What is best foam for salon cushions?

[geoleo]

Thanks Everyone!

[valhalla360]

A vote for nice and firm. If you are sitting on it for long periods, the really soft stuff will bottom out quickly.

As you indicated it's for interior use, I wouldn't worry too much about if you can pour water thru it.

[Bigjim]

I am well over 250 lbs and have back problems. Soft foam is a death sentence for me. My chairs at home were all filled with normal foam. Normal foam for settees is way too soft for me. It's important that you customize the foam for your own personal needs. Foam comes in various densities. I chose to use a firm V44 foam for our boat. That should serve people over 200 lbs well. In my private armchair and dining room seat I got even firmer material (V54). I am a happy man with no more back issues from sitting on soft chairs with no support.

I plan on making cockpit cushions too, but in that case, you need to use closed cell foam or waterproof covers. The thickness is also important. I'm very tall. Your position sitting is key to longterm comfort. You should not sit so you are either bending your leg up or down too much. Your weight should be evenly distributed along your legs and buttocks. I increased the thickness of my armchair cushion to raise me up by two or three inches. The chair is a bit high for average people, but perfect for me. Same should go for the cockpit cushions. Instead of one long cushion, you may want to make several separate cushions of differing thicknesses to serve your different crew members.

If you are looking for a good supply house, check out Foamorder.com Foam, Neoprene, Cushions, Latex Mattress, Outdoor Furniture Cushions, Sunbrella Fabrics. This is where I bought my foam for my two chairs. My upholsterer got foam from his local supplier. But we asked for firmer stuff. If you are sitting for a long time there is nothing worse than foam that is too soft.

Getting something too hard would be equally bad, just try sitting in the fiberglass cockpit for a long sail sailing and you know what I mean.

[leftbrainstuff]

You want industrial grade closed cell foam which is more durable than the cheap junk sold in homeware style shops. One density alone will either collapse and not hold shape if its too soft or be uncomfortable if too hard.

We chose 3in of medium density and 2 in of a lower density top foam as the best compromise between comfort and stability.

We recently trialled several variations of 5in thick cushions. 5in same stiffness, 4+1in and 3+2in in stiffnesses ranging from hard to very soft. We discarded memory foam and the very stiff foams as not acceptable in any combination.

We also wrap the top layer from the top to the front with a 3in radius on the bottom foam. This does 2 things. Firstly it removes an edge under the knees and it ensures high wear at this edge is born by a smooth surface.

I dont have the specs on me just now. Pm me and I can send them later this week.

[Souzag818]

Originally Posted by Scaramanga F25

You will want cushions that you sit on to be firmer than the ones you sleep on.

Agree. I did all my boat cushions a couple years ago. I'll see if I can find the receipt for the foam to let you know density. And avoid memory foam as a topper. It will bottom out and retain the shape of sitting on it in no time. Latex will last 8-10 years depending on use, but it's heavy. My V berth foam is 4" thick and a different density than the dinette/settee with a 2" latex topper and I sleep like a baby.

[SailP]

Reticulated foam is great for the added benefit of being able to sieve water but isn’t the most comfortable of foams. A medium to high-density foam (depending on your preference) will be supportive but could get soaked depending on the type of cover you choose to fit. There are a lot of foam sheet types here. They also list some applications and benefits which may help you to decide. Ultimately I think you need to weigh up comfort and practicality and decide which you value the most.