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The Cutting Table · a checklist answer

Is the foam in your cushions memory foam?

Also asked as:Is the foam memory foam or sturdy foam?Is it memory foam?

Short answer: no. Long answer: two foams, two densities, and one reason both of them spring back when you stand up.

Answered by

The Pattern Engineer of Detroit · · Updated

Ochre-striped oatmeal cushion on an olive paneled storage bench under a kitchen window, with pillows and an olive treeSave
A pale striped seat lifts a deep olive bench, while block-print, bobble-trim and linen pillows layer in pattern and texture.

The quick answer

The foam in the workshop's custom cushions is not memory foam but a resilient, sponge-type polyurethane that springs back and holds its shape instead of slowly sinking. Bench and window-seat cushions use firm 32-density high-density comfort foam, about 2.0 lb/ft³ (32 kg/m³), and the floor and modular sofas use high-resilience cold foam, about 1.75 lb/ft³ (28 kg/m³).

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Key facts

  • Standard cushion foam is not memory foam.
  • Bench and window-seat cushions use 32-density high-density comfort foam, about 2.0 lb/ft³ (32 kg/m³).
  • Floor and modular sofas use high-resilience cold foam, about 1.75 lb/ft³ (28 kg/m³).
  • Both foams are resilient and don't sag or lose shape over time.
  • The floor sofa foam is described as a soft, sponge-type foam.
  • Cushions are made to exact sizes.

Have it made

Have Nate’s workshop cut this for you

Send the numbers in inches: length × depth × thickness, plus any angle. The workshop checks them with you, because foam has no undo button. — Nate

Leave your details and the workshop will call you to confirm measurements, fabric, foam and piping. No prices, dates or payment on this page: it is a request, not an order.

Fabric · Foam · Pipingwhat the workshop will confirm with you

Fabric
The cover cloth: weave, color and care code.
Foam
Standard cushion foam is not memory foam.
Piping
The corded seam edge: matching, contrast or none.
Only for this request: no marketing calls or texts. Outside the US, add the country code.
In inches: length × depth × thickness, plus any angles or cut corners.

* Required. A member of the workshop team will call you to talk it through; nothing is charged and nothing is made until you have agreed on every detail with them.

We use these details only to answer this request and make your cushion: your name and contact details, the cushion details and photos you send, the page you came from and the ad or link that brought you, if any. The workshop that makes the cushions receives them. We don't sell them or share them for advertising, and we delete requests after 24 months. Privacy notice for requests.

Nothing is made or charged until you approve the details.

Want to pick the shape and add photos? Use the full quote form

What's actually inside

  • Bench and window-seat cushions: 32-density high-density comfort foam, about 2.0 lb/ft³ (32 kg/m³)
  • Floor and modular sofas: high-resilience cold foam, T28, about 1.75 lb/ft³ (28 kg/m³)
  • Floor sofa foam rated ILD 42, each block in its own inner cover
  • Both foams spring back when you stand up
  • Tufted floor cushions: no foam at all, just densely packed silicone-ball fiber

What it isn't

  • Memory foam, the slow-sinking, slow-recovering kind
  • A foam that sags or loses its shape over time
  • A kit with a wooden sofa base; bases aren't made

Why the sofa foam gets compared to memory foam

Here's where it gets muddy, partner. The shop once described the floor sofa foam's feel as similar to memory foam, and one quote for a custom stacked 'cloud couch' offered high-density memory foam. Most of the time the answer is plain: not memory foam.

So treat foam as a spec, not a vibe. If you specifically want memory foam, get it confirmed in writing before you order, with the density and thickness written next to it. Measure twice; the fabric remembers.

Density vs. feel in one paragraph

Density is weight per volume. Firmness is how hard the foam pushes back, measured as ILD. They travel together, but they aren't the same number. The 32-density seat foam is described as firm; the cold foam on the modular floor sofa is called a soft sponge.

For the full comparison, read high-density foam vs memory foam and latex, then try the foam firmness finder. How do you want your window seat cushion to feel at the end of a long read?

Custom bench cushions use firm 32-density high-density foam, about 2.0 lb/ft³, not memory foam; if memory foam matters, ask for it by name.

Nate
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Buyer questions

  1. A common question

    Is the foam in your cushions memory foam, or a firm, sturdy foam?

    The workshop's answer

    The cushions use 32 DNS (32-density) high-comfort foam. It's a firm, high-density foam, not memory foam, and it's very resilient, so it won't sag or lose its shape over time.

  2. A common question

    What density is the floor sofa foam, and is it memory foam?

    The workshop's answer

    It's 28-density high-quality cold foam, about 1.75 lb/ft³ (28 kg/m³). It isn't memory foam; the shop calls it a soft sponge, though it once described the feel as similar to memory foam.

  3. A common question

    I want a super cushy 'cloud couch' from stacked cushions. Can you do that, and do you sell a base?

    The workshop's answer

    The shop said it can make cushions to any exact measurements using high-density memory foam, with washable covers. It doesn't make wooden bases.

  4. A common question

    Does a bench cushion come with the foam, or just the cover?

    The workshop's answer

    The foam is included. Standard custom cushions ship complete with a high-density foam insert in a zippered, washable cover. Covers-only is a separate, cheaper option with no filling.

Questions buyers ask next

Does high-density foam go flat over time?

The 32-density seat foam is described as very resilient, so it springs back and doesn't sag or lose its shape over time. Thickness still shapes the look: 4 and 5 in cushions use the same foam and feel alike.

What's the difference between 32 kg/m³ and 28 kg/m³ foam?

Density. Bench and window-seat foam is about 2.0 lb/ft³ (32 kg/m³) and described as firm; the floor sofa's cold foam is about 1.75 lb/ft³ (28 kg/m³) and called a soft sponge. Both are resilient foams, not memory foam.

Can I request memory foam for a custom build?

One reply for a custom stacked-cushion build offered high-density memory foam, but it isn't the standard fill. If memory foam matters to you, name it before ordering and check that the quote lists the foam type, density and thickness.