Hardness

The hardness is the second important property of PU soft foams. For mattresses and seating it is essential that the foam fully supports the body. Foam that is too soft will in the worst case not support the body at all, whilst a foam that is too hard will not offer any feeling of comfort.

Naturally, the thickness of the foam also plays a role. The combination of the hardness and thickness of the foam on the one hand and the substructure on the other is essential.

Hardness is laboratory tested by compressing a foam sample of given dimensions to 65%, 40% and 25% of its original thickness, while measuring the force needed to achieve this. In order to ensure the highest degree of comfort, different degrees of hardness are available, depending on the relevant sector and the intended application of the foam.