extremely soft, standard packing foam for camera cases etc. is low density and hard.

 

DENSITY (kg/cu.m)    Is not related to hardness or softness. It is an indication of the durability of the foam. The higher the density the more use it can handle. It is a measure of how much substance as opposed to air is in the foam.

  

FATIGUE.  This classification is based on British Standard BS3379 and is obtained by pounding sample pieces of foam under test and measuring the loss of hardness and thickness.

 

Fatigue Class	Type of Class	Recommended Application (these are the minimum, use the highest that you can afford)
X	Extremely Severe	High usage in contract and quality domestic seating.
V	Very Severe	Contract and domestic seating.
S	Severe	Basic domestic seating. Contract furniture backs and armrests. Foam mattress cores. (Note: we do not stock these grades)
A	Average	Domestic back cushions. Scatter cushions. Headboards.

 

“REFLEX” foams.

 

Prior to the introduction of the ‘Furniture and Furnishing (Fire Safety) Regulations 1988’ upholstery foams had been developed solely for comfort.

In order to meet the regulations Melamine¹ was added to most foams and they were coded as CM (Combustion Modified) or CMHR (Combustion Modified High Resilient). These foams were not comfortable when used for seat cushions in comparison to what had been available.

 

British Vita, the largest producer of foam blocks in Europe, found a method of meeting the regulations without using Melamine and the REFLEX² range of foams was launched. REFLEX foams have not only returned the comfort factor, they are more durable and consistent.

 

The range of REFLEX foams available is also one of the widest, with densities from 18 right up to 65 kg/m³ and hard and soft available at each density level.

 

¹               Melamine is an organic compound that is often combined with formaldehyde to produce melamine resin, a synthetic polymer which is fire resistant and heat tolerant.  Uses for melamine include whiteboards, floor tiles, kitchenware, fire retardant fabrics, and commercial filters.      Source ‘wisegeek.com’                       Melamine is reported to have an oral LD₅₀ (Lethal Dose 50%) of 3248 mg/kg based on rat data. It is also an irritant when inhaled or in contact with the skin or eyes.         Source ‘Wikipedia.org’

 

²               “REFLEX” is the registered trade mark of British Vita.

 

FOAM STOCKED BY CUFOAM

 

FOAM	DENSITY	HARDNESS	FATIGUE
Sorted by Density
RECON 6LB	96	Estimate 220	Estimate X
REFLEX 650S	65-68	155-190	X
REFLEX 500	50-52	120-155	X
CMHR50	48-52	195-235	V
REFLEX 400X	40-42	155-190	V
REFLEX 400	40-42	90-120	V
KCME38	37-42	145-190	V
V38	38-40	170-210	V
V21	18-22	86-110	A
REFLEX 18/50	16-18	30-50	A
Sorted by Hardness
CMHR50	48-52	195-235	V
RECON 6LB	96	Estimate 220	Estimate X
V38	38-40	170-210	V
KCME38	37-42	145-190	V
REFLEX 650S	65-68	155-190	X
REFLEX 400X	40-42	155-190	V
REFLEX 500	50-52	120-155	X
REFLEX 400	40-42	90-120	V
V21	18-22	86-110	A
REFLEX 18/50	16-18	30-50	A

 

RECOMMENDED USES

 

FOAM	USE
REFLEX 650S	Seat cushions from 3" to 5". (Firm at 5"). Window seats at 3". Expensive but the best.
REFLEX 500	Best seller for seat cushions 5" to 6". (Firm at 6"). Luxury option for caravans at 4½" to 5".
REFLEX 400	Seat cushions 6" and over, (Firm at 7"). Back foam for fixed upholstery, pub/fixed seating and back cushions at 2" to 4".
REFLEX 400X	Seat cushions 3" to 5" (Very firm at 5"). Ideal for boats, caravans and motorhomes. Window seats at 2½".
REFLEX 18/50	Back cushions, thickness 4" and over. Scatter cushions, plump free, any size, fabricated by CUFOAM.
CMHR50H	A hard CM foam primarily used as the 2" to 3" core to a thicker fabricated cushion. REFLEX 500 being glued top and bottom to give firm but quality 4" to 6" finished cushion.   Also used at 2" for church pews.
KCME38 and V38	A CM foam, general padding at 1”, dining chairs/pads and window seats at 1½" to 3".
V21	A CM foam only good for headboards.
Recon 6lb	Church Kneelers and as heavy duty contract seating with the V38 as a topper for  pews, pubs, restaurant chairs etc.
FABRICATED CMHR50H with REFLEX 500	2" CMHR50 core with 1½" REFLEX500 either side gives a firm reversible cushion with soft top. You can mix the foam and thicknesses to achieve any level of firmness.

 

 

 

The ideal process is to identify the foams that meet your usage and the softness/hardness that you prefer. Enter the measurements in to the Shopping Pages and choose the highest density that you can afford.   Remember, higher density means better quality