Flexible Polyurethane Foam Applications
Residential Furniture
Upholstered furniture is one of the largest markets for flexible polyurethane foam (FPF). Foam is used in seat cushions, arms, backs, leg rests, and other upholstery components.
Top: The versatility of flexible polyurethane foam means it can be fabricated or molded into a variety of shapes for upholstery. Foam provides the support, comfort, and durability needed to keep furniture beautiful and comfortable for years.. Left: A cutaway chair, illustrating how foam is used in upholstery construction. Foam seat cushions and armrests are frequently wrapped with polyester or cotton batting to maximize surface softness.
Flexible polyurethane foam has been a key upholstered furniture component since the 1950s. Over the years, new technologies made furniture foams better.
As it first became commercially available in the 1950s, flexible polyurethane foam quickly made its way into furniture construction, replacing more costly latex foams and cushions made with springs and fiber. FPF was easy to fabricate into custom shapes, which gave manufacturers more design flexibility. And it could be specified to provide both surface softness and deep down support.
Foam could be used in combination with fiber to give cushions a luxurious surface feel and lasting comfort.
Over the years, new foam chemistries further improved FPF options in home furnishings. High Resilience (HR) foams provided greater support and durability, providing cushion “feels” similar to more expensive spring constructions. The ability to mold foam into custom shapes provided for the streamlined geometries and ergonomics popular in office seating.
Benefits of FPF In Furniture Applications
Support
Flexible polyurethane foam provides deep down support even in thin profiles. This prevents “bottoming out” against the furniture decking, and prevents the seated person from developing uncomfortable pressure points. So the furniture can provide long lasting comfort.
Comfort: Softness And Firmness
FPF can be chemically engineered to be firm, soft, or something in between, giving furniture designers great flexibility in seating design. For consumers, this means that seating can be engineered to provide deep down support and a luxurious “hand,” or surface feel.
Durability
Flexible polyurethane foam in upholstered furniture can last for years when properly specified, allowing manufacturers to offer attractive warranties and provide customers with lasting value.
Value
Flexible polyurethane foam is cost effective, and different foam grades can be used to build upholstered furniture at a wide range of price points, offering the comfort of foam to a wide spectrum of furniture buyers.
Sales Appeal
It’s easy for manufacturers and retailers to demonstrate how foam contributes to comfort and style, since consumers are familar with FPF in their lives in mattresses, automobiles, and many other applications.
Versatility
Flexible polyurethane foam can be cut, molded, or combined with other material such as fiber to create a wide variety of shapes and comfort levels, This gives furniture manufacturers design freedom, with the knowledge that they don’t have to compromise on comfort.
Care: Hygienic
Foam does not support the growth of bacteria or mold, an advantage in furniture constructions. Anti-microbial additives can be used in applications (such as health care settings) where extra precautions are warranted.
Recyclability
FPF can be readily recycled into carpet cushion and other products. In the U.S., virtually all scrap foam from manufacturing is recycled. While recycling old furniture poses significant challenges, this is being researched by both the furniture and foam industries.
An upholstery seat cushion, with a core layer of high density foam for support, top and bottom layers of softer foam, wrapped with polyester fiber.
Foam’s versatility makes it possible to provide comfort in a wide spectrum of designs.
While foam is extremely versatile and can be formulated to have many different physical properties, most foam grades look pretty much alike. Because of this, the differences in foam performance may not be immediately visible. In addition, some foam properties, like firmness, can be engineered independently of others. In the late 70s and early 80s, this led to confusion about specifying foam for furniture applications, and ultimately, to some quality issues.
Research commissioned by chemical suppliers to the industry determined that foam density, or the weight of the foam (measured as pounds per cubic foot, or PCF) had declined significantly in seat cushions. With less material to form the foam’s cellular structure, the lower density cushions would tend to break down more quickly, undermining support, durability, and aesthetics.
The foam, furniture and furniture supply industries formed a joint industry committee to recommend tests to address such performance issues. The committee’s report, Flexible Polyurethane Foam Voluntary Test Standards And Performance Guidelines, has helped foam suppliers and end-users better understand the uses and limitations of laboratory tests on flexible polyurethane foam. The report focused on four key foam properties, including firmness, strength, flex fatigue, and density. The report noted:
“Years of experience, supported by considerable test data, have given strong indications that polyurethane foams with polymer densities of 1.8 PCF or higher perform better in seating applications than foams with lower polymer density.”
Many furniture manufacturers and retailers now encourage consumers to purchase furniture with seat foam density of 1.8 PCF and higher.
A National Flammability Standard for Furniture
A Look
In 1980, the Polyurethane Foam Association was formed to address the issue of flammability with foam used in upholstered furniture. The most common cause of furniture fires is ignition from smoldering cigarettes. Several organizations, including the Consumer Products Safety Commission, began working on establishing a flammability standard in the late 70s, and PFA was created to give the flexible polyurethane foam industry a voice in this process.
CPSC deliberated for several decades, issuing several draft proposals for a flammability regulation for upholstered furniture. In the meantime, the furniture industry created a voluntary standard that focused specifically on preventing fires from smoldering cigarettes. This standard was promoted through an organization called the Upholstered Furniture Action Council, and for years, new furniture often came with a shiny gold tag that told consumers their new furniture met the standards. The UFAC standard eventually became the basis for a California flammability standard, California TB 117-2013. Because of the size of the California furniture market, many furniture manufacturers have all the furniture they make comply with the California standard.
California TB 117-2013 tests a composite structure of fabric, a barrier, foam, and a base to see if it resists ignition from a smoldering cigarette. FPF used in the test is not treated with any flame resistant chemicals. If the assembly passes the test, it is approved for upholstery applications.
in 2020, Congress directed the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to adopt California TB-117-2013 as a federal flammability standard for upholstered furniture. (See 16 CFR part 1640.) As of June 25, 2021, the TB-117-2013 test methods for furniture foam, fabric, batting, barrier material, and decking must be met by furniture sold in any of the 50 states, District of Columbia, and U.S. territories.
The Future of FPF In Furniture
Future
Flexible polyurethane foam continues to be the dominant cushioning material in upholstered furniture, because of its performance, affordability, and styling flexibility. The FPF and furniture industries work closely together to help educate furniture designers, manufacturers, and consumers on the value of FPF in furniture, and how foam can be specified to provide exceptional value in furniture applications.
An Additional Steward For Quality
Additional Steward
As more formulations of FPF from more sources around the world have been used in upholstered furniture, the industry looked at ways to make sure consumers were getting quality foam in finished goods. A testing and certification process was created.
The CertiPUR-US® program was developed to provide the comfort and confidence of knowing the flexible polyurethane foam meets standards for content, emissions and durability and is analyzed by independent, accredited laboratories.
The certification process was developed by the foam industry in close collaboration with leading environmentalists, chemists, accredited laboratory research scientists, and bedding and furniture industry leaders. CertiPUR-US emissions and analysis methods are compatible with other standards such as Eco-label (EU), LGA (Germany), OekoTex 100 (Class II Furniture) EUI, Blue Angel (Netherlands), IKEA, AQS Greenlabel and BIFMA criteria.
Today, foam producers from all countries may participate in the program, as long as they meet the rigorous certification guidelines.
CertiPUR-US also provides consumers with information on how to shop for products containing FPF. Learn more at www.certipur.us.
Other Challenges & Solutions
Challenges
The FPF and furniture industries are currently engaged in looking at more ways in which foam used in furniture can be recycled.
There are commercial uses for recycled foam. In fact, one of the most successful recycling stories in North America is carpet cushion. Approximately 85-90% of the carpet cushion market is represented by bonded (or rebond) cushion products, made from FPF recycled from post industrial and post consumer foam scrap. Bonded carpet cushion diverts more than 1 BILLION pounds of scrap FPF from landfills annually. Learn more
Related Resources
Related
Video: How Foam Is Made
Learn more about flexible polyurethane foam is made and how it is used in furniture, bedding, automobiles, carpet cushion and other uses.
CertiPUR-US
Learn how the foam industry protects consumers with testing to ensure quality.
American Home Furnishings Alliance (AHFA)
The trade association of the American furniture industry.
Upholstered Furniture Action Council (UFAC)
The Originally an organization that educated consumers on the furniture industry’s voluntary flammability standard, UFAC is now aligned with helping manufacturers comply with CertiPUR-US testing.
Flexible Polyurethane Foam: A Primer
How FPF is made, specified and used in different applications.
Technical: Foam Density
A deeper explanation of the importance of foam density.
Technical: Foam, Fiber, and Springs
How flexible polyurethane foam, springs, and fiber work in conjunction with each other.
Technical: Foam In Furniture Design
The numerous factors that affect foam in furniture applications.