FAQs - Foam
FOAM TYPES AND USES:
You will be an expert on foam in the next 4 minutes. All foams can be described by 3 characteristics; weight, firmness, and cell structure.
1. WEIGHT (OR DENSITY):
lets you know how long the foam will last before it breaks down (takes a set). In general, the heavier the foam, the longer it will last. The density has nothing to do with the firmness. You can have a dense foam that's super soft and will always feel the same for decades. On the other hand, you can have very firm foam that will break down after a year or less. Foam weight is measured in pounds per cubic foot.
If you can imagine a square box 12" long and 12" wide and 12" high, that is a cubic foot. Imagine further that you can connect a hose that squirts foam to that box. Fill the box with 1 lb of foam and now you have "1 lb foam". If you fill it with 1.8 lbs of foam, you have, guess what 1.8lb foam. Fill it with 3 lbs of foam and i think you already know…a 3 lb foam!
One thing to be careful of is that some companies will put a filler (powder) in the foam to make it appear heavier in the beginning, but it will break down quickly. We've also seen foam with styrofoam pellets mixed in the center with nice looking foam on the outside. All our foam is 100% as described and guaranteed to perform as indicated.
2. FIRMNESS (ILD OR IFD):
There is a numerical system to rate foam's firmness. The lower the number the softer it is. The higher the number, the firmer it is. Our foams range from super soft (10) to super firm (90). These numbers are technically referred to as the ILD (indentation load deflection) or more recently the IFD (indentation force deflection). Basically, they find out how much weight (load or force) needs to be put on a sample of the foam to see how far it compressess.
3. CELL STRUCTURE:
There are 2 major types of cell structure, conventional and High-Reselience (HR). A simplified way to envision them is to think of 2 balls touching only at one point. This is like conventional cell structure. Now, think of the balls overlapping each other. You can see that they are connected at several points. This is like high resilience structure. As foam compresses and expands back to its original shape, the connection point weakens and breaks. In conventional foams, only the one point has to break for the foam to break down. Hr foams have many interlocking connections between the cells. This hr technology is what allows this foam to retain its original feel over time while conventional foams will break down much quicker.
If you have any technical questions regarding foam, please feel free to email us: customerservice@a1foamandfabrics.com
CHOOSING YOUR FOAM
Now that you are an expert on foam, let us explain to you the different types of foams that we have so you can select one to meet your needs. Choosing your foam centers on 3 questions.
If your use doesn't require daily use, you can use a less dense customerservice@a1foamandfabrics.com
Another FAQ is "how thick does it need to be?" remember, the whole point of foam cushioning is that you don't want to hit bottom when you sit on it. A sofa cushion is generally 4"-6" thick of a medium firmness. A breakfast nook chair pad is limited to 1" to 2", so it should be a firm and HR type foam.
How firm (or soft) would I like it to be? Is simply a matter of you get the best one. A better way is for us to send you 10"x10" samples. Whatever you pay for samples is fully applicable to any future order.
You will be an expert on foam in the next 4 minutes. All foams can be described by 3 characteristics; weight, firmness, and cell structure.
1. WEIGHT (OR DENSITY):
lets you know how long the foam will last before it breaks down (takes a set). In general, the heavier the foam, the longer it will last. The density has nothing to do with the firmness. You can have a dense foam that's super soft and will always feel the same for decades. On the other hand, you can have very firm foam that will break down after a year or less. Foam weight is measured in pounds per cubic foot.
If you can imagine a square box 12" long and 12" wide and 12" high, that is a cubic foot. Imagine further that you can connect a hose that squirts foam to that box. Fill the box with 1 lb of foam and now you have "1 lb foam". If you fill it with 1.8 lbs of foam, you have, guess what 1.8lb foam. Fill it with 3 lbs of foam and i think you already know…a 3 lb foam!
One thing to be careful of is that some companies will put a filler (powder) in the foam to make it appear heavier in the beginning, but it will break down quickly. We've also seen foam with styrofoam pellets mixed in the center with nice looking foam on the outside. All our foam is 100% as described and guaranteed to perform as indicated.
2. FIRMNESS (ILD OR IFD):
There is a numerical system to rate foam's firmness. The lower the number the softer it is. The higher the number, the firmer it is. Our foams range from super soft (10) to super firm (90). These numbers are technically referred to as the ILD (indentation load deflection) or more recently the IFD (indentation force deflection). Basically, they find out how much weight (load or force) needs to be put on a sample of the foam to see how far it compressess.
3. CELL STRUCTURE:
There are 2 major types of cell structure, conventional and High-Reselience (HR). A simplified way to envision them is to think of 2 balls touching only at one point. This is like conventional cell structure. Now, think of the balls overlapping each other. You can see that they are connected at several points. This is like high resilience structure. As foam compresses and expands back to its original shape, the connection point weakens and breaks. In conventional foams, only the one point has to break for the foam to break down. Hr foams have many interlocking connections between the cells. This hr technology is what allows this foam to retain its original feel over time while conventional foams will break down much quicker.
If you have any technical questions regarding foam, please feel free to email us: customerservice@a1foamandfabrics.com
CHOOSING YOUR FOAM
Now that you are an expert on foam, let us explain to you the different types of foams that we have so you can select one to meet your needs. Choosing your foam centers on 3 questions.
• How long do you want the foam to last?
• How thick does it need to be?
• How firm (or soft) would i like it to be?
The first thing you need to ask yourself is, "How long do I want the foam to last before is starts taking a set and breaking down?" a good point of reference is if you were to use these foams as a seat cushion in your family room, or as your mattress in your home where it will get several hours of use per day. In this case, the pm will last about 1 year before it starts breaking down. The Everlon series will last about 6-8 years. The HRs and Qs come with a lifetime warranty* and will always feel the same. The remaining foams are specialty foams and we'll get to those later. The best foams we have are the hr3s. They have both the best cell structure and are heaviest. Please use the chart below for our most popular foamsIf your use doesn't require daily use, you can use a less dense customerservice@a1foamandfabrics.com
Another FAQ is "how thick does it need to be?" remember, the whole point of foam cushioning is that you don't want to hit bottom when you sit on it. A sofa cushion is generally 4"-6" thick of a medium firmness. A breakfast nook chair pad is limited to 1" to 2", so it should be a firm and HR type foam.
How firm (or soft) would I like it to be? Is simply a matter of you get the best one. A better way is for us to send you 10"x10" samples. Whatever you pay for samples is fully applicable to any future order.
| Type | Name | Approx Density | Approx Firmness | Typical Uses |
| PM | Polyfoam Medium | 1.0 | 38 | Cushions, Bolsters, Mattresses, Window Seats |
| ES | Everlon Soft | 1.8 | 18 | Cushions, Mattresses, Seat Backs |
| EM28 | Everlon Medium Soft | 1.8 | 28 | Cushions, Mattresses, Seat Backs |
| EM | Everlon Medium | 1.8 | 36 | Cushions, Bolsters, Mattresses |
| EF | Everlon Firm | 1.8 | 55 | Boat Cushions, Restaurant Booths, Bar Stools |
| ED | Everlon Dense | 2.0 | 40 | Cushions, Bar Stools |
| ED90 | Everlon Dense Extra Firm | 2.0 | 90 | Thin Cushions, Medical Exam Tables and Cushions |
| Q21 | Quaalux Soft | 2.3 | 21 | Cushions, Mattresses, Breakfast Nook, Restaurant and Hotel Applications |
| Q31 | Quaalux Medium | 2.5 | 31 | Cushions, Bolsters, Mattresses, Seatbacks, Restaurant and Hotel Applications |
| Q41 | Quaalux Firm | 2.8 | 41 | Cushions, Mattresses, Breakfast Nook, Seat Backs, Restaurant and Hotel Applications |
| Q61 | Quaalux Extra Firm | 3.0 | 61 | Cushions, Breakfast Nook, Restaurant and Hotel Applications |
| Q11 | Quaalux Super Soft | 1.8 | 11 | Seat Backs, Replacement for Dacron Wrap, Restaurant and Hotel Applications |
| HR21 | High Resilience Soft | 2.5 | 21 | Cushions, Mattresses, Restaurant and Hotel Applications |
| HR31 | High Resilience Medium | 2.5 | 31 | Cushions, Mattresses, Restaurant and Hotel Applications |
| HR41 | High Resilience Firm | 2.5 | 41 | Cushions, Mattresses, Restaurant and Hotel Applications |
| HR50 | High Resilience Extra Firm | 2.5 | 50 | Boat Cushions, Mattresses, Breakfast Nook, Restaurant and Hotel Applications |
| HR70 | High Resilience Super Firm | 2.7 | 70 | Cushions, Restaurant and Hotel Applications |
| HR323 | High Resilience 3lb Soft | 3.0+ | 23 | Cushions, Mattresses, Restaurant and Hotel Applications |
| HR334 | High Resilience 3lb Medium | 3.0+ | 34 | Cushions, Mattresses, Restaurant and Hotel Applications |
| HR344 | High Resileince 3lb Firm | 3.0+ | 44 | Cushions, Mattreses, Breakfast Nook, Restaurant and Hotel Applications |
| CHAR | Charcoal | 1.7 | 65 | Camera and Gun Cases, Boat Cushions, Packaging |
| CHAREX | Charcoal Everlon Extra Firm | 1.8 | 90 | Camera and Gun Cases, Boat Cushions, Packaging |
| DF33 | Dry Fast Medium | N/A | 33 | Outdoor Furniture, Filtration |
| VM | Viscoelastic Medium | 2.5 | 10 | Temperpedic Style, Cushions, Mattresses, Toppers |
| VF | Viscoelastic Medium Firm | 3.5 | 15 | Temperpedic Style, Cushions, Mattresses, Toppers |
| V5015 | Viscoelastic Medium Firm | 5.0 | 15 | N/A |
SPECIALTY FOAMS:
1. Char and Charex: these are if you like a charcoal color with a firm foam. White foams will turn yellow after exposure to air. This has no effect on the foam other than appearance.
Dry fast: this foam has large cells allowing water to percolate through it. Dry fast does not retain water like other foam and this allows it to “dry fast”. The downside is it will not hold up like the other foams.
Viscoelastic: also known as “Memory Foam”, “Nasa Foam”, etc. This is the type of foam Temperpedic uses. Our Visco foams are lighter, but should last about the same. To the best of our knowledge, this foam will only last about as long as the everlon series and its cost is substancially more. You will probably be better of getting Q11, or a layer of Q11 over a firmer foam like Q21.
1. Char and Charex: these are if you like a charcoal color with a firm foam. White foams will turn yellow after exposure to air. This has no effect on the foam other than appearance.
Dry fast: this foam has large cells allowing water to percolate through it. Dry fast does not retain water like other foam and this allows it to “dry fast”. The downside is it will not hold up like the other foams.
Viscoelastic: also known as “Memory Foam”, “Nasa Foam”, etc. This is the type of foam Temperpedic uses. Our Visco foams are lighter, but should last about the same. To the best of our knowledge, this foam will only last about as long as the everlon series and its cost is substancially more. You will probably be better of getting Q11, or a layer of Q11 over a firmer foam like Q21.