High Density Foam Blocks

Density is the measure of foam weight per cubic meter. High density foam mat has much higher density then regular ones. This makes them useful and practical for higher traffic and heavier items. There are a couple different foam constructions: flexible foam, and flexible polyurethane foam. The former is used for cushions and mostly home use, while the latter is primarily for industrial and construction purposes.

They are practical for couch cushions or kitchen chairs. And they’re also great as mattresses. High density foams are generally guaranteed for 7 to 10 years for such applications. If you are considering getting seating cushions for heavy use areas like lounge suites, love/window seats or dining chairs – high density foams could be the best choice. Same goes for caravan seats, boat seats or larger bedding solutions like mattresses, overlays or therapeutic cushions.

It’s really amazing how expansive the use of high density foams is these days. Starting from general medical supplies to luxury foam mattresses, a lot of products make use of high density foam these days. When it comes to common household uses like chair cushions, typical insulation or other kinds of seating arrangements, they are all the same useful. And would you believe that these foams are now being used in chemical mixtures where they play the role antimicrobial or flame retardants?

High Density Foam Types

Basically, there’re 2 types, namely – open cell foams and closed cell foams. Firstly, open cell foams are generally soft and easy to mold. To illustrate, open cell foams are used to pack and ship delicate items (for safeguarding them from potential abuses in the shipping). If you look microscopically, you’ll see that these foams have cells that aren’t fully closed.  

On the other hand, closed cell foams are pretty much the opposite. Compared to their open cell counterparts, they come with a different degree of hardness. So their density is different. Since closed cell ones have closed cells like round balloons, these foams easily float on water surfaces. As air bubbles rapt inside provide good insulation, closed cell foams are also suitable as top-notch insulator. But technically speaking, the bubbles/cells in these foams are not plain air… they’re gas. The gas provides insulation properties effectively.

Frankly speaking, open-cell foams are not good for insulation as water easily penetrates each cell. So, open cell foam insulation is no insulation at all. Like said before… if you want insulation, closed foams are your best choice. So, a lot of people apply them for much smaller projects (e.g. window framing).

Are you planning to cut high density foam all by yourself? Well, it’s not that this is a job for the ‘expert’, but you you’ll need more than regular scissors here. It’ll make your job absolutely impossible (at least if you want the job done neatly)! Rather, buy a good electric knife which heats up. This’ll let you make right cuts - free from uneven edges. If however you’re not able to cut that yourself, just request the vendor to make pieces to fit your project.

True, things depend a lot on what application you wish to use it for. But generally, closed cell high density foams cost much higher. Since, it’s much denser, you’ll require much more of it. And when you’re considering insulating in your home, you’ll realize why these seemingly cheap things are pretty posh to install! For instance, high density foam rollers (the ones used for exercise or rehabilitation) cost between $5 and $35. But a regular sheet of closed cell foam might actually cost higher (usually between $25 and $85).