Foam Seats: The Sofa Detail That Makes All the Difference

Two sofas can feel the same in a showroom and behave completely differently a year later, and the foam inside the seat is usually why. This article explains the difference between density and firmness, the two figures most buyers conflate, and sets out a sensible benchmark for high resilience seat foam. It compares standard polyurethane, high resilience, reflex, memory foam and latex, then weighs all foam cushions against fibre and feather fillings and the wrapped core arrangement that most households find comfortable. There is a five minute showroom test for judging a seat, advice on matching foam specification to how you actually use the room, and the maintenance habits that keep cushions supportive. It also explains why back cushions follow different rules from seats, how to test arm and front edge padding with your hands, and the way filling choice changes the appearance of a sofa as much as the way it feels to sit on....