High Density Foam

[weephee]

Hello. I am looking to replace all the cushions in my boat. I'm thinking of using 4 inch thick high density foam but I can't believe the price of the stuff. Anyone out there know of a reasonably priced source for this product. I've looked on line but the prices all seem to be about the same. Thanks

[Ocean Girl]

Not sure what prices you've seen but I've used foam factory.com for years. Very happy, redone two boats. Free shipping.
I just finished Rain Dogs main salon and layered different densities to come up with a sweet seat😄. Anyways, foam, 3/4 batting, 3m 77 glue cost under $400

[David M]

That's a nice cheerful color as well.

[denverd0n]

I've used foamorder.com in the past. Quality stuff, good service, very fair prices.

[oldragbaggers]

+1 for the Foam Factory. I have used them a number of times, their prices are great, the shipping is free and I have never been disappointed. You can replace your cushions three times for what you'd pay once for Sailrite foam. (Although I always use Sailrite for my Sunbrella.)

[Stumble]

If you are trying to get it on island good luck. If I remember right the import duty to Jamaica is ~150%. We wound up shipping some down in a container with the boat and they assumed it was packing foam.

[rwidman]

If the prices are all about the same, than that's what the stuff is worth. If you find someone selling a similar product for significantly less, you can be sure its lower quality. For all the work you (or a shop) will be putting into this project, it's foolish to use any but the best materials.

[model 10]

They say, good foam is some sort of an oil product and the more dense the more oil. They also said, the cost of foam is high because of the price of oil is so high. Now that the price of oil is going back down I'm sure the cost of foam will go down too.

[hellosailor]

Reputation is everything with foam! There's a lot of junk on the market that will burn up (chemically) and turn into crumbling dust in five years, and there's no way to recognize it or tell it just by looking.

[zeehag]

most foam used in boats and cushionry is latex, natural product, as a sap from trees.
not petroleum.
it is also highly allergenic.
it disintigrates into dust easily.
it would be preferable to use a petroleum product as the resulting foam would be non allergenic and woud stand up in tropics better. latex does not have good life in hot climates or sunshine.

[oldragbaggers]

Originally Posted by rwidman

If the prices are all about the same, than that's what the stuff is worth. If you find someone selling a similar product for significantly less, you can be sure its lower quality. For all the work you (or a shop) will be putting into this project, it's foolish to use any but the best materials.

The work is in the cushion covers. Cutting and replacing foam is no big deal although I would bet you that what I get from Foam Factory is at least as good, if not better, than what was original to my boat and that lasted (for better or worse) for 32 years. I'm sure the builders of production boats, either then or now, aren't springing for the high end stuff either. I have been sleeping on a Foam Factory mattress in my teardrop camper for 2 seasons now and have been very happy with it.

Lux Foam HQ (high quality, not latex) mattress foam from Foam Factory has a typical life expectancy of 12-18 years. It costs $152.20 for the California King size in 4" thick (you can get a few cushions out of that). Compare to $176 for a 4" foam from Sailrite that is only 4' wide (so only half as wide and 3" shorter). I've never actually kept one boat for 12-18 years, and 18 years from now the boat I currently have will probably just be a pleasant memory as well, so I'll save some money on foam and spend it on nice Sunbrella fabric to cover it and a foam saw to cut it with.

It's a choice, of course, as some people only want the best regardless of price and God bless them. If we had an unlimited budget I would as well. But you can get perfectly good cushions that will last a very long time without going into hock for them. (We actually used the HD36-R foam in our teardrop which is even less expensive at $115 for the California King. It is less firm than the Lux HQ and has a life expectancy of 5-8 years. I chose that one, even though it won't last as long, because I cannot sleep on a very firm foam. The possibility of replacing it at some point on the cushions that get the most use is a price I am willing to pay for a more comfortable nights sleep.)

**No, I don't work for or have any affiliation with Foam Factory. But when I find a decent product at a fair price I like to give a heads up when I can.

[indimini]

Have you checked eBay? I've seen sellers with firm cushion foam at very reasonable prices. For example, 4" x 24" x 82" @ $50 shipped.

[Helbent]

My wife has been researching and working on this project for our Tayana 37. I cannot say I know too much about it, but I am certain she found the foam that she thought was the best price and quality for our boat. You can check out her discussion about ordering foam on our website. She also has a few follow-up posts after the order came in. I am sure she will post more as the project continues in the coming weeks.

[hellosailor]

"most foam used in boats and cushionry is latex, "
Every reference I've found says that the vast majority of all "upholstery" foam is polyurethane, NOT LATEX for ages now. And that's a problem because polyurethane burns very quickly and gives out gobs of toxic gasses in the process. This is considered to be a universal problem in the US, i.e. "all" the foam is poly these days.

It breaks down not because it is latex or poly, but because the "foam" is produced in only two ways, regardless of the material type. They can inject the "batter" with inert gas, typically nitrogen, in a sealed pan and then remove the seal. The nitrogen immediately bubbles up, like the gas in a bottle of soda that has been shaken before opening. Exact same process, and it produces bubbles of inert gas and a very durable material.

But it is cheaper to produce the foam "pancake batter style", that is, by mixing the batter with chemicals that produce gas bubbles when they are heated. Just like baking pancakes. And this process is often inferior, because there are so many possible ways to make the bubbles, and many of the chemicals used are not long-term stable, the way the nitrogen bubbles are. So most of the "pancake batter" foams will get brittle as the chemicals literally burn it up.

There's no way to tell them apart on sight.

Latex? good luck finding that though. Given the concerns with latex allergies today, I can't expect that to be a rational choice for any cushion maker, unless it was requested by special order.

[nimblemotors]

I used the foam from the rear seat in a 90ish dodge van to make my outdoor kitchen cushions. Cost the time to remove them from the seat.
I'm just a recycler, but call me cheap if you want.
I noticed the other day home despot had cushion foam for sale and was surprised how expensive it was.